Tax Free This Weekend For Energy Star Products Plus Info For Loans, Nonprofits And Businesses

In the current issue of Energy InfoWIRE, The Montgomery County Energy Programs Team reminds us that this weekend is Maryland’s Tax Free Weekend for Certain ENERGY STAR Products. Marylanders will get a break from the state’s 6 percent sales tax on qualifying ENERGY STAR products from February 19 to 21, 2011. During Shop Maryland Energy weekend, the following ENERGY STAR products are tax free:

• Air conditioners
• Clothes washers and dryers
• Furnaces
• Heat pumps
• Boilers
• Solar water heaters (tax-exempt at all times now)
• Standard size refrigerators
• Dehumidifiers
• Programmable thermostats
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs

Learn more at: http://www.comp.state.md.us/shopmd/default.asp

Here’s some other detailed information to help you save and go green:

Maryland Clean Energy Center Home Energy Loan Program

The Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) is offering loans for projects that increase the energy efficiency of participating residences who qualify for financing. Unsecuritized loans are available for up to $20,000 at a 6.99% interest rate. Measures typically include insulation and HVAC equipment upgrades but are not necessarily limited to these improvements. Property must be a single family detached or townhome and be a primary residence. Homeowners must have a complete home energy audit to determine the scope and cost of potential projects. Auditors must be MCEC approved and certified. Contact MCEC for any other information on this program.
Learn more at: the MCEC Loan Program Website

NonProfit Energy Alliance – Helping NonProfits Reduce Energy Costs and Purchase Clean Energy

The Nonprofit Energy Alliance (NPEA) is an informal group of nonprofits united for the purpose of using their collective power to obtain cheaper and greener electricity. Since NPEA’s kick-off in May 2010, 26 nonprofits are saving between 10 and 20% on their energy bills, totaling an estimated $250,000. NonProfit Montgomery, the NonProfit Roundtable, the Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council and Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light (GWIPL) are now organizing the third Alliance (NPEA III) . Participation is open to any nonprofit in DC or Suburban MD that pays for electricity as an owner or renter.

Bethesda Green Launches Greening Condos Series

Bethesda Green, ecobeco, and event sponsors are presenting a free series of panel discussions focusing on greening condominiums. The five monthly sessions are scheduled at Bethesda Green on the first Wednesday every month through July. Sessions will start at 7 pm with networking and light appetizers. Formal presentations begin at 7:15 pm and conclude at 8:30 pm. Greening Condos targets residents, boards, property managers, and companies that provide green services to condominiums. The goal is to make it easier for residents to take action to improve their building’s environmental impact, to save energy, and to lower their utility bills for both units and common areas.

Montgomery County Green Business Certification

The Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program is an exciting initiative to help and recognize businesses and organizations that voluntarily go above and beyond basic day to day green office measures to reduce their environmental impact. Certified businesses are listed in the County’s online Green Business Directory and showcased through press releases, short videos and other promotional activities. To date, the Program has certified 23 organizations ranging in size and diversity from a multi-national hotel chain to a small orthodontics office. The Program has also attracted the attention of close to 20 jurisdictions across North America, including Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Montgomery College provides on-going training courses.

The Montgomery College Going Green website can assist businesses in making the changes necessary to get certified.

The Tower Building Continues To Earn High Marks

Photo from The Tower Companies website

Today The Tower Companies, Washington DC’s largest builder of USGBC LEED® Certified buildings, announced three of their existing buildings have been certified by EPA as Energy Star buildings. I was please to know The Tower Building in Rockville led the list.

I’ve always admired The Tower Building, whether I was driving past on I-270 or biking along Wootton Parkway. The building’s futuristic design always seemed a step above the other new architecture in our City. When it was completed ten years ago, this 265,000 square foot, multi-tenant commercial office building was the first new construction green building in the DC Metro region.

The Tower Companies designs the buildings then continues to work with tenants to improve their overall green rating. In post on the PR Newswire, the certification for the Tower Building was explained:

It received an Energy Star score of 90. According to Tower’s Chief Sustainability Officer, David Borchardt, two factors contributed to the high rating; their 134,000 SF GSA tenant, Health and Human Services already met the new GSA standards for Energy Conservation. Furthermore, Tower replaced all garage lighting, which must be on 24/7, with more efficient lighting, realizing an energy savings of nearly 35%.

How do they encourage energy conservation? Their ideas are good advice for everyone:

• Creating more energy efficient build outs, including lighting and temperature control of spaces.
• Taking advantage of utility rebates and installing more energy efficient motor control devices, allowing heating and cooling systems to run more efficiently.
• Finding opportunities to turn off unused equipment and lights; replacing inefficient lighting when a fixture or bulb needs to be replaced.

Here’s a full description of The Tower Building, and if you are interested in seeing the interior, the Gallery on the Tower website provides a little tour.

The Tower Building, designed by Kishimoto Gordon Dalaya PC, is powered by 100% wind energy and was the first green office building in the Washington metropolitan area when construction started in 1999. In 2003 it was awarded The Apartment and Office Building Association’s prestigious “Green Office Building of the Year” award. In 2009, The Tower Building achieved US Green Building Council LEED Silver certification. Rising 10-stories over a campus of lush woodlands and eco-sensitive planning, The Tower Building is the subject of Case Studies by the Urban Land Institute, US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy for its advanced sustainable features; years before the US Green Building Council (USGBC) established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Amenities include health-food café, a state of the art fitness center, onsite parking, and bicycle storage, lockers, showers, a meditation/yoga room, and an ATM and beautiful art covers the walls; building grounds feature open fields, and tree-filled walking areas and biking trails. Two bus routes pass by, which provide easy access to two metro train stations.

Learn How To Advocate For Wind Power In Maryland

Photo from the CCAN website

“The wind blowing off Maryland’s Atlantic coast is a vast, untapped energy source.” - CCAN

On Sunday, January 16, 2011 the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville’s Environmental Action Group will host Keith Harrington from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) from 11:45 AM till 12:30 PM.

Keith’s will talk about CCAN’s activities to advocate for Wind Power in Maryland, as well as the role Maryland’s religious communities can play in this effort.

Maryland has set a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) pledge stating that 20 percent of the state’s electricity needs will be met by renewable energy sources including both wind and solar power by year 2022. CCAN believes the state is in danger of failing to meet this goal without harnessing offshore wind.

On December 4th a coalition of environment, business, and labor groups came together to talk about how to make offshore wind a reality in Maryland. Below are some video highlights:

Light refreshments will be served after the talk. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville is located at 100 Welsh Park Drive, off Mannakee Street.

You may also want to participate in Maryland: Got Wind? campaign by submitting a photo of you with the slogan somewhere in the state.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is the first grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to amass undeniable grassroots power in this unique region surrounding our nation’s capital to call for state, national, and international policies that will put us on a path to climate stability.

They envision a country where clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are prioritized and dirty fossil fuels are phased out; where our world is on a path to 350 ppm CO2 in the atmosphere, creating a stable, sustainable climate.

Everything You Need To Know About Home Energy Audits

Croydon Creek Nature Center Photo By Cindy Cotte Griffiths

As part of the Rockville Go Green Lecture Series, a free session on all the tools and cash incentives to make your home eco-friendly and energy efficient will be hosted by the City of Rockville and the Friends of Rock Creek Environment (FORCE).

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
7-8 PM
Croydon Creek Nature Center, 852 Avery Road

An energy auditor certified by the Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program will review the ways to reduce energy use and improve the comfort, safety and overall performance of your home. The lecture will cover combustion appliance safety. Best of all, finding out about and implementing an energy audit can help you save money.

Although the program is free, you must register with RockEnroll: http://www.rockvillemd.gov/recreation/guide/winter11/croydon.pdf
or call 240-314-8770.

Workshop On Energy-Efficiency Incentives, Residential Tax Credits Expire

The City of Rockville along with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection are hosting a two-part workshop focused on energy-efficiency incentives businesses, multi-family properties and other organizations.

The workshops will be held on December 13, 2010 at Glenview Mansion:

8 to 9 AM Participating in the Pepco C&I Energy Savings Program Trade Ally Network
Contractors, auditors, architects and others should attend this event to learn how to become part of the Trade Ally Network. Once approved by the Program, registered trade allies are listed in the Pepco directory and get an important business leg-up in delivering services under the program.

9:30 to 11 AM–Receiving Cash Incentives for Energy-Efficiency Improvements
Learn how to access incentives that provide cash for businesses, multi-family and other organizations to make energy-efficiency improvements. Property owners, business owners, property managers, boards of trustee members, maintenance staff and others should attend this event to learn more about how the program works and hear success stories of organizations that have upgraded their properties with the help of Pepco programs.

Government staff may be available to discuss other incentives and programs. Space is limited, so you must RSVP to [email protected] if you are interested in attending.

Consultants who are part of the Pepco Commercial/Industrial Program will provide an overview of the incentives implemented under the Governor’s EmPOWER Maryland initiative to assist organizations in overcoming the first costs of energy-efficiency improvements.

The EmPOWER Maryland initiative was created to reduce energy consumption by 15% by the year 2015. To help achieve this goal, the Maryland Energy Administration encourages residents to adopt the combination of energy savings measures that are most appropriate for their home. In many cases, these measures do not require a large financial investment.

As part of the EmPOWER Maryland legislation, Maryland’s five utilities offer many programs to save your home or business energy — and money. Programs include lighting and appliance rebates for homeowners, home energy audits, commercial lighting rebates, and energy efficiency services for industrial facilities. Each utility offers slightly different programs.

Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credits For Residential Properties Expire Soon

If you have been thinking about getting tax credits for energy efficiency in your home, these credits will expire at the end of this year. Suitable projects include an insulation job, heating and cooling system replacement, or new windows.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides a tax credit for 30% of the cost or up to $1,500 towards specific energy-efficiency improvements for residential properties in 2009 and 2010. On many products you may also be eligible to receive rebates from programs provided by utilities including Pepco.

However, if you are considering an solar or geothermal system, no reason to panic these credits are slated to be available until 2016.

The DOE Energy Savers Program has published a helpful fact sheet on the federal tax credits.

Standard Solar Activates Solar Roof At Rockville Ice Rink

Photo from Wilkinson Shein

Yesterday Standard Solar activated the new 701 Kilowatt Solar Energy System on top of the Rockville Ice Arena. Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilmember Bridget Newton, and Karen McManus from Congressman Van Hollen’s office attended along with more than 60 other people celebrating one of the largest single rooftop solar energy systems in Maryland.

Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO, Malcolm Woolf, Director, Maryland Energy Administration, Stuart Schooler, Managing Member, The Maven Group. Photo from Wilkinson Shein.

Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO, emphasized how such solar systems can solve many of our dire energy problems on the East Coast.

I’m sure that most people in the audience know that Maryland is part of the most congested portion of the national utility grid system. Now the traditional way that utilities have dealt with growing demand on the east coast is to build another coal plant in the Mid-West and upgrade or add new transmission and distribution facilities to move that power to MD, DC and other jurisdictions up the East Coast. Well, about 15 years ago a lot of people started to oppose expensive and unsightly new transmission lines. I think we all know that it is a lot more difficult to site a transmission line in 2010…and it is not going to get any easier.

The real answer is to put the power sources where we consume the power – that is on rooftops and available land near to where it will be consumed. Solar electricity is inherently a source of peak power as it is produced during the day when utilities experience their peak power demands. This 700 kW solar system is certainly going to reduce the peak power demand and improve the reliability of the local distribution grid…with several hundred more such systems we will eliminate the need for a new power plant, truly improve grid reliability and have an noticeable impact on grid congestion throughout the region.

Rockville Blades, LLC, owns the arena and is an affiliate of The Maven Group. Stuart Schooler, a managing member, explained why the solar choice makes so much sense.

This was an easy business decision. Ice rinks are an energy-intensive operation. We need to help our tenants manage costs, while providing activities like skating and hockey that have a more benign impact on the environment. After all, the C&O Canal is only thick enough for skating two to three weeks per year.

The system is projected to meet about 30% of the Arena’s annual electricity needs while reducing carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions by about 757 tons each year. A comparison to our household use helps to understand these statistics. The electricity generated by the solar system would power approximately 72 average-sized American homes for a year.

When you visit to skate, you can see the results for yourself. A large screen monitor shows how much electricity the solar panel system is producing at any given time.

We’re lucky to be able to see and monitor this large, green step forward in Rockville. The Arena’s system is a model and inspiration for all the solar possibilities available.

Today Is America Recycles Day

Recycling Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

At last Monday’s Mayor and Council Meeting, Rockville officially proclaimed our City’s support for America Recycles Day. What does this mean?

Since 1997 it’s the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. Today more than 2,000 events have been registered from electronics recycling to art exhibits. Keep America Beautiful sponsors the event.

Since Rockville recycles almost everything, this year’s theme, “I Recycle” is very appropriate. As Craig Simoneau, Director of Public Works, professed during the information sessions for our new recycling program, “our old garbage can has become ‘The Cart of Last Resort’. Now our family has containers for all the paper/cardboard and a plastic bag for all the plastic bags/wrappers in addition to our garbage can.

As I wrote in New Refuse and Recycling Program: What You Need To Know, almost everything goes in the big recycling cart.

The absolute best part of the new recycling program is that you don’t have to sort anything. Just throw everything in the cart! Old hard and soft cover books can even be recycled if they aren’t good enough to donate to the library. Pizza boxes can go in even if they have that usual grease stain (however if the box is completely stained you should put in in refuse instead). You don’t need to worry about the numbers on any plastic items anymore. You can even keep the lids or screw tops on the bottles/jars because they will be crushed before they ever make it to the recycling plant. All the paper wrappings from your takeout can go in the cart too, as well as those healthy yogurt containers. If your aerosol can is empty throw it in. If you shred documents, put the shreds in a brown paper bag and roll it up before putting it in the cart.

Some plastic items cannot be recycled. A chemical in the plastic of “clam-shell” containers used for strawberries/blueberries and prepared chicken cannot be recycled and there is no market for this plastic. No automotive fluid or pesticide bottles, PVC piping, vinyl siding, Styrofoam, or water hoses can be put in recycling. These and other items still need to be put in the regular trash.

Even though we have the new recycling program, I still find a few items mistakenly put in the trash can. Today’s a good opportunity to reinforce your recycling habits.

Before we even bring products home we can also make smarter consumer choices by choosing products which are not packaged individually and placing food in reusable containers.

Ritchie Park Elementary began a new program called Waste Free Wednesdays. On one day a week, students bring a completely waste free lunch to win prizes. I’ll admit the first week we went through great effort to make a lunch with a washable sandwich containers and water bottle. I thought I did great job but when my son came home we had failed! I had absentmindedly wrapped one of our forks in a paper napkin so the lunch didn’t qualify! It’s been a very thought provoking weekly exercise which has been inspiring me to be waste free more often.

Here are some ways to make today more meaningful:

• Check what we can recycle in Rockville.
• Take the America Recycles Day Pledge and commit to recycling as often as possible. Spread the word and tell your friends.
• Download the America Recycles Day badge and show your support by featuring it as your Facebook avatar for the day.
• Download the Aluminate™ iPhone App to help boost your aluminum recycling efforts. Alcoa will donate $1 to Keep America Beautiful for every download.
• Commit to recycle, and ask your friends to as well, by making a Dream Machine ‘Bottle Promise’ at www.facebook.com/DreamMachine.

Get more recycling facts, tips and tools at americarecyclesday.org.

EPA Declares King Farm Smart Growth Illustrated

Photo from EPA Smart Growth Website

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted a case study on Rockville’s King Farm as a prime example of Smart Growth. Beleving it is easier to communicate ideas about density, design, walkability, and housing and transportation choice with pictures rather than with words, the new Smart Growth Illustrated shows techniques used in different places. King Farm was chosen to illustrate available transportation options.

King Farm is described as a transit-oriented development which takes full advantage of the wide variety of current transportation choices and might be even further connected by the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT)

The Shady Grove Metro station is just across Frederick Road from the King Farm community. The Metro provides rail access to Rockville, Bethesda, and much of the Washington metropolitan area. King Farm operates private shuttle buses in a continuous loop, Monday through Friday, to the Shady Grove Metro station for residents, guests, and employees of King Farm’s businesses.

A proposed Corridor Cities Transitway will provide light rail or bus rapid transit from the Metro station, through King Farm, continuing through Gaithersburg, Clarksburg and possibly all the way to Frederick, Maryland. Interstate 270, Maryland’s Technology Corridor, is just a short drive away from the King Farm office buildings. In addition, parks, schools, and the Metro station are linked to the neighborhoods and surrounding communities by a series of bike paths.

The case study describes King Farm as a very walkable community:

Generous sidewalks, narrow streets, and an interconnected street grid make walking within King Farm very easy. Most of the parking for apartments, offices, and stores is on the street, behind buildings, or in parking structures to make the streets more pleasant for walking. Larger buildings are on or near the lot line, and pedestrian pass-throughs allow easy access to parking lots from the street. Even the gas station is designed for pedestrians. Instead of the usual pattern of pumps in front and store in back, the “gas backward” design at King Farm brings the convenience store to the corner for easy pedestrian access.

The EPA joined together with the Partnership for Sustainable Communities with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U. S. Department of Transportation for this project to “help improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide”.

King Farm is a national model for smart transportation principals.

E-Recycle And Help A School

Periodically the City of Rockville collects unwanted electronics for recycling but you need to check for the specific dates. This fundraiser for Twinbrook Elementary School makes it easier.

You can drop these types of electronics into a box in the Twinbrook Elementary Main Office (map) during school hours throughout the school year:

• inkjet/laser cartridges
• cell phones
• ipods
• digital cameras
• GPS devices, and
• laptops (with enough charge to turn on or preferably a power cord to make sure the battery does not die in transit).

Twinbrook PTA President, Susan Pickell, encourages everyone to recycle the unused electronics cluttering up your homes and support the PTA as they strive to lower as many barriers as possible for students at Twinbrook Elementary. Many are on the Free and Reduced Meals program. The school offers two field trips per grade each year and some students can use help paying their way. These important learning opportunities can be expensive, as even renting the buses to the Smith Center in Rockville can cost as much as $300. The PTA offers many services to families. They even provide a vinyl folder for each student to facilitate communication between home and school. All of the money raised will help pay for educational programs. The processing plant pays for each item and even covers the UPS shipping costs.

Recycling at Twinbrook Elementary started during their 2009 Earth Day endeavors which were funded by a grant from the City of Rockville. The school community came together on a Saturday to landscape the property and started recycling. Last spring they also held another green initiative by having a used book drive.

If your church, office, or other group would like to join together for an electronics recycling drive for Twinbrook Elementary contact Susan Pickell at 301-294-6573.

We all know we have them laying around. What a tremendous way to support recycling and Twinbrook ES!

Carl Henn Honored Twice By The City

Carl Henn was honored for his lifelong, dedicated public service at last night’s Mayor and Council Town Hall Meeting. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio described him as the embodiment of “Think Globally. Act Locally.” He loved Rockville and blazed a trail we all strive to follow.

As we know, Carl died in July following a lightning strike. He was our leading environmental advocate and had served on the City’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and led the Environment Commission in addition to running for Rockville City Council.

Wanting to properly honor all of Carl’s volunteer work, the City officially renamed our 10-mile bicycle beltway, the Carl Henn Rockville Millennium Trail. One of the new signs was presented to his family. A plaque recognizing his work will be posted on the Trail. Future signage and maps will reflect the new name of the Trail.

When Carl testified at April’s Budget Work Session in support of adding directional signage around the Millennium Trail, he was excited about the project. Many people did not realize you could ride all the way around the City to reach landmarks. He thought if people knew how easy it would be to bike on the Trail and reach their destination, they would be more likely to choose their bike as a means of transportation. He described the nation’s energy and transportation problems as causing our economic problems due to the draining cost of peak oil. When he researched bicycle beltways, he found that Rockville was the only jurisdiction to complete such a beltway. He felt it rivaled the Capital Cresent Trail but people didn’t know about it. Also, sections were not properly marked to guide riders. He spent many hours working on the signage placement for the Trail to save consultant fees.

When Carl’s wife, Carol Henn, spoke, most in attendance unsuccessfully attempted to hold back tears. She explained that it wasn’t in Carl to let others do things. He would get up and do it himself. When they had their two daughters and he would wade through streams and walk through the woods, he wanted to ensure that his daughters would also be able to do these things. He dedicated himself to finding ways to get around without burning fossil fuels.

The Mayor and Council also renamed the City’s environmental award as the Carl Henn Outstanding Individual Environmental Achievement Award then made Carl the first recipient posthumously. Environment Commission members Kris Dighe and Beri Kravitz helped present the award to Carol and Allison Henn while explaining that Carl was “more dedicated than anybody to the environment.” The Award will continue to recognize “those whose efforts have improved the health or quality of Rockville’s environment or have increased public understanding or participation in environmental issues.”

During the Meeting, everyone asked “Who will fill Carl’s shoes?” in reference to the question made by Carl’s friend, Art Stigile, earlier this summer. All of us must do our part.

Carl was our most frequent and popular Contributor at Rockville Central. My small bit today is to guide you to Carl’s writing. Maybe someday we’ll have discounted solar options for our homes. Hopefully the Redgate property will never be developed.

Personally, I have looked at new cars. When I think of Carl, I can’t buy one. I’ll wait for better, affordable green technology and we’ll continue to use our bicycles more around town. I don’t think Carl would want us to put up these signs and think we are done. Rather he’d want us to evaluate our lives, make better choices for the environment, and work to change policies for the better.

What will you do to fill his shoes?

Certify Your Property As a Wildlife Habitat [UPDATED]

Photo from Anne Goodman

Last Saturday Croydon Creek Nature Center and the Rockville Community Wildlife Habitat team co-sponsored a tour of some local backyards. Rockville is on a quest to certify as many yards as possible as wildlife habitat. The leaders of the tour wanted to show how easy it is to provide for neighborhood wildlife in your very own backyard. The tour was led by Julie Super, a naturalist with Croydon Creek Nature Center, and Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly, co-leaders of the Habitat team.

Photo from Anne Goodman

Anne Goodman was happy with the participation.

It was a rousing success, in my view. The weather was perfect. We had 14 people who were interested and interactive. Several mentioned that they got some good ideas from what they saw, and they seemed to enjoy the experience. We visited 5 homes: Audra and Bryan Lew, Mark Pierczhala and his wife Lesley Cross, Joe Andrews, Ruth Hanessian, and us.

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

At each home, the participants observed food, water, cover, places to raise young as well as sustainable gardening practices. All yards contained beautiful native plants. The Lew yard had lots of compost, wood features that provided shelter and places to raise young for insects, and unusual and attractive rain barrels. The Pierczhala/Cross yard was beautifully designed for enjoyment and to slow heavy water running through the property. One item in the chain of water runoff retention was a rain garden. The Andrews home was a townhouse. The plantings were nicely structured, and there were some unusual and lovely water features for birds. The Hanessian home was relatively wooded, had a very interesting low technology bird bath (a pail of water with a large rock on which the birds could sit), and a brush pile owned by a catbird. Our Goodman/Farrelly yard featured sunflowers, a fish pond, a home-made rat-proof bird feeder, and a solar fountain.

Photo from Anne Goodman

In order for the City of Rockville to be recognized, 200 residential certifications will need to be issued by the National Wildlife Federation. Right now, 110 have completed the process which involves filling out a form and paying a $20 fee. In addition to the residential certifications the City needs a minimum of 5 schools (we have 4) and 3 public places (we have 4). The certification is done on a points system with an individual home worth a point, a school 5 points, and a public area 3 points for a grand total of 300 points.

I was surprised to discover our property already qualifies, perhaps yours does too. The National Wildlife Federation explains the requirements on their website. All you need is provide elements from each of the following areas:

Photo from Anne Goodman

• Food Sources - For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar
• Water Sources - For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream
• Places for Cover - For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse
• Places to Raise Young - For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond
• Sustainable Gardening - For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer

Rat-proof bird feeder photo from Anne Goodman

If you register your backyard with the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program, please let us know.

Contributor Opinion by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly: Redgate Golf Course Should Remain A Golf Course

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly of wildlife habitat which would be lost

This Contributor Opinion is by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly

Several proposals are on the table for future development RedGate golf course. Among them is one to build a 10,000 seat arena hosting 160 events a year. That is approximately one event every other day. Another is to build a low density housing development. A third is to let the property go back to nature. In my opinion, none of these proposals is acceptable.

Both an arena and low density housing would have adverse effects on one of the last areas in Rockville containing green space. RedGate houses kingfishers, several species of woodpeckers, blue herons, snowy egrets, and the Baltimore oriole, to name a few. Bald eagles have been sighted there. There are several wooded areas where other wildlife resides. There are plants that support insect life necessary for human life. Development would eliminate habitat for both plants and animals. As habitat is decreased, species are lost. The loss of wildlife habitat and its effects on our environment are presented forcefully in the book, “Bringing Nature Home” by Douglas W. Tallamy, 2009, Timber Press, Portland, OR, a book which we highly recommend.

Development would also adversely impact our local watersheds and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. RedGate’s current impacts are significantly less than those of most golf clubs. We are informed that RedGate has adopted sound environmental practices, including the use of organic fertilizers and the collection and recycling of the City’s stormwater run-off. Not only does RedGate re-use the City’s stormwater runoff, it has in place processes to neutralize the effects of the contaminants contained in the runoff. The 140 acres of green space that RedGate occupies acts as a natural buffer between the City and Rock Creek Park. With the added imperviousness associated with development (construction of parking lots and sidewalks, reduction of many trees and understory plants), the run-off would enter surface waters more rapidly and contain more pollutants flowing into Rock Creek Park, the Potomac River, and, ultimately the Chesapeake.

While any development would impact habitat and water runoff, the arena would be a particular burden to the community. Just a few of the impacts would be increased traffic in an area already congested, noise, pollution, light, costs and extended responsibility for police and rescue, crime, and impervious surfaces that would increase stormwater runoff. Quality of life for residents near and far from the area would be reduced.

While the proposal to let RedGate “go back to nature” may sound good on the surface, it has its practical problems. Without some degree of maintenance, the course might be taken over by non-native invasive plants. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Bradford pears move in and take over.

In addition, although it has been argued that RedGate operates at a loss, it currently provides income for the City. A “back to nature” option would eliminate that revenue source, and the property would likely be sold for development, anyway.

In our view, the best option is to maintain the golf course and investigate ways by which income to the City can be increased.

The RedGate Advisory Commission is making a presentation to the Mayor and Council on Monday, Sept. 13. Please come and provide input to our City Council by participating in Citizens Forum. City Council will hold a work session on Sept. 20. It is possible that decisions will be made at that meeting.

The following are pictures of the golf course.

Site of the proposed arena. It is a wooded, hilly area that would have to be deforested and graded.

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly

Wildlife habitat. It would be lost.

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly

Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to [email protected]. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Shred It This Saturday

Montgomery College hosts the NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred Event this Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 8 AM until 11 AM on the Rockville Campus. Don’t hoard those old papers because you are afraid to put them in the trash, shred them safely. It’s free. County Executive Ike Leggett will be bringing his own box of personal papers and greeting everyone at 9:30 AM.

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Solid Waste Services offers this event so everyone can shred personal and confidential papers. Each person can bring up to five cardboard boxes and/or paper bags of personal papers for shredding. Cars must be in line by 11 AM. Although all the paper will be shredded on site, you won’t be able to watch your paper being shredded. They have to keep the line moving.

Directions: Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus, Lot #13 at the intersection of Route 355 (Hungerford Dr.) and Mannakee St.

You CAN shred:

• Financial and legal documents, receipts, tax and medical records, applications, confidential mail, etc.
• Paper with staples or paper clips
• Envelopes with plastic windows

Do NOT bring:

• Plastic (credit cards, plastic bags)
• Binders
• Hanging files

This is not a recycling day, just paper please! It goes without saying that you should not bring batteries, flammables, combustibles, electronic equipment (Computers, hard drives, etc.), or electronic media materials (Disks, CD’s, tapes, etc.).

After being shredded, everything will be recycled. Unity Disposal and Recycling will have two new, compressed natural gas recycling trucks on site to transport cardboard boxes and paper to the Recycling Center.

The event is a partnership between NBC4, PNC Bank, Shred-It, Montgomery College, Montgomery County Government and Unity Disposal and Recycling.

Genovation's Creating Green Cars Right Under Our Noses

I’ve been looking for an eco-friendly car and had no idea Rockville startup >Genovation Cars, Inc. existed, never mind that their administrative offices and research facilities are on East Gude Drive.

Anyone looking for vehicles costing less than $30,000 that run on less than 4 cents a mile, will find their car at Genovation™.

Genovation is a low-budget alternative to those who want a conventional-looking electric vehicle, but without dishing out the dough for a Volt or a Tesla. The company is developing cars with green bodies, green frames, and green interiors by researching the use of bamboo, flax seed and other natural fibers for the composite body panels. They also hope to use the resin from soybeans to reduce the use of petrochemicals used for fiberglass by 80%. Their intent is to use recycled steel for the frame.

This week the company selected and contracted with American Dynamics Flight Systems (ADFS) of Jessup, Md. to perform the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of Genovation’s G2 electric car. These will be plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), a combination of battery technology that can be efficiently charged when plugged into a standard electric outlet coupled with a traction motor that propels the car with a smooth, powerful feel. Back in May they selected and contracted with Tata Technologies to design and prototype its G2 model. Tata Technologies’ parent company, Tata Motors, recently purchased the Jaguar and Land Rover automobile lines from Ford Motor Company.

Founded in 2007 by Andrew Saul, the scion of Washington, D.C. real estate mogul B.F. Saul II, Genovation also modifies pre-owned 2000-2004 Ford Focus sedans, wagons, and hatchbacks, removing their internal combustion powertrains and replacing them with complete electric drive components. The conversion, called the Genovation G1, costs $22,000 plus tax, with the vehicle delivered five months after ordering. The process starts with a $2,500 down payment, and a clean accident-free Focus has to be supplied by the customer. Otherwise the company will provide a Focus base car for $6,000 if a customer does not want to hunt for a used Focus.

Long term, it is Genovation’s goal to operate from a business plan that attains profitability building only 1,000 units a year through manufacturing “pods” that require only a few robots, a departure from the Detroit manufacturing model. To achieve this goal Genovation plans to rely heavily on small teams of well-trained employees. “With this model, we can be nimble and market driven in order to react to where there is a demand and volume is achieved through deployment of multiple pods,” said Mr. Saul.

I must agree that Genovation differentiates itself from its competition with a better understanding of its clientele, because I’m concerned about spikes in the future cost of gas and want to be as green-conscious as possible, but I also want a sports car and I can’t find one I can afford!

Genovation tells us “One hundred years ago, there were nearly 100 electric car manufacturers in America. By 1920, nearly all were extinct. Now they’re roaring back with a vengeance.” We certainly hope so!

What You Can Do About Poor Air Quality Days

According to the >Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, today and tomorrow, June 23 and 24, 2010 are Code Orange days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast is “Unhealthly for Sensitive Groups”.

AQI Color Codes:
Green = Good
Yellow = Moderate
Orange = Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Red = unhealthy air for everyone
Purple = Very Unhealthy conditions

The AQI tells you how polluted your air is and alerts you to the health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA uses the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Groups which need to be careful outdoors include children, the elderly, outdoor workers and people exercising. Repeated exposure to ozone pollution may cause permanent damage to the lungs.

Let’s hope we don’t have many Red or Purple days this summer. Here are some tips from the Environmental Protection Agency on how you can keep the air clean:

• Try not to gas up on other ozone action days. If you must, gas up in the early morning or wait until the evening. Gasoline vapors are harmful to you and the environment. Not only are they toxic to breathe, they contribute to ozone formation in the atmosphere. Since gasoline vapor production increases during the hot summer months, it is important to be careful when refueling your vehicle. Make sure you secure the gas cap after refueling to prevent vapors from escaping.
• When you travel try taking a bus, train, bike, or walking. This simple action can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 1,500 pounds each year. It’s summertime, which means that weather conditions are favorable for ground-level ozone formation. Emissions from motor vehicles are the primary source of ozone-causing pollutants, accounting for almost half of our air pollution. Because heat and sunlight are important factors in ozone formation, ozone pollution generally peaks during the months of April through October, on hot, sunny days with little or no wind and no precipitation.
• When it’s time, replace your vehicle with a fuel-efficient model. You may be surprised to know that you have cleaner more fuel-efficient choices in any vehicle size you need, even an SUV. Find out for yourself. Go to the Green Vehicle Guide to find the cleanest, most fuel efficient vehicle that meets your needs.
• Encourage your employer to become part of Best Workplaces for Commuters, a recognition and partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation that encourages employers to offer their employees an outstanding level of commuter benefits such as tax-free transit passes, vanpool benefits, or telecommuting. If you want to know how your organization can participate, email the program, call the Best Workplaces Hotline at 1-888-856-3131, or visit the Best Workplaces for Commuters Web site.
• Look for the “Energy Star” label when you buy new appliances. Depending on the appliance, products with this label will consume between 13% and 40% less energy than conventional appliances.
• Enroll in a clean energy program. More and more utilities across the country are offering consumers the option of having some or all of their household or business energy purchased from renewable energy resources such as solar, wind and biomass.
• To save gasoline and money during those long vacation trips, keep your car tuned, your tires properly inflated, and drive carefully.

We all cause the poor air quality in our region but we can take action to improve the situation. If you have any other ideas, let us know.