Granville residents Carol and Kent Apacki sat in on the September Granville Sustainability Committee meeting at the Granville Village Hall.
During the meeting, they talked about electric aggregate programs, composting, sustainable construction and community outreach.
“People really want to know more about what they can do as individuals. And I think that will be the way to proliferate the benefits of sustainable sustainability,” Ken Apacki said.
“Plus, our grandchildren are proud of us,” added Carol Apacki with a laugh.
The couple already lives in an energy-efficient home outfitted with solar panels on the edge of the village. But the Apackis still worry about how climate change will impact the next generation.
"If we don't address the climate, then all the other issues are almost meaningless,” Carol Apacki said.
A mission of reducing emissions
The good news is that Granville, a picturesque village of about 600 people, has made a lofty commitment: reducing its carbon emissions by half by 2030. It’s a goal set by Power a Clean Future Ohio, a nonprofit that helps local governments with climate solutions.
In March, Granville Village Council passed a resolution formalizing its goals and creating the Village of Granville Environmental Sustainability Committee.
Committee vice chair Paul Hammond said the goal is, in part, to make more people aware of their role in sustainability. That’s why the group has been to the Granville Farmers Market and created the Go Green Granville website.
About half of the village’s carbon emissions come from vehicles, according to a study from Power a Clean Future Ohio. Around 30% is from electricity, and about 20% from stationary combustion like furnaces and water heaters.
About 57% of emissions are generated by residents, compared to 37% from the commercial sector and 6% from industry.
"What we're really trying to do is move people to take action,” Hammond said.
"If we don't address the climate, then all the other issues are almost meaningless."- Granville resident Carol Apacki
Buying into green energy
One action they're pushing for is getting folks to opt-in to a green energy program.
Sustainability committee chair Frank O’Brien-Bernini explained that for a slightly higher cost, residents can buy wind energy. That doesn’t mean a windmill in Granville is sending electricity directly to homes, but people get credit for using clean energy even though it's generated somewhere else. That puts the village closer to reaching its goal.
“It's the currency of how you validate that it is in fact renewable energy,” O’Brien-Bernini said.
The cost of the green aggregate program is 7.59 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, compared to 7.15 cents. O’Brien-Bernini estimated that it costs residents an extra $4 or so a month, which he likened to an inexpensive coffee.
“People are concerned about climate change and maybe feeling helpless with what they can do. And so, this is a very tangible, practical thing that people can do themselves,” he said.
O’Brien-Bernini said people can also think about switching to electric vehicles or putting energy-efficient appliances in their homes. Go Green Granville also advocates for climate-resilient landscapes, lawns with lots of trees and native plans. And, of course, diverting waste and recycling.
O’Brien-Bernini said Granville’s goals are really global goals. The National Climate Task Force, for example, has the same goal for 2030 and wants to reach 100% pollution-free electricity by 2035.
“It may be easier to have a conversation like this in a town like Granville, but it's no less important to be having those conversations everywhere in the world,” O’Brien-Bernini said.
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Ohio goes green
Granville isn’t the only Ohio community having the conversation. In fact, if you’re listening to this in central Ohio, you might already be living in a community that has made a commitment to reduce emissions. A total of 50 Ohio communities, including more than half a dozen in central Ohio, have made climate and sustainability commitments through Power a Clean Future Ohio.
“So, for some, that means investing in clean energy projects locally, it means purchasing electric vehicles or building solar arrays locally,” said Joe Flarida, executive director of Power a Clean Future Ohio.
Flarida said, for example, Columbus voters passed a 100% clean energy aggregate program in 2020. It went into effect in June of 2022. The city of Columbus reports that nearly 200,000 households currently participate in the voluntary program.
Gahanna is also launching a 100% renewable energy program, Flarida said.
Other central Ohio communities that work with Power a Clean Future Ohio include Worthington, Upper Arlington, Bexley, Reynoldsburg and Lancaster.
“It may be easier to have a conversation like this in a in a town like Granville, but it's no less important to be having those conversations everywhere in the world."- Frank O'Brien-Bernini, Granville Sustainability Committee
Overcoming climate paralysis
Flarida understands that there is a cost associated with a cleaner, more sustainable future. He said, however, a growing “clean energy economy” presents an economic opportunity.
“We're going to pay for it one way or another. The option here is let's invest today in the solutions that will ultimately benefit our health, our well-being and our economic future for years to come,” he said.
Flarida said that climate change can also be overwhelming.
“It's a huge global threat. Right? And oftentimes that causes some paralysis,” Flarida said. “I think let's simplify and think about what can we do in our own lives, but also what can we do within our own local governments.”
