Drive Cleaner and Drive Greener
Recent News:
- We are pleased to announce that we have supplied 25 solar-energy science teaching kits to the Cromwell Public Schools, in Connecticut. See our Projects page for more information!
- The Energy Fair at Temple Aliyah , here in Needham on Jan. 9th, was a smashing success. Congratulations to all the folks at Temple Aliyah for putting on a fine event. We appreciated being able to participate!
- Nov. 13, 2010: Annual maintenance service completed at the Walker School project site. All systems are functioning like new, after some minor adjustments. Panels re-oriented for winter maximum solar gain. Maintenance work is done completely free of charge.
- The Annual Meeting for One Penny Per Mile, Inc., was held on Nov. 4, 2010. We reviewed our work during the past year, took care of various business items, and discussed two exciting new initiatives for our still young organization. We intend to sponsor a grant to support the education of elementary school children in the area of sustainable energy design, and we also intend to develop an 'app' for Android-type phones that will serve as both an educational tool for drivers, and also as a development tool for OPPM.
- With gratitude, we acknowledged the 3 years of service of Rob Dunlavey, one of our first Directors, and allowed him to gracefully depart further official service, in favor of his family.
- September 2009, our first project is completed! See our Projects page for more information about the solar garden and sports shed installed at the Walker School!
- 7/7/07: OPPM filed our 1023 form with the IRS. (a 'good luck' date!)
- 5/21/07: OPPM is approved by the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as a non-profit corporation. The date of incorporation, our filing date, is 4/29/07.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How does my contribution help save the environment?
Right now in the USA, most of our electrical energy is produced by 'dirty' burning of carbon-based fossil fuels. In spite of emission controls, this process still throws tons of CO2 into the air. Your donation will help build more clean energy production systems, displacing the need for energy produced by burning oil, coal or gas, and reducing CO2 emissions.
- Is my contribution tax-deductible?
Yes. OPPM is a 501(c)(3) public non-profit charity. Please consult with your tax advisor. Our tax ID number is: 42-1725603.
- How much CO2 does my car produce?
For a 'typical' mid-sized American automobile: about 4 tons (8000 lbs!) of CO2 for every 10,000 miles driven. Or, slightly less than 1 pound of CO2 per mile. If you drive a small fuel-efficient car, you produce less CO2 per mile; if you drive a large car, you produce more than the average.
- Yikes! What can I do about that?
First, try to drive fewer miles. Carpool if you can. Walk or ride a bike if you can. Enjoy the fresh air. When you must drive, be sure your tires are properly inflated and your car is tuned up to get the best mileage.
- How else can I help?
Volunteer! Please send an email, if you are interested. We particularly want to establish a network of campus representatives at colleges and universities around the USA. Tasks would involve distributing information at public events, such as Earth Day festivities at your school.
- Have you completed any projects yet? Installed any systems?
Yes. Please see our Projects page for additional information. We have demonstrated our ability to deliver a successful project, free of any cost, including maintenance. One year later, it is still functioning like new.
- Who are you?
The founding Director of OPPM is an architect with experience in the design and installation of renewable energy systems; more information is available on the contact us page. Here is a link to our official papers of incorporation on file with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OPPM currently operates on volunteer labor of the Directors; we have no employees.
- Where did you get this idea?
The idea came one day while driving on a highway in Massachusetts, and watching all the cars and SUV's going by in the other direction. The realization was that the larger vehicles were producing a much higher volume of harmful greenhouse gasses then the smaller vehicles, while essentially doing the same task: moving one or two people down the road. The initial thought was that the SUV drivers should pay a penalty tax for driving their larger vehicles, which would be used to develop green energy systems. Upon further reflection, the notion came that perhaps many automobile owners, of cars large both and small, would welcome a way to feel better about the driving they need to do.
- I still don't 'get it'; what's this all about?
Driving your car puts 'greenhouse gasses' into the atmosphere, as a by-product of the combustion process inside your engine. The planet appears to be warming up, and most people believe that our collective 'carbon footprint' is the cause of the warming. So, many people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint; they are searching for ways to reduce their impact on the planet and their contribution to climate change. The most obvious way is to consume less; to drive fewer miles. (We applaud conservation efforts. Our hope is that pledges per automobile will go DOWN over time, as our participation levels increase, reflecting fewer miles driven per contributor.) OPPM offers a way to offset your necessary driving, by contributing to the development of energy production systems that use 'green' renewable sources, such as the sun and the wind. By harnessing these natural forces and using them to generate electricity, we reduce the need for fossil-fuel burning power plants. Every little bit helps. Sooner or later, we will have a world-wide energy grid which is predominantly powered by green sources.
- What else do you hope to do?
In the future we hope to be able to offer additional interactive features on our website, like:
An emissions calculator for your car.
A way for contributors to track their own mileage and donations over time.
Information on total tons of CO2 emissions offset by OPPM donations.
And active links to monitoring stations at OPPM-installed systems.
We also intend to expand our breadth of contribution partnering ideas:
Runners and cyclists might want to donate a penny for every mile of their workouts.
Public transportation users might want to donate a penny per mile, as an offset for the carbon footprint of the public planes trains and buses that they use.
Corporations may want to put our decal on their fleet of vehicles, as one step in the process of greening their business, by donating a penny per mile of fleet driving.
Thanks for your support and know that your suggestions are always welcome!