Fresh AIRE

Arlington County Launches Community Energy Plan

Arlington took a major leap forward to create a more sustainable community today.  Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette launched his initiatives for 2010 on January 1^st, but today marked the onset of a year long planning process focused specifically on energy.  The plan will create a framework around the way energy is created, transported, stored and used by everyone here in Arlington.  

This meeting brought together a newly formed “green ribbon” task force of residents, businesses and County staff.  This has real possibilities to transform the community much the way Arlington’s transportation master plan has created a model of transit oriented smart growth.  

The presentation by Peter Garforth, a national thought leader and community energy planner was videotaped.  This presentation really breaks down the value and importance to the entire community and will be played on Arlington Virginia Network once it has been formated for television.

Visit the links below for more information on the Community Energy Plan and the Fresh AIRE page to learn how to make your actions count:

Peter Garforth's PowerPoint Presentation PDF

www.arlingtonva.us/energyplan

www.arlingtonva.us/aire

 

 

 More photos from the event:

Warren Buffett a "Climate Killer?" What Do You Think?

Back in November, Warren Buffett invested $26 or $34 or $44 billion to buy the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad (BNSF) (I saw several different values and didn't waste a lot of time trying to figure out which one was right). Last week Rolling Stone Magazine lampooned him for being a "Climate Killer." About a quarter to a half (again, conflicting figures) of BNSF's business is hauling coal, the antichrist of the climate change battle--300 million tons of it.

Elena Schor at World Changing blog presents both sides.

Green Energy Reporter reports on a couple of angles.

So what do you think? Is Warren a "Climate Killer" by buying BNSF or is he supporting a lower carbon future by investing in greener transportation? I welcome your comments.

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Steve Offutt, Arlingtonian and Climate Consultant
Cross posted at www.steveoffutt.com
(photo attribution:http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfsullivan_1056/ / CC BY-ND 2.0)

Are Green Electronics Jumbo Shrimp?

There have been many interesting and promising inventions that have come out of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) over this past week.  No matter what you feel about electronics, they are here in our lives and only gaining in numbers.  Smart phones, iPods, gameboys, laptops, microwaves, TVs, DVD players, yadda yadda yadda... The graph below is a clear depiction of the increasing number of electronics in our lives and the increasing speed of adoption.  This is a graph I find very fascinating and have posted at my desk. 

While I don't think that electronics are the only answer, I do think they could be part of the solution for many Arlingtonians.  Often if something isn't easy, fun or saves money -- people won't adopt it. Electric bicycles, smart grid technologies, eBooks, OLED TVs and portable solar chargers are not only easy but cool.

We commented earlier about  the imperfect decision between a real Christmas Trees vs. a fake Christmas tree in this post.  I feel a similarly about technology that is supposed to help us leave a lighter footprint on the environment.  Theoretically these devices offer us the opportunity to use less power, but at what cost?  It is a nearly impossible equation for the average consumer to figure out.  Is it better to keep the TV you have even if it uses more power rather than switch to an OLED TV that sips energy but requires the extraction, processing, manufacturing, and transportation of an entirely new product?!

What do you think?  Is "green technology" as much of an oxymoron as jumbo shrimp? Is technology part of the solution or part of the problem?  Or is there something else that strikes you about our everyday conundrums?  

Leave  a comment below and let your voice be heard!

Don’t Just DO a Green Resolution This Year – Spread the Word, Too

It’s time for New Year’s Resolutions and for the last few years green resolutions have been receiving a lot of attention.   You can access a list of every day actions to help the environment and save yourself some money on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website at: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/tips2.htm.   But, what about taking it one step further?

We are all familiar with how trends work – more and more people start doing something and soon the masses follow.  Why not use your own power of influence and host a green gathering where you, your colleagues, neighbors, families and friends can get together to discuss and showcase your green actions? 

For example, have you recently changed the lights in your home to more energy-efficient ones?  Have a group over to have a look and be sure to explain about the products you selected and the savings you are seeing.  Maybe you can even raffle off your favorite CFL. 

If believing is seeing, why not combine both doing AND seeing with your New Year’s Resolution?   Help spread the word and make a longer lasting impact than just quietly replacing one light in your home.

Not a Fan of Snow? No Problem…Just Move the Clouds or Seed Them

For all you weary travelers anxious but unable to get home due to the snow, imagine this: when the threat of snow or cloudy days have the potential to hinder travel at such an important time, what if we could just….stop the weather? 

It’s not so far-fetched although you will need to travel far to see it.  In Moscow, Russia snow removal is apparently so costly and inconvenient that scientists have devised a way to simply seed the clouds with dry ice to stop the snow from falling.  

This is all according to a recent LA Times article which also explains the city has been controlling the weather in other ways such as melting away fog and forcing it to rain as needed.  Read the article here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-moscow-snow8-2009dec08,0,2120312.story.

Does snow provide such an inconvenience in our nation’s capital that you think it warrants controlling the weather?  After all, the federal government and most area schools and businesses did close due to the snowstorm.    How far would you go to not be inconvenienced by the fluffy white stuff?  Do the economics of this option outweigh a day of sledding and hot chocolate?

Common Signs of Energy Opportunities!

While the 2 feet of snow was a nuisance to some, it presents an opportunity for those in the know.

Inspect your roof as the snow melts and compare it to your neighbors.  Snow melt is one easy way to identify inadequate insulation and air leakage in your attic.  The pictures below show a few examples of homes that have poor or inadequate attic insulation.   

This lack of insulation wastes money and can lead to significant ice dams that cause damage to your gutters and roof.  With the Federal Tax credit, you can insulate your roof for about 75¢ per square foot or less. Insulating your attic can have a payback period of about 2-6 years.  

Here are some examples:

This home below has major ice dams that are blocking the front entrance. Sealing attic bypasses and insulating to proper levels would stop this problem, and the heating bills for this home would be considerably reduced.

The snow on the roof below melted except for the cold outermost edges around the eaves, creating icicles and ice dams. Notice the unheated garage roof is still full of snow. The neighbors house apparently has adequate levels of insulation as they have no sign of snow melt.

The house shown below was 9 years old when the front left room was discovered to have no ceiling insulation. You can clearly see the break between the insulated and uninsulated areas.

Below is an example of GREAT INSULATION in the forefront and the other homes beyond with inferior insulation.  Notice the row house in the front part of the picture, it is the only home with snow on it.  The other roofs have a white coating which helps in the summer, but the others clearly aren't insulated nearly as well as the first.  Also notice the great solar tube and solar panels.

When you insulate you home you also reduce the amount of time your heating and cooling equipment run which lengthens their useful life and reduces maintenance.  

Even when you can't see the snow melt patterns on your roof, an inadequately or improperly insulated roof costs you money daily in the winter and in the summer!  Imagine dollar bills flying off your roof hourly! 

Take a look around your house and let us know if you find anything surprising! 

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Still looking to decorate for the holidays?

If so, I'm sure you'd love to save a few bucks too, right?  If you haven't heard about energy-efficienct decorative light strings, here's a bit about them.  First, they SAVE YOU MONEY!  Second, they SAVE ENERGY!  These light strings are made with LED technology, which consumes 75% less energy than conventional light strings, and they last 10 times as long.  Less energy and fewer replacements = money in your pocket.  Check out the EPA ENERGY STAR website for details on the technology.  And check out HolidayLEDs for a glimpse at the variety of decorative light strings available.  There are many vendors online that sell these or you can find them in most home improvement stores, retail shops, or supply stores.  Happy Decorating!! 

Christmas Trees: Real vs. Fake

 

So here's something that may be burning in the minds of many...which is the more environmentally preferred choice, a real Christmas tree or a fake Christmas tree?  There seems to be quite a bit of debate around this question, and for good reason.  On the one hand, a real tree is renewable and compostable.  On the other hand, a fake tree saves several trees from an untimely unrooting.  It's been fun reading some of the discussion on this topic, like that of Yahoo! Green with it's short summary argument, or the detailed assesment by the San Francisco Chronicle, or the clean comparison chart by the National Christmas Tree Association.  If this is a question you've been asking, take a look at the discussions for yourself. 

Carbon Convenant

Interfaith Power & Light is a national campaign with affiliates in 30 states, including here in the DC metro area, called Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light. Interfaith Power & Light is mobilizing a religious response to global warming in congregations through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation. IPL's new program, Carbon Covenant, links up congregations and people of faith in the U.S. with faith communities on the front lines of climate change in the developing world and offers a way to help out. 

Check out the four projects featured on the Carbon Covenant website.  These are faith communities in the developing world taking the initiative to mitigate climate change and protect their communities.  All of the projects address the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in the developing world: deforestation. In Cambodia, Buddhist Monks aim to protect a remote community forest from illegal logging by ordaining trees and patrolling the area. In Ghana, the Presbyterian Church is teaching alternative, sustainable livelihoods, from snail farming to bee keeping. In Cameroon, an interfaith project is fighting desertification through tree planting. And on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, a Lutheran bishop is making tree planting a condition of confirmation in the church.

Climate change affects us all.  This program is a way of addressing the impacts of climate change in places many don't think about or even know about. 

Unveiling of Sustainability Toolkit for Apartments and Condos

Did you know that over half of all the housing units in Arlington are Multifamily (apartments or condos)?

Working with multifamily property managers, homeowner associations and residents is key to reducing the environmental impact and reducing utility bills.

Please join us for the unveiling of Fresh AIRE’s sustainability toolkit for condos and apartments.   It will include a demo of the new utility tracking software and comprehensivesignage package.

What:   Multifamily Toolkit Unveiling

Where: Arlington ’s Central Library ( 1015 North Quincy Street, Arlington VA)

When:  Wednesday December 9,  7:00-8:30pm

  

We hope to see you at the event tomorrow night!