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What do sub-prime mortgages have to do with Atlantic Salmon, SUVs and globalization?

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They all depend on cheap oil, but oil is peaking.

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So you can count on the price at the pump going up.

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And as transportation costs rise, so will the cost of our food.

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That means that we have to wean ourselves from fossil fuels and re-engineer our lives

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to adapt to a world of growing energy scarcity.

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The good news is your neighbors and your neighborhood are about to get a lot more important

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in the not too distant future.

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Margaret Mead, a famous anthropologist, once said,

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"Never underestimate how a small group of thoughtful people can change the world.

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Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has!"

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That's where community power comes in.

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Thinking and acting locally is the only way that we are going to able to

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address the issues facing us today and generations to come.

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We have significant challenges in front of us.

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CO2 emissions are pouring into the atmosphere.

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If the global climate warms beyond an average increase of 2 degrees,

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the impact will be far more devastating than we can imagine.

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Community power and the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) is a way for people

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to share adversity and decide what to do about it

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while creating economic benefits.

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The Green Energy and Green Economy Act is unlike anything else in North America.

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It created the framework for a cross-section of communities to come together

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and created the infrastructure to turn vision into action.

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We are faced with two paths:

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The Hard Path: centralized production of energy with continuous consumption and limitless growth;

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or the Soft Path: local production of energy, locally owned with resilient and sustainable communities.

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We need to make a choice of which direction we want to take.

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The Hard Path is more of the same, and leads to irreversable consequences.

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We need to make this choice together to decide on the vision we want for our community.

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And to take action on what we want to create together.

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The greatest challenge is about leadership.

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Finding those people in the community who have the passion

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and who want to make a difference.

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That is where YOU come in.

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If you are a local guy, girl, a local group,

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a church, or a municpal leader, who sees the benefit

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of community power and you want to build community resilliancy.

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But where to start?

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That is where we at OSEA come in.

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with our roadmap for getting your community power project from vision to reality.

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OSEA's Roadmap To Success Workshop will take you on a deep dive

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into the roadmap tools and techniques.

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We will create a project in your community

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and help you develop an action plan

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to bring it from vision to reality.

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The Community Energy Partnership Program (CEPP)

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offers a 90% grant on eligible activities

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that have the technical, financial and governing feasability of a community project.

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And the Act changed the Cooperatives Corporations Act

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to allow for the creation of a renewable energy cooperative

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as a means to encourage community involvement.

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Fun, challenging, paving the way for community-inspired actions

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to save the planet.

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It's a reason to meet your neighbors throughout your community.

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It's a way for all of us to literally invest in the future.

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You'll be able to actually buy a share in the development

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from a community-operated renewable energy cooperative.

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You'll be a member of a democratically-controlled investment opportunity

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who's primary role, after return to investors, shareholders, members,

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is returned to the community.

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Supporting community sports, cultural, environmental, and other philanthropic activities.

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Is a renewable energy cooperative the right model for YOUR group?

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This is important to decide, as it will influence how you raise capital for the project.

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A 250 kilowatt solar PV can cost up to one million, five hundred thousand dollars.

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That's a big investment for a community.

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A 2 megawatt wind project can be four to five million.

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But communities are doing it.

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And sharing the investment opportunity locally,

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rather than with the ups and downs of the Stock Market.

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The same process is applicable to other renewable energy technologies.

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Now you are ready to submit your CEPP application.

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This will help you understand more of the technical, financial, and governance options.

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Through the OSEA Community Power Services Group, we can assist you through the application process

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as well as help you to manage your project.

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The Workshop will connect people with passion in the community

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with organizations and people with assets

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that can accommodate renewable generation projects:

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municipal buildings, hospitals, brownfield sites, used landfills, quarries, business rooftops.

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Once you've found the heart and mind of the community,

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then there is nothing stopping you from moving your project forward.

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And what do you know? Other things start to happen:

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you begin to drive less,

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shop locally,

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get to meet new people,

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build a community energy plan,

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influence local politicians on environmental matters.

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You have the capacity to act locally and think locally.