So Others May Eat (SOME) Builds Greener

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

SOME helps the poor and homeless of DC with food, clothing, and healthcare. And since 2005, when SOME opened Independence Place, a permanent affordable housing program for families, they have been committed to basic green building standards. Here’s how SOME is building greener:

  • Increasing energy efficiency by choosing optimal insulation and quality windows, Energy Star appliances and light fixtures, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and daylight sensors.
  • Reducing water consumption with low-flow fixtures in kitchens and bathrooms.

When possible, SOME includes custom green building features in a project. For instance, at their Chesapeake Street and 50th Street properties, they are installing green roofs that will help manage storm water and reduce the “heat island effect.” At South Capitol Street, they will have a solar hot water heating system, and at Zagami House, they use point-of-use tankless hot water heaters.


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New Food Spots with an Eco-Friendly Twist

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

This week has been filled with news of brand new food spots in and around DC that all have green or sustainable elements. By this, we mean anything ranging from sourcing sustainable, local ingredients to using recyclable material to full-on organic menus. Here’s a sampling of what’s already open and what’s to come in the next few months:

  • Organic to Go: It was only a matter of time before a natural alternative to Cosi and Au Bon Pain came to town, thank goodness. Organic to Go is a USDA certified organic cafe and catering company that’s opening several locations in the area including Dupont Circle, McPherson Square, and Rosslyn. Based in Seattle, the company already has 170 locations including 33 cafés and 120 wholesale locations. Everything on the menu is made with organic ingredients whenever possible and is natural and free of harmful chemicals. Along with recyclable packaging material and biodegradable plastics, the company uses Prius vehicles whenever possible for catering and delivery.
  • Hello Cupcake: Who doesn’t love an adorable cupcake? And while the trend may be late to hit our dear city, the offerings at Hello Cupcake (opening late summer) look to be delightful. There’s 24 Carrot, Peanut Butter Blossom, and Triple Coconut, to name a few. Plus daily gluten-free and vegan selections. The modern shop with “old-fashioned elements” is in the same building as the U.S. Green Building Council (the people responsible for LEED certification), and has “inspired” HC’s owners to use recycled or recyclable packaging (they wrap their cupcake boxes with biodegradable twine and a reuseable carry handle, for example).
  • Commonwealth: Jamie Leeds, who runs the two popular Hank’s Oyster Bars, is slated to open a “gastropub” at 14th and Irving, right by the Columbia Heights Metro in the Highland Park Building. Anglophiles will delight in loads of British fare such as fish and chip, pork pastie (meat pie), and steak and Guinness pie, not to mention britpop on the sound system, British beer and American microbrews, backgammon and checkers in the pub area (what, no darts?), and a traditional British “Sunday Roast.” The pub’s design will be eco-friendly using reclaimed wood salvaged from barns, while meats and other ingredients will be locally sourced whenever possible. My only suggestion? Add English Triffle to the menu, and you’ll have yourself one very loyal customer.

Thanks to Metrocurean, Washingtonian, and Collaborations in Health for the tips.


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You Had Me at “Free Energy Audit”

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Does the sight of a Pepco bill fill you with dread? Yeah, me too. With skyrocketing gas and oil prices, what used to be a minor expense has turned into a full-on investment. And while apartment owners are out of luck, those of you who own single family homes can now get a free energy audit courtesy of the DC Department of the Environment. The DDOE Home Energy Rating System program pinpoints your home’s energy deficiencies and provides you with cost-effective, energy improvement recommendations.

First, a RESNET-certified auditor will come to your home and check out existing energy conditions including walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, hot water heating, heating and cooling mechanical systems and other related aspects. Once the home audit is complete, you will get a detailed HERS improvement analysis report with recommendations that range from no-cost behavioral changes (turning off lights, conserving water) to major improvements (a new HVAC system, insulation) to reduce energy loss in your home.

To schedule your free audit, email willie.vazquez@dc.gov.

Art & Environmental Festival at Wolf Trap

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

No plans for the weekend? Shame on you. But not to worry, we’ve got a suggestion. Head to Wolf Trap’s National Arts and Environment Summit, July 13 and 14. It’s part of the Foundation’s year-old “Go Green with Wolf Trap” initiative to raise awareness of environmental issues within the performing arts community.

The two-day event kicks off on Sunday, July 13, with an eco-friendly public performance headlined by Hootie & The Blowfish. Reverb (a seriously cool environmental non-profit started by Adam Gardner of Guster fame and his wife Lauren Sullivan) will be on hand to help educate and engage fans in environmental sustainability.

For its part, Wolf Trap promotes on-site recycling, paper-less ticketing, and public transportation to the venue, and its ultimate goal is to “eventually [position] Wolf Trap as an environmental model and resource for arts presenters across the country.”

On Monday, a group of the nation’s foremost environmental and arts experts, along with government, community, and business leaders, will convene at Booz Allen Hamilton headquarters in McLean, VA, to talk about strategies and solutions for engaging performing artists and performing arts presenters in environmental stewardship. The final portion of the summit will be open to the public for comment and participation via the Internet.

It’s a Natural

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

I love discovering local purveyors of natural health and beauty products, so I was thrilled when Michael Wood, the founder of Y-Y beauty products contacted me to let me know that his natural hair and skincare products are now available at the new Parlour salon on U Street.

The haircare line is free of sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals and animal by-products and are infused with ingredients from the African Baobab tree. The tree is best-known for its high vitamin C content, while its seed oil contains palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid, all of which have moisturizing properties.

“Generally speaking we can say that the overall hair care line is over 90% natural, skin and body care over 95% natural, and the candles are 100%,” says Wood. The styling products contain more synthetic ingredients for the “hold” so, they are in the low 90% natural range. His company has also signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, agreeing to avoid ingredients know to be harmful.

I’m already a fan of the Savannah Facial Toner, made with aloe, cucumber, chamomile, geranium. and rose water. A spritz on a muggy July day in DC is refreshing and made my skin soft and dewy.