The City of Cincinnati Offi ce of Environmental Quality and Green Umbrella Inc. have joined forces to make Cincinnati a shining example of environmental and economic sustainability. The two organizations started the “What’s Your Green Umbrella?” campaign late last year to provide tools to save energy and money and spread the word about the simple, everyday actions that can make a big difference.

You can register, at no cost, at www.whatsyourgreenumbrella.org, and track how much energy and money you save by simply recycling, washing clothes in cold water, using compact fluorescent light bulbs, and more. You can also learn more about the benefits of installing energy efficiency upgrades around the house, and how to begin with an energy audit from the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance.

“Every household can make a difference,” said Larry Falkin, Director of OEQ, “when you consider the total impact of energy efficiency upgrades to area homes, there are some very real benefits. In fact, the University of Cincinnati’s Economic Center estimates that increased energy efficiency can create more than 300 local jobs and save area residents $60 million in lower energy bills. Those numbers are convincing – saving energy does indeed save money.”

The “What’s Your Green Umbrella?” campaign site hopes to attract 30,000 registrants, and help reduce carbon emissions in the region by 300,000 tons which will drastically improve the air quality in the region in addition to saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs.

“This campaign is a great way for citizens to actually see the positive impact that their actions are having,” Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said. “Cincinnatians want to live healthier and more sustainable lives and ‘What’s Your Green Umbrella?’ will help them not only track what they do, but find new ways—both large and small—to make a difference.”

“Getting the word out is very important. By working together we have a better chance of reducing carbon emissions not only in the City of Cincinnati but in the entire region,” said Bill Hopple, president of Green Umbrella.

In addition to the activities tracker that calculates the impact of “green” actions, www.whatsyourgreenumbrella.org provides energy-saving tips, a calendar showing environmentally friendly events around town and an e-newsletter. Plus, schools, businesses and faith organizations can start their own groups on the website and compete with one another to see who is doing the most to turn Cincinnati into a truly ‘green’ and sustainable city.

“We are encouraging all members of our congregation to register on Green Umbrella! The more people recycle, the more jobs are created. Fact: land-filling 10,000 tons of waste creates six jobs. But recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency,” said Overseer Ennis Tait, senior pastor, Church of the Living God in Avondale.

Visit www.whatsyourgreenumbrella.org to find out more about the campaign and register today. You can also follow Green Umbrella on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ umbrellacin) and “like” the organization on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ GreenUmbrellaCIN) to stay up-to-date on the impact on our region’s environment.