An Evening with the Surfrider Foundation, A History of the DC Bag Tax from an Insider View

As a member of the greater DC community, I’m sure you’re aware of the plastic bag tax.  Since its implementation at the beginning of this calendar year, bag use has dropped from 22.5 million per month to 3 million per month and individual stores have estimated a 60 – 80% drop in use, while raising $1 million for cleanup efforts on the Anacostia River.

The Surfrider Foundation was one of the major organizations that lobbied for this tax, and so far it has been a wild success.  They supported this initiative based on an early study done by a few volunteers, who walked up and down the Anacostia River and recorded every piece of trash that they found.  They discovered that 47% of the trash consisted of plastic bags on land, while 20% of the trash was plastic bags in the river.  The Surfrider Foundation was founded by surfers who advocate for access to beaches and waves, but also for clean water, a human right that many people don’t have access to.

The bag tax has been a major success, seeing a 66% drop in the number of bags being cleaned up since last year, but not without critics.  It’s important to note that the issue was never about raising money, so it wasn’t a tax in the traditional sense, but it was more of a tax to reduce the number of plastic bags clogging up our rivers.  (Think of a “sin tax.”)  The tax ended up passing with less resistance than expected, especially when you consider the fact that more environmentally aware/progressive cities and states have failed...

DC VegFest

Tara and I at the DC VegFest with the Carrot.

Last weekend, on September 11, my friend Tara and I headed to GWU for the DC VegFest, an annual festival celebrating vegetarianism.

Neither of us had been before, so it was a really great experience.  We bought delicious falafel from Amsterdam Falafelshop, located in Adams Morgan, and vegan cupcakes from Sticky Fingers Bakery, located in Columbia Heights.  (Yes, the cupcakes were delicious - just ask the winner of Cupcake Wars, a vegan chef!  We got strawberry and cookies-and-creme cupcakes, FYI.  Both delicious!)

We also had samples from Gardein, a company that makes vegetarian meats, and some protein shakes from Vegan Bodybuilding (no lie!).

So why am I writing about this on a blog about environmental issues?  It's been suggested that the meat industry as it exists today in the United States is a major contribution to carbon emissions - according to the Environmental Defense, if every American skipped a meal of chicken a week for a vegetarian substitute, the carbon dioxide savings would be equivalent to taking more than 500,000 cars off the road.

You can save tons of carbon emissions (literally) by reducing your meat consumption - meat is a much more greenhouse-gas intensive product than vegetables are (due to the emission of methane and the huge amounts of corn required to feed the animals, not to mention the emissions due to transportation).

EcoAction in the News

EcoAction has gotten some media attention this week, so I thought I would highlight two articles:

Vox Populi featured an article about our upcoming collaboration with the Center for Student Programs to help make marketing events less wasteful and more effective and to help reduce the waste generated by the events themselves. Stay tuned as this develops.

The GW Hatchet also covered the Glover Park cleanup from last week. It is a great piece that highlights the collaboration between the student groups at Georgetown, GW, and AU for the benefit of the local community.

A Clean Park is a Happy Park

Today, GU EcoAction, Green GW, and AU EcoSense all collaborated for a clean-up of Glover Archbold Park as part of the annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup.

Here are the stats:

Volunteers: 75 (approximately)---The three schools made up about 1/3 of this!

Bags of trash: 80

Plastic shopping bags: 250

Top 3 brands: Coke, McDonalds, Budweiser

Cigarette butts: 500

Tires: 3

Computers: 1

Car alternators: 1

Most unusual items: Washington Globe street light and a deer skeleton

Fantastic weather, beautiful nature, meaningful service, and good company--what's not to love?

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/

Solar Trash Compactors

I know we have a few solar trash compactors around campus somewhere (but, from what I can see, not in the most hypervisible of places); however, I saw a lot of such receptacles when I was in Philadelphia recently and was very impressed by the city's initiative.

Throughout a fair amount of Center City, Philadelphia, there are Big Bellysolar trash and recycling compactors along the streets. These receptacles have mini solar panels that provide the energy to condense all of the trash inside--taking it off the grid, reducing the footprint, and enabling it to hold much more than previously possible. In high-traffic areas where trash often overflows, such a compactor is a major boon because it keeps the area clean (and reduces labor costs along the way).

Seeing these in Philadelphia made me wish that we could have a few more of these on campus---a great way to combine discussions about solar power and recycling into one medium (while simultaneously keeping our campus clean). Moreover, I would love to see them throughout DC. It is always disheartening to see all of the plastic bottles lining the trash cans in all neighborhoods of the District.

The Downtown DC BID recently began a recycling program, but it is still rather limited in light of the existing need. I think that the Georgetown BID should really take advantage of such an idea--if the residents are avid about cleanliness, then why not? Wouldn't it be great to see recycling receptacles discussed at the ANC?

Photo courtesy of http://www.bigbellysolar.com

Progress Report on the DC Bag Tax

In City Renewed, one of the District's green blogs, I read that the DC City Council's second vote on the Anacostia Watershed Protection and Cleanup Act succeeded. Now, the bill just has to go to the mayor's desk before being implemented. (It would be effective 1/2010).

I have been having difficulty finding out more details on this, but I think it is a good to keep an eye on. Keep your fingers crossed!

Farmer's Market Closer Than Ever!

It's summer time and that means all sorts of yummy fruits are in season - and what better place to go than the NEW farmer's market in Glover Park/Burleith, located at Wisconsin and 34th, right across from where Safeway is (was?).

It's open Saturdays from tomorrow until the beginning of October until 1pm.

For more information, go here. This is a great addition to the other set of great farmer's markets in DC (including the one in Georgetown at Rose Park on Wednesdays from April to October from 4-7pm and the one in Dupont on Sundays year round until 1pm).

Bags for the People

When we first discussed the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009, i.e. the DC bag tax, the issue was raised of its impact on the low-income residents of the District. Would the tax end up creating a burden for those it is meant to help? Thankfully, the act itself included note of measures to help provide reusable bags to low-income residents. I was even more pleased to see such an initiative taking place on the ground. In a recent article on Tree Hugger, I read about an NYC program called Bags for the People, which is a nonprofit that provides just this service. They sew old clothing to make reusable bags--an innovative use of resources and sharing of skills.

Why are they giving away such bags for free?

"Our bags are free so no one is excluded from actively participating in this simple lifestyle change. We want our bags to be a truly positive experience that will create dialogue and instill environmentally conscious thought while cutting back on plastic bag usage. Furthermore, for us, it is about our environment and making positive change, not making money"

This reminded me of the reusable notebook idea in a way, for both utilize present resources to help reduce waste and to have a community building experience. Possibly a great addition for a future clothes swap would be to make such bags? If only I knew how to sew well....

Photo credit: Bags for the People

Assessing the Climate Bill

If you’re at all serious about climate change, you’ve hopefully been following the recent negotiations over the so-called “Waxman/Markey” bill, because it’s pretty much the biggest game in town right now when it comes to the environmental movement. The bill, introduced by Democratic representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey and known formally as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, will clear a major procedural hurdle this week if it can make it through a vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Notably, the bill would create a nationwide “cap and trade” system to oversee the long-term reduction of US carbon emissions. If you’re not quite up to speed on cap and trade, it essentially means that a national “cap” would be set on carbon emissions, decreasing over time to theoretically insure an 80 percent reduction by 2050. Emitters of carbon dioxide would then be able to “trade” emissions credits if they come in under the cap, or be forced to buy credits if they continue to emit more than the permitted amount of carbon dioxide.

Cap and trade systems are widely considered to be the most politically and economically viable way to reduce emissions on a large scale. Our country already operates a cap and trade system to contain emissions of sulfur dioxide, which has been highly successful. The world’s largest cap and trade system for carbon dioxide emissions has been operating in Europe since 2005; they call theirs an “emissions trading scheme,” which does sound decidedly more European.

For our proposed cap and trade bill, negotiations in the Energy and Commerce Committee have been pretty contentious. Republican Rep. George Radonovich of California called the Waxman/Markey bill “environmental socialism,” while Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), the ranking Republican member on the committee, displayed with the following quote why the his party has little credibility left on any matter related to science:

"Wind is God’s way of balancing heat. That’s what wind is. Wouldn’t it be ironic if in the interest of global warming we mandated massive switches to wind energy, which is a finite resource, which slows the winds down, which causes the temperature to go up? I mean, it does make some sense."

Yeah…not exactly.

Despite the predictable Republican opposition, however, with large majorities both on the committee and on the full House floor, most of the debate over this bill has actually come within the Democratic Party, with centrist representatives from coal-producing areas (Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, etc.) especially concerned about the potential economic impacts of putting a price on carbon. Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), who leads the centrist New Democrat Coalition, was responsible for leading an effort a couple of weeks ago to put the Waxman/Markey bill on the shelf indefinitely. “In the throes of a recession,” said Davis, “more of a burden on industry is not a good idea.”

Waxman, who chairs the Energy and Commerce committee, has forged ahead in search of a compromise. And as Mike noted last week, it hasn’t necessarily been pretty. The climate bill, released in final draft form last Friday and set for a vote potentially by the end of this week, has been watered down considerably from Waxman and Markey’s original proposal, and from President Obama’s own cap and trade preferences as laid out in his 2010 budget. As Mike mentioned, the initial emissions reduction target has been lowered from 20 percent by 2020 to 17 percent by 2020. This doesn’t seem like the biggest cut, but still – it’s the little things. More significantly, though, the bill, which originally proposed that 100 percent of emissions allowances under the cap and trade plan be auctioned off by the federal government, will now provide for 85 percent of the allowances to be allocated freely to utilities, oil refiners, heating companies, and various heavy industries like cement and steel. This is potentially troubling because the decision not to auction permits not only minimizes the incentive to invest in cleaner technologies; it also results in the loss of a significant revenue stream for the federal government that makes the debt-related concerns about Obama’s budget begin to shine brighter and brighter. Some of the money from the cap and trade scheme, estimated in Barack’s original budget proposal at over $600 billion, was also intended to promote renewable energy development. Without those funds, this becomes considerably more difficult, along with the quest to make Waxman and Markey’s bill “budget-neutral.”

There are a host of other concerns that should give pause to people concerned about the bill’s potential effectiveness. Standards for renewable energy use in electricity generation have also been trimmed, while provisions also exist for carbon emitters to “lower” their emissions by investing in carbon offsets, which essentially means taking the easy way out and not actually transitioning away from dirty technologies.

In light of all these compromises, how, as environmentalists, should we view the climate bill in its current state?

While I sympathize with Mike’s criticism that “negotiations in the Energy & Commerce Committee have severely limited the potential impact of Reps Waxman and Markey's cap and trade legislation,” I think I’d have to disagree with his characterization of the committee’s negotiations as a “FAIL.” We need to recognize that the most important thing right now, above all, should be putting a system in place, and establishing the fact that from this point forward, there will be a steadily decreasing cap on America’s carbon dioxide emissions. As long as this system works okay, even passably, the tinkering can come later to optimize the environmental and economic results.

We should ask ourselves what’s better: do we hold out for a perfect system that is (albeit sadly) probably not politically feasible right now, given the concerns among powerful members in our own party, with an understanding that this approach would probably compromise the more important goal of putting a price on carbon as soon as possible? Or do we understand that the legislative process is going to result in some compromises, and realize that this bill, while imperfect, is still a tremendous and necessary step in the right direction?

Take Europe for example. In setting up the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), they basically had the same debate about seven years ago that we’re currently having. The European Commission (the EU’s executive body), in the spirit of getting a functioning system together, worked closely with industry leaders and EU Member States to arrive at an initial ETS with a few key provisions that were against the Commission’s preferences. One of the areas in which the Commission caved? The EU’s decision to allocate allowances freely.

Europe’s initial failures with its emissions trading scheme have been well documented. During the scheme’s first, or “trial” phase, from 2005-2007, emissions in Europe actually rose by nearly 2 percent. Though the free allowances have been blamed, this was not the only reason for the ETS’ beginning troubles. Another big issue with the ETS in the trial phase was that many countries allocated significantly more emissions allowances than the EU-wide cap provided for, resulting in an over-supply that destroyed much of the market demand for allowances and caused the price of carbon to crash to just €0.02 per ton by the end of the trading period in December 2007.

The Commission introduced some key reforms for 2008, taking greater control of the allocation process to insure that the Member States allocated fewer permits. The demand for, and accompanying price of carbon recovered accordingly, combining with the economic recession to produce a 2 percent drop in emissions for 2008. The EU also negotiated some important reforms for the trading period from 2013-2020, which will see a greater use of allowance auctioning and a generally harder line taken on European polluters. Undoubtedly, the jury will remain out on Europe’s emissions trading scheme as more results continue to emerge. But two things that Europe’s experience suggests, at least initially, are important to consider:

-First, the price of carbon will likely be far more important than how the emissions permits are allocated. When the price of carbon in Europe was high (in 2008, and also before it crashed during the first trading period), efforts to reduce carbon emissions took place. When it was too low, those efforts fell off. In looking at our own proposed cap and trade system, we should worry less about auctioning and more about making sure that sufficiently few permits are allocated so that there is enough market scarcity for the price of carbon to remain high.

-Secondly, the Commission’s willingness to compromise in order to put a system in place has resulted in an ETS that is now credible enough to allow for reforms that will make it work better in the long term. Without those compromises, efforts to get the EU ETS off the ground would likely have failed.

Waxman and Markey appear to be especially cognizant of the second fact. It’s also what Paul Krugman wrote about the other day in the New York Times when he warned against making “the perfect the enemy of the good.” Adds Krugman: “After all the years of denial, after all the years of inaction, we finally have a chance to do something major about climate change. Waxman-Markey is imperfect, it’s disappointing in some respects, but it’s action we can take now. And the planet won’t wait.”

Presumably following this same line of thinking, Al Gore has voiced his support for Waxman/Markey in its current state, as have many environmental groups. Amazingly, the negotiations in the Energy and Commerce committee have produced a scenario where industry leaders are working with, as opposed to against, environmental interests, to come up with a scheme that is widely acceptable. I would of course like to see a more stringent cap and trade proposal, but I also recognize that as environmentalists, at a certain point we’re going to have to be more than intransigent tree-huggers.

What we’re seeing right now, I think, is the evolution of the environmental movement into a credible political body that can actually get things done as opposed to continually trying to beat down the door. The continued Republican opposition to Waxman/Markey is unfortunately predictable, but Democratic leaders are apparently rallying around the bill, which may be enough to (finally!) pass a workable cap on carbon emissions in the United States. As environmentalists, we should undoubtedly continue to advocate for the best bill possible, especially as it traverses the dangerous, dream-destroying legislative waters of the United States Senate. If Waxman/Markey makes it into law, we should follow it closely and make sure it works and continues to work as best as possible.

What we can’t do, however, is make the perfect the enemy of the good. The planet can’t support too many more years without a US carbon cap, which means it also can’t support an approach to environmentalism that rejects anything and everything that is not entirely ideal, or perfectly “eco-friendly.” Even in its present state, if we can get Waxman/Markey signed into law, I think we’ll all be happy for it going forward.

(Image courtesy Allianz Knowledge)

A Car-free DC?

On Tuesday, the NYT blog posed the question of a "Car Free America". Witold Rybczynski, a professor at Penn, made the claim that only 5 cities in the US would be livable car-free:

"There are only six American downtown districts that are dense enough to support mass transit, which you need if you’re going to be carless: New York City (Midtown and Downtown), Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco. That’s it. The breaking-point for density and mass transit feasibility seems to be about 50 persons per acre, which means families living in flats and apartments, rather than single-family houses, even row houses. Not necessarily high-rise apartments, but at least walk-ups."

After reading that I wondered, what about DC?


Washington, DC, for one, is significantly smaller than the other cities mentioned. It is only 68 square miles, about half the size of Philly and about a third of Chicago and San Fran.

Moreover, the DC metro station, in my opinion, is very effective and surprisingly clean. Granted, it does not stop as frequently as the subway does in New York or Philadelphia, but the city, in my opinion, does not need metro stops on every block. I think that the positioning of metro stations and the orientation around them adds some character.

If one factors in metrobus as well, the realm of car-free DC expands much farther because most places in the District can be reached by, at the very most, a metro ride, a bus ride, and then a short walk. Even still, you might even be able to walk the majority of the way there. From Georgetown alone, you can walk out to Maryland if you want to put in the time.

Likewise, it is rather ironic that DC is not listed in the example of these cities when the photo on the blog page is of Clarendon, VA. The Wilson Boulevard corridor of Arlington is a perfect example of smart growth. In other words, it is designed for readily available metro access and readily available stores and restaurants. The block pictured above has a Barnes & Noble, an Apple store, a Pottery Barn, a Starbucks, a Whole Foods, and a number of retail locations all around each other with convenience stores, cafes, and restaurants within two blocks. Juxtapose that with a number of condo complexes, and you have a car-free area, if you ask me. (For other needs, you can even just walk one mile and hit the Ballston Commons Mall, next to another supermarket as well--Harris Teeter.)

Moreover, although the professor mentioned above makes the assertion that a city would need a population density of at least 50 persons per acre, I would question DC's exclusion from this. DC has a relatively large park system (especially Rock Creek) and the National Mall, both of which are obviously residence-free. I wonder what the population density of the built-up part of the city would be.

Maybe I am biased about car-free DC because I love to walk so much. But what do you all think?

A Bag Tax for DC?

Tomorrow, the DC City Councilmen will be voting on the Anacostia Rivershed Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009.

The act would put a 5 cent tax on plastic bags and would ban the use of non-recyclable plastic bags, ensuring that all recyclable bags were labeled as such as well. The retailer would keep 1 cent (or 2 cents if the place has a credit program, e.g. Whole Foods) and the rest would go to the cleanup of the Anacostia River, historically the recipient of all of the District's trash.

What about low income residents, you ask? According to Trashfreeanacostia.com, "before the fee takes effect, the city will conduct an intensive outreach campaign that includes not only public education, but also provides reusable carryout bags to residents for free. The city will work with service providers to distribute multiple reusable bags to seniors and low-income households."

Why is this so important, and what can you do?

20,000 tons of trash enter the Anacostia River EVERY YEAR, and, according to a recent study by the DOE, plastic bags, Styrofoam, snack wrappers, bottles and cans as 85% of the trash in the River.

The Act would be a great model of environmental justice. It would work toward the goal of promoting a sustainable lifestyle, make such a lifestyle available to those across socioeconomic lines, and work to ensure that all citizens have the right to a clean environment.

What can you do?

Visit the website above (the source of my stats and photo), sign their petition, and follow these steps as well.

Please take 5 minutes out of your busy day to make 5 calls to the key Councilmembers whose votes will decide the future of the Anacostia:

* At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown – 202-724-8174 (kbrown@dccouncil.us)
* At-Large Councilmember Michael Brown – 202-724-8105 (mbrown@dccouncil.us)
* At-Large Councilmember David Catania – 202-724-7772 (dcatania@dccouncil.us)
* Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans – 202-724-8058 (jevans@dccouncil.us)
* Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh – 202-724-8062 (mcheh@dccouncil.us)

We suggest you say something like this (feel free to edit and make it personal):

“My name is ___________ and I live in _______________. I wanted to call and thank Councilmember __________________ for their support of the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009. When they vote this Thursday morning, I hope they’ll stay strong in their support to put renewed energy behind cleaning up the Anacostia River and making a lasting impact on the health of our communities.”

The District may be your home for only four years, but your impact can last far beyond that.

EPA Green Power Challenge

The other day, when I was on facebook, I noticed a page for "The American Dream is Green." Since I thought it sounded like the name of a cool new nonprofit (I missed the blatant AU eagle--I was on a friend from AU's profile), I did some research on it and discovered the EPA College and University Green Power Challenge.

The competition ran throughout the 2008-2009 cycle and included many schools across athletic divisions, as detailed on the site. To me, it sounded like a hybrid of Recyclemania, the defunct energy saving competition, and the EPA.

Syracuse was the only school in the Big East to participate, much to my dismay. Georgetown was not represented; holding it out for DC was only AU and Catholic--both of which did fairly well. If they can do well and Syracuse can do well, I would hope that Georgetown could succeed as well--rather, I know.

Photo courtesy of http://www.epa.gov/grnpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm

Connecting with Goods and with People

Every year, around this time, Georgetown experiences its Exodus. No, it isn't the Exodus you read about in Bib Lit: it is the end of the semester, when everyone goes home in a mad rush. Too much stuff to store for the next few months? Too many random items you packed for freshman year turn out unused? Leaving your townhouse (and all the furniture in it)? All too often, these items will get tossed into trash cans and dumpsters; however, there is another way.

For the past few years, there have been different attempts at coordinating a move out drive, to collect some of these unwanted items and connect them with those that truly need them. The drive has evolved every year, and I hope this year's will continue on an uphill climb. Specifically, I wanted to spend this blog post discussing the KEYS for the Homeless Foundation, one of the charities with which we are working.


KEYS for the Homeless was founded by Valerie Johnson about ten years ago as a youth project at Holy Trinity and has seen amazing successes since. If you have ever worked at a hotel or stayed in a hotel, you would probably know that these places need to go through habitual periods of refurnishing. The towels, linens, and furniture items might still be in perfectly good condition; however, for the sake of upkeep, they will be rotated out. For many years, these items would have ended up in a dumpster; however, in this problem, Valerie saw a solution. KEYS for the Homeless works with a number of hospitality services (hotels et al.) to collect these items and connect them with homeless shelters throughout the DC area. The life cycle of these goods are being continued, and the lives of thousands of DC residents are being made better.

In the past three years, KEYS has redistributed over $400,000 in goods and works with organizations that serve over 40,000 people. I am very proud that KEYS will be an integral part of the move out drive this year. KEYS's commitment to social justice and fostering the good of the community (on so many levels) is what Georgetown is all about.

Photo courtesy of http://keysforthehomeless.org/ak_history.html

Surviving without Safeway: an Exploration and Ethics for Eating in DC

So, as you all probably know already, the Safeway on Wisconsin Avenue (termed by many as "social Safeway,") is going to be closed for a year during a reconstruction phase. Many Georgetown students are probably very upset about this; however, if life teaches us anything, when one door closes, many more open.

What I mean by this is that I encourage all of you to explore the many other opportunities near Georgetown--many of them not much farther away than Safeway.

-Whole Foods
-Trader Joe's
-Farmer's Markets

The first two are just about a mile away (not much farther than Safeway is), and you can get to the markets in Dupont and Foggy Bottom easily.

So what is there to discover?

Whole Foods:
If you love beautiful bright organic produce, Whole Foods is beckoning you. It is located at 2323 Wisconsin Avenue, a short walk from campus or a GUTS bus ride away (the last stop). Many people believe that Whole Foods is overpriced, but it, in some cases, is cheaper than Safeway (at least in the case of Silk soymilk). You have a wealth of organic and all-natural brands from which to choose, and, as an added plus, there are free samples of fruit and cheese EVERYWHERE. You can almost make a meal out of the samples!

If you want to venture off campus a bit, there are two other Whole Foods locations inside the district:

1) 15th & P (between Dupont and Logan Circles): You can get here by the G2 bus or a 2 mile walk (great for the good weather). What's the added bonus? There is an Asian bistro/sushi bar attached to the store--a great complement to your shopping.
2) Tenleytown: This is right next to the titular metro station; it is a 3 mile walk away, and it is accessible by the 30 buses. Added bonus? The Art-o-mat. Sponsored by Artists in Cellophane, art-o-mats are old cigarette vending machines converted to sell fine art (books, cds, and more). (FUTURE BLOG ENTRY)

TRADER JOE'S:
Trader Joe's is located at 25th & L, a mile from campus down M Street. Trader Joe's has the friendliest cashiers--they will almost always start up a conversation with you! Trader Joe's has free samples as well, which vary by time of day and day of the week. Trader Joe's also has excellent prices--I am always amazed at how cheap things are. If I am not mistaken, TJ's does not heat its stores (or keeps the heat low), relying on the large volume of people to keep the store heated. Many organic and natural options are available as well.

FARMER'S MARKETS:
Do you want to meet the person growing your food? There are Farmer's Markets all across the DC area. Fresh Farm Markets has locations in Dupont Circle (Sunday mornings) and Foggy Bottom (Wednesday afternoons). Dupont Circle, in the past at least, has had free apples and cheese sampling, and in the fall there are great pumpkin yogurt smoothies. You can also buy food from Polyface Farms in Dupont. There are also a few more farmer's markets in Arlington, too!

So, make the most of Safeway's construction phase. Eat organically, naturally, locally (or all three), and expand your knowledge of the city a bit! You won't regret it!

Duh

In an effort to make itself an example for the rest of the nation to follow, Capitol Hill will no longer be powered by coal. You heard right, the Capitol Power Plant is currently transitioning to cleaner burning natural gas for its boilers' fuel source. Coal will be used in emergency situations - like cold winter days - until late 2010 when the plant will be able to meet any predictable demand with natural gas.

The Capitol Power Plant isn't exactly large, but the importance of this act lies in its symbolism. If Congress is to lead us to a new energy future, maybe their electricity shouldn't come from old world sources. Natural gas isn't exactly an alternative energy source (actually, it's not one at all), but at least it's a step in the right direction.

More important is exactly how this change came about.

Remember the Power Shift conference in March? Well, a big part of that event was a youth lobby day on the Hill demanding clean energy legislation. During the hoopla, a coalition of environmental groups put together a protest of the Capitol Power Plant's use of coal, which not only creates tons of emissions, but also is detrimental to the air quality in SE DC, and don't even get me started about mountain coal mining...

But anyway, that coalition effectively reached out to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who in turn requested that the acting Architect of the Capitol, Stephen Ayers, transition the plant away from coal. And, as of today, the Ayers announced the current transition. Bravo for youth lobbying and the slow creep of common sense onto Capitol Hill!!

Transportation by Human Power

I talk about walking a lot, so I thought I would write a little manifesto/blog post about the benefits of walking--what I call transportation by human power. Buses and cars get power from fossil fuels--I get power from my own two legs (and food, of course).

I thought about writing this when reflecting on how one of my housemates has been ordering from Safeway--not just now since the Safeway is closed--but always; I don't think he has ever walked there. To me, the walk to Safeway is ridiculously short.

I encourage you, whoever is reading this (hopefully more than just Kristin!), to think twice before hopping into a car or a bus when you're in DC. I started walking the city last summer, and I think it has been a very valuable experience.

For all too many of us at Georgetown, DC ends at M & Wisconsin, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Last summer, I started walking, ironically, because of the heat. The idea of walking to Yates in the heat and humidity just to work out and then walk back didn't seem like a great idea, so I thought that, instead, I would just walk to any interviews I had downtown and throughout the city. It is truly amazing how much more you learn about the city from just taking a few steps outside of Georgetown. I think one of the best examples of this is the walk to Columbia Heights. In just 3 miles, you pass by a variety of vibrant and very different neighborhoods: Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, Columbia Heights. By the end, you feel as though you are in a different world almost.

I am not going to say that everyone should walk 3 miles (although, in my mind, up to 4 is fully walkable); however, what I recommend is thinking twice before hopping a bus, a car, or a metro rail to go somewhere only about a mile or so away.

Walking has the following unparalleled freedoms:
1) Freedom from fossil fuels and emissions: It is the most eco-friendly form of transportation because all it requires is yourself.

2) Freedom from expense: It's free!

3) Freedom from lack of exercise: This is awkwardly phrased, but walking can be good exercise if you make it! It also has numerous other health benefits.

So, the next time you are bored and it's nice weather, start walking--you'll find something new.

Photo link: http://www.hvrsd.k12.nj.us/stonybrook/home/Walking.html

Ethical Eating in DC: True Food and Drink

After recovering from watching Food, Inc., I was invited to lunch at Founding Farmers, a restaurant in GW territory, located at 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It is a Green Certified Restaurant, certified LEED Gold, and serves food from local farms - and grass-fed beef. It's probably a bit pricey for the college student, but their food is amazing. Don't let the farming theme throw you off - they have a pretty extensive menu. To start off, our table shared deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes. I had crab cakes with mashed potatoes and garlic bok choy, and a delicious cranberry-cucumber drink (not lying!). We finished our meal with red velvet cake - which was amazing. They have a lot of other food, as well. My friend had oysters, while my co-worker had a hamburger. Not that I would know, but apparently they also have amazing absinthe mixed drinks...

If you have the chance, I definitely recommend that you visit - and bring your appetite.

Wizards Go Green Night!

On April 2nd, the Washington Wizards and the Verizon Center hosted their "Go Green" night. Students had the opportunity to purchase tickets for $10 and to watch the Wizards play the Cleveland Cavaliers. Throughout the night, the JumboTron flashed facts about sustainability and the Verizon Center gave away tote bags (though not to me...)

Overall, a really fun night! $10 dollars to see an NBA game? Not a bad deal at all.

$10 Dollars to see Lebron James?

Like basketball? Or maybe you're just looking for some good, low-priced fun on a Thursday night...

Either way, Eco-Action has access to an unlimited amount of $10 tickets for the Washington Wizards "Go Green" game on April 2, which happens to be against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is an awesome offer, and we'd like you all to be a part of it. As mentioned, the game is on a Thursday night - it's at 8, at the Verizon Center.

$10, Lebron James. With more people signing up each day, this should be a good time. AND if Eco-Action can sell 100 tickets, we'll be able to promote solutions to environmental issues that night at a booth in the Verizon Center concourse. So by buying discounted tickets to see the one of the best players in basketball, you'll also be supporting a great cause!

If you're interested, please contact Matt Buccelli (mrb73@georgetown.edu, mattbuccelli@gmail.com), as soon as possible, with your name and the number of tickets you'd like. Money will be collected and tickets distributed once a head count is established.

Thanks, and we'll hope to see you on April 2!