Happy Earth Day! See events in Washington, DC, area

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Do your part by picking up trash in your community, planting a garden or tree, or foregoing that extra car trip!

Although many events took place last weekend, here's a bit of what's happening in the Washington, DC, area for Earth Day, plus links to find more info:

- April 22, Earth Day Clean Up at the National Zoo

- April 22: Green Programs at the U.S. Botanical Gardens

- EPA Earth Day Event Finder

- More Listings for DC, MD and VA from About.com

MoCo Homeowner Gives Good Grades to Geothermal Heating, Cooling

About a year ago, I posted a Washington Post story about Christopher Gearon, a Montgomery County resident who installed a geothermal energy system at his home to replace an oil-burning furnace and traditional air conditioning system. He expected to save money on energy costs in the long run.

Now the Post has just published a column by Gearon reviewing the new system's performance. He gives geothermal an A for comfort and temperature consistency, and notes that the system made the indoor air less humid in summer and less dry in winter.

He gives geothermal a B for cost savings, although with the price of oil rising, geothermal essentially saves him more and more.

Based on Gearon's experience, would you switch to geothermal?

Attend the Bethesda Green Gala, Montgomery County's Grand Green Event

Wow, I haven't posted here in a long time! Been busy maintaining the Bethesda Green Blog, which reminds me...

You should plan to attend the Bethesda Green Gala, Thursday, October 7 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. We'll be celebrating and recognizing local green champions--and we'll be presenting (along with Bethesda Magazine) the first-ever Bethesda Magazine Green Awards. There are 7 winners in categories ranging from individuals, to communities, non-profits and businesses.

We'll have entertainment, heavy hors d'oeuvres, beer, wine, a silent auction, the awards, then a dessert reception. Former Washington Post columnist Bob Levey will emcee and all the food and drink will be locally sourced. Auction proceeds benefit Bethesda Green and you can claim 40% of the Gala ticket price as a tax-deductible donation to Bethesda Green.

So register today!

June Green Events and Classes in the DC Area

Earlier today I posted on the Bethesda Green blog a list of local green news and events. Here's a supplement for my GreenListDC readers:

June 2 - Home Energy Audits Class
Offered by the Green Building Institute. Maryland residents $55.
Where: Montgomery College-Gaithersburg
When: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

June 5 - Go Green Night at the Washington Mystics Game
Local companies will be on hand to showcase ways you can impact the global community. Apparently LiveGreen.net members can get discount tickets.
Where: Verizon Center
When: 7:00 p.m.

June 7 - Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels Class
Offered by the Green Building Institute. Maryland residents $55.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church, 10309 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring
When: 7 p.m.

June 7 - Solar Hot Water and Electric Class
Offered by the Green Building Institute. Non-members $55.
Where: Keller Williams Realty, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.
When: Not stated.

June 14 - Solar Energy for Your Home or Office Class
Offered by the Green Building Institute. Maryland residents $55.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church, 10309 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring
When: 7 p.m.

June 18 - A Class at Nationals Stadium! 'Energy Audits Can Save You Money'
This new class series from the Green Building Institute pairs green learning with Nationals baseball! (And they're good this year!) Each $70 ticket (plus processing fee) gets you one game admission, one class admission and Slugger Menu ballpark food to enjoy during the class. June 18th the Nats play the Chicago White Sox, by the way.
Where: Nationals Stadium, mezzanine level
When: 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.

June 21 - Green Interior Design Class
Offered by the Green Building Institute. Non-members $55.
Where: Keller Williams Realty, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.
When: Not stated.

June 28 - Geothermal Energy Class
Offered by the Green Building Institute. Non-members $55.
Where: Keller Williams Realty, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.
When: Not stated.

If You're Thinking Sun, Come to Solar Bethesda June 12!

Memorial Day weekend is here, so even though it's cloudy my thoughts are turning to the beach and the swimming pool. It's the unofficial start of summer and many folks will be fleeing the city to hit the beach; others will celebrate the opening of the local pool.

If you're thinking sun, it's a short synaptic leap to solar energy--one of the renewables that's gotten more affordable with federal, state and local incentives. So if you're curious about solar or ready to put solar panels on your roof, come to the Solar Bethesda! expo, Saturday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bethesda Green. It's free and you'll be able to:

• Hear from neighbors who are living with solar
• Get info on costs, benefits, rebates, tax credits
• Check your home's solar readiness with satellite mapping
• Meet local solar companies (so far there are 10 on the list)
  

Plus, there will be activities for kids.

Visit the Solar Bethesda! website to learn more or click here to RSVP.

The expo takes place at Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Ave., Suite 200, Bethesda, Md. (Basically it's at the corner of Cordell and Woodmont on the 2nd floor of the Chevy Chase Bank building.)

Solar hot water systems and solar electric systems can be really affordable. For example, in Maryland the state, local and federal rebates can cut your cost in half! So come check it out and learn more.

(Full disclosure: I'm the volunteer website manager for Bethesda Green and I also am a writer for the DASolar Blog.)

How You Can Help the EPA Clean Up the Bay

The big news today was that the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to enforce tough new standards for pollution reduction in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. It seems voluntary reductions by states in the watershed did not work over the last four decades.

The difference now, as explained by Ashley Halsey III in this Washington Post article, is "the EPA is legally obligated to achieve the goals established in the settlement. The agency has agreed to force states to do what has not been done voluntarily in the past."

So while the EPA gets its act together and starts coming up with enforcement plans, what can you do to help the Bay's health? Here are a few suggestions:

• Simple Ways You Can Help the Bay (a list from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay)
• Help the Bay in Your Backyard (from the Chesapeake Bay Program)
• How Can I Help Save the Bay? (from Laura Seltzer's 'Last Boat Out' site)
• RainScapes program -- This Montgomery County initiative makes rebates available to homeowners and organizations that use any of a range of techniques to reduce stormwater runoff on their property. The techniques or projects eligible for rebates include rain gardens, conservation landscaping, permeable pavers and more.
• What You Can Do (from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

We should be glad the EPA is going to make states clean up the Bay, but we can also take some actions on our own. A healthy watershed and health Bay is best for everyone.

Earth Day Events in the DC Area in April

Hey, I just published a whole page of Earth Day events taking place in the DC region this month. My list contains things happening in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Check it out and share it with your friends!

This will probably take the place of my usual calendar post for the month.