Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - July 2024

Rightwaters highlights from the past 12 months include: FUEL CELL AND HYDROGEN ENERGY ASSOCIATION In early 2024, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. joined the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) alongside hydrogen producers, infrastructure providers, engineering firms and other off takers as part of its pursuit of multiple technology solutions to achieve carbon neutrality. FCHEA represents more than 100 leading organizations advancing production, distribution, and use of innovative, clean, safe and reliable hydrogen energy. FCHEA is the national industry association for hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies in the United States and provides a consistent industry voice to regulators and policymakers, driving support at the federal and state levels. The organization focuses on leading national advocacy to encourage all levels of government to support fuel cell and hydrogen technology research, development, and deployment as well as a voice in shaping regulations, codes and standards to enable commercial growth, while ensuring the highest levels of consumer safety and satisfaction. Martin Peters, Director, Yamaha Marine External Affairs, now serves on the organization’s board of directors. SOLAR ARRAY INSTALLATION Yamaha Motor Corporation, with the help of VeloSolar, is currently in the process of installing solar arrays at the company’s Southeastern Headquarters in Kennesaw, Ga., and Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) in Newnan, Ga. this summer. The initiative supports Yamaha’s goal to reduce emissions produced as a direct result of business activities and achieve carbon neutrality within its manufacturing operations and facilities by 2035. The company anticipates the solar array in Kennesaw will supply about 60 percent of the facility’s electricity needs. At the Newnan facility, Yamaha expects to avoid roughly 13,600 tons of carbon dioxide over the life of the array – that’s equivalent to eliminating approximately

14,930,000 pounds of coal emissions. Yamaha plans to conclude the solar installations by the end of 2024. GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCES In the fall of 2023, Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Georgia Southern University’s (GSU) College of Science and Mathematics and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division to initiate a new conservation project designed to restore degraded oyster beds on the Georgia coast. The research gathered during the project will help determine the carbon burial potential of newly formed oyster reefs off the coast of Georgia. Through the project, approximately six tons of bagged oyster shell stacked on pallets are placed at two locations on a northern bank of the North Newport River west of St. Catherine’s Island to encourage the growth of new, native Eastern oysters. The teams hope that the data collected through the two initiatives will give more information about the carbon sequestration value of oyster reefs. In addition, Georgia Southern established a Yamaha Rightwaters Conservation Scholarship in July of 2023. Supported by an ongoing endowment from Yamaha Rightwaters, the scholarship awards $5,000 annually to a student who exhibits outstanding efforts and commitment to improve coastal sustainability. THE EMERALD COAST OPEN For the second consecutive year, Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Gulf Coast Lionfish Tournaments to support the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament. The tournament continues to break records for the number of lionfish removed, as well as records for the largest and smallest lionfish harvested. Lionfish prey on more than 167 different native fish species and can reduce some reef fish populations by up to 90 percent. They are capable