There are so many interesting energy initiatives in DC and across the country right now, and we want to be sure we’re aware of everything that can help us meet our goals for efficiency, supply, reliability, and emissions. I hope you’ll all visit the site and share your knowledge!

Also, note that our first public engagement meeting is coming up on April 30 from 6-8pm at the District Architecture Center at 421 7th St. NW. The planned agenda will allow time for us to explain what we’re trying to accomplish, and for community members to share ideas in an open mic format. Email community@energysmartdc.com to reserve a time slot, if you’d like to participate in the open mic session.

Pocket Action Guides for Green Living DC

Green Living DC started out as the Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators Pilot Project, supported by the Office of Planning. As such, we had a plan to work from prior to Sustainable DC and were early participants in the District-wide process. However, now that we have a new plan to align ourselves with, we thought it might be time to create some materials to hand out to neighborhood residents in the Van Ness/Forest Hills area.

Tonight, we’re debuting our Sustainable Neighborhood Pocket Action Guides at an Environmental Film Fest event at St. Columba’s in Tenleytown. This pocket guide combines recommendations from the original NSIP report with some new ideas from the Sustainable DC action summary report.

The guide can be found on greenlivingdc.org, along with resources to help visitors follow up on action items. If anyone would like to adapt this for a specific neighborhood, just let me know – I have the template and can help you out with that!

Envision Adams Morgan

As Envision Adams Morgan gets into full swing, we’ve split ourselves up into working groups to tackle different aspects of community history and visioning. This month, the Environment and Sustainability Working Group is focused on painting a picture of the current state of affairs in Adams Morgan. To that end, we’ve used the master list of actions from Sustainable DC and used it to guide the baseline report that we’re creating.

For example, to track our neighborhood progress toward the District-wide zero waste goal, we’ll want to know what our recycling rates are, what kind of waste our residents and businesses are creating, and who hauls it. We’ll also want to identify potential community composting drop-off spots. If you live in Adams Morgan and would like to join our working group, sign up here.

This is all very exciting! However, in this press release, you’ll note that they only plan to produce blends up to B20, which is a bit disappointing to me. I’d love to see a local source for B80 or above as well. B20 means that the blend is 20% bio and 80% petrodiesel – B80 would be 80% bio and 20% petro. If DC Biodiesel offered a higher mix to a local distribution coop for retail customers (there used to be one in Takoma Park) local biodiesel and greasecar converts might not have to drive up to Baltimore to stock up on B99 (those that don’t homebrew, anyway). B80 and above do fine around here for most of the year, so could at least be a seasonal option.

The gas station near the Pentagon already sells B20 to retail customers. While I don’t own a car anymore, I do know a lot of people who would appreciate the option to buy much higher blends locally! Please consider it, DC Biodiesel…

Yesterday, DCEN hosted a very well-attended brown-bag lunch to discuss a proposed study that the Department of Public Works (DPW) will undertake with funds allotted to them through Sustainable DC. The wording in the press release for the funding awards follows:

The Department of Public Works (DPW) was awarded $300,000 to study the costs and benefits of establishing a waste‐to‐energy conversion facility within the District. “The District has an opportunity to craft a long-term waste-management strategy that redefines solid waste from a burden to a resource with economic, political and social value,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “This award will fund a comprehensive feasibility study to answer the question of how the District can best capture energy from materials that are routinely discarded as trash.”

Almost immediately, people started sounding the alarm, buzzing about a planned incinerator in DC.

Except for me.

I was confused because this was a Sustainable DC grant and I’d been in the Waste Working Group that had recommended the study. I was sure this wasn’t about incineration, because our recommendation had been for a study of waste-to-energy conversion technologies that excluded incineration (others include anaerobic digestion, hydrolysis, pyrolysis). In fact, this was the wording on #15 out of our 25 final recommendations:

The District shall form a task force to explore waste-to-energy and waste conversion technology options outside of incineration / mass burn for the District by 2013. The task force must take into consideration decreased C&D waste levels (i.e. less wood will be available) driven by another line item.

I may have been mistaken.

It seemed clear by the end of the conversation that incineration was still being considered by DPW, among other waste-to-energy options. It also seemed clear that there were plenty of people ready to battle an incinerator to the death if it were ultimately recommended.

However, Hallie Clemm, from DPW, also explained to us that the RFP for this study has not yet been written and that nothing is predetermined with respect to building an incinerator in DC.

I could still be right!

The fact that the RFP hasn’t yet been written means that it can say whatever we need it to say. It can request a study that explores non-incineration waste-to-energy and waste conversion methods as part of a much more comprehensive strategy moving us towards zero waste, which is the overarching goal for the Waste component of Sustainable DC. This was Neil Seldman’s suggestion, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Anaerobic digestion, for example, should be explored as part of a municipal composting strategy. It’s not likely to be a huge source of energy, but is preferable to regular composting in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, which could help us meet climate goals.

Shalom Flank, of Pareto Energy, mentioned that small-scale thermal solutions such as pyrolysis may be well-suited to site-specific distributed energy projects, especially those that capture and reuse heat. The syngas created through pyrolysis could provide an alternative fuel to natural gas. Mike Ewall, of Energy Justice Network, equates pyrolysis and incineration and strongly opposes both.

I suggest that the study remain somewhat neutral on this point of controversy. Any proposed waste-to-energy solution should be considered within the context of aggressive recycling, composting, and waste reduction efforts, and required to meet strict emissions, water contamination, neighborhood impact, and waste constraints. We can use this study to identify those targets and constraints for DC, and then map out technology options comparatively to see which can best fill our needs within our constraints. We can also identify opportunities where waste-to-energy options can support or complement other goals in the Sustainable DC plan.

Let’s keep our priorities straight.

Also important to remember is the point that Larry Martin made – if our goal is zero-waste, and our recycling rate is still just over 25%, it’s preliminary to talk about using the rest of our waste as a fuel. We need to focus on improving our diversion rates and using less first, then see what’s leftover. Favorite quote from him:

“Waste should be treated as a verb, not a noun.”
- Larry Martin, DC Sierra Club

Learn more and contribute your thoughts.

This 2011 report from the California Council on Science and Technology investigates and compares landfill gas, aerobic composting, anaerobic digestion, hydrolysis, pyrolysis, gasification, and incineration as waste-to-energy/waste conversion technologies.

Please comment if you have other ideas about how to make this study the one you’ve envisioned.

The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) uses Manfred Max-Neef’s definition of human needs and satisfiers to guide work in this area. The needs he names are not hierarchical, meaning they all have equal impact on our happiness and sense of well-being. The nine needs we use are Subsistence, Protection, Affection, Creativity, Identity, Freedom, Understanding, Participation, and Idleness.

This year happens to be the UN’s International Year of the Cooperative, so you may have been hearing more about this business model lately. Cooperatives can be for housing, food, or just about anything else. They can be worker-owned or not. They can be non-profits or for-profits – everything depends on how their bylaws are written. However, most cooperatives use the same “Cooperative Principles“:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Member Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training and Information
6. Co-operation among Co-operatives
7. Concern for Community

A business need not be a cooperative to pay a living wage and protect its employees; to encourage participation, creativity, and understanding; to allow for freedom, and identity; or to make sure that employees have an appropriate work/life balance (affection and idleness). However, a business formed as a cooperative, using these principles, would be off to a great start.

If you’re interested in learning more about cooperatives and strengthening our network in DC, head over to Coop DC and join the Google Group to get on the mailing list. Right now, we’re a fairly informal group meeting regularly to share ideas. We will also be hosting a one day conference at UDC on October 27th, so save the date, and look for more information shortly!

The process will continue and this plan will be fleshed out over the next few months. New open meetings are being convened to discuss overarching themes like health, education, social equity, and jobs. Please read more about the ongoing process, sign up for the Sustainable DC mailing lists, and take the opportunity to become involved in this ongoing process – make sure your voice is heard.

The EcoDistricts methodology asks planners to:

A) Articulate a vision and accompanying high level goals
B) Conduct a baseline analysis to understand their current position with respect to those goals
C) “Backcast” from the vision to brainstorm actions that will bring them closer to success
D) Prioritize those actions to come up with a plan
E) Track progress toward their goals over time

Learn more about DC’s four EcoDistricts by watching presentations from Shades of Green, an event that was held at the National Capitol Planning Commission:

• UDC EcoDistrict
• Walter Reed Sustainability Plan
• Downtown DC EcoDistrict
• Southwest EcoDistrict

If one of these projects happens to be near you, please think about how you might get involved to make it more effective. For example, UDC is currently an EcoDistrict in and of itself. Its campus forms the current system boundary. However, there are residential community groups in Ward 3 working towards similar goals, and they could be an integral part of the UDC EcoDistrict system and mission. In addition, there are many businesses and commercial buildings along the Connecticut Avenue corridor adjacent to UDC that may benefit from inclusion in a neighborhood vision and identity of this positive nature. Having these different communities working together will surely make the project more impactful, and as more people become involved in and aware of these projects, we can share lessons learned more effectively across the city.

A few highlights for me:

• The EPA currently allows pesticide manufacturers to apply for a permit to market a chemical without demonstrating its safety, on condition that they will submit required testing data later. However, there is no tracking system to monitor whether the data is ever submitted.
• Pesticides are only reviewed every 15 years – this creates a long lag time and doesn’t give an opportunity to consider new research findings.
• EPA considers evidence provided by industry labs that meet strict guidelines, but doesn’t consider other peer-reviewed research that links known diseases with pesticides.
• Labels have safety and caution data, but pesticides are rarely used exactly as directed. For example, the label may say that the pesticide is poisonous to pollinators, but if there are no bees in sight, nobody worries. Wind also often spreads pesticides to unintended sites or back onto the person spraying the pesticide.
• Homeowners tend to overuse pesticides when they are trying to get rid of a pest – the assumption is that more is better. We don’t think about the fact that increased levels of exposure are also toxic to us.
• Chemical pesticides are particularly dangerous for kids – they are in closer proximity to lawns and floors, and lower concentrations of pesticides can harm them, as they are smaller than adults. While there may be no immediate acute poisoning symptoms, effects can show up chronically and over time.

This legislation would allow DC to regulate pesticides more stringently than the EPA currently does. It would also ban pesticide use in public use buildings, in government buildings, in childcare facilities or schools, and near waterways. No matter what the outcome of the legislation, you can start eliminating your use of chemical pesticides now – there’s really no reason not to. The recommended alternatives are Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (as long as chemical pesticides are truly avoided and not freely used “as a last resort”) and Organic management, esp. for landscapes.

Learn more about Integrated Pest Management and Organic Structural Pest Control here:

• Beyond Pesticides – Least Toxic Control of Pests in the Home and Garden
• Healthy Child Healthy World: Use Integrated Pest Management in Your Home
• The Glenstone model: a landscape plan for businesses and municipalities everywhere

If you are interested in applying natural pest control methods on your property or business in DC, one of the testifying experts, Alan Cohen, runs a local biological pest control company – http://www.biopestman.com. You can contact him directly to discuss your needs.

Prior to the meeting, UDC will host a tour of their campus, highlighting some of the exciting green improvements they’ve made. The tour will start at 5, but space is limited, so you’ll need to RSVP to Howard Ways (hways@udc.edu) to let him know you’ll be there! Find out more on their web site – http://www.udc.edu/sustainability

Last night, I attended an event held at the Royal Netherlands Embassy to celebrate their new LEED certification. Over 40 other embassy representatives were there to sign a pledge indicating their commitment to “green” their embassies in partnership with each other, the US Department of State, and the District of Columbia. When you consider that there are just over 170 embassies in DC, that’s an impressive start. Before the Dutch Embassy, only the Finnish Embassy had achieved LEED status. Now both embassies can serve as examples and provide resources to the new embassies launching their efforts. And once we have over 40 embassies who can share their experiences, it will be easy for the remaining embassies in DC to follow suit. There was some talk of friendly competition between the embassies, but also plenty of stress on the importance of transparency and support for each other.

The event kicked off with a panel discussion hosted by Mr. Stephan Raes, the Economic Minister at the Netherlands Embassy. Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde of Finland was there to share their sustainability efforts. While they have a new building, they were still able to make changes that resulted in a 50% savings in electric use, a 65% reduction in gas use, and a 30% reduction in water use, saving them $150,000 a year in utility costs. Another shocking (but impressive) number shared later in the evening was the $1.7 million/year that the US State Department is saving by turning off computers at night!

Other panel participants were Mr. Emil King and Ms. Leah Lemoine from the District Department of the Environment and Mr. David Goehring from the GoDutch consortium. Ms. Lemoine discussed the importance of storm water treatment and shared ideas about how embassies could participate in district efforts by contacting her for a water audit. She discussed potential improvements such as rain barrels, green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable driveways. Implementing some of these improvements can qualify buildings for a 50% reduction in storm water treatment fees on their utility bills. Mr. King highlighted the District’s current recognition from the EPA as the nation’s leading Green Power Community and invited the embassies to become partners in that effort.

Mr. Goehring shared some inspiring examples of communities pulling together to make things happen. He lives and works in Rotterdam, where rising sea levels are of urgent concern and the city must innovate and rebuild its infrastructure to adapt to this threat. He encouraged partnerships and open source solutions as a way to bring everyone forward together.

Following a short reception, the embassy representatives there for the event were called forward to sign the pledge. After the signing, Mayor Gray made a speech rallying everyone in the room around the effort to make DC the greenest, healthiest, most livable city in the US. I was super-excited when he closed with a line pulled almost verbatim from a vision statement I submitted to the Sustainable DC website last September – “We want to be able to fish and swim in the Anacostia and Potomac rivers…” Now, I’m sure a lot of people share that sentiment, but I like to think the lesson there is that someone is looking at community input on that site!

In closing, I just want to commend the folks who initiated this effort to bring a community of like institutions together to share resources and challenge each other to forge ahead in making their buildings and grounds more sustainable. Very exciting!