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?
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