Canvassing with the DC Project

Yesterday, Emily, Keely and I went over to Dupont Circle to meet up with The DC Project, a new non-profit organization. The DC Project aims to address social justice and climate change on a two-fold level.

They aim to create demand for green jobs by asking people to weatherize their homes. They also try to connect people with green job training so the demand is answered.

As of late, there's been a lot of emphasis on the new "green economy." Unfortunately, it's been a lot of marketing and less substance - it's been proven difficult to connect people who need jobs the most with the training that they need to work in green-collar jobs. This is what the DC Project tries to fix.

So the three of us went around DC going door-to-door to tell people about weatherization.

Weatherization is the process of making your home more energy efficient. The idea is that homeowners should insulate their homes so less heat escapes from the home - saving money and also requiring less heating and therefore reducing your carbon footprint.

Some examples of weatherization are: sealing gaps/holes, installing storm windows, sealing air ducts, and installing insulation.

We had a great time walking around and telling people about the DC Project and about weatherization. Overall people were really receptive- and we look forward to working with this group in the future.

Image from: http://www.capriverside.org/

CarbonFree DC: Showing Why Green Doesn't Have to Cost You Too Much Green

Today, I went to a meeting for CarbonFreeDC's "Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover." CarbonFreeDC won a $20,000 grant through the Green Effect competition, sponsored by National Geographic and Sun Chips. With this money, they plan to help 20 low-income families in DC make their homes more efficient and eco-friendly.

CarbonFreeDC will be reaching out to local businesses, government agencies, and community groups to get the most out of this money, and they will be featured in National Geographic Magazine (with possibly even a documentary sponsored by NG) and in an ad on Sun Chips bags.

Not only does this effort help low-income residents of DC, and not only does it help the environment, but it also helps to dispel the myth that you have to have a lot of greens (i.e. money) to go "green." They plan to track the savings of the 20 households over a few years to see how quickly the "Green Makeover" pays back.



CarbonFreeDC, a grassroots initiative to reduce the carbon footprint of our nation's capital, also has a number of seminars throughout the year on issues from composting to urban gardening, so they are worth checking out.

I would love to have some Georgetown representation in the Green Home Makeover project. It is a perfect example of the blend of sustainability and social justice, and it will help get us as a club more connected to the issues relevant to the residents of DC. You with me?