Description of Individual or organization
Chris and Dick Guldi are dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to improve our environment. Their myriad efforts on many fronts in conjunction with the Dallas Sierra Club, Citizens Change Lobby, Public Citizen, North Texas Renewable Energy Group, Downwinders At Risk, and Environmental Defense Fund, and individual efforts are exemplary.
Leadership (Nominee demonstrates leadership through example, knowledge, attitude)
1. Dick and Chris Guldi are co-chairs of the Dallas Sierra Club's Conservation Committee.
2. The Guldis organized a group that traveled to Oklahoma City in February, 2016, to speak at a Bureau of Land Management hearing about flaring and methane rules.
3. The Guldis lobbied against the Seaway Pipeline, visiting politicians and the EPA to voice concerns about the Pipeline.
Chris created a website to oppose the Seaway and Keystone-XL South Pipelines.
4. The Guldis were and are on the 2014 and 2016 Earth, Wind, and Fire Summit committees; Chris did the 2016 Earth, Wind, and Fire Summit's website and is in charge of registration.
5. The Guldis maintain liaison with out-of-state environmental groups to disseminate information and support national environmental efforts.
6. Dick and Chris canvass state and local political leaders in both parties on environmental issues, both locally and in Austin.
Environmental Impact (Nominee demonstrates a positive impact on the local environment via policy change, product offering, significant volunteer contribution or other achievement)
1. When the Bureau of Land Management proposed selling gas leases at Lake Lewisville and other nearby areas, the Guldis helped identify the leases' locations and lobbied to prevent sales of these risky actions. Chris attended the meeting at Highland Village that wound up being the first city to oppose the lease sales.
2. Chris and Dick speak to the local and national EPA whenever possible, most recently having publicized hearings of the national EPA Scientific Board via social media, an effort that resulted in personally getting 10 individuals from across the USA to testify. This effort culminated in the Review Board challenging the EPA's assertion that there has never been widespread water contamination from fracking.
3. The Guldis spoke on environmental issues to city councils in Dallas, Arlington, Denton, Rowlett, Richardson, and Farmersville, and continued communications with council members after these meetings.
4. Chris attended the EPA Region 6 Environment Justice Summit, and signed up to take part in their quarterly phone calls on environmental justice.
5. The Guldis attend Hearings of the Texas Railroad Commission to lobby for meaningful restrictions on fracking.
6. Dick and Chris frequently testify for environmental justice at TCEQ hearings. For example, they spoke at the TCEQ meeting in Arlington to urge the TCEQ to turn over air monitoring to the EPA and have the EPA set the rules instead of the TCEQ.
Community Impact (Nominee demonstrates commitment to DFW green community through involvement with causes, business ventures or organizations)
1. Dick helped recruit volunteers for, and participated in, Clean Sandbranch Day on June 11, 2016.
2. The Guldis supported Earth Day Texas 2016. They worked with Earth Day Texas staff to suggest speakers and new groups to invite, attended all three days of the event to network and collect contacts, and continue to work with Earth Day Texas staff.
3. The Guldis maintain relationships with families adversely affected by fracking to provide encouragement and show support.
4. Dick supported a Fort Worth screening of Dear President Obama, a film that focuses on clean energy solutions.
5. The Guldis spoke at Dallas City Council meetings concerning cement plants.
6. The Guldis participate in a wide variety of volunteer efforts for the Dallas Sierra Club.
Other reasons for your nomination
Dick and Chris Guldi truly "walk the walk" trying to improve the environment.
1. The Guldis drove to Denton several times and went door to door to educate residents about a proposed electrical plant, urging people to support 100 percent renewable energy.
2. Chris and Dick support UTA C.L.E.A.R. with social media publicity by advertising on 200 Facebook sites, arranging speaker venues, fund raising, and video production. C.L.E.A.R. -- Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation -- is a consortium of academic and industrial partners dedicated to understanding the relationship between environmental quality and industrial processes.
3. Chris Guldi is a member of the North Texas Regional Energy Group. The Guldis have solar panels on their house and own an electric car: a Nissan Leaf.
4. Dick and Chris advocate for solar PV systems among friends and neighbors, and their street now has six houses with solar panels. Chris demonstrates and speaks about their home solar PV system whenever she gets a chance. She presented at a Dallas Sierra Club meeting and at Brookhaven College Earth Day. Their home was featured in the 2015 Solar Home Tour.
5. The Guldis try to broaden the reach of the Dallas Sierra Club to other people and groups by disseminating information various ways.
6. Chris volunteers for the League of Women Voters website and is the webmaster backup for the Dallas Sierra Club.
