Get Involved in Local Planning Efforts – Energy and Transportation Meetings on June 1 and June 6, 8, 11, 13

Posted on May 30, 2013 by admin

Following quick on the heels of the Sustainable DC plan launch, plans for our local transportation and energy systems are underway. Find out what’s happening and get involved by coming to one of the public engagement meetings. Advocate for what you want to see in your neighborhood!

EnergySmart DC – Residential Planning Meeting

“The EnergySmart DC plan will provide specific short (1 to 5 years) and long-term energy goals, strategies for accomplishing the energy goals within the next 10 years, and strategies to align the plan with the goals of the Mayor’s Sustainable DC Plan and the Climate Action Plan. The EnergySmart DC plan should provide a comprehensive set of energy efficiency and renewable energy goals and recommendations that will put the city on a path to reducing energy consumption, increasing local generation and clean power usage, ensuring energy reliability and affordability, and creating green jobs for District residents.”

When: Saturday, June 1, 10am – 12pm
Where: Shaw Library, 1630 7th St NW (by the Howard University/Shaw Metro)
Learn more

Move DC – “Ideas on Choices” Transportation Planning Meeting

“Thank you to all of those of you who came out (in person and online!) to participate in our first round of moveDC public workshops—Ideas that Build. The second round—Ideas on Choices is coming to a spot near you in early June. We’ve taken the input you gave us, combined it with our analysis and developed three potential scenarios for the future of transportation in the District. This round of meetings will focus on discussing and collecting feedback on these three scenarios. The meetings will have interactive activities and plenty of opportunities for your voice to be heard.”

(Note that all sessions are the same, just at different times and locations)

Learn more

SESSION 1
When: Thursday, June 6, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Lamond Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE

SESSION 2
When: Saturday, June 8, 10am to 12pm
Where: Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Road, SE

SESSION 3
When: Tuesday, June 11, 7am – 6pm (stop by anytime)
Where: Union Station, Specifics TBD

SESSION 4
When: Thursday, June 13, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where: Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW

Happy World Environment Day!

Posted on June 5, 2012 by admin

Did you know that today is World Environment Day? Established by the UN Environment Programme in 1972, this is a day for positive environmental action. In case you’re looking for something to do to mark the occasion, here are a few ideas!

Build our local sharing economy

Sign up for Neighborgoods.net and start borrowing/sharing things with your neighbors. Maybe you need a drill, but only once or twice a year. Maybe you have a sewing machine that you could loan to someone who just needs to make a quick set of curtains. This is a site that allows easy sharing within your community.
Or, maybe you have skills to share, or want lessons in guitar, web design, or Spanish… Sign up for the DC Timebank and trade your time and expertise for someone else’s. See what’s being offered and requested now.

Protect our natural environment

Visit Casey Trees for volunteer opportunities and information on their rebate program and RiverSmart homes program for residential tree planting.
Take a walk in the park today … and take a bag along to pick up trash. Street litter often washes down storm drains and ends up along the side of Rock Creek or in other watersheds. Rock Creek Conservancy hosts an annual cleanup effort, but we can keep things tidy in the meantime by picking up trash whenever we see it. Might want to bring some gloves along for this as well.

Make the switch to renewable energy

WGES and Clean Currents both offer residential wind energy options and make it easy to switch from fossil fuels.
If you want to explore solar options DC SUN should be your first stop. This network of local solar coops can provide basic background information and help you navigate local policy and technical issues. Then, check out our Green Business directory for information on other local solar installers.

Have other ideas?

Share them here, or just let us know what you did to celebrate today!

Will Allen and the International Urban Sustainability Summit at UDC – April 27-29

Posted on March 16, 2012 by admin

Please mark your calendars for April 27-29th. The University of the District of Columbia will host the second annual International Urban Sustainability Summit. This year’s theme is “Food and Water: Sustainable Waste Reclamation.” Will Allen from Growing Power, Inc. will be headlining the Summit as a keynote speaker on Friday April 27th and an instructor of a two-day hoophouse design workshop on Saturday April 28th and Sunday the 29th. Watch this quick video for more info.

What: The University of the District of Columbia’s Second Annual International Urban Sustainability Action Summit. A daylong conference and two-day workshop experience that includes:

Keynote addresses by Will Allen from Growing Power, Inc. and Jonathan Lanciani, President & CEO of Organica Sustainable Water. Cost: $25 for all-day pass for the 27th.
Panelists and presentations related to food and water sustainability.
Free mini-film festival.
Will Allen instructs a 2-day on-farm hoophouse design workshop at UDC’s Muirkirk Farm (12001 Old Baltimore Pike, Beltsville, MD 20705). Cost: $150 for two-day workshop.
Twitter chat (#UDCActionSummit) for those who cannot join us in DC, but would still like to ask questions (more info to come).

When: April 27th-29th.

Where: UDC Theatre (4200 Connecticut Avenue, building 46) on April 27th; and UDC’s Muirkir Farm (12001 Old Baltimore Pike, Beltsville, MD 20705) on April 28th and 29th.

VIDEO: To learn more click here.

REGISTRATION: To register click here.

DC College and University Sustainability Pledge Signed at AU

Posted on March 1, 2012 by admin

On February 29, 2012, nine Presidents of District of Columbia universities and colleges, along with Mayor Vincent C. Gray, signed the Mayor’s College and University Sustainability Pledge (CUSP). The first initiative of its kind in the country, the CUSP requires signatories to undertake at least five commitments across 10 categories related to energy and buildings, jobs and community development, water, green education and training, transportation, waste, research and innovation, purchasing, grounds and habitat, and management and reporting.

“The commitment made by our universities today demonstrates their dedication to making the District the most sustainable city in the country,” said Mayor Vincent Gray. “This partnership, coupled with our Sustainable D.C. efforts, is a major step forward in ensuring that the District is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.”

CUSP signatories include John Garvey, Catholic University of America; Fred Bollerer, Corcoran College of Art + Design; Alan Hurwitz, Gallaudet University; John DeGioia, Georgetown University; Steven Knapp, George Washington University; Sidney Ribeau, Howard University; Patricia McGuire, Trinity Washington University; and Allen Sessoms, University of the District of Columbia.

For more information, contact:
Howard Ways, AICP – hways@udc.edu
Director of Planning and Sustainability
Office of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Adjunct Professor
Member, Council of Government’s Climate, Energy and Environment Policy Committee
University of the District of Columbia

Pesticide Bill Hearing – Monday, February 27

Posted on February 26, 2012 by admin

DC Councilmember Mary Cheh recently introduced the Pesticide Education and Control Amendment Act of 2012, designed to protect District residents against harm from pesticides. A hearing for this bill has been scheduled for noon on Monday, February 27 in the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW room 123).

Download a copy of the legislation here:
http://dccouncil.us/legislation/pesticide-education-and-control-amendment-act-of-2012

The bill is being opposed by supporters of the pesticide industry. If you support this legislation, please attend the hearing or write letters of support to Mary Cheh’s office:

Office of Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 108
Washington, DC 20004

Email: mcheh@dccouncil.us

Alternatives to pesticide use in your own neighborhood or home:

In addition, we have our own local resource on the Green Living DC committee! Alan Cohen is “Biopestman” – read more about what he does and feel free to contact him if you need a consultation: http://www.biopestman.com/

D.C. mayor planning environmental initiative

Posted on December 22, 2011 by arno

By Tim Craig, Washington Post, 12 December 2012

Hoping to jump-start his legislative agenda while boosting his standing with city progressives, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray is undertaking an environmental initiative he thinks will one day make the city a national model for clean energy, urban farming, green space and car-free transportation options.

Gray (D), who is heading into his second year as mayor, said he formed his “Sustainable D.C.” initiative to strengthen city efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lay the foundation for proposals that would revitalize an administration criticized for lack of vision.

Although the details won’t be finalized until spring, the plan could include more solar panels on government buildings, gardens in vacant city lots, new walking and biking trails, storm water retention ponds and turning waste into fuel.

“To lead, we must be bold,” Gray said at a speech recently. “This isn’t about incremental improvement. It’s about leaping beyond the competition.”

But in a city where study groups and comprehensive plans are routine and follow-through less frequent, some activists are skeptical Gray’s initiative will have a substantial impact.

Gwyn Jones, chair of the Washington chapter of the Sierra Club, said the “jury is still out” as to whether the initiative will result in lasting change.

“The devil is in the implementation,” said Jones, noting the 2000 Anacostia Waterfront Initiative has not been fully implemented. “But they have good people involved who seem to really want to make a difference, so our approach is, ‘Let’s play and see what we can get.’ ”

Gray’s proposal comes as many big-city mayors are competing over who can be the greenest. With the federal government and many state legislatures gridlocked over climate change, cities have been on the front lines with new environmental initiatives.

Yet Gray is putting his own touch on the concept. Perhaps better than any other policy effort to date, his efforts highlight his 2010 campaign pledge to seek community input in government decisions.

Former mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) was often criticized for being isolated in his decision-making, but Gray has begun seeking consensus from residents and experts before formally unveiling his plan. And despite early concerns over Gray’s go-slow management style, advocates say his approach makes them feel more connected to the government.

In September, the city launched a Web site where residents could provide suggestions for what should be in the plan.

On Nov. 29, to kick off the second phase of the project, Gray gathered residents and experts to brainstorm, breaking up 400 people into nine working groups dealing with the environment, climate, energy, food, nature, transportation, waste, water and green economy. The groups are expected to report in late February so the administration can produce a draft plan by April.

“It’s got a lot of people energized,” said Michael Barrette, who works at the Environmental Protection Agency but also helps manage the Capitol Hill Energy Co-Op. “The mayor seems to be serious about getting citizen volunteer engagement, so we are really optimistic.”

UDC Releases Bottled vs Tap Water Taste Test Results

Posted on November 21, 2011 by arno

Washington, DC – On November 15, 2011, the UDC Sustainability Initiative and the Student Government Association (SGA) sponsored a blind taste of bottled spring water versus tap water from the Brita Hydration Stations on campus. Fifty four people took the blind taste, with a slight majority (52%) preferring the taste of the filtered tap water over the bottled spring water.
Participants also took a short quiz to gauge their knowledge of the bottled water industry, with the following results:

Only 35% knew that it takes a plastic bottle 10,000 years to decompose in a landfill.
Thirty-eight percent knew that a gallon of bottled water costs 200 to 500 times as much as tap water to produce.
Eighty-six percent wrongfully believed that bottled water is tested on a daily basis when, in fact, 0% is tested on a daily basis across the country.
The majority of people (57%) knew that only 20% of the plastic bottles produced in the United States get recycled.
For more information about the benefits of tap water, visit the DC Water website at:
http://www.dcwater.com/drinking_water/tap.cfm

Working Group Kickoff Meeting for Sustainable DC Initiative

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

The DC sustainability strategy folks are moving away from community discussions into the next phase of their process now. They’re starting subject specific working groups, which will meet several times over the next few months. Topics include the built environment, climate, energy, food, nature, transportation, waste, water, and the green economy. To get involved, email sustainable.future@dc.gov to express your interest, then go to the kickoff meeting on November 29 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center – RSVP here.

UDC’s Sustainability in DC Meeting Recap

Posted on October 7, 2011 by admin

Notes from the meeting

On 28 September, UDC held a meeting as part of ‘Start in September’ under Mayor Gray’s Sustainable DC initiative. Office of Planning staff, UDC staff, and concerned citizens gathered to discuss ideas about the attributes of a sustainable city in an effort to break down high-level concepts and bring them into our local context.

DC Office of Planning’s Laine Cidlowski presented the Sustainable DC initiative, describing the steps that DC will take to set a standard for the rest of the US. The first part of this process is to paint the picture of what a green, livable, and healthy city looks like; incorporating ideas and visions from the rich diversity of backgrounds that make up the tapestry of our city. Then, planning begins as we strive to recreate our city in a way that mimics the closed loop systems present in the natural world and increases equity, access, and opportunity for all.

This open discussion at UDC allowed participants to share their own visions and aspirations for the city and gave them an opportunity to listen to other residents with different perspectives. In small tables of 4-5 people, we discussed three guiding questions:

What are the attributes of a sustainable city?
How does DC measure up to that vision of a sustainable city?
How can we engage and energize the whole city around this sustainability plan?

Participants took notes on post-it’s and drew ideas on papers in the middle of their tables. They also had a chance to report several ideas up to the front of the room to share with the whole group. The notes that follow are an attempt to synthesize the feedback we collected verbally and from the written ideas on the tables. We hope that attendees will read this, provide feedback, and contribute further ideas. We also hope that it’s useful to the Office of Planning and the DDOE as they work to develop DC’s city-wide sustainability strategy.

UDC will hold additional meetings in the future to develop these ideas further, so we invite everyone to join us and contribute!

Question 1: What are the attributes of a sustainable city?

The city is in sync with natural systems and all resources are valued.

Design is informed by nature/works with nature
Holistic thinking is present in all planning efforts
Closed loop systems are present in design for buildings and infrastructure
Nothing toxic/poisonous
Climate, energy, and water are protected
People are connected to nature
People are weaned off of fossil fuel for transport

Our communities are diverse and supportive, and all residents have equitable access to all the benefits of the city.

Cooperation
Personal or neighborhood responsibility
Active community organizations
People care for and respect others
Diversity in age, race, culture, economics
Access to vibrant parks and green space
Access to quality education – the foundation for economic opportunity
Access to sustainable jobs and opportunities
Access to public transit

We have a resilient local economy.

Locally grown food
Local services
Locally made goods
Human capital – residents are trained and able to staff the local economy

Our leadership is innovative and strongly invested in sustainability.

City government takes risks, learns from failure, and innovates
Community leaders are invested in sustainability/have a strong vision

Question 2: How does DC measure up to that vision of a sustainable city?

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

Lots of bikes/participation in bike-share program
Local farm produce/farmers markets
Grassroots action – more and more NGOs and businesses are involved in sustainability
We promote green buildings
We have public transit and we are trying to improve it

Low equity in access to transport/still difficult to rely solely on public transport to get around
Not very equitable access to green space
Recycling – we have it, but there is low awareness of what can be recycled
Scale of social disparities – state scale problems/city funding
Water and waste systems are old
Segregation is still a problem
DC has worse than national carbon emissions and energy used is dirty/Built environment is below average for energy use.
Traffic problems
City systems are not in sync with natural systems

From the conversation came the following suggestions for building on our strengths and addressing our weaknesses:

LOCAL GOALS	POTENTIAL ACTIONS
1) The city is in sync with natural systems and all resources are valued.
Built environment Zero net energy for buildings Closed loop design Green and modern building codes	Build combined heat and power generation systems/district energy/recycled heat Change energy sources from dirty to clean Reevaluate building codes Install more green roofs/require green roofs on all city buildings Use a holistic infrastructure design process
Transportation Reduced/renewable energy for transit Fewer cars on the road Better, more reliable transit options	Transition all city vehicle fleets to clean power Cordon off car-free pedestrian zone downtown Start lateral bus routes Provide more express buses Make dedicated bus lanes Experiment with new bus routes Make more bike lanes Increase bike education and awareness
Natural resources Efficient use of resources Respect for natural cycles Energy aware citizens Only graywater is used in sewage conveyance 75% waste diversion/recycling Healthy tree canopy in all areas	Increase energy awareness Include sustainability in public education Implement community composting programs Make recycling available to everyone Increase public awareness around what can/can’t be recycled Ban use of non-recyclable containers/Remove disposable products from restaurants Encourage upcycling Implement graywater systems Sewer/stormwater separation Minimize and recycle waste water Act and plan regionally for water, waste, and food
2) Our communities are diverse and supportive, and all residents have equitable access to all the benefits of the city.
No kids living in poverty Housing policy equity Affordable energy Access to green space Access to quality education Access to food	Encourage mixed income neighborhoods Enable In-house elder care in each neighborhood Implement and improve safety net for vulnerable groups Improve public education Minimize distance to parks/green space for all residents Support community gardens/p-patches
3) We have a resilient local economy.
We are able to feed our own city	Support community gardens Build more urban farms Encourage rooftop agriculture
More green jobs and opportunities across the city Sufficient training programs to prepare workforce	Strengthen sustainability education as preparation for jobs Leverage participation to benefit local economy
4) Our leadership is innovative and strongly invested in sustainability.
Cooperation and leadership from city and regional government around sustainability Fiscal cooperation/funding for sustainability efforts Tax base supports these efforts Systems perspective is incorporated in planning efforts	Make sure leadership is invested in sustainability and willing to innovate/take risks Require leaders’ presence in sustainability discussions Mandate an internal sustainability impact assessment for all government agencies Prepare natural disaster response plans that are in line with sustainability goals Identify system conflicts when planning actions – facilitate interagency/task-force communication

Question 3) How can we engage and energize the whole city around this sustainability plan?

Social Media Strategy

Twitter meetings – Q&A between city officials and Tweeps
Tweet ups
Sustainable DC Foursquare Badge

Collect ideas outside of meetings

Collect ideas on napkins, used envelopes, things with blank surface areas like toilet paper
Suggestion boxes for sustainable DC at local businesses – maybe through Think Local First
Collect ideas via text

Mobile meetings

Bike rides
Experimental circulator bus routes

Paid/incentivized participation

Give rebate for bottle recycling (5-10 cents)
Make it FUN
iPod giveaway at planning meetings
Take the money we would have used to hire a consultant and instead pay businesses directly to participate.

Go to existing meetings and groups

Churches/Religious networks/GWIPL/Creation Care
ANC meetings – Mobilize the ANCs
Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts
Unions
Rotary Club
Lions Club
Business orgs like AOBA
Parents at playgrounds on Saturday mornings

Go to existing events

Local sports venues
Music/concerts
Comedy shows

Get schools engaged

Universities
Clubs (UDC Sustainability Club, UDC Garden Club)
Put in school curriculum /better education on environmental issues

Showcase and encourage good examples

Create competitions between schools
Incentivize local business participation by holding competitions, giving awards for green practices
Competitions between employees of small/large firms
Action is motivating – bring the results of your own actions to the next meeting to share back with the group
Shame bad behavior
Lead by example, especially for city leadership

Reach all community members

Have meetings whenever it makes sense in your community. Don’t rush it based on this planning process.
Switch target demographic and recognize that kids are change agents
Reach pockets, but also have a central place to bring ideas back together/find out about new events
Everybody must bring 2 new people to next meeting – if we keep doing this, we’ll eventually reach a critical mass

“D.C. kicks off sustainability effort”

Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin

Green Living Expo DC Committee Member, Nina Dodge, was interviewed this week by NW Current about sustainability efforts in DC and the upcoming Green Living Expo. Read the full article here.

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