The Week in Green: August 08, 2008

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

This blog was created as an online destination for DC locals or those traveling to our fabulous city to find out about local green businesses, projects, tips, services, products, and events. The cool thing is that since I started writing in January, I’ve noticed a substantial increase in items worth covering. So much so, that I’ve decided to launch “The Week in Green,” a round-up of all the juicy green tidbits that I don’t want you to miss each week.

Enjoy!

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P.S Have a green tip, local event, product, or news? Drop me an email.

The Week in Green: 8-08-08 to 8-16-08

  • Green Drinks

When: Tuesday August 12

Where: Ulah Bistro, 1214 U Street, NW, DC

When: 6:30-9/10

Featured in a recent issue of Daily Candy, this locally owned cleaning company uses natural products such as concentrated sage, lavender essential oils, and vinegar to keep the dust bunnies at bay. They even offer custom aromatherapy made from select essential oils designed to enhance your mood naturally. Green and Clean, take me away….

The team behind Mendocino and Sonoma have opened Redwood restaurant in the new Bethesda Row pedestrian mall. The 7,500-square-foot restaurant features modern American cuisine that emphasizes local and organic produce, wild and sustainable seafood, and ingredients from local artisanal cheesemakers, growers, ranchers, and fishermen. Reservations are difficult to come by; even Post food critic Tom Siestsema couldn’t score a table in the main dining room on his first visit. Check out an “early look” and a sample menu to whet your appetite until the hordes die down.

These Streets Were Made for Walking

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Local urban trekkers rejoice. DC has made it onto the list of most walkable cities in the U.S., according to Walk Score, which “helps people find walkable places to live.” Top marks go to areas with a high density of nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. and how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle. As gas prices continue to hover around $4 a gallon, there’s no better time to break out the sneakers and SIGG water bottle and hit the pavement.

The ranking is further broken down by neighborhood. Here are the top 10 for our area:

  1. Dupont
  2. Logan Circle
  3. Downtown
  4. U Street Corridor
  5. Foggy Bottom
  6. Mount Vernon Square
  7. Adams Morgan
  8. Kalorama
  9. Friendship Heights
  10. Georgetown

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.


Digg!

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.


Digg!

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.