Tom Cotter (environmentalist)
Encyclopedia
Tom Cotter is an environmental
advocate and community organizer in the Central California
area of the United States
.
, United States
. A significant influence was the Boy Scouts of America
(BSA). Hiking, camping and fishing in beautiful Northern California
through adolescence and the Boy Scouts rule: "Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it" led to a deep ecological
awareness and accountability in adulthood.
The original form of this rule was written by Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
, the father of scouting
. In his final letter to the Scouts, Baden-Powell wrote:
In 1990, at age 17, Cotter was awarded the title of Eagle Scout
, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program.
with his wife, Christi Gaither, and their three children. He is the Sales Manager at the Real Goods Solar Central California
office in Fresno
and has taught as adjunct professor of Theological Ethics and the Environment
at Fresno Pacific University
.
and information portal
for exploring ecologically
intelligent, commercially beneficial and socially productive living in the Fresno
metro area. Green Fresno is part of the Fresno Interactive Network, a collection of vertical content websites focused on the Fresno region (Fresno County area). Through the combination of independent and company-owned web properties, the network uses that leverage to cross-promote relevant and contextual content (Fresno-focused) to all of the network site's web visitors.
Cotter is the organizer of the annual Fresno Solar Tour part of the American Solar Energy Society
's National Solar Tour, the largest grassroots solar event in history. At this educational event participants tour homes and buildings to see how their neighbors are using solar
energy to reduce their cost for electricity. Solar tours were started by Real Goods Solar and Real Goods founder and President John Schaeffer in 1995 and was picked up by the American Solar Energy Society
in 1999.
Cotter is organizer and Curator of the Fresno Solar Tour, part of the National Solar Tour, the largest annual grassroots solar event in history. Each spring attendees at the Fresno
tour and the virtual tour, online, learn about homes and buildings that are using solar energy to reduce their cost for electricity. Learn more about this educational tour at Fresno
.
Cotter is founder and coordinator of Fresno Green Drinks, an informal monthly gathering of environmental field professionals, educators, public servants, activists, and people wanting to learn and inspire each other towards broader ecological stewardship in the Fresno
metro area. As of November, 2011, Green Drinks
is active in 814 cities worldwide.
Cotter is Co-Chair and an Organizer of Fresno Earth Day, purposed to inspire and mobilize individuals and organizations to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.
Cotter serves on the Board of Directors at the International Green Industry Hall of Fame (IGIHOF), which promotes ecological sustainability worldwide through recognizing individuals and organizations for outstanding achievement(s) in the Green Industry and provides an educational forum for the international public.
Cotter is also a public speaker addressing various environmental topics such as solar
, alternative fuels, sustainability
, simple living
and stewardship
.
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
advocate and community organizer in the Central California
Central California
Central California, sometimes referenced as Mid-State, is an area of California south of the San Francisco Bay Area and north of Southern California...
area of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life
Tom Cotter grew up in Napa Valley, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A significant influence was the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
(BSA). Hiking, camping and fishing in beautiful Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
through adolescence and the Boy Scouts rule: "Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it" led to a deep ecological
Deep ecology
Deep ecology is a contemporary ecological philosophy that recognizes an inherent worth of all living beings, regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs. The philosophy emphasizes the interdependence of organisms within ecosystems and that of ecosystems with each other within the...
awareness and accountability in adulthood.
The original form of this rule was written by Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
, the father of scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
. In his final letter to the Scouts, Baden-Powell wrote:
...I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have a happy life too. I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life when you are a man. Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one. But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. 'Be Prepared' in this way, to live happy and to die happy — stick to your Scout PromiseScout PromiseSince the publication of Scouting for Boys in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout promise or oath to live up to ideals of the movement, and subscribed to a Scout Law. The wording of the Scout Promise and Scout Law have varied slightly over time and from country to...
always — even after you have ceased to be a boy — and God help you to do it.
In 1990, at age 17, Cotter was awarded the title of Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program.
Personal life
Cotter currently resides in Clovis, CaliforniaClovis, California
Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States, northeast of Fresno. The population is estimated to be 97,218 as of September, 2011. Clovis is located northeast of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 361 feet .-History:...
with his wife, Christi Gaither, and their three children. He is the Sales Manager at the Real Goods Solar Central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
office in Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
and has taught as adjunct professor of Theological Ethics and the Environment
Ecotheology
Ecotheology is a form of constructive theology that focuses on the interrelationships of religion and nature, particularly in the light of environmental concerns. Ecotheology generally starts from the premise that a relationship exists between human religious/spiritual worldviews and the...
at Fresno Pacific University
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno Pacific University also known as FPU is an accredited Christian university located in Fresno, California, United States. It was founded in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The university awarded its first bachelor of arts degree in 1965...
.
Environmental activism
In 2007, Cotter and Socient CEO, Victor Ramayrat, Co-founded Green Fresno, a free online communitySocial network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
and information portal
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
for exploring ecologically
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
intelligent, commercially beneficial and socially productive living in the Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
metro area. Green Fresno is part of the Fresno Interactive Network, a collection of vertical content websites focused on the Fresno region (Fresno County area). Through the combination of independent and company-owned web properties, the network uses that leverage to cross-promote relevant and contextual content (Fresno-focused) to all of the network site's web visitors.
Cotter is the organizer of the annual Fresno Solar Tour part of the American Solar Energy Society
American Solar Energy Society
The American Solar Energy Society is an association of solar professionals and advocates in the United States. Founded in 1954, ASES is dedicated to inspiring an era of energy innovation and speeding the transition toward a sustainable energy economy...
's National Solar Tour, the largest grassroots solar event in history. At this educational event participants tour homes and buildings to see how their neighbors are using solar
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
energy to reduce their cost for electricity. Solar tours were started by Real Goods Solar and Real Goods founder and President John Schaeffer in 1995 and was picked up by the American Solar Energy Society
American Solar Energy Society
The American Solar Energy Society is an association of solar professionals and advocates in the United States. Founded in 1954, ASES is dedicated to inspiring an era of energy innovation and speeding the transition toward a sustainable energy economy...
in 1999.
Cotter is organizer and Curator of the Fresno Solar Tour, part of the National Solar Tour, the largest annual grassroots solar event in history. Each spring attendees at the Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
tour and the virtual tour, online, learn about homes and buildings that are using solar energy to reduce their cost for electricity. Learn more about this educational tour at Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
.
Cotter is founder and coordinator of Fresno Green Drinks, an informal monthly gathering of environmental field professionals, educators, public servants, activists, and people wanting to learn and inspire each other towards broader ecological stewardship in the Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
metro area. As of November, 2011, Green Drinks
Green Drinks
Green Drinks is an informal networking event where environmentally minded people meet over drinks. Started in London in 1989, by Edwin Datschefski, Paul Scott and friends, it has spread to 51 cities in the United Kingdom, 400 in the U.S...
is active in 814 cities worldwide.
Cotter is Co-Chair and an Organizer of Fresno Earth Day, purposed to inspire and mobilize individuals and organizations to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.
Cotter serves on the Board of Directors at the International Green Industry Hall of Fame (IGIHOF), which promotes ecological sustainability worldwide through recognizing individuals and organizations for outstanding achievement(s) in the Green Industry and provides an educational forum for the international public.
Cotter is also a public speaker addressing various environmental topics such as solar
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
, alternative fuels, sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, simple living
Simple living
Simple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they need rather than want...
and stewardship
Stewardship (theology)
Stewardship is a theological belief that humans are responsible for the world, and should take care of it. It can have political implications, such as in Christian Democracy.-Implications:...
.
Affiliations
- Solar Living Institute http://solarliving.org/
- American Solar Energy SocietyAmerican Solar Energy SocietyThe American Solar Energy Society is an association of solar professionals and advocates in the United States. Founded in 1954, ASES is dedicated to inspiring an era of energy innovation and speeding the transition toward a sustainable energy economy...
- Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
- Green DrinksGreen DrinksGreen Drinks is an informal networking event where environmentally minded people meet over drinks. Started in London in 1989, by Edwin Datschefski, Paul Scott and friends, it has spread to 51 cities in the United Kingdom, 400 in the U.S...
and Fresno Green Drinks http://www.greendrinks.org/CA/Fresno - Restore Hetch HetchyRestore Hetch HetchyRestore Hetch Hetchy is a grassroots non-profit organization seeking to restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to its original condition.-History:...
- Rainforest AllianceRainforest AllianceThe Rainforest Alliance is a non-governmental organization with the published aims of working to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. It is based in New York City, and has offices throughout the...
- Kiva (organization)Kiva (organization)Kiva Microfunds is an organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to microfinance institutions in developing countries around the world and in the United States, which in turn lend the money to small businesses and students...
- The International Green Industry Hall of Fame http://www.gogreenhall.org
- U.S. Green Building Council
- Build it Green http://builditgreen.org
External links
- Socient website
- Green Fresno website
- Fresno Solar Tour website
- Real Goods Solar website