This really got me fired up. According to a US City Sustainability Ranking from Sustainlane, DC ranks #12 on its list of the top 50 U.S. cities on a variety of factors from air quality to transportation. We rate beautifully on public transit, green buildings, local food and agriculture, and city commuting. Unfortunately, not so much when it comes to tap water quality, metro congestion, and affordable housing. The cities that kicked our ass? Read ‘em and weep:
- Portland, OR
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Chicago, IL
- Oakland, CA
- New York City, NY
- Boston, MA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Denver, CO
- Minneapolis, MN
Greater Goods (1626 U Street) now offers “classes for greener living” including Waste & Recycling, Greening Your Home, and Water Conservation, and more. The cost is $20 for early registration and $25 at the door. The first workshop on Jan. 26 will cover:
- An overview of the main energy hogs in the home and what you can do to decrease their energy consumption
- 10 easy steps you can take to be more energy efficient and save money
- Suggested products and services to help you implement these steps
- Additional resources to continue your education
And when you do drop by, don’t forget to bring a donation for the Capital Area Food Bank.
Can a 10,000-square-foot house inhabited by a family of four really be called “green”? After all, a big part of being green is conserving space and resources. An article in The Washington Post tackles this topic, citing a 6,500 square-foot house in Northwest DC that has less energy costs than the builder’s 1,200 square-foot rambler in Silver Spring.
How is this possible? The builder, Jerry Zayets (owner of Nexxt Builders) used low-density foam insulation that takes the shape of whatever space it’s filling to seal air leaks. This so-called “envelope of the house” qualified the home as energy efficient under theEnergy Star program.
Some other ways to make a home greener (from the article) include:
- Use compact fluorescent lighting.
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Use energy-efficient appliances.
- Landscape using trees and hedges to naturally shade the house during the summer.
- Use materials that are renewable, contain recycled products, or that can be easily resused. Bamboo flooring, for example, is a popular option.
When I first heard about SmartKarts from one of On the Fly’s founders late one night at a dive bar on U Street, I was intrigued. Here’s the deal: SmartKarts are funky looking, zero-emission electric trucks where you can buy locally sourced food (to cut back on those nasty carbon emissions). The company says they also try to stick to organically farmed, chemical-free food whenever possible.
The first SmartKart debuted in November at 8th and H, NW selling empanadas and other Mexican fare. And just a few weeks ago, another appeared at Street NW between 7th and 8th Streets selling barbecue fare from Rocklands BBQ along with healthy prepackaged sandwiches, soups, salads and more from On The Fly’s Washington D.C. based kitchen. Will Columbia Heights be next? I say bring on the Karts!
1. Renovate your home and build using eco-products, energy-saving appliances, VOC-free paint, recycled flooring. Learn more at The U.S. Green Building Council or stock up on supplies at the Amicus Green Building Center.
2. Lose weight and get healthier by limiting how much you drive. Even better, ditch that old gas guzzler and sign up for a car-sharing service like ZipCar so you’ll have wheels only when you really need them.
3. Keep your home tidy and free of toxins with a eco-friendly cleaning service and opt for environmentally safe cleaning supplies such as Seventh Generation and Method. In a pinch, good old-fashioned diluted vinegar works well on glass and countertops.
4. Get serious about recycling. Outfit your kitchen and office with bins that help you sort paper, plastic, and other materials. For really big items or stuff you’re not sure how to recycle, contact Junk in the Trunk. Their ECOVERY Box lets them recycle or donate your items safely and efficiently. Plus, you get receipts for any items they donate.
5. Eschew chain restaurants for lunch and either pack your own or check out a local, organic lunch spot such as Java Green.
Local hottie Barton Seaver, executive chef at Hook, is interviewed today on TreeHugger. His Georgetown restaurant serves responsibly-sourced seafood and local products. Seaver, formerly of Cafe St. Ex, opened Hook last year.
Reviews of the new restaurant have been mixed (I personally have never eaten at Hook) but Seaver certainly has been doing his part to get the word out about sustainable and locally sourced ingredients. A peek at his menu definitely made my mouth water. Sablefish with smoky lentils, cranberry-red win sauce, and braised mushrooms. Yum.
This is an article I wrote for The Washington Post back in August 2006 that looks at public green buildings around the area. The good news is that many more have been built in just the year since I wrote the article including the Sidwell Friends middle school, which was completed in September 2006. Know more? Email me at sachacohen [at] comcast dot net.
Today was the kickoff event for Bethesda Green, a “living business model that will sustain the current and future development of Bethesda by reducing the community’s environmental footprint.” Held in the newly renovated Bethesda Theatre, the event drew well over 200 people (and that’s during a workday, mind you) to talk about ways in which Bethesda can serve as a model for sustainable communities around the country.
Seth Goldman, founder and CEO of Honest Tea started off with a personable and inspiring account of his company’s humble beginning and astounding recent growth. After that, there were speakers representing the government as well as Mike Mielke from the Sustainable Business Network and David Feldman of the Livability Project.
Plans for Bethesda Green include more sustainable transportation (bike racks, paths, smart bikes), more collection bins and recycling, green business guides and certification, green buildings and roofs, and more renewable energy products like the current efforts to turn the leftover grease from Bethesda Row restaurants into biodiesel.
