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There is a lie being told. There are people out there who would like you to believe that the solar industry is crumbling. They point to the collapse of Solyndra as hard evidence that green-jobs are a myth, proclaiming that the bankruptcy of this one company was the final nail in our coffin.

These naysayers could not be more wrong.

Last night's event was a convergence. It was a convergence of movements, of people and of ideas. We came together to celebrate the incredible: the creation of two community solar installations in Oakland and the investment of over $350,000 in people-powered solar through Mosaic's platform. We heard from four of our partners: The Ella Baker Center, People's Grocery, St. Vincent de Paul and Oaklandish, each of which are working hard to make Oakland a better and more sustainable place to live. At the end of the event, people flocked to the computers to invest in St. Vincent de Paul's solar project and create more people-powered solar in Oakland.

In just a couple of weeks it will be April and we’ll have a lot to celebrate: April Fool’s Day, Easter, Income taxes done and over with, Pigs in a Blanket Day (yeah, that’s real), and of course, Earth Day. April 22nd will bring the 42nd Earth Day in the United States, with Earth Week starting on the 16th.

Earth week - those 7 days dedicated to taking public transit, carpooling, using the stairs instead of the oh-so-tempting-elevator on a hot day, and being mindful of our excess water/electricity usage. We all know it’s good for the environment, good for reducing our carbon footprint, but are Americans just plain sick of hearing about it? By now we’ve seen it all; Broadcast television stations changing their iconic logos to an earthy green shade...

Last summer, students and faculty from Northern Arizona University came together with community members to paint a mural honoring the area's rich African American history on the side of The Murdoch Center. Recently this mural has been nominated for the NAU VPR Creative Activity Award. In the nomination letter, the Southside Community Association explains how the community involvement generated from the mural led to Murdoch's community solar project.