Roundtables sponsored by League of Women Voters Hudson focus on sustainability efforts

About 50 Hudson residents celebrated Earth Day by attending Hudson’s League of Women Voters’ roundtable for the public in April.

The roundtable focused on “Energy in the Home” and highlighted the steps individuals can take to reduce emissions and energy use while saving money along the way. There also was a roundtable on “Best Practices for the Yard” and highlighted the steps individuals can take to create sustainable yards that support the local ecosystem and fight climate change.

During the “Energy in the Home” roundtable on April 18, participants learned about the Inflation Reduction Act and how to take advantage of it to receive tax credits and rebates for making energy-saving investments in their homes. The IRA law passed in 2022 and is the single largest bipartisan investment addressing the climate crisis and investing in clean energy in U.S. history. For individuals, the IRA includes tax credits and rebates for new household clean energy systems (solar, wind, geothermal), energy-saving renovations (insulation, windows, heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, energy-efficient appliances), and electric vehicles.

For information about the IRA, email LWVH at presidentlwvhudson@gmail.com.

In addition to learning about the IRA, participants heard from local Hudson and Stow residents who have made lifestyle changes that reduce emissions and energy use in their homes. Four topics were covered: solar panels; heat pumps; energy efficiency and conservation; and changing habits to reduce energy use.

LWVH has created an online “toolkit” that provides information and links to resources related to the topics that were covered during the roundtable.

At the May 1 roundtable, local experts, including Janean Curfman, Summit Metro Parks naturalist; Curt Van Blarcum,former City of Hudson arborist; and Mike Veney, director of Environmental Programs for Davey Tree, shared sustainable yard practices.

These roundtables were the first two in a series focused specifically on steps that individuals can take to live more sustainably. Future roundtable topics will include transportation, food, and health.

For more information, go to Events at lwvhudsonohio.org.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: League of Women Voters Hudson sponsor forums on energy savings