Sustaining Progress on Climate Change |
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Responding to the calls of EcoAction Arlington members and other local environmental activists for a whole-of-government approach to climate change and a Chief Climate Officer, the Arlington County Board adopted a FY-2023 Budget that creates an Office of Climate Coordination and Policy under the County Manager and approved nearly $4.7 million for new investments in climate resilience programs. Going forward EcoAction Arlington is committed to continuing its advocacy work and leading efforts to put Arlington on a path to becoming a carbon neutral community.
At the same time, each of us can be a powerful force in this transition by seeking ways to lower our individual carbon footprints as we make daily decisions about what we buy (or don’t buy) and longer term investment choices about how we power our homes and meet our transportation needs. This issue will offer strategies and tips for achieving a low-carbon lifestyle. While each of us will make decisions that best suit our current situation, collectively we can inspire businesses producing the goods and services we consume to do their part to prevent worsening impacts from a changing climate.
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Transitioning from fossil fuels to low-carbon sources of electricity is essential for reaching carbon neutrality. By making our buildings all-electric, we are poised to achieve zero net carbon as soon as green power from the grid is more widely available.
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- Get a home energy audit.
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Research electric induction stoves and, heat pump technology for heating, hot water, dryers and plan to replace gas systems and appliances as they near the end of their life. EPA’s Energy Star Program and Consumer Reports are good places to start.
- Check with an electrician to determine what upgrades you might need to fully electrify your home.
- Keep your car for as long as possible (we can’t forget about embedded carbon in what we buy) and use it as little as possible, walk, bike, or use public transit when feasible.
- Replace gas-powered lawn equipment with electric equivalents or seek out a landscaping company that uses electric equipment. Better yet replace your lawn with native trees, shrubs, and other plants.
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Join the Arlington Solar and EV Charger Co-op
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Since its launch in 2015, over 400 households have participated to add solar panels to their rooftops and more recently to install EV chargers. A record 106 solar systems were installed in 2021, almost double any previous year. New members are being accepted through August 31 and information sessions are scheduled for June 8 at 12 pm and June 12 at 6 pm.
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The County’s five-cent plastic bag fee that went into effect in January is helping reduce plastic consumption, and anecdotal observations at EcoAction’s Arlington’s Earth Day Cleanup point to fewer plastic bags littering our parks and streams. Plastic bags are just the tip of the iceberg for reducing plastic pollution and simultaneously our carbon footprint. Plastics, which accounted for an estimated 4.5 percent of carbon emissions in 2015, impact the climate throughout its lifecycle from the fossil fuels used to make the plastic and the high temperatures needed to refine and manufacture it to its degradation in the environment after it has ended its useful life. In addition, plastics contain toxins that are harmful to human health and the environment and threaten wildlife.
We need to continue to press our elected officials, particularly at the state and federal levels, to adopt laws that limit excessive and largely unnecessary plastic use and that shift the burden of managing waste and recycling to producers instead of individuals. In the meantime, by being conscientious consumers we can reduce both our waste and exposure to plastic.
Strategies include:
- Select products, especially produce, with little or no packaging, and where possible opt for more recyclable packaging (paper, metal, or glass) over plastic or bring your own lightweight produce bags.
- Opt for reusable items for cleaning, storing, and eating on the go.
- Consider making your own cleaning products, personal care items, and cosmetics.
Be proactive. Tell grocery store managers that you won't buy produce wrapped in wrapped in unnecessary plastic packaging. Consume less. Think before you buy. Join a Buy Nothing group. Bring plastic bags you can’t avoid back to the grocery store so they can be recycled.
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Help Grow Greener Dining in Arlington |
One way to make an impact is by supporting restaurants that are striving to implement more sustainable changes. Check out a few easy resources to get started:
Remark: Share your feedback on local restaurants via the Remark mobile app! You can quickly document sustainable and unsustainable aspects of restaurants (and other businesses) from cutlery to takeout containers. The app even creates a well-crafted email for you that you can submit to the restaurant’s owner or manager.
Too Good To Go: Help prevent food waste by using the Too Good To Go app, which partners with restaurants to sell surplus food at discounted rates so it doesn’t head into a landfill.
Green Dining Arlington: Check out restaurants that are part of Green Dining Arlington, EcoAction Arlington’s network of restaurants committed to working to collectively develop, encourage, and implement sustainable dining practices in our community. The initiative is currently going through some changes and expanding, so stay tuned for more updates soon.
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According to the most recent audits, Arlington’s Food Scraps Collection Program i s diverting 31 percent of food scraps from trash to compost. This is great news but we can do more to put food (and scraps) to the best use. According to the FAO about a third of food produced is wasted, in the United States most of this waste occurs at the retail and consumer levels, accounting for 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Key strategies for minimizing the waste of food include:
- Understanding date labeling to prevent discarding perfectly good food (most products are still good much after the “best before” date).
- Properly storing food to retain freshness – ensuring that leftovers are visible in the refrigerator can keep them from being forgotten; freezing items can extend their shelf life.
- Shopping your own pantry first and keep a list. Careful planning of meals helps you avoid buying too much.
- Tapping into your creativity to find ways to use food scraps and food past its peak freshness.
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Suggest Ideas for the County's
Zero Waste Plan
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Would you like Arlington County to do more to assist residents and businesses with reducing waste and the heavy carbon footprint that it represents? Do you have ideas on how to expand opportunities to reduce, reuse, and repair? Are you frustrated with trying to navigate existing recycling programs or finding ways to recycle hard-to-recycle metals, textiles, and electronics? Want to see more effective recycling and composting programs in apartments, condos, businesses, and schools? Arlington County is currently updating its Solid Waste Master Plan to align with the County’s goal to divert 90 percent of waste from trash collection and will be accepting comments and suggestions through May 31. Comments and ideas can be sent to Doug Krietemeyer at dkrietemeyer@arlingtonva.us.
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The EcoAdvocate is compiled by the EcoAction Arlington Advocacy Committee. Contributors to this issue: Jackie Rivas, Leslie Louden, Joan McIntyre, Marissa O’Neill, Stephen D’Alessio, Kai Robertson, and Carrie Thompson
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Elenor Hodges, Executive Director | EcoAction Arlington | 7032286427 | elenor@ecoactionarlington.org |
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EcoAction Arlington's mission is to promote stewardship of our natural resources and practical solutions for a sustainable community. The EcoAction Advocacy Committee engages in public discussion and promotes civic engagement among its members to influence government action to support its mission. EcoAction Arlington is a non-profit and non-partisan organization.
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