On Monday night, I joined State College Borough Council to give an update on the Centre County Solar Working Group’s power purchase agreement. I gave a spicier update to the State College Area School District later that night. For most people, the Borough presentation was a boring affair about final document signatures, a PJM queue … More Hallelujah! The solar PPA moves on!
Homicides are the #1 cause of death for children in the United States. “The overwhelming majority of those homicides are carried out with guns. In 2022, firearms killed more children and teens, ages 1 to 17, than any other cause including car crashes and cancer.” In the U.S., the gun death rate in that age … More The threat of a school shooting in my community
Over my ten years in municipal and school government, higher education, and non-profit leadership, I have witnessed children and families advocate for each other and our community. As I share in an op-ed piece today at StateCollege.com, they are “wise and trustworthy. We should listen. They have urged the municipal board in Ferguson township that … More Our families are wise and caring. Trump is attacking them.
School boards are among the most important elected bodies in the United States. They oversee the superintendents, set budgets, and develop and revise policy. The 10,000 democracies we’ve set up around the county create a diverse ecosystem for the care of children. In Pennsylvania, we have 500 (picture at right), In 2021, I was elected … More School board service and new candidates for the State College Area School District’s board
The Trump administration has sought to freeze funding for central Pennsylvania businesses and governments. This freeze will harm rural and urban economic development, impact clean energy, transportation, environmental remediation, resilience, and other infrastructure. These attacks will negatively impact our region’s goals in economic development, including–but not limited to–climate-related investments. Grist has developed a tool to … More Trump is stealing from central Pennsylvanians. Where’s Rep. Glenn Thompson?
This is my first entry in the “Climate change is…” series. I’ve heard and spoken thousands of sentences that begin with those three words. What has followed? So many things. Today, I will share a few of them followed by brief musings. In the coming weeks and months, I will return and explore some or … More Climate change is…
In the coming weeks and months, Peter Walks for Democracy will have an intentional focus. From this post through December 31, 2025, I will focus my efforts on creating a just and convivial world of mindful ecological citizens. I’ll share stories of my own and invite others to contribute. Through those stories, I will show how solidarity and conviviality matter. Along … More Mindful Ecological Citizenship: The Next 404 Days
We are now under two weeks until Election Day 2024. With Donald Trump seeking office a second time, citizens should understand that Trump’s own cabinet and a swath of staunch Republicans oppose him. For those RepublIcans who revere the Constitution and believe in the rule of law–folks who supported Nikki Haley but worry about Kamala … More The great warning: Those closest to Trump are not voting for him.
“When more schools adopt solar, it becomes mainstream and no longer viewed as “something revolutionary or confrontational.” This is what I told Cipher News, an outlet that “covers the technological innovations we need to combat climate change and transform our global energy systems.” In our work to act on climate change, its drivers and impacts … More Make action on climate change part of everyday life. Make it part of what schools do.
On Thursday, the Local Climate Action Program was awarded the Ryan Moser Reilly Award from the Engagement Scholarship Consortium. The Award “recognizes a campus or an entity on campuses (e.g. college, department, school, unit, program) that has made a significant contribution to transforming institutional culture that promotes community-engaged scholarship…[lifting up] institutions or units within that … More Local Climate Action Program wins national recognition and we are so grateful.
Peter Walks for Democracy 