The challenge is upon us...to generate 100% of our electricity from sources that do not lead to global warming -- and to do it within 10 years. In Al Gore's speech just days ago, entitled "Repower America," he issued this challenge. Al Gore describes how meeting this ambitious goal would create millions of new jobs, lead to permanently lower energy costs for families and help America lead the fight against global warming. Essentially, meeting this goal would enable us to resolve the economic, environmental, and national security crises we are now facing in the US. The common thread, as Gore points out, is our country's dependence and over-reliance on carbon based fuels. Check out the video highlights for yourself and take action.
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July 24, 2008
July 21, 2008
C...F...what?
That was the response I got when I gave my brother ‘props’ for having a CFL in his foyer light fixture. I was having dinner with my brother recently and on the way out happened to look up and notice he has a CFL is his foyer light fixture. Side note: is this looking up motion a sign that I’ve become inherently attuned to energy devices? Anyway, back to my story...upon seeing the CFL, I said, “Look at you with your CFL!” After his initial retort, he and his wife explained that neither of them had ever changed that light bulb. They have been living in that house for over 4 years! What a great success story for CFLs! That was case enough for them to consider future CFL purchases!
July 17, 2008
Join Al Gore's Fight for Climate Change
The We Campaign is an effort founded by former Vice President Al Gore – a campaign started to help bring awareness to climate change (a campaign we’ve discussed in this blog previously). As I am sure many of you know, the former Vice President has long been a leader in the fight against global warming. And earlier today, the We Campaign held an event in DC which included a speech by former Vice President Al Gore. The speech included a portion in which Gore issued an “unprecedented challenge” to politicians as to solving the climate crisis. Check out the details on their website. He hopes to change how the public views and thinks about energy and the effects of the climate crisis on the American economy. The event will certainly be history making and former Vice President Al Gore may change the American landscape from this moment on. For more information on the event and the Web Campaign, visit www.wecansolveit.org.
Nate Kresh, Intern with Arlington County and Student at Washington-Lee High School
July 14, 2008
25 degrees of separation
"Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo..." And with the sun comes warm yellow light, vitamin D, and HEAT!
We're fortunate to have big picture windows with views of Arlington, the monuments, the Capitol, and the national cathedral. On a really clear day, we can see Jack Kent Cook stadium. With our eastern exposure, our windows get a lot of lovin' from the sun, too.
We measured the temperature just inside our double-paned windows (our building is new, just 3 years old) at... are you ready?... 118 degrees. Ouch! No wonder we keep the blinds down during the hottest parts of the day. To help reduce the window heat, we took on a project over the weekend -- applying heat-reflecting window film to most of the windows.
Bottom line? The heat now measures 93 degrees, or 
25 degrees cooler. In this photo, the right window has the film (it's slightly darker).
The kit was reasonably priced and relatively easy to use -- though you really, truly need two people to wrangle the film. My husband bought the kits at a home improvement store, and you can easily find it online.
Diana Sun (no relation to the big ball of heat) is Director of Communications for Arlington County, a walking commuter, bicylist, and happy resident of the urban village of Clarendon.
Be a “Green” Jammer!
Think “green” thoughts this summer...especially if you’re taking part in the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) 2008 tour. When singing along to the tunes, especially the infamous DMB song Tripping Billies, “Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we’ll die,” hang on to your bottles and cans! DMB wants you to take this one seriously and is challenging you to recycle at the remaining shows of their 2008 tour by seeking out the specially marks bins – in exchange for some cool stuff, like front row seats! It's called 'So Much to Save.' DMB is going beyond recycling though. The band’s efforts are known as “The Bama Green Green Project.” Other cool efforts, like ‘Eco-Rideshare’ - launched to promote carpooling to shows, are taking off. How cool is that? And so easy too!! As if DMB isn’t already one of the sweetest bands around, they’ve just earned extra points in my book. Keep on jammin’!
July 02, 2008
Oil stain on Nationals Park?
Count me among the thousands of people who've enjoyed the Washington Nationals new LEED-certified baseball stadium. Although not thrilled about $7.50 beers and $4.00 waters, at least there are recycling containers clearly marked for our empties. Plus, energy-efficient lighting is evident throughout, and the roof above Red Hot and Blue inside the park is vegetated to keep cooler and control rainwater runoff.
A 20-game ticket plan holder, I've been aware of the Exxon-Mobil advertising throughout the Park. Recently, however, a coalition of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Friends of the Earth, and Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light has begun calling attention to this sponsorship, and the possibility that XOM may buy the naming rights to this green stadium in our nation's capital. Whaddaya think of that?
