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The Cascade: The Great Falls Group Newsletter
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Contents
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Calendar
Upcoming Marches in Washington, D.C.
Rise with Standing Rock
Native Nations March
Friday, March 10, 10 am
March for Science
Earth Day, Saturday, April 22
People's Climate March
Saturday, April 29
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Comments on Fairfax County's Revised Environmental Vision Due March 6
As part of updating Fairfax County's Environmental Vision--which provides the framework for the county's environmental policy across all core service areas (currently Growth and Land Use; Air Quality and Transportation; Water Quality; Solid Waste; Parks, Trails, Open Space; and Environmental Stewardship, with several changes now proposed)--staff has invited the public to participate.
Opportunities for input began last summer with an online survey, followed by three public meetings on the current vision statement and on environmental concerns in general. In addition to the many individuals and organizations that attended the public hearings, Sierra Club Great Falls Group (GFG) and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) commented on each of the six categories in the original vision and offered comments on climate and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A complete set of comments from the survey and public meetings and a summary are available on the
Fairfax County website.
After reviewing the comments, county staff prepared an advance draft of the Environmental Vision that included a new section, Climate and Energy. This draft, as well as comments submitted by GFG and FACS, were provided to the county's Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) for review and discussion at its January 11 meeting.
Selected comments from EQAC were incorporated into staff's next Environmental Vision draft, dated February 1, 2017. This draft is now available on the
Fairfax County website, and the county seeks feedback from the public in an
online survey until
March 6.
What You Can Do
Please review the online draft and take the
online survey by March 6. If a comment you made on the December draft provided for EQAC's consideration was not included in the February draft, please resubmit it to the online survey. If you would like t
o update your comments, you can submit another survey.
Remember that EQAC's mission is to review and deliberate internally as a council, not necessarily to address public comments. Be assured that your comments will be considered if you submit them to the online survey.
If you would like to have your comments also included in the GFG response, please contact
Norbert Pink
. You can
review the GFG response on the GFG website.
This is the last opportunity to provide feedback, so your participation is vital. County staff will review feedback from the survey and post results on the county's
Environmental Vision webpage
.
Taking into consideration comments received from the public, staff will prepare the final draft for discussion by the Board of Supervisors Environmental Committee on May 23. The final draft will then be considered and voted on by the Board of Supervisors this summer.
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Photo by Cool Revolution |
GFG Promotes Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Fairfax County
Fairfax County is updating its 2007 Environmental Vision, the document that guides county environmental, energy, and climate policies (see previous article). This update provides an opportunity for the Great Falls Group (GFG) to encourage the county to reassess its energy policies and plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A reassessment is warranted given two developments:
- The dramatic reductions in the cost of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) since 2007; and
- The development of innovative financing that can result in potential taxpayer savings in energy costs as well as other important benefits.
GFG Speaks Out
Under the leadership of GFG member Debra Jacobson, experts who happened to live in the Dranesville District developed a presentation on recent EE and RE developments and financing. Because they are constituents of Supervisor John Foust, he heard the first presentation on February 1. After an introduction from Jacobson, Linda Burchfiel summarized the comments from GFG members on the December 2016 draft of the Environmental Vision. Many commenters were disappointed and frustrated to see that the county had no plans--not even an aspirational goal--to invest in renewable energy. In fact, renewable energy was not even mentioned!
In addition, Burchfiel noted that the document supported "cost-effective" energy efficiency but failed to define this term to assure that benefits (e.g., economic development, reduced risks of being subject to fossil fuel price volatility, comfort) would be considered.
Energy Efficiency Options
Brian Castelli, a leading national expert on EE and the CEO of Home Performance Solutions, discussed the opportunities presented by EE programs for government and private sector building owners in the county. He also emphasized the fact that EE furthers economic growth in the county by producing local jobs, tax revenue, and increased personal spending made possible by lower utility bills. He described financing mechanisms available to the county as well as to private building owners, such as Energy Service Performance Contracts and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE).
PACE loans are specifically for EE or RE projects; building owners pay them back through their local property taxes using savings from utility bills. Often these loans result in a positive cash flow for the building owner, thus making EE and RE projects more affordable. See the
National Conference of State Legislators website for more information. Girard Girguck of Loudoun PACE was also present to answer specific questions about PACE.
Renewable Energy Options
Niels Crone, senior vice president of CustomerFirst Renewables, provided extensive information about new
ways that
corporations and local governments can buy
renewable energy. These new approaches could save Fairfax County scarce taxpayer dollars. He recommended that the county work through the Virginia Energy Purchasing Government Association (VEPGA) in its upcoming negotiations for the 2018 VEPGA contracts with Dominion to enable large-scale RE projects, following an example set by
Amazon.
Supervisor Foust appreciated the updated information on energy and financing. The presentation is now being scheduled for other supervisors, including Supervisor Penny Gross, Chair of the county's Environment Committee. The presentation materials will be on the
GFG website soon.
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Climate Activism, Spring 2017
President Trump has acted against several environmental and science-based issues. Several marches are planned this spring in response:
Native Nations March on Washington
Trump has revived the Dakota Access pipeline, and the Army Corps of Engineers issued pipeline permits without environmental review or consideration of the Standing Rock Sioux treaty rights. The Standing Rock Sioux now call on their allies to peacefully march on Washington, D.C., on
Friday, March 10, 2017.
The tribe wants President Trump to meet with tribal leaders to hear why it's critical that the U.S. government respect tribal rights and to stop marginalizing tribal interests in favor of the interests of corporations and other governments. Consultation is not enough; we must require consent. Indigenous nations have the right to protect their homelands, environment, and future generations.
March for Science
Planners say, "Recent policy changes have caused heightened worry among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. The mischaracterization of science as a partisan issue, which has given policymakers permission to reject overwhelming evidence, is a critical and urgent matter. It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted."
People's Climate Movement March on Washington
Organizers say, "There is no denying it: Donald Trump's election is a threat to the future of our planet, the safety of our communities, and the health of our families. On
April 29th, we will march for our families. We will march for our air, our water, and our land. We will march for clean energy jobs and climate justice. We will march for our communities, the people we love, and for peace."
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Clean Energy for Fairfax Now
The Sierra Club Great Falls Group (GFG) has launched a Clean Energy for Fairfax Now initiative. Its aim is to reduce the use of fossil fuel-fired electricity and fuels by the Fairfax County government, residences, and businesses by increasing energy efficiency and substituting renewable energy sources.
This initiative grew out of the current review of the January 2017 draft Fairfax County Environmental Vision, which is weak on clean energy. GFG members are meeting with Fairfax County officials to encourage them to aggressively implement energy efficiency and renewable measures to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals of the
2007 Cool Counties Declaration. More information will soon be available on the
GFG website.
But we need your help! Please let us know if you have any experience/knowledge about clean energy issues or are simply interested in advocating for increased action by Fairfax County on the following issues: renewable energy; energy efficiency; building energy codes; public, private, and third-party financing; Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), etc. Also, we need writers (of letters to the editor), public speakers, individuals from different supervisor districts to meet with county officials, etc.
You do not have to be a Sierra Club member or resident of Fairfax County to participate in this movement, just an interest in improving our environment.
Please
email your interest, providing your name, address, supervisor district (if known), and areas of interest.
By Norbert Pink
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Trash Day of Action: Battle of the Bottle
Are you as tired of picking up water bottles and other trash as we are?
Each year, the United States uses enough plastic water bottles to stretch around the world more than 190 times. Huge numbers of them end up floating in our streams and seas,
despite hundreds of volunteers removing thousands of bags of trash from local streams every year. Yet the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) finds every excuse to evade responsibility, lobbying against bottle deposit laws that would recover at least a small part of the social cost of their products.
How You Can Help
- Join the Cyber Brigade and blitz the IBWA and Virginia legislators with email and social media messages of support for bottle deposit bills and meaningful actions to reduce plastic bottle waste in Virginia watersheds!
- Show the film Bag It (described in an article below) with your friends and organizations.
If you would like to help plan for or participate in this event, please contact
Norbert Pink
.
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Help Keep Drugs Out of the Environment
How do you get rid of your unused medicines? Do you throw them in the trash or flush them down the toilet? What's the best way to dispose of them?
Both human and veterinary pharmaceuticals have been found in our water and soil. A
U.S. Geological Survey study found that steroids and nonprescription drugs are most commonly detected in streams, but traces of antibiotics, hormones, and other prescription drugs were also found. Besides potential harm to fish and wildlife, these pharmaceuticals also end up in our drinking water. Some bottled water is simply repackaged tap water, and home filtration systems typically don't treat for pharmaceuticals.[1]
To protect our rivers and streams, Fairfax County recommends disposing of medicines in the trash,
not in the toilet:
- Keep medicines in their original containers. This will help identify the contents if they're accidentally ingested.
- Cross out your name and prescription number.
- For pills, add salt water to start dissolving them. For liquids, add something inedible like cat litter, coffee grounds, dirt, or ash.
- Seal the container and secure with duct or packing tape.
- Put the container in the trash as close to pickup time as possible. Do not put in the recycle bin.[2]
A recent survey found that 75 percent of consumers did not know how to dispose of medicines properly. Many respondents learned how to properly dispose of medicines from their county waste management department or from pharmacists; however, most believe that physicians should educate patients on medicine disposal.[3]
Resources
References
- Dispose My Meds website
- Fairfax County Don't Flush Your Medications website
- "Medicine Disposal: Consumer Awareness and Environmental Concerns," AAPS Blog
By Linda Brown
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Rooting DC Promotes Native Gardening
Rooting DC held its annual forum on urban food production and native gardening
at Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18. This organization supports the exchange of ideas and information about cultivating health and supporting our local environment.
More than 1,200 people attended on a beautiful day, which caused everyone to be thinking of gardening.
The conference consisted of five sessions of 65 workshops on many different topics. The ones I saw were very professionally done. Due to the large crowd, some class-rooms were full, resulting in attendees being turned away. Many, if not all the presentations, are on the
Rooting DC website
.
There were about 50
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75 organizations and vendors from the surrounding area tabling the entire day. One vendor, Earth Village Education from Marshall, Va., is a nature education organization teaching a wide variety of classes. There were other nonprofit and for-profit organizations tabling and focusing on health, urban gardening, composting, environment, local organic producers, networking, education, cooking, and school activities. Even the Sierra Club was present.
I highly recommend visiting the
Rooting DC website to view the presentations and plan on attending next year.
By Norbert Pink
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Funny Movie, Serious Facts
Have you wondered what happens to the plastic you use almost every hour of your life? Where it comes from . . . where it goes? It goes "away," right? Well, now you can find out where "away" is by viewing the film
Bag It.
Narrated by a funny guy named Jeb Berrier,
Bag It describes how single-use plastic bags, bottles, cups, and containers affect our landfills, rivers and oceans, land and marine animals, and our own health. It features surprising takes on a variety of issues, such as why recyclables are often not really recyclable.
This film is packed with information. But at just 80 minutes, even
Bag It can't cover everything about plastic use issues. Its makers invite you to learn more on the
Bag It movie website. The trailer really doesn't do the film justice.
Bag It Helps Spread the Word
The Sierra Club Great Falls Group (GFG) has recently purchased
Bag It with public viewing rights, so it's available for free to all members. This means that you can help educate your family, neighbors, and community members about this issue by screening the film at a social gathering, zip-code party, homeowners' association meeting, or other venue.
It's simple to do. GFG can supply the film and the projector. We can also help with publicity and with inviting your local Sierra Club members to your event. You just need to arrange the location. Please contact
Norbert Pink for more information.
By Norbert Pink
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Featured Spring Hike
The
Billy Goat Trail sections B and C are rated moderate and much less difficult than the more well-known section A. You'll hike on both trails and the tow path along the Potomac River in Maryland. You can do one or both and begin from either the
parking lot across from the Old Angler's Inn or from
Carderock parking area C (bathrooms at both).
Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet!
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Get Outdoors with the Sierra Club
Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities group of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. It organizes hikes and events year-round for the general public on behalf of Sierra Club chapters in Washington, D.C, metro area. Volunteer leaders conduct the events, many of which include conservation, educational, or historical elements. For information about SCPRO and its upcoming events, visit the
SCPRO Events website. To obtain a free calendar subscription, inquire about becoming a SCPRO outings leader, or get answers to other questions, write to
info@sierrapotomac.org.
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Great Falls Group Executive Committee
The monthly meeting of The Great Falls Group (GFG) Executive Committee is open to all Sierra Club members. Contact Norbert Pink for meeting times and location. If you would like to help the group, please volunteer by contacting one of the following leaders or Norbert Pink.
Officers:
Committee Chairs:
Committee Support:
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Calendar of Events
Rise with Standing Rock Native Nations March on Washington
To protest the Dakota Access pipeline, native peoples and their allies will gather for a march from the Mall to the White House beginning at 10am. After the march, they will gather for a rally at the Ellipse.
Come enjoy and share great food and conversation. Vegans and nonvegans welcome. Just bring a vegan dish to share. Learn more about the impact of our food choices on our environment and personal health.
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Film Screening:
Facing the Surge
Monday, March 27, 7:00 to 8:30 pm (snacks at 6:30 pm)
Facing the Surge documents the tangible costs of sea level rise for the people of Norfolk, Va. Norfolk is home to the largest naval base in the country and to thousands of residents struggling to adapt to the rising tides and an uncertain future. But Facing the Surge is not about loss and inaction. It tells the stories of citizens as they step forward to raise awareness and push their government to deal with climate change.
Afterwards, we will have a discussion about the serious issues of climate change and how we can get involved.
Sponsor: Sierra Club Great Falls Group
March for Science
Earth Day, Saturday, April 22
Washington, D.C.
On April 22, 2017, scientists will walk out of the lab and into the streets.
The March for Science is a celebration of their passion for science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community.
Earth Day
Saturday, April 22
People's Climate Movement march for climate, justice, and jobs
Washington, D.C.
This new administration is attacking the hard-won protections of our climate, health, and communities, and the rights of people of color, workers, indigenous people, immigrants, women, LGBTQIA, young people, the struggles for justice and peace, and more.
If his policies are implemented, they will destroy our climate, decimate our jobs and livelihoods, and undermine civil rights and liberties.
Trash Day of Action: Battle of the Bottle
Monday, May 8, 7 am to 10 am
1700 Diagonal Rd., Alexandria
Come to the headquarters of the International Bottled Water Association to speak out for bottle deposit bills and reduction of plastic bottle waste.
Green Festival DC
May 13 and 14
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