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Biography

Earth Guardian with Sharolyn Vettese

Sharolyn Vettese became an environmentalist when she saw the wonders of the natural world through the eyes of her young children. When she compared what she saw in her own childhood to that of her parents’, she knew the natural world was in trouble. Initially, Sharolyn thought the best way to protect the environment was through politics and laws, so she ran for office as a Green Party candidate. From her fourteen years working as a volunteer community activist leader, including twelve as co-chair of a coalition of ratepayer groups, Sharolyn knew the importance of not running away from problems, but standing firm and participating in the process of change. She struck out on a new path.

Believing that ideas have no boundaries and that there are always solutions, she began her real environmental work with her father, Alfred Mathieu. Using simplicity as a guiding principle, they designed the “Windancer” wind turbine – a green form of energy that is simple, beautiful and efficient. Sharolyn founded the green company, Wind Simplicity, Inc. on the principle that, as long as there is sufficient wind, it is possible to generate sustainable electricity on-site close to the consumer for greater efficiency.

Wind Simplicity, Inc. and Windancer Wind Turbine have been the recipient of multiple awards, including: 2010 Gold Prize – Recylcing Council of Ontario; 2010 Finalist, Design for Recycling; 2009 First Place – International Design Award (IDA); 2009 CME Regional Innovation Award for New Technology (NRC-IRAP); 2009 Canada – Energy Globe Award; 2008 1st Place – Green Dot Award; 2007 Gold Prize -Design Exchange Award in Engineering

Sharolyn is also the author of two works: Life Teacher: the Role of a Parent, a parenting guide that recognizes children develop on 4 levels; and a collection of poetry, The Truth about Icewine: Poetry for the Wife, the Mother, and the Lady about Town.

For more information about Wind Simplicity, Inc., please go to http://www.windsimplicity.ca

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