Go to the profile of John F. Gray
John F. Gray
Co-founder/CEO of @Mentionmapp — “Discovering more Twitterverse”. Freelance writer. Former West Coast Editor @BetaKit. Keeping humanity in the conversation.
ELSE — Emerging Leaders in Solar Energy

“…working towards that sustainable energy future”

In conversation with Julie Guérin co-Chair, National Board of Directors at ELSE, (a CanSIA young professional’s group)

  • Tell us about your organizations’s Great Climate Race team

“Emerging leaders for Solar Energy is a growing network of young professionals and students across Canada. We all share a common interest in building a strong energy future in the country. We’ve partnered with the Great Climate Race to raise funds for OrcaLab. OrcaLab is a world renowned research centre located on a remote island off the British Columbia coast. They’ve been doing research on dolphins and whales for more than four decades, and they’ve always been dependant on gas generators to operate the facility. Helping transition them from fossil fuel dependence towards meeting their primary energy needs with solar energy (with a battery backup option) is the motivation for our Great Climate Race fundraising efforts.”

Julie added “with chapters in four provinces, and a presence at 17 Canadian universities and we’ll have upwards of 1000 participants in the race either locally or virtually across the country.”
  • Why the Great Climate Race?

“ELSE is participating because we strongly believe that solar energy is one of the most compelling clean energy resources available to us today. It creates meaningful employment; contributes to a healthy environment; and it helps meet electricity demands or helps those who are off the grid, like the OrcaLab. So for that reason the ELSE community is working towards that sustainable energy future. We’re very happy to be supporting the Great Climate Race and working towards achieving our goal of raising $16,000.”

  • Why should someone join your team?

“There are so many reasons to join our team. The biggest thing we offer is the ability to foster engagement between students and young professionals, with community driven initiatives. This is a great example of ELSE bridging the gap between individuals who want to make a change in this world, but don’t necessarily know how or where to find the projects, events or organizations to get behind. We’re always looking to grow our team; the more the merrier, because teamwork makes the dream work!”

  • Do you have a message for other teams?

“We’ve got a lot of energy, after all we’re working with solar panels all the time. We’ll be using that energy from all of our activities and engagement to really drive this initiative forward with the Great Climate Race. We’re excited to be working with everyone, and are looking forward to a great race.

  • Anything else you want to share?

“If anyone is interested in participating in the race, we’ll definitely find a way to get you involved. Join us, our arms are wide open for anyone wanting to push this message forward. It’s all about taking action towards realizing a more sustainable future.

For more information about the OrcaLab project click this link.