Greetings!
Thanks to those who attended our Green Career Workshops last Friday and, to our host, the National Association of Home Builders. These workshops were a great way to learn how to apply one's career strengths and preferences to work in the green economy. We also gained numerous valuable insights from other attendees who are involved in a range of energy and environmental sectors.

I attended the Project Drawdown workshop this week in Arlington, Virginia. Project Drawdown is a coalition of more than 200 researchers and other experts from 22 countries led by author, environmentalist, and entrepreneur, Paul Hawken. Over the course of five years of rigorous scientific research, they identified and modeled the 100 most substantive, existing, and upcoming solutions for addressing global warming.

I had heard about the book ( Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever to Reverse Global Warming) for some time and wanted to learn more about the solutions being proposed. Surprisingly, many of the these involved not just energy systems, but changes in food, land use, and other categories, including reducing food waste and educating girls.

You may be interested in seeing some of the videos where Paul Hawken discusses how we can reverse the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (Scroll down to "stand alone videos.") Hawken makes the case that global warming can serve "to feed our imagination, our creativity, and innovation to take on the greatest crisis that human civilization has ever faced." He says that this is a "game-on," not a "game-over moment." (Second video)

Another important thing that I became aware of in this workshop is how change is made at four levels -- 1) personal (what we do at home); 2) community (neighborhood, schools, etc.) 3) systemic (the domino effect that spreads across a state, country, etc.) and 4) legislative and policy. The presenters says that a lot of people focus on #1 and #4 whereas they think that #2 and #3 have more impact. This was food for thought, particularly for our Leaders in Energy organization, which is working to advance and scale clean energy and sustainability initiatives (#3) around our region, the US, and the world. I left the workshop with new perspectives and felt encouraged.

Additional Project Drawdown workshops will be presented by The Pachamama Alliance in Loudoun County and Centerville (see these and other events listed below).

NOTE: We are rescheduling our April 5th Green Leaders Workshop and will let you know about a future date. This is our first workshop focused on leadership and we wanted to further refine and enhance this valuable offering.

Today's newsletter has a plethora of info on building new skills for new jobs, educational events, and how to transition from sustainable choices to a sustainable lifestyle. Enjoy!

EQ Skills for Green Leaders Workshop --
Rescheduled
We are rescheduling our Green Leaders Workshop and will let you know a future date.
Stay tuned for further details.
What's New On the Blog?
We're all trying to lead more sustainable lives, but how do we do that?

Our recent blog posts give some helpful hints on changes to your personal choices, but also substantial changes in how you might approach a sustainable career transition or addressing diversity in the sustainability movement. Take a quick read and find some new wisdom on our blog today!
By: Tom Spina
All puns aside, our sustainable decisions can extend beyond just ourselves to our furry friends. This is just one example of how you can begin to think of sustainability as a lifestyle that fits into all choices.
By: Jarami Bond
Jarami provides his insights from first-hand experience as a "super-minority". He provides a few tips for others who might be in his position, and how we can all advocate for a more diverse and just sustainability movement.
By: Amy Highland
Can you sleep easy with so many claims of "green products"? This post gives some of the ins and outs on "green" mattress claims that you might find applicable in other purchasing decisions.
By: Jarami Bond
Adding value and being strategic about the skills you add early on in can provide you long-term success in building the perfect sustainability career.
New Jobs in the Energy Industry
Energy Market Analyst - BCS
Got 3+ years of experience in modeling and analyzing energy market dynamics? Then this might be the job for you! Click here to learn more.
Events & Other Happenings You Might
Be Interested In
Saturday, April 6th, Dinner and Documentary to Celebrate Teens who work on the Environment!, Global Co Lab Network, 5:30 - 8:30 pm. Celebrate the Eco Teen Action Network, dine on food and drink in Crystal City, and watch local Arlingtonian Miriam Gennari's documentary "Styrofoam Mom" - Youth under 18 free and environmental organizations and teen clubs can showcase their work free as well.  All proceeds benefit local Arlington NGO Global Co Lab Network's partnership with the Smithsonian to build a global and local network of teens on sustainable development!  Register here. Leaders in Energy will be an exhibitor.

Sunday, April 7; Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown Workshop; 2-4:30 PM (snacks at 2pm, program at 2:30pm); Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun, 20460 Gleedsville Rd., Leesburg, VA 20175. Click here to RSVP; CONTACT: Natalie Pien, natcpien1@gmail.com; Sponsors: Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun, Green Team; 350 Loudoun; Sierra Club Great Falls Group, 350 Fairfax; Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions.

Tuesday, April 9 - "The Climate Crisis: Impacts and Solutions," Arlington EcoAction, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Former Arlington County Board Chair and Managing Partner of DMV Strategic Advisors, Jay Fisette, will present Al Gore's compelling slide deck on the climate crisis and facilitate a panel, including: GMU Prof. Timothy DelSole, Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate; Paul Bledsoe, Progressive Policy Institute and national media contributor on climate policy and politics; Demetra McBride, Arlington Environmental Management Bureau Chief; and Scott Sklar, President of the Stella Group and an expert on clean energy technologies. The panel will cover the challenges we face, progress made, and the path forward. What is the Green New Deal? What is the status of batteries and EVs? And what is Arlington doing to respond to climate change? This event is free and open to the community. Register here.

Monday, April 22 - "Engineering Sustainability Day" at the University of Maryland All Day Event Starting @ 9:00 AM Clark Hall Forum College Park, Maryland.
The Maryland Energy Innovation Institute is committed to catalyzing and developing clean energy technologies and assisting in the transitioning of these technologies into marketable products and services through Maryland based entrepreneurial ventures. These energy innovations have tremendous potential to both grow the State of Maryland economy and have a positive impact on addressing global energy needs in a sustainable manner. Leaders in Energy will be an exhibitor. Register here for an energetic day of discussion on these innovations! The event is free to attend.

Tuesday, April 30; Workshop: Reversing Global Warming-Introduction to Drawdown; 6 :30 - 9 (snacks at 6:30pm, program at 7pm); Centreville Library 14200 St Germain Dr, Centreville, VA 20121. Click here to RSVP; Sponsors: Climate Action Group of UUCF, Sierra Club Great Falls Group, 350 Fairfax, 350 Loudoun.
Best,

Janine Finnell
Executive Director

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