The Trees Will Thank You

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Been a while since you visited your local library? It’s a great way to cut costs and keep your mind humming, while saving trees. Yes, there’s still the wacky dewey decimal system and people hunkered down all day (some drooling, I might add), at least at my trusty, musty Cleveland Park library. But now, instead of leaving empty handed when you can’t find that hot new tome, you can be added to a waiting e-list for books that are checked out.

I’ve been itching to read Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food.” When I went to find them last week, the nice librarian informed me that all of their copies were checked out. She then asked if I’d like to be added to the wait list. Well, here it is not even a week later and an email arrived telling me that one of the books is waiting for me. Sure, we all love Amazon and Kramer Books, but if you want something for free and a trip back in time, the library is where it’s at.

Next Time, #1

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

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:

  1. Portland, OR
  2. San Francisco, CA
  3. Seattle, WA
  4. Chicago, IL
  5. Oakland, CA
  6. New York City, NY
  7. Boston, MA
  8. Philadelphia, PA
  9. Denver, CO
  10. Minneapolis, MN

Head of the Class

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

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.

Supersized “Green” Homes

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

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.

Get Smart[Kart]

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

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!