In any case, there are many Peace Corps volunteers around Moroccoa and I’m sure they could provide interesting insight- so we’ll see if I can draw any of them in.

Happy November,

greenMoroccoGirl

For more info (and to set up your own temporary PARK/art installation), check out the PARK(ing) day website: http://www.parkingday.org/.

Or check out the Trust for Public Land’s website: http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=22093&folder_id=3428.

The aim of the whole thing now is to promote the need for parks in cities. Research has found that more than half of the kids in any given city don’t have access to a local safe place to play. Part of the goal is to help communities realize the importance of parks and to then assist communities towards creating new parks where they are needed.

Back in 2005, REBAR found out that you can lease a parking spot for any ‘safe and legal’ purpose. So what did they do?! They decided to create a park. Spunky creativity is always awesome. From that initial experiment- the reaction by passer-bys inspired them to keep at it.

In 2007, PARK(ing) day was held in SF, Cleveland, NYC and London…hopefully this year more folks get at it. Matt said that last year someone did create a PARK(ing) spot in DC. However, this year, a guy named Brandon Schmidtling (you can Facebook him) is organizing it- so I can’t wait to see pictures of a nasty DC parking spot transformed into a mini park. Unfortunately, I am not in DC at the moment (more on that and the long blogging absence in a bit), but maybe one of my friends will read this and be inspired enough to get involved!? For the SLR folks, this would be an amazing photo opportunity…and it’s for a great cause!

-greenDCgirl (From Corvallis, OR)

-greenDCgirl

Most recently, a bunch of us attended the Katoomba Conference this past week at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History-so look out for commentary on a surprise visit from John Kerry and notes about the challenges of the politics in protecting the Amazon mentioned by Governor Blairo Maggi and former Secretary for the Ministry of Environment Mary Helena Allegretti-both of Brazil.

-greenDCgirl

In any case, there are a couple things I’ve been doing in my daily life to keep my footprint to a minimum. As many of my colleagues do, I keep a Nalgene/aluminum bottle at work to prevent the usage of disposable plastic cups and I keep a sponge and bottle of dish detergent in my cubicle along with some dishes so as not to rely on the paper/Styrofoam dishes when heating up my lunches. However, I recently realized that I use a ton of napkins-mostly because I’m a bit of a klutz and also because I’m chronically worried that I’ll go to a meeting with a glob of food stuck on my face. So I recently grabbed a couple cheap and ugly handkerchiefs and even accidentally ‘borrowed’ a real cloth napkin from a restaurant and I keep them in my desk at work (for the creative types out there- you can even make your own personalized napkins with old clothes that you no longer wear or from cool fabrics at textile stores). When lunch time arrives, I place a napkin over my lap and eat like the civilized lady I am. With three or four cloth napkins at my disposal- I take them home every two weeks or so to give them a wash and it’s not an inconvenience at all; the main trick is to remember!

And look- it’s just about time for lunch.

-greenDCgirl

Anywho- I will say I had a blast observing all the mayapples scattered underneath the trees and I saw my first red-headed woodpecker.

I won’t be able to give this experience justice today- but here are some pictures to share:

Enjoy!

-greenDCgirl

“The problem: 350.

One great solution: 350.org.

350. I should write it 350 times. We should all write it 350 times. Everyone on the earth should get out a pen, write down the number 350, and send it to their head of state. 350 times.

Now let me explain.

For the next two or three years, the nations of the world are supposed to be negotiating a successor treaty to the Kyoto Accord, the current international treaty on reducing the emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. In December 2009, heads of state will converge in Copenhagen to sign a new treaty that would forge a new international agreement on how we, as a planet, can limit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to a level that would keep us safe from global warming’s worst effects.

What is that level? How much carbon dioxide can our planet safely withstand?

350. As in parts per million (ppm).”

To read more, go to: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/.

And I promise to stop being lazy and post a blog myself soon- pictures of Beltwoods in Maryland coming up!

Cheers,

greenDCgirl

WHO:
Stephen L. Johnson, EPA Administrator (speaking Monday, 9 am – 9:30 am)
George Gray, Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development
More than 50 Student Design Teams and 40 Exhibitors

WHEN:
Sunday, April 20 – from noon to 5 pm
Monday, April 21 – from 9 am to 5 pm
Tuesday, April 22 – Earth Day – from 9 am to 3 pm

WHERE:
National Mall between Constitution and Independence Avenues and 3rd and 4th Streets, N.W.
(Federal Triangle Metro stop – Orange and Blue Lines)

On April 20–22, 2008, EPA will hold the National Sustainable Design Expo which showcases new sustainable or “green” technologies. More than 50 college teams from across the country will exhibit their innovative solutions for an environmentally sustainable future, including: generating wind power from kites, solar panels made from plant chlorophyll, producing plastic from wastewater, green parking lots near floodplains to reduce runoff, new technologies to provide clean drinking water to developing nations, and much more!

On Monday morning, Administrator Stephen L. Johnson will announce EPA’s new strategic approach to green building, which aims to help the agency facilitate mainstream adoption of effective green building practices.

The Expo is also the showcase for EPA’s Annual P3 – People, Prosperity, and the Planet – Award Competition. Previous P3 winners have taken their innovations to new levels including starting successful businesses. This is a great opportunity not only for an Earth Day story, but to tell your readers about new green technologies.

More information about the P3 event: http://www.epa.gov/P3
Video of the exhibits and teams (after the event): http://www.epa.gov/multimedia
(EPA’s new web multimedia portal)
EPA’s Green Building programs: http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding

Encouraging news – local government and non-profit leaders testified in a House of Rep subcommittee hearing held today on how to more effectively green DC and the region. Yay. Click here for that story.

There was also an article in the Express about green jobs entitled, “A Changing Job Climate: Green Jobs Grow in D.C.”. They especially talk a lot about USGBC’s (U.S. Green Building Council) work- an org I adore. Architecture and being green- what’s not to love? Click here for that article.

Also, I got to sit in on the Northern Virginia Urban Forestry Roundtable quarterly meeting today and learned about smart growth in Arlington; how to help residents learn more about trees (especially taking care of them); and a bit about some new Virginia tree conservation legislation and how it will benefit NoVa jurisdictions.

In terms of smart growth in Arlington- I didn’t realize how much progressive thought and planning went into developing places like Pentagon City and Shirlington (focus on density in small area to prevent urban sprawl whilst also highlighting urban forests). Chris Zimmerman of the Arlington County Board highlighted some interesting info on Arlington. For instance, at 26 sq. miles, Arlington is the smallest county in the U.S. Due to smart planning and designated development areas, 90 percent of development in Arlington has stayed within transport corridors – savings tons of open space and tree canopy. In addition, transit use in Arlington stands at 23.3% vs. the national average of 4.7%. Super interesting to politicians is the fact that the Rosslyn to Ballston metro corridor produces 1/3 of Arlington’s real estate tax revenue and that all the metro sectors in Arlington combined constitutes only 1/10th (or less) of the county land area yet produces more than half of the county’s tax revenue- talk about efficiencies! For people who live in that area, the Columbia Pike revitalization sounds like another great smart growth project as does some development planned for Potomac Yards – both of which really take into account green infrastructure and other smart growth principles. All the interesting facts about Metro and public transport makes me want to go into transit planning… but not really…not my passion-still very cool. Don’t you agree?

On the citizens/tree stuff- I’ll just say that people across the river need to check out orgs like Earth Sangha (who grows native plants/trees/shrubs from seedlings to provide in the area) and tap the expertise of Tree Stewards (volunteers who improve health of trees via educational programs, plantings and tree care demos-almost an Arlington version of Casey Trees). Btw- Tree Stewards is looking for more volunteers!

That’s all for now- I have to get outside and enjoy this amazing weather.

-greenDCgirl

Starting at noon on the mall on the 20th. Also – if you bike they will have free bike valets!

Click here for more info: Green Apple Music Festival.

Free music (the roots, thievery corporation and etc.) and speeches from folks like Edward Norton, Fenty, Thomas Friedman and various green members of congress.

-greenDCgirl

p.s. Sierra Club is also having Moonlit Hike on the Mall from 7-10pm on April 18th. Click here for more info on that: Moonlit Hike .