Wednesday, November 19, 2014

One Millennial Can't Code

As a Millennial I feel somewhat ashamed to admit, I know nothing about writing code and practically nothing about website design. I know many Milliennials who not only know how to write code and build their own websites, but they practically taught themselves these skills. Not to say that people from other generations don’t have these skills, but it seems more common place in the Millennial generation. After all it’s impossible for most Milliennials to remember a time when home computers didn’t exist, let alone life without the internet, and as someone from this tech savvy generation I find my knowledge and skills of web design and code writing to be poor at best.

Despite my lack of knowledge of code writing and web design, I decided to undertake updating our 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage. Initially, I was thinking I would make some suggestions and then have Teresa, our website manager, make the changes for me. Teresa had other ideas however, and she gave me the necessary permissions and short tutorials necessary to make the changes myself. I started off just making minor edits regarding the details of the Refuel Colorado program and inserting new information on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) that I thought might be helpful for fleets and the public at large. Soon afterwards, I found myself wanting the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage to do more.

I started off by embedding the Clean Cities YouTube Channel directly into the page so viewers can watch these videos without having to leave the 4CORE site. I then moved on to create an online sign up form for fleets to complete if they’re interested in a FREE fleet analysis for AFVs. While I didn’t embed this form into the website, I thought a clickable button would be a nice way for interested fleets to sign up for a FREE analysis (turns out having Teresa write the code and create the button for me was easier than her teaching me how to write the code and create the button).

I did manage to create and embed a “Statement of Interest” form to help demonstrate what the demand for alternative fuels may be like if the necessary fueling infrastructure were available in our area. Unfortunately, the form was too small and you couldn’t see the entire thing at once. Upon looking at the code I made a guess as to what numbers, symbols, and the like, were related to the size of the form. My guess was right and I made many changes to the code (actually I changed one number multiple times) until the form was the size I wanted.

Finally, I created and embedded a calculator for determining potential tax credits for the purchase of an electric vehicle.

Did you know if you buy a Tesla in Colorado, you could be eligible for up to $13,500 in state and federal tax credits? With the 4CORE Calculator for Determining Tax Credits for Qualified Plug-In Electric Vehicles (I know the title isn’t very catchy) anyone can enter information specific to their electric vehicle purchase (cost, battery capacity, and incentives) and it will calculate the estimated state and federal tax credits they could receive. There is even more to the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage and I highly recommend taking a look at it!

Take time to browse the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage; play with the tax credit calculator, watch some Clean Cities YouTube videos, explore the various resources on AFVs, and register to attend the 4CORE/Colorado Energy Office (CEO) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle Event.

Event details:

Friday, December 12th, from 9:00 am - 11:00 am
La Plata County Road and Bridge Facility
365 S. Camino del Rio, Durango, CO 81303
FREE coffee, donuts, and fresh fruit for those who attend!



Eventbrite - 4CORE/Colorado Energy Office CNG Vehicle Event

We hope to see you there!


About the Author
Sarah is the Program Specialist at 4CORE who runs the Alternative Fuels Program. She is a Colorado native who fell in love with the Durango area while earning her Bachelor’s in Anthropology at Fort Lewis College. After graduation in 2010 she earned a Master’s in Anthropology and Certificate in Sustainable Urban Infrastructure from the University of Colorado Denver. Sarah moved back to Durango in 2012 in hopes of starting a career in the field of sustainable development. After a grueling 11 month AmeriCorps service term installing weatherization upgrades to low income housing in Southwest Colorado, Sarah is excited to be working with 4CORE on improving the sustainability and resiliency of our local communities.