Fresh AIRE

Greening My Condo

Quick! Think of an “environmentally-friendly home.” What image came to your mind – a single-famiy house with lots of trees, right? Well, sure, but as I learned last night, we condo dwellers are already environmentally-friendly, just by living in denser quarters, with shared resources and almost always near transit. And since 61% of Arlingtonhomes are multi-family (vs. 28% single-family detached), it makes sense for Arlington and AIRE to reach out to condo residents.

As a fairly recent condo convert (2 years ago), my husband and I feel pretty good about how our move has reduced our environmental impact: we’ve eliminated two cars; adopted bike riding for pleasure and errands; begun walking to work; begun walking to the grocery store, post office, pharmacy, and coffee shop.

And inside our condo unit, we’ve swapped out almost all the light bulbs for CFLs; wrapped an insulating “blanket” on our hot water heater; recycled everything we’re able to, including the ubiquitous plastic bag; stopped buying bottled water; and adjusted our thermostat.

But last night, at AIRE’s “Greening Your Condo Association” seminar, I learned that each of us has a responsibility – and a voice – to ensure that our buildings are as green as they can be. Environmentally-friendly actions benefit the bottom line and can help keep condo fees lower. For example: installing CFLs in hallways and common areas; encouraging the planting of drought-resistant and native plants; educating and encouraging residents on recycling of appropriate items.

In fact, some condo and apartment residents have the opportunity to positively influence the “greener” landscaping on a much larger piece of land – some up to 20+ acres! – than an individual house. The photo shows a “bird-friendly” garden planted at The Arlington condos near Shirlington.

To make an even bigger impact, residents can encourage the condo association to get an energy audit or make some investments into energy efficiencies, e.g., replacing a common boiler or furnace with an energy-efficient model. One participant last night spoke about making his condo building’s needed new roof more energy efficient or perhaps even a “green roof.”

It was great to see so many condo residents at the session last night – I’d say there were at least 50-60 in attendance – and folks are very enthusiastic and eager to do what they can to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints. For the AIRE team, this was just the beginning of an environmental dialogue with the condo community.

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Diana Sun
Director of Communications, Arlington County

Reduce Mercury - Install CFLs

Here's the counterintuitive fact of the day:
Installing CFLs reduces the amount of mercury entering our environment.
It's true that CFLs contain mercury--about 4 milligrams per bulb.  However, the largest source of mercury pollution is the burning of coal in power plants. Mercury pollution from power plants is also worse, because the emissions are completely uncontrolled.  Once it gets in the air, we have no control over where it ends up.
This chart (from an EPA fact sheet), shows the emissions of mercury that come from generating the electricity for an incandescent is greater than the total mercury from the CFL.  If everyone switched out their lights for CFLs, the total mercury emitted to our environment would be reduced by thousands of pounds.

Mercury is a significant neurotoxin and overall bad pollutant, so be sure to take care when disposing of it (BTW - a watch battery has 5 times the mercury of a CFL, and an old style mercury thermostat--which you may still have on your wall--has 400 times that in a CFL.  Dispose of these items properly, too).

So it's a win-win-win-win: a no-brainer, really.  Change out as many lights as possible with more efficient lighting, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce mercury and other air pollutants, save money, and help Arlington County reduce its overall carbon footprint by contributing to AIRE.

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by Steve Offutt, Arlington

Where Do CFLs Go When They Kick the Dust?

They sure DON'T go in the trash! (A CFL's glass tubing contains a small amount of mercury, a toxic metal.) But a question I've heard so often in the last few weeks is where does an Arlington County resident dispose of dead CFL bulbs? Here's the answer:

• You can bring them to the semi-annual E-CARE recycling event. And get rid of other yucky items at the same time, such as old paint cans, pesticides, fuels and more. Read details.
• OR, bring your old CFLs to the HHM (household hazardous materials) recycling station at the Water Pollution Control Plant on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.. The HHM entrance is at 3155 S. Fern St, at the intersection of South Fern Street and South Glebe Road. Learn more.

P.S. The packaging on CFLs also includes information how to find disposal locations.

Fresh AIRE in Home Depot

Episode 2 - The Smiths Take On Global Warming:This past weekend, I went to buy CFL light bulbs at Home Depot at Seven Corners. I was standing in the "bulb aisle," purusing the CFL choices, when a woman and her husband strolled over to look at the CFLs. I overhead them discussing CFLs -- should they buy some...or not...they were more expensive...but... I quickly spoke up and said, "Hey, with savings of at least $8 per bulb/year -- what's NOT to like?!" The woman looked at me and said, "You must live in Arlington, too." I smiled and proudly responded, "yes, I sure do!"

That comment from a stranger in Home Depot was music to my ears! One of the Fresh AIRE campaign goals is to raise awareness among residents about things individuals can do differently. Her comment told me that people out in the community really are listening.

As for my CFL purchase that day -- I was disappointed that Home Depot didn't have any dimmer CFL bulbs or 3-way CFL bulbs (which do exist). Oh well -- maybe they had just sold out (I've been told by Ron Carlee that he's purchased them there). Also, that Home Depot only carries one brand of CFLs. That said, I found the manager, gave him my feedback that they should carry more brands and types, and he promised to pass along my comments to the "higher ups." Someone told me that Lowe's had a good selection, too. (But I really hate to drive beyond the beltway if I don't have to!)

For just about everything you ever wanted to know about CFL bulbs, go to the Main AIRE website and see the fact sheets at the lower right side.

Jennifer K. Smith, 17-year resident of Arlington
An Arlington County communications mgr. (and AIRE blog administrator)