Virginia – Our New Green Culture

What Is Your Community’s Climate Action Plan?

on November 29, 2022November 29, 2022 By Our New Green Culture

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 29, 2022 by Noreen Wise, Founder & CEO of Gallant Gold Media, and author; Image Credit: AdobeStock

The following is the requested feedback to Fairfax County’s draft Resilient Fairfax Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, put forth for public comment from May 16, 2022 through June 15, 2022.

With so many lives at stake, as well as the survivability of the human species, it’s vitally important for every single one of us to voice our positions, and our objections when something seems amiss with our local community/county’s climate action plans, including its timeline. Everything we do and don’t do in 2022-2024 will be hyper-analyzed in the future. The IPCC, the UN, many global leaders and thousands of scientists have repeatedly warned about the urgency to act immediately. Yet so few local governments are following through.

“Every tenth of a degree matters.”Peter Kalmus, NASA Climate Scientist

Dear Resilient Fairfax County, thank you for devoting so much time and energy to this herculean task. Although the plan is 90 pages, which made it challenging for the average busy Fairfax County resident to read, it’s very well written and expertly organized and presented.

The most notable disappointment in this great work is that it appears to be the Swiss cheese plan to address the terrifying climate crisis, with big holes throughout, that results in the Fairfax County Plan not aligning with global climate targets, as well as Biden’s and the US army’s climate goals and plans, and many peer counties across the country.

It’s unclear why you didn’t simply borrow one of the many existing complete climate action plans, plans that don’t have holes, that are being used in cities, states and countries all over the globe.

Targeted Years of 2050 and 2085, rather than 2025 and 2030

Right from the jump, and throughout the detailed draft plan, there is a repeated emphasis on the years 2050 and 2085, rather than 2025 and 2030. Why isn’t there any action planned for 2023, 2024 and 2025? Tragically, it doesn’t appear that Fairfax County will begin work on any of the climate mitigation and adaptation strategies before 2025.

Biodiversity

The word “biodiversity” appeared only once in the entire 84 page content. Biodiversity was noted in a quote by the IUCN at the very end on page 84 just before the References begin: “Nature based solutions are ‘actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.'”

Additionally, the nature-based solutions section repeatedly mentioned “trees” rather than dense native biodiverse shrubs, perennials, ground cover and trees. Why not include “biodiversity” wherever you have “trees” listed?

Was this omission intentional or have you not been following the many best-selling books about the importance of biodiversity in saving humanity from extinction, award-winning documentaries and podcasts, and the Kunming Biodiversity Conference and Proclamation? Why did you refuse to follow President Biden’s lead when he pledged his commitment to the aggressive 30×30 biodiversity conservation target a week after he was inaugurated? Why so many half-measures?

Everyone in climate circles KNOWS that boosting biodiversity (which includes diverse native trees) is now a top priority. The short-term goal is to scale-up biodiversity restoration quickly and effectively by planting native shrubs, perennials and groundcover, which includes grasses, under every native tree on every single landscape, and transforming a certain percent of back and side yards to meadows with tall grasses, with the vitally important deep roots, as well as native wildflowers.

Biodiversity dramatically boosts soil health, helps purify the air, lowers the heat island effect, restores habitat for pollinators and birds and insects, and is a major climate mitigation solution based on how much more carbon drawdown it generates.

In New York state, the median down interstate 84 has been transformed into a dense, biodiverse no-mow median comprised of a wide variety of native flowering groundcover species. This simple project created a biodiversity corridor that stretches nearly 100 miles. Not only that, it’s absolutely beautiful, and again, significantly increases carbon drawdown. So many layers of life-saving benefits at one low cost.

Many Fairfax County homeowners and neighborhoods are biodiversity superstars. Fairfax County residents clearly know the importance of creating biodiversity corridors in our community and the remarkable benefits. It’s shocking that Fairfax County committee seemed to intentionally exclude biodiversity. Is this because someone doesn’t want to manage the wildlife, such as deer, fox and coyotes?

If other counties successfully manage restored wildlife, we can too. Los Angeles is building the largest wildlife crossing bridge (Annenburg Wildlife Crossing) that will stretch across 10 lanes of Hwy 101 in the Santa Monica mountains. Why is Fairfax County so reluctant to do what needs to be done? Why so much apathy? We need a wildlife crossing on Fairfax County Parkway which recently had a flock of geese stop traffic when it tried to waddle from lane to lane northbound, using their webbed feet rather than wings on a Sunday morning near the Monument Drive exit.

High Albedo Surfaces | Paint It White & Light Grey

There was not one single mention of white or light roofs, roads, sidewalks and parking lots to reflect the sun (which lowers the heat 10ºF inside the building, and 30º-50º on ground surfaces).

Additionally, transforming surfaces to white, light grey or silver, will help save our icecaps. The albedo effect. We only have 2.5 years to save the Doomsday Glacier, which if completely melted, will result in a sea level rise of 2 – 10 feet.

Fairfax County knows the importance of white surfaces. The school buses all have white roofs to lower the heat. Bridgewater Corporate Center, at end of Government Center Parkway in Fairfax, painted its parking lot light grey to cool the surface.

Asphalt is 50ºF warmer than the air temperature. Car tires can become soft in the heat. For each 10ºF of warming on a summer day, the air pressure will increase one pound PSI. Tire range varies between 30-35. If it becomes too hot, the tires will pop when the temperature and pressure keep rising above the tire range.

Top Climate Actions We Can Execute Immediately:
Cutting Food Waste Urgent Priority
The Whitest White Paint to Help Lower the Heat
Informed Action Will Help Restore Biodiversity
Alfalfa and Tall Grasses Are Carbon Capture Superheroes

North Carolina has light cement roads / highways so the roadways won’t buckle in high heat. White and light also helps cars stop quickly on hot days. Car tires on sizzling black asphalt, don’t have the same traction when both the tires and asphalt become soft. Cars can slide when they have to stop fast at a changing light. There will be more car accidents during high heat because of this failure to transition to white and light grey high-albedo road colors.

Switching to light-coloured roofs and roadways would have the equivalent effect on greenhouse grass emissions to taking one billion cars of the road for 11 years. *2009Steven Chu, Nobel laureate, Physicist and Former Energy Secretary under President Obama

Fairfax City just replaced tan cement sidewalks on Lee Highway to white cement. There’s now a line in the middle of both the sidewalk and the median, where Fairfax City white cement meets Fairfax County dark tan cement. Sadly, Fairfax County has black asphalt sidewalks lining much of Lee Highway.

I mentioned the importance of high albedo through chat during two public virtual meetings held by Resilient Fairfax. The county obviously knows how effective high albedo surfaces are, yet chose to ignore this solution, which makes me loose faith.

Popular Science published an article back in September 2017 with news that Los Angeles was using CoolSeal to paint miles and miles of its roads white and light grey.

In 2018, Insider gave a shout out to NYC for its exemplary initiative in painting 9.2 million square feet of skyscraper rooftops white. Schools in Massachusettes and NY are painting their roofs white to lower the heat inside the schools which cuts electric bills and reduces CO2 emissions by 29%.

Fairfax County is stuck on ONLY planning for green roofs. “No” to white roofs. This is NOT accidental, it’s a sad choice.

Additionally…

•No mention of living walls to lower the heat island effect in urban areas. The Kennedy Center has a fabulous living wall on its new Reach building. Georgetown has living walls on buildings lining the canal. Philadelphia has living walls throughout the historic downtown as well as up and down Independence Mall. Downton London, England has city blocks filled with living walls.

Reach Building, Kennedy Center
Image credit Noreen Wise

•No mention of countywide, weekly compost collection pickup using green bins that would be placed curbside with the black and blue bins. Many cities across the globe added curbside compost collection years ago.

•No expectations of corporations mentioned, especially large corporations of which Fairfax County has many. Corporations are often the biggest carbon emitters and need to be regulated.

•No mention of climate refugees from inside US. The UN warned that countries/states have to build refugee crisis into their Climate Plans. Again, that’s refugees from INSIDE our country. Dulles Airport is a major draw for people across the United States, especially those who can’t take the drought lifestyle anymore, or who have lost everything, again, in a wildfire. Millions of people from the Western states, as well as Southern coastal states, will potentially descend on Northern Virginia. Yet no mention of this likely occurrence is in the Fairfax Plan, despite UN’s insistence that it be included.

Again, thank you for everything you did so well. It’s a great accomplishment. As for all the issues you ignored and even rejected, these will create life-threatening circumstances for many innocent people who reside in the county. When extreme climate weather events occur, there will be some residents who point to this draft plan and ask why you ignored the UN, esteemed climatologistsns such as Michael E. Mann and Peter Kalmus, and global leaders like Al Gore, Bill Clinton and Nobel laureates like Stephen Chu.

NASA scientist and climate activist Peter Kalmus warned that every tenth of a degree matters. Dr. Michael Mannwarned that 1.5ºC is catastrophic warming. We’re already at 1.2ºC, just three-tenths away from catastrophic. Swiss cheese climate plans result in our community being many tenths of a degree off of where we need to be. There is not a single Fairfax County resident who wants to reach 1.6ºC or irreversible 1.7ºC. Yet, Resilient Fairfax Plan seems to be the action plan for doing just that.

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Virginia Green Initiative, Inc. Is Making Positive Impact on Reducing Corporate CO2 Emissions

on November 29, 2022November 29, 2022 By Our New Green Culture

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 29, 2022 by Noreen Wise, Founder & CEO of Gallant Gold Media, and author; Image Credit: AdobeStock

Following the most recent and alarming IPCC Report on climate change, released February 28, 2022, four days after Russia invaded Ukraine, it’s become essential that we drill down on what US companies are doing to curb their greenhouse gas emissions and boost their sustainability efforts.

The IPCC’s urgent warning to rush and act now on climate was drowned out by the horror and the bravery we witnessed in Ukraine over the past six weeks. This is understandable. The Russian invasion and atrocities have been traumatizing. Yet, we mustn’t let the IPCC Report slip from our consciousness. Businesses must take advantage of the many resources available and rush to implement their action plans now, in 2022, using the many tips and suggestions that are available.

“This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. “It shows that climate change is a grave and mounting threat to our wellbeing and a healthy planet. Our actions today will shape how people adapt and nature responds to increasing climate risks.”

Individuals, schools, nonprofits and various faith groups are very vocal about their specific climate actions and their transition away from fossil fuels. Yet, companies seem to be a lot more vague about what they’re actually doing while simultaneously lauding their climate pledges. The words we hear most corporations espousing are ones that claim they’ll achieve a 50% cut in emissions by 2030, but no substantial actions are required in 2022, and possibly not even 2023. Unbelievably, companies are envisioning a last minute sprint to the finish line.

News broke in late December 2021 about Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ that’s melting more rapidly than anticipated. Scientists took to social media to vent frustration about inaction, concerned that if global warming isn’t slowed immediately, the Thwaites Glacier could potentially collapse within 3 – 5 years. David Holland, an environmental scientist at New York University, told the Associated Press on January 31, 2022 that, “Ultimately over time it’s (the Thwaites Glacier) going to rewrite the global coastline.”

Scientists project that a total collapse of the Thwaites Glacier would result in a sea level rise of 2 feet. This could potentially trigger a domino effect with the glaciers that Thwaites supports also collapsing, which would raise sea levels by 10 feet.

The red flag warning of the Doomsday Glacier’s pending collapse within 3-5 years, which may end up being before the majority of US businesses and corporations actually begin the heavy lifting to dramatically lower greenhouse gases, should be heeded. In an article published Monday April 6, 2022, Business Insider confirmed this urgent timeframe requirement for effective climate action if we are to stay below 1.5ºC, underscoring the UN‘s grave warning that we only have 3 years of intense collective action to stay below 1.5ºC.

Amidst the darkness and chaos, the state of Virginia has a bright beacon of light for businesses throughout the state that are searching for a sustainability and renewable energy action plan framework: The Virginia Green Initiative, Inc.

VGI, Inc. is a vital and effective business and corporate resource that can be used to guide corporate decision making on sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction. This valuable online tool is for businesses of all sizes to use to kick-off a much greener, net-zero future.

VGI has 6 main green areas of focus:

Education and Outreach
Products and Services
Energy
Water Conservation
Transportation
Waste Management

In an interview with the Chair of Virginia Green Initiative, Inc., Candice Guillaudeu, there were meaningful insights shared about the best ways for businesses to get their climate action started. Guillaudeu provided answers to key questions that Virginia businesses may have about how to successfully achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as well as expand their sustainability practices.

GREEN INNOVATION:
Whitest White Paint To Help Lower the Heat
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Watermelons In the Desert | “From Sand to Hope”

1. What are top 5 priorities Virginia businesses should focus on in 2022?

In terms of five priorities, we think this should be left up to the business itself, as each business is different in terms of their services and products that they offer. They would need to define where their impact on the climate is the most. Is it in water usage, is it in waste, is it in transportation, etc? Use that as their priority, to begin their environmental sustainability path.

A good reference is Project Drawdown, which has a list of approximately 75 solutions that can be sorted by ranking or by industry etc.

With the above said, all economies run on energy. We can’t continue to pull fossil fuels out of the Earth. They are a finite resource and not a long-term solution. Energy conservation should be a priority and would be a concrete, visible cost savings to a businesses’ bottom line.

2. Do you recommend deadlines to execute easy things like composting? IE “All Virginia businesses should sign up for compost collection by June 1, 2022.”

Again, it’s not our position to define these kinds of priorities, for each business.

For home-based businesses, composting would be a huge plus in reducing waste and a great way to begin understanding the importance of local ecological systems, how the soil is important to the plants, planting native plants to support the local pollinators and other insects, the interdependence of the plants, animals, wildlife and ourselves. Using your own compost in your own garden could be a very fulfilling sense of accomplishment especially when you bring your own vegetables to your own table.

For businesses that work out of a rented office space, where people bring their food to the office or even get take-out, the importance there would be one of Education and Outreach, buying from a business that provides sustainable packaging in their to-go boxes, not Styrofoam, or bringing their own food to the office and taking home the scraps. Again, it’s up to each business to define their priorities, and how quickly they’re able to do it. Obviously, the quicker the better.

One of our long-time participants, Little Tree Huggers, LLC, a pre-school daycare in Leesburg, VA that teaches about the environment, has their students actively participate in their on-site food composting program. The kids will bring back food scraps from their home for composting at Little Tree Huggers. And when the students collect the food at home, they’re teaching their own parents and family about how it works. Following is a link where one of the preschoolers talks about their composting program.

3. What sustainability transitions will take the longest to execute in your estimation?

All economies need energy to run on, and transitioning to renewable energy wherever possible is the immediate thing to do as well as seeming to take the longest amount of time to change.

4. What’s the best way to Virginia businesses to get their supply chain reducing carbon?

The very first thing for a business is to assess its own products and services, can they be redesigned or reworked to use less of Earth’s resources? Once they’ve assessed internally, then they can decide which of their supply chains has the most impact and research if there are other opportunities for redesign, other suppliers, etc. Often, while assessing their own internal processes, this can lead the team to come up with other ideas for other products or services, such as a can they even fulfill a need that that wasn’t readily apparent before?

Through their conservation and sustainability efforts, I think businesses would be amazed at how much money they would start to save, increase their customer loyalty and in turn, their efforts and accomplishments would be a great resource for their own marketing. Reassessing a business’s products and services in a different “light” if you will, can be fun and very challenging at the same time. Employees, owners and other stakeholders can learn so much in terms of materials, new sources, as well as team building, etc. It is a very difficult process, but is also a pragmatic one.

5. Do you recommend Northern Virginia Fortune 500 companies like Mars and Nestle overhaul product packaging to incorporate carbon labeling?

I recommend they design their packaging so that they can take it back, not leave it up to the individual people and counties to deal with. This would be a huge infrastructure undertaking, so I do not say this lightly.

In terms of carbon labeling, I think that would help consumers to decide what product to buy, and would be an opportunity to educate people about carbon footprints at the consumer end, but I’m not so sure that it will help in the long run. Carbon labeling, carbon tax and trade, seems to me personally, to just offset accountability, pushing accountability to another entity, just kicking the can down the road so to speak.

Each and every one of us, individuals and businesses alike, are all accountable for the harm we are doing to our Earth and thus to ourselves. We’re all in this together and we all have a lot to learn and to do!

6. Thank you, Candice!

—

The VGI, Inc. website is the first step. Click HERE to find the detailed questionnaire that is the gateway leading to the many simple steps that will drive the necessary change in your business culture . “All Virginia business are encouraged to participate in a friendly competition known as the Virginia Green Business Initiative. The ‘Challenge’ is designed to encourage and recognize specific environmental policies and practical actions that not only reduce carbon emissions, but can save businesses money.”

We are all one, we all depend on the Earth’s ecological systems, the soil, the air, water, the trees, we are all interconnected. Earth will continue to be, but humanity itself is at stake, and that is no joke. Candice Guillaudeu, Chair of Virginia Green Initiative, Inc.

System Change NOT Climate Change | Leaders in Energy

on September 29, 2021September 29, 2021 By Our New Green Culture 1 Comment

Washington (GGM) Analysis | September 29, 2021 by author and climate journalist Noreen Wise

Can you feel it in the air all around you? The sensory clues that we pick up on just before the season changes. A shift in temperature. A new scent wafting through the air. Displays of seasonal delights appearing in the produce section of the grocery store. We recognize these subtle clues, make a mental note, and slowly begin to shift gears.

Of course, we know that there will always be a few who wear shorts into November, and flip flops until the first snow. While others are fashion aficionados and can’t wait to slip on designer boots and stylish jeans the day after Labor Day. Adjusting quickly to the changing seasons isn’t foreign to any of us, it’s part of our normal life, our American culture. We may have individual preferences about how long we wear white pants, but none of us will be standing in the middle of Main Street, declaring that we refuse to allow winter to arrive.

The changing seasons are the same way we’ll shift into this new revolutionary, clean energy “system change” that we’ve been slowly inching toward for awhile now. We had no problem adapting to smart phones. We love our technological innovations and advancements, so we should be thrilled with clean energy solutions.

Global Climate Strike, Washington DC, September 24, 2021.

The truth is, whether we realized it or not, we’ve been making this green shift ever since the turn of the millennium in 2000. Small baby steps at first for many of the most progressive communities scattered around the country. While for other towns and states, the shifting to green living may not have crossed local leader’s minds until an unexpected extreme weather disaster struck. It doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things, all that matters is an understanding and acceptance of the fact that we are now officially here, and we have to do what we always do. Adapt.

The IPCC Report released on August 9, 2021 made it very clear. Code Red for humanity. There can be no more slow and steady. We now have to rush.

In many regions, the green framework is already built and operational. Green companies and organizations like Northern Virginia nonprofit, Leaders in Energy, a global network of thousands of leaders who work together to “advance clean energy and sustainable solutions for a more sustainable energy system, economy, and greener world,” are on the rise. And Resilient Virginia, an organization that has been working hard to accelerate “resiliency planning in communities across the commonwealth” to help move toward a “vibrant, healthy and equitable community.”

To support the big shift into a green future, with the goal of helping community leaders, businesses, professionals, and families create a path towards resilience, Leaders in Energy partnered with Resilient Virginia to offer a Green Jobs Forum & Career Fair in August 2021. This informative three day event, included an array of workshops and breakout sessions:

National and State experts on new initiatives that bolster the transition to a Clean Economy while rebuilding our nations infrastructure
Ensuring equity is a core element for local residency planning
Steps needed for infrastructure to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate adaptation strategies
Examples from urban and rural communities on approaches to resiliency that include climate risk assessments that lead to economic health and equity consideration
Examining the accelerating opportunities for economic diversification and entrepreneurship to bolster a Clean Economy.

With hundreds in attendance, eager to receive the much needed information and incorporate it into planning and projects, the green shift took another step forward. Each and every conference and moment like this one, are additional layers of preparation for the future opportunities that are awaiting us.

“Chance favors the prepared mind.”
Louis Pasteur, Father of Immunology

Founder and Executive Director of Leaders in Energy, Janine Finnell, has been preparing professionals to become leaders in our green future, unofficially since 2012, and officially since its founding in 2017, using its four pillars:

1. Green Jobs

2. Marketplace and Economy

3. Green Finance

4. Multi-generational Leadership

And now thousands of leaders and other professional have prepared minds and are able to act immediately, just as the IPCC Report has urged (in fact, demanded), to harness the opportunities and possibilities that the Build Back Better Bill will bring to communities across the country as we rush to lower our carbon emissions dramatically in an effort to overtake the speed by which the global temperature is now rising.

Let’s get the Build Back Better Bill passed and begin our “fast break” into the future.

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School Buses with White Roofs Lower the Heat | Albedo Effect

on September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 By Our New Green Culture 1 Comment

Washington (GGM) Analysis | September 14, 2021 by author and climate journalist Noreen Wise

Many decision makers in our towns as well as local businesses and corporate office parks are aware of the albedo effect and apply the principles. We can see this with our own eyes as we drive through our towns and cities. Large sports arenas and convention centers seem to glow in the sun, many with their white exteriors and white roofs. I hiked up a mountain over the weekend and was startled to look out and see the bright white church steeples, metallic silver domes covering silos, and a few other gleaming white rooftops on buildings dotting the rural landscape. Another excellent example of the albedo effect principles being applied all around us is the widespread use of white roofs on public school buses in communities across the country. My county in Virginia has white-topped school buses.

In 1992, Brunswick County, North Carolina decided to run a pilot program to gauge the effectiveness of white roofs on school buses to lower the temperature. They’d learned about the white tops being used in California and Florida. California had begun applying albedo principles to school buses 20 years earlier. The Brunswick County pilot ran from August through December that year. At the conclusion, they found that the white roofs:

lowered the temperature by 10 degrees
lowered the temperature by 17 degrees during peak hours
and only lowered the temperature by 3 or 4 degrees in the winter

Heart of the Matter. Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Kathy Castor (FL-D) said at a recent hearing, “We are all dealing with the devastating consequences of a rapidly warming planet. In the past 5 years, about 4,000 Americans have died from extreme wether events. Every year we lose about 700 Americans to heat related deaths.” Experts have gone on record stating officially that heat has a direct negative impact on our health.

Chelsea, Massachusetts has taken protecting the health and well-being of school children to the next level. According to WBUR in Boston, Chelsea Massachusetts just finished installing two white roofs on their two public middle schools this past July 2021. Their objective was to lower the heat in the classrooms, as well as the area surrounding the school. Chelsea is an oppressive heat island, North of Boston, across form Logan airport and is considered one of the hottest cities in Massachusetts. In addition to lowering the heat in the classroom for the students, according to WBUR, the Superintendent, Almi Abeyta, is also looking forward to the lower cost of electricity that will free up some money in the school budget.

Chelsea elementary schools are up next for the white roofs. Additionally, the city planner, Ben Cares, explained they also plan to replace the asphalt with a lighter material.

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I’m personally and professionally very excited about the two white roofs reducing carbon emissions and also having two more buildings added to the growing collection around the world that will help reflect the sun’s energy and make up for the shrinking icecaps. August 20, 2021 was yet another alarming global warming red flag. It rained for the first time in recorded history on Greenland’s summit. According to the Sierra Club, 337,000 square miles of Greenland’s ice sheet, experienced surface flooding and 7 billion tons of water flooded the summit.

Active measures such as these — switching to white roofs on buildings and buses, and lighter ground surfaces to reduce deadly heat — are what every community should be rushing to do to save lives in this new high heat era. We have the ability to lower the heat. We must act.

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Composting | A Major Climate Solution

on July 20, 2021September 6, 2021 By Our New Green Culture 1 Comment

Washington (GGM) Analysis | July 20, 2021 by Catherine Zacuto, M. Ed.

Perspective is everything. Composting can seem like a daunting task or a simple way to make our soil much more healthy. The benefits of composting for the climate and the environment may persuade you to get on board, to learn something new, and to contribute to a growing movement to give back.

What’s the heart of the matter? The wisdom of composting goes back to the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, and soil cultivation has been in practice ever since. The Founding Fathers realized the importance of renewing the soil of their farms and gardens. Washington, Jefferson, and Adams (among others) treasured the land for its abundance and permanence; fields were not something to be used and abandoned. Because tobacco had depleted the soil of many estates by the late 1700s, Washington began planting crops that could anchor the American agricultural economy. To replenish the soil for wheat fields and orchards, he experimented with manure, Potomac mud, and fish remains. In the end, Washington operated five farms in Virginia and was one of the most successful farmers of his time.

How does this impact you personally? Composting is a practical way to improve the health of the soil and reduce our carbon footprint. Over the centuries, the basic principles of composting have remained consistent and have yielded the same predictable outcomes for sustaining our planet. The knowledge and tools are at our fingertips. Using the wisdom garnered over the ages, we have the chance, without too much difficulty, to create a thriving environment and help planet Earth.

Composting:

adds microbes to dirt and soil, enabling it to store loads of carbon that thwarts climate change.
reduces methane-producing waste in landfills
creates vibrant soil that supports the ecosystem
retains water in the soil, reducing the need to irrigate
promotes disease-free plant growth

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What can you do about this? Whether you live in a noisy urban neighborhood or on a quiet rural road, composting is possible. To keep it simple, deliver your food scraps to your community compost collection site. (See the list of Virginia composting facilities at the end of this article.) Or, find a compost company that picks up your food scraps. Check to see how the company uses the compost, and find out if they return compost to you. Make your own compost by following simple daily guidelines. (Click here to see a short how-to video.) You can make a difference for your family, your community, and the planet. Remember the Founding Fathers: The success of the new nation hinged on its fruitful harvests. Did they ever imagine how critical their organic practices would be for the health of the planet?

Next steps:

Begin saving food scraps in a compost bag in your refrigerator, a cool garage or in a clamped container.
Gather both green materials (fruits, vegetables, tea, egg shells, coffee grounds) and brown (newspapers, egg cartons, twigs, and dried grass).
Avoid oils, dairy, meat, and bread.
Decide if you will create the compost yourself or donate your scraps to your community, or
Find the most eco-friendly company to pick up your scraps and use them to benefit soil health.

Virginia Composting Facilities by Area

References:

“Benefits of Compost.” U.S. Composting Council, http://www.compostingcouncil.org/. Accessed 21 Jan. 2021.

Simon, Julia. “How to Start Composting.” NPR, 2021, http://www.npr.org/2020/04/07/828918397/how-to-compost-at-home.

Winter Activities for Kids | Climate Change

on January 31, 2021January 31, 2021 By Our New Green Culture 1 Comment

Washington (GGM) Analysis | January 31, 2021 by Catherine Zacuto, M. Ed.

It’s cold out there! You might be wondering about how to keep the kids busy, active, and productive. While remaining tucked away in the warm, cozy house, you can occupy them as they get ready to be Climate Superheroes! The hope of spring can inspire everyone to dig in and prepare for the near future, a future made better because you are helping fight climate change.

What’s the heart of the matter?

Climate change demands our attention now, and the new administration is on board. Discussing his executive actions on climate change, President Biden confirmed his commitment. “It’s about coming to the moment to deal with this maximum threat that is now facing us, climate change, with a greater sense of urgency.” Every person is needed in the fight, adults as well as children. Utilizing fun, creative activities, we can guide the younger generation to a great appreciation of trees, plants, and soil.

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How does this impact you personally?

Engaging children in climate activities early on will help them internalize the message that they can make a difference in the world. Composting is one activity that allows children to get their hands dirty, literally. From placing food scraps in a jar to turning over compost in a barrel, each step draws youngsters into the process. If you are short on outdoor space, consider gathering food scraps for the community. Your town may have a drop off spot nearby. Composting is more than just a way to keep the kids busy during frosty winter days; it also educates them about the importance of cultivating soil so that it can store more carbon.

Some quick facts:

Adding compost to the lifeless dirt transforms it into microbe-filled soil, which stores a giant amount of carbon.
Not only does compost increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil, it boosts the nourishment of plants that feed off the soil, enabling the plants to store that much more carbon.
Now more than ever, the soil needs more microbes, especially if the US is to be the climate role model for the world, as Mr. Biden hopes.
One of the main goals of the Paris Climate Agreement is soil health. Increasing carbon storage in the soil is the way to achieve this. As countries around the world strive to reach the target carbon neutrality goals set forth in the agreement, composting becomes even more important. The only way to hit our targets is if every household composts.
Remember: compost nourishes plants and prevents pests.
Compost can be donated to your community for fertilizing common areas.

What can you do about this?

Start by talking about composting as you make a salad or chop vegetables for soup. Specific elements of compost are right at hand! Reading age-appropriate books about the life of plants, from seed to fruit, will grab the attention of some children. Helpful videos are also available, if your children aren’t maxed-out on screen time.

Hands-on activities make time fly. Building a climate change project using long-forgotten resources in the attic or garage can lead to a meaningful learning experience for your child. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Primary age children could write and illustrate a book explaining composting. (Your compost jar provides a helpful visual aid.)
Challenge your eight to twelve-year olds to create a game board about composting and its benefits for the climate. Game pieces can be made of card-board or even repurposed barrettes, action-figures, thimbles and who knows what?
Young writers can compose a poem or song about composting.
Budding scientists can keep a record of what goes into the compost bin, carefully observing the color, texture, and smell over time.
Young teens might make a documentary explaining the importance of composting in the fight against climate change.

These types of projects challenge young people to use 21st Century skills of critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration and they might have fun along the way!

*What climate change project are you involved with? We hope **you’ll** be part of ours! We’re growing a forest in North Dakota. **CLICK** to find out the awesome details.*

Next steps

Start gathering your veggie, fruit and other food waste for composting
Investigate compost collection methods in your area
Find high-interest resources to engage your child (See below)
Plan an activity your child will find fun and engaging

Resources

Climate Change for Kids website:

Start Learning

NASA website for kids:

The Greenhouse Effect: Keeping the Balance

Video: Why all life depends on plants (3:06):

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos/spectacular-science/#/1019900995730

Video about composting for young children (5:00):

Composting for Kids With Peppa Pig

SciShow Kids video for kids 8+ (5:00)

Make the Most of Compost!

A Gift Worth Waiting For | Exciting Eco Projects For Students While Distance Learning

on December 19, 2020December 19, 2020 By Our New Green Culture

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 19, 2020 by Catherine Zacuto, M. A. Ed

Wandering through a wooded park or along a shady path, it’s easy to miss what’s right before our eyes. How often do we consider the gifts before us, planted long ago? The cool breeze and fresh fragrance are momentary experiences that began with the planting of seeds. No matter how the trees, shrubs, and understory got there, whether through nature or a particular person, you and I are the beneficiaries.

Thomas Jefferson understood this. His legacy of Monticello lies not only in its Neoclassical architecture but in its lush landscape. As a matter of course, school children learn the importance of the Declaration of Independence. Yet how often are they given the opportunity to uncover Jefferson’s other significant gift, the carbon-fighting greenery flourishing at Monticello and Jefferson’s beloved University of Virginia? His plans for Monticello included vegetable gardens, a vineyard, two orchards, and an 18-acre ornamental forest. Trees planted as early as the mid-19th Century still adorn the Academical Village at UVA. This life-giving vegetation continues to fight the greenhouse gasses humans add to the environment. Jefferson and other forward-thinking botanists gave us gifts centuries before we recognized them. We can pass on their legacy by teaching our children about the gift of trees – what we have received and how we can give.

*This land was once James Monroe’s cornfield. But Thomas Jefferson bought it and said, “Let there be trees!”*

Benefits of Trees

Trees clean the air by trapping particulates on their leaves and branches.
Trees help prevent water pollution by collecting rainwater on their bark and leaves and depositing it in the ground below.
Trees provide economic opportunities for small businesses that provide food to local markets.
Exposure to trees helps relieve mental fatigue.

Jefferson’s story and his gardens offer valuable lessons for young people. Planting a tree, caring for a sapling, waiting for growth all require patience and hard work. What better way to learn these important life skills? Planting trees with children engages them physically and gives them purposeful time outdoors. Watching and waiting for the first green sign of life teaches youngsters that growth takes time, just like their own development. The tree will need nurturing and thoughtful care including some hands on, “Let’s get messy” work. To generate interest in tree planting, you can begin with age-appropriate literature about trees and their care. Adolescents may be energized to learn about the difference trees make in the fight against global warming, or they may want to plant their tree to support a friend going through a difficult time. So, take a moment to enjoy a refreshing breeze and appreciate the clean scent of a forest. Then make a plan for the gift you will give, a gift someone is waiting for.

*“Let there be trees,” said Thomas Jefferson.*

Ways to Give Back

Plant a tree or shrub in your yard (and post a photo on social media)
Add Virginia Creeper to cover a fence
Learn more about trees and spread the word

Resources for Parents

Books:

Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben (ages 8-10)

Seeds and Trees: A children’s book about the power of words by Brandon Walden (ages 6-12)

The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups by Gina Ingoglia (ages 8-12)

Websites:

Informative video for parents and kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVvZLyZAIg

Tree Activities for Kids: https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/tree-activities-for-kids.html

Benefits of trees: https://canopy.org/tree-info/benefits-of-trees/urban-trees-and-climate-change/,

https://www.treepeople.org/tree-benefits

Compost Boosts Carbon Sink | Climate Action

on December 10, 2020November 2, 2021 By Our New Green Culture

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 10, 2020 by Noreen Wise

Compost is a big deal in the calculus for increasing carbon sink in our soil. It provides one of the most effective methods for the US public to assist with cutting carbon as deeply and swiftly as possible.

Peat is a compost. It looks very much like soil, but is simply partially decaded vegetation rich in nutrients. These nutrients are what enable the increased absorption of carbon. Peatlands are only 3% of our global lands, yet they store approximately “30% of the earths soil organic carbon.” In light of our extreme #ClimateCrisis, peat should never be removed from its environment to be sold to consumers for profit.

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The ever increasing carbon levels as the global population continues to grow, demands that we each do our own part in every way possible to curb carbon, especially in light of the fact of how simple and easy this actually is.

As we hurry to build infrastructure to support solar energy and EV autos, it makes sense to simultaneously rush to improve our natural carbon storing assets, which will further the lowering of CO2 in our atmosphere.

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Creating compost bins wherever possible can provide the much needed extra compost for forests, home gardens, public gardens and parks. It was exciting to see a “Compost” bin at the restaurant where I ate today. It was lined up with the other options at the recycling and garbage hub. I always feel so hopeful when a business “gets it” and does it’s little part. The care and maintenance of a compost bin in a restaurant is minor, but the benefit to society is huge. It pretty much follows the same ratio mentioned at the top of the page: 3% / 30% .

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We can do this!

Trees for Love | 247 Seedlings Planted to Remember Those We’ve Lost to Covid

on November 7, 2020November 9, 2020 By Our New Green Culture

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 7, 2020 by Noreen Wise

Gallant Gold Media is excited to share the wonderful news that 247 free redbud and button bush seedlings were distributed to Fairfax County and Northern Virginia residents to plant in remembrance of those lost to Covid in our communities. Fairfax ReLeaf supplied the free seedlings, which Gallant Gold Media distributed through George Mason University’s parking Lot P on Saturday, October 24, 2020. The Fairfax Tree Commission was the essential liaison that made this all possible, enabling the free seedling distribution to come to fruition by connecting these various organizations.

It takes a village.

Apparently, the Trees for Love campaign is the largest community tree planting success in the state of Virginia during 2020. The Burke Centre Conservancy was the largest group of planters, distributing 146 Fairfax ReLeaf free seedlings to their Clusters and residences. The rest of the redbud and button bush seedlings were claimed by Northern Virginia residents, many of whom were moved by friends and family who’d been lost to covid and were searching to find a meaningful way to honor their memory.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 1-1-a-burkeconservancy-1.jpg — *Burke Centre Conservancy are big tree planters, here’s a photo from 2019*

One such resident was Dawn Zimmerman. Dawn, a Virginia State licensed professional counselor, operating her solo practice Imago Dei Counseling in Fairfax City, attributes her love of nature and gardening and the outdoors to her grandfather, a midwest farmer, as well as spending her childhood in Thailand. Although born in metro Washington DC, Dawn’s father was a State Department Foreign Service Officer. From a young age Dawn seems to have become well-acquainted with the understanding of how important it is to connect with others in our community and let them know we care, especially during a crisis.

Whether it’s Dawn’s close connection to the State Department, her career as a counselor, or her passion for nature, Dawn felt compelled to enrich Northern Virginia with multiple Virginia Native redbuds and button bushes to honor the five family and friends she’s lost to Covid. Dawn wanted us to know more than just their names though, she was eager to share their stories.

Ron Ontko: Dawn’s honorary uncle, passed away from Covid related complications on April 2, 2020 in Hendersonville, NC. He was 89 years old. Ron and his wife Carol, met in Wisconsin, and after college, while in a young couples group at Grace Lutheran Church in Washington, DC, became good friends with Dawn’s parents. The two couples went on to become lifelong friends. Ron was an avid photographer and devoted ‘Skins fan, but his career was spent in public service. After graduating high school, Ron served in the United States Air Force, before he returned to school. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Russian Studies from the University of Wisconsin and then his master’s degree in international law from George Washington University. From there, Ron worked for the NSA, the United States Senate, and the US State Department, which is quite a remarkable resume. Ron Ontko was a Freemason and a Shiner, participating in fundraising for numerous children’s charities. He is survived by his wife Carol of 62 years, as well as his son, Andrew, and daughter, Julie.

Jack “Zeke” Zimmerman: Zeke is Dawn’s uncle, who was lost to Covid related pneumonia on October 21, 2020 at aged 86 in Frederick, MD. Survived by wife Lynn, sons Steve (Andrea) and grandsons Eric and Mark of Memphis, TN; Paul of Wilmington, DE and was predeceased by son John, Silver Spring, MD. Also survived by Mary Lee Zimmerman, the mother of their three sons; Daughter-in-Law Christie (widow of John) and grandchildren John Paul “JP” and Maria.

The following is a loving tribute written by Zeke’s grandson, Mark Zimmerman:
Zeke Zimmerman was known to many as the “Godfather of DC Metropolitan Area Sandlot Basketball.” GrandJack lived his life around basketball. He grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and fielded basketball teams. He formed teams from players that he would recruit from across the country. Around 1950, having teams with multiple races was unprecedented. My grandfather did not judge a player based on his skin color, but on his basketball ability. Jack was known as Zeke Zimmerman in the D.C. area. He formed a team called “Zeke’s All-Stars.” This was the first team that had both black and white players in the D.C. area. Because my grandfather did not judge a player based on his race, many black basketball players were able to go to college for basketball or even the NBA. A couple of years ago, he gave me a jersey from the 1950 Zeke’s All-Stars team. This jersey is a symbol of my family’s value of inclusion. It did not matter which race wore this specific jersey. The only thing that mattered was that my grandfather saw talent in that young man, and he wanted to help. My family still holds the values of inclusion and equality in our everyday lives, as we do not judge people based on their skin tone, but on their personality.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 1-1-a-t4l-dawn-zeke-ron-1.jpg — *Redbud and button bush seedlings planted to remember Zeke Zimerman and Ron Ontko*

The following is a State Department obituary with a few extra details provided by Dawn:
Patrick “David” Husar, 67, died May 9, in Arlington, VA. David was born in Lorain, Ohio located on Lake Erie and 30 miles West of Cleveland. At University of Kentucky, where David majored in history, one of his professors encouraged him to consider a career with the Foreign Service. Joining in 1976, Husar served as a consular officer at posts in Pakistan, India, and the Philippines before transitioning to Civil Service. He retired in 2016 and enjoyed long walks around the Washington area, was an avid reader, and was dedicated to his faith. He is survived by his wife, Jonahlyn; a brother Michael; and extended family in the Philippines.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 1-1-a-t4l-dawn-davidhusar.jpg — *Button bush seedling planted to remember David Husar*

Daniel Lee: Spending a few minutes on Google images to view the architectural designs that Daniel Lee graced upon all of us here in the United States, is sure to inspire. And inspiration is certainly the impulse Mr. Lee appears to have been striving for when he graduated from the Mississippi School of Architecture in 1981 and began his career in classical architecture as an intern with Allen Greenberg. Mr. Greenberg is one of the premier classical architects of the twenty-first century. The son of Protestant missionaries, Mr. Lee’s love of classical architecture sprung from his childhood in Paris, France, surrounded by neoclassical landmarks erected during the reign of Louis XIV and that continued all the way through Louis XVI. Many of us here in Virginia are endowed with an inherent appreciation for classical architecture, which dates back to the founding of our most historic cities. So it’s with great sadness that we lost Mr. Lee to Covid on August 17, 2020, at age 64. Mr. Lee is survived by his wife of 40 years, Leonor Lee, his two sons, Stephen and Christopher, and two daughters, Susanne and Katherine.

*Redbud seedling planted to remember Daniel Lee*

There’s an additional friend of the family. In Dawn’s own words:
Pat Purcell died from Covid related complications on May 11th, 2020 in Fairfax, VA. Pat resided in the same Senior living community as my mom and was the elderly mother of Ann Lawrence, a friend of my parents from their local Lutheran Church. Mom and Pat became friends but lived on different floors and in different areas of the building. Interestingly, Pat was actually a member of a local Baptist Church but was adopted by the Lutheran pastor, Rev Sandy Kessinger who made regular visits to their Continuing Care Community.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 1-1-a-t4l-dawn-pat-2.jpg — *Redbud seedlings planted to remember Pat Purcell*

Dawn spent 10 years working at the State Department before starting her counseling firm. After buying her townhouse, she became involved with her HOA replanting project, which she finds life affirming. During the first five years she hand-dug holes, which is quite a feat, and planted five trees, as well as a slew of shrubs and perennials. Dawn was sidelined from her gardening last year following two minor car accidents which required physical therapy. But thankfully, she returned with all her passion and began removing hundreds of “small, weedy Rose of Sharon saplings and bush honeysuckle” that were rapidly spreading in the HOA areas. She’d learned about the importance of growing Virginia Natives and was determined to correct the situation.

Dawn’s Virginia Native Trees for Love redbud and buttonbush seedlings are planted in three HOA areas in Dawn’s Northern Virginia townhouse community. Dawn received a note from one family member who expressed, “That’s perfect; thank you. Not just words but heartfelt, tears flowing, gratitude.”

When I asked Dawn for one final thought on the importance of planting trees, she responded with a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes:
“When we plant a tree, we are doing what we can to make our planet a more wholesome and happier dwelling-place for those who come after us if not for ourselves.”