The county has been selected as one of four local U.S. governments (including Charleston, SC; Nashville, TN; and San Diego, CA) to receive assistance in creating a Green Office Challenge program.

The innovative initiative, to launch locally in fall 2010, will engage property managers and office tenants in a friendly competition to save money, reduce energy, water usage and waste; and reach other environmental goals. Offices with the biggest savings over the course of one year will be recognized for their achievements.

The Challenge started last year in Chicago and is sponsored by the ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a membership association of more than 600 local governments in the U.S. and 1,100 worldwide committed to advancing climate protection and sustainability.

With nearly 44 million square feet—more private office space than downtown Los Angeles, Denver or Dallas—Arlington County could reap significant energy and cost savings. Hailed in the DC metro area for its eco-efforts, Arlington will now have a chance to make its mark on the national map.

Complementing Arlington County’s existing programs to reduce energy use and carbon emissions, including the Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) Program, the Challenge has already been backed by Arlington businesses, and will be implemented with support from key community partners, including the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington, Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Arlington Economic Development.

To learn more about the Green Office Challenge, visit  ICLEI USA .

Bridging the gap between the passé and the present, the organization has partnered with Miss District of Columbia 2009 in a fashion-forward campaign designed to bring awareness to recycling.

The month-long campaign, is intended to showcase the recycling platform of Miss DC, Jen Corey, as she prepares for the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas on January 30. It’s also designed to generate greater awareness for Goodwill’s mission during its slowest donation season of the year.

The campaign includes a series of video vignettes on the nationally-recognized Goodwill DC Fashion Blog. The vignettes, which debuted January 8 and run through the 22^nd, follow Corey as she peruses Goodwill Stores for recycled furniture and accessories to furnish her empty new apartment.

They are accompanied by snippets of a rap song influenced by Goodwill’s job training mission, “Dream without Boundaries,” written and performed by Kokayi, a Grammy-nominated DC artist and producer. The entire song, which also samples Corey’s opera singing (a highly trained opera singer, Corey will be performing during the Pageant), will be available online for a $2 donation to Goodwill of Greater Washington.

Personally, I love shopping at—and donating to—Goodwill. In fact, I have a bag full of things I no longer need sitting in my hallway, ready to go. I’ve also taken numerous items found while “dumpster diving” in the basement of my condo building (everything from a huge handpainted Portuguese ceramic tray to a bookcase to a lamp; OK, so some of these I’ve kept!)—perfectly good items that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

Granted, going to Goodwill may not be that convenient for some, but there are certainly many other options for donations (including homeless shelters and numerous thrift shops). Larger items such as TVs and furniture can even be scheduled for pick-up. And clearing out clutter can be so therapeutic!

Of course, Goodwill is so much more than a thrift shop, as it provides job training and employment services for disadvantaged and disabled individuals. No matter what your personal “platform,” recycling—and helping others— just feels right. And that’s something we can all stand for.

The County will hold a public meeting to address its role in development of the complex EPA initiative, which would set restrictions on nutrient and sediment pollution throughout a 64,000-square-mile watershed that includes six states and the District. A regulatory tool of the federal Clean Water Act, the Chesapeake Bay TMDL will be backed by a series of accountability measures to ensure compliance.

In a letter to the Water Protection Division, EPA Region III, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Sharon Bulova, offers the board’s input for development of the TMDL. Stating that Fairfax County is the most populated local jurisdiction in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with “…a long history of progressive environmental management,” she notes, “…we are following with great interest recent developments at the federal level to increase the pace of efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay.”

As cited in Bulova’s letter, the Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order (signed by President Obama in May 2009) is helping create a new era of federal leadership in restoring the Bay. Both Senate and House legislation being considered could help set standards for stormwater management to facilitate consistency across state and local lines. 

Noting how “Improvements can and should be made in how urban and suburban stormwater is managed,” Bulova includes a caveat that “Goals should be realistic and attainable, focusing on parameters reasonably within the control of local governments and organizations to influence.” 

To learn more about the “ABC’s” of the TMDL, read the full letter and/or attend the public meeting tonight, Monday, Dec. 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Falls Church High School’s Little Theater, 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church, Virginia.

Unfortunately, you might want to shy away from including children and the elderly in these activities in the future. CNN has uncovered a disappointing fact about Christmas lights, they contain a potentially lethal level of lead.

Like in fake Christmas trees, manufacturers use lead to stabilize the PVC chemical they use to build Christmas lights. The scientific analysis done by CNN was completed at Quantex Laboratories and uncovered lead levels on the lights that even surprised Dr. Leo Trasande of New York’s Sinai School of Medicine.

“There is no level at which lead exposure is safe,” Dr. Trasande said. “Even at one microgram/deciliter — the lowest level in a person’s blood stream that we can detect — that level has been associated with cognitive impairment in children.”

Often, children will help put up the Christmas tree and will then put their hands in their mouths, instantly carrying lead to their bloodstream and organs. Of the four brands tested, Wal-Mart’s showed the highest concentration of surface lead.

Unfortunately, the level of lead on these lights is totally legal because the US government, through the Consumer Product Safety Commission, has not created rules that forbid such lead concentrations. If you want your kids to help with the decorations this year (and why wouldn’t you?) make sure they only hang ornaments, wear gloves, and wash their hands.

For the full CNN story go HERE.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User Chris_J

Its tough to go over the river and through the woods when the river is polluted or the woods have been mowed down. Its important to make wise decisions about traveling so the images of snowy winters, thick forests, and clear frozen lakes will still be reality for our children.

If you’re taking your brood for a holiday trip to visit family this season, take a couple seconds to make sure it will be a greener visit. Just follow the advice below…

1. Before you leave home, turn down the temperature on your hot water heater and turn down the thermostat at your house. Don’t forget to stop delivery of your newspaper and make sure to unplug everything so you don’t get charged for the phantom energy users like coffee makers and alarm clocks.
2. Try flying British Airways or Southwest Airlines. Both companies emphasize recycling and reduced waste. If you can’t fly on these, check to see if your airline is incorporating green policies into its coporate values. If they aren’t, email them and ask why.
3. Large hotel chains are beginning to realize the cost savings associated with green policies. Mariott has a website outlining their environmental policy HERE
4. Turn off the lights and heater when you leave your hotel room. Take shorter showers to conserve hot water. Also, make sure the shades are drawn. This way you are conserving electricity and keeping out the cold weather.
5. If you fly-in, rather than renting a car, try relying on the hotel van or public transportation. If you are driving, make sure your tires are full, your oil filter is replaced, and your car is running as efficiently as possible.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User scottog