Green News & Events, March 26

by Susanna Parker

Climate Change Could Cause Major Shift in Coral Reef Communities 

Climate change and the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may result in conditions less favorable to reef building stony corals. The buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has had the effect of increasing oceanic acidity worldwide. When carbon dioxide reacts with water, atmospheric carbon dioxide transforms to carbonic acid. That acid damages hard corals, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a protective outer shell. Softer corals, cousins to the reef building corals, lack the hard outer skeleton that is damaged when the water turns acidic. The changing conditions could lead to a change in the makeup of coral communities. When you combine the less favorable conditions with the softer corals’ ability for rapid colonization, softer corals may out-compete hard corals.

Stony corals are an important member of the underwater ecosystem. Their protective outer layers help provide shelter and habitats for many reef organisms, such as clownfish. Though it covers less than 1 percent of the ocean floor, hard coral reefs support about 25 percent of all marine life. Soft corals do not provide the same shelter to marine organisms, and their dominance could result in a major shift in the underwater environment.

For more information about carbon dioxide and coral reefs, please read the full Huffington Post article.

Obama to Designate Five New National Monuments

Sources from several prominent environmental groups say that President Obama will designate five new national monuments, including one in Maryland commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railway. The other four monuments are the First State National Monument in Delaware and Pennsylvania, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico, Washington state’s San Juan Islands National Monument, and Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio. The Antiquities Act, which allows the president to protect federal lands without congressional approval, was rarely invoked by President Obama during his first term. After an internal Interior Department list of potential monument sites became public, House Republicans threatened to repeal the act. Obama therefore kept his first four national monument designations to areas of cultural or historical significance.

Two of Obama’s new designations – San Juan Islands and Rio Grande del Norte – are ecologically valuable. Environmentalists have shown vocal support the president’s move, and local communities near all five monuments support additional federal protections. In Maryland, Governor Martin O’Malley, and Democratic Senators Barbara Milkulski and Ben Cardin had all lobbied President Obama to establish a monument commemorating Harriet Tubman’s work. Brian O’Donnell, the executive director of the Conservation Lands Foundation, praised Obama’s actions, saying “…we are grateful for President Obama’s leadership in advancing conservation at a time when it’s desperately needed.”

For more information, please read the full Washington Post article here.

Upcoming Green Events

• Bethesda Green Finance Workshop Series for Green Business, “Due Diligence: Evaluating a Potential Investment”, Thursday March 28, 8am – 10am, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Second Floor

The fourth installment in Bethesda Green’s Finance Workshop Series will address the substance and process of the due diligence investment evaluation. Advice will also be given on how entrepreneurs should conduct due diligence on the potential investor. Speakers include John May of New Vantage Partners, Mahesh Konduru of Potomac Energy Fund, and David Levine of Geostellar. For more information, and to RSVP, please visit Bethesda Green’s Program Page.

• Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal Class, Wednesday April 3, 6:30pm – 9pm, 3030 12^th Street NE

Join Rock Creek Conservancy and Casey Trees for an educational session on non-native invasive plants. Learn how to identify and control species of non-native invasive plants, including garlic mustard, mile-a-minute, and bush honeysuckle. Once you’ve learned all about invasive plants, you’ll be ready for the Rock Creek Clean-up on Saturday April 6^th! For more information, and to RSVP, please visit here.

Susanna Parker is a recent college graduate and volunteer with Bethesda Green. Her interest in sustainability leads her to look for green solutions in uncommon places.

 

Green News & Events, March 5

by Susanna Parker

President Obama Nominates EPA Administrator

President Barack Obama has officially nominated Gina McCarthy to serve as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. McCarthy, former assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, would replace current head Lisa Jackson, who announced her resignation in December. Despite a strong record and endorsements from a variety of environmental organizations, McCarthy is likely to face opposition from congressional Republicans, who have opposed EPA regulations in recent years. However, among the industries regulated by the EPA, the Washington Post reported that coal was the only likely dissident to McCarthy’s nomination.

If McCarthy is confirmed, she will face a variety of pressing issues, including regulating America’s natural gas industry, hydraulic fracking, and the upcoming decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. Environmental organizations are hopeful of McCarthy’s positions on these matters. Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said that McCarthy’s appointment would be a “slam dunk for public health and the environment.”

For more information, check out the full article on The Huffington Post.

District Gas Leaks the Answer to Key Policy Question?

As natural gas production expands in the United States, the question most asked is whether the benefits outweigh the dangers. According to a recent Washington Post article, scientists involved with the Environmental Defense Fund are embarking upon a two-year, $10 million effort to measure methane emissions along the nation’s supply chain. This includes measuring methane leaks from city pipelines, beginning with Boston and the District of Columbia. Methane is the main component of natural gas and is 25 times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane dissipates from the atmosphere within a few decades; however, it continues to drive global warming. The amount of methane that leaks along the nation’s natural gas supply chain could offset the advantages that natural gas has over coal.

Representatives of the Environmental Defense Fund stress the importance of obtaining accurate data before policy is set. The EDF has recruited industry experts and academics to track the stages of natural gas production, from extraction to transmission, and plan to release an initial report this May. Possibly more important than the stages of production is the data on leakage in city pipelines. According to recent studies, the District has over 3,000 leaks throughout its infrastructure. Boston University professor Nathan Phillips, head of the pipeline leak study in DC, said that the leaks represent a waste of resources, and argued that gas exploration would not have to expand so rapidly if we could conserve our current supply. For more information on the studies, please read the full Washington Post article here.

Upcoming Green Events

• The Sky is the Limit, First Thursday Happy Hour, Thursday, March 7, 5 – 8 pm, BlackFinn American Saloon, 4901 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda

Join us on the second floor of BlackFinn to celebrate our 5^th anniversary! Bethesda Green Executive Director Dave Feldman will speak and provide an opportunity for you to share your thoughts on our next five years. In addition, there will be casual conversation, networking, complimentary appetizers, Happy Hour drink prices, and a raffle to win a $50 BlackFinn gift card. $5 at the door, to RSVP please visit the Bethesda Green Meetup.

• Fracking Moratorium Rally in Annapolis, Wednesday, March 13, 10 am – noon, Lawyer’s Mall, 100 State Circle, Annapolis

Join Chesapeake Climate Action Network and involved Maryland citizens in the biggest fracking rally Annapolis has ever seen! Critical deadlines for passing the moratorium on fracking are fast approaching, but the chair of the Senate committee said that the moratorium bill will not get a vote this year. Major fracking bills were buried by this same committee over the past two years, but we’ve learned that grassroots pressure can alter the course of bills in Annapolis. Stand together, and show the State House that just as we deserve protection from the risks of fracking, we deserve a vote on it as well. For more information, and to RSVP, please visit the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

• Annapolis Green Business Night, Wednesday, March 13, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Lowe House Office Building Rooms 170/180, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis

Join Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Delegate Tom Hucker, Annapolis Green, and Bethesda Green for our Annual Green Business Night in Annapolis! Meet legislators, representatives from state agencies, environmental allies, and green business representatives. Network with green allies, learn about business opportunities, and hear updates on bills to advance geothermal and solar energies. The event is free, but please RSVP to secure your name tag, parking information, directions, and the event program.

• H2O Summit: Keeping Clean Water, Saturday, March 16, 10 am – 4 pm, Activity Center of Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission present the “H2O Summit” — an educational festival about clean water in Montgomery County. The morning session will feature panels and discussions on important watershed topics such as stormwater education, water quality improvement, and stream health, while the afternoon festival will be full of exhibitors, children’s activities, and hands-on family friendly activities. The event is free, but space is limited, so be sure to RSVP today!

• The Anacostia River, Sunday, March 17, 1:45 pm, National Museum of American History

Part of the DC Environmental Film Festival, this series of short films is presented in conjunction with the Anacostia Community Museum and their exhibition, “Reclaiming the Edge: Urban Waterways and Civic Engagement.” The films include stories of urban wildlife found along the Anacostia River, the importance of changing the way we view the restoration of the river, and a variety of shorts from the Riverstories Series. The event is free; no registration is required. For more information, please visit the event page here.

Susanna Parker is a recent college graduate and volunteer with Bethesda Green. Her interest in sustainability leads her to look for green solutions in uncommon places.

 

Is Economics a Green Issue?

“Green and the Economy — Make it work for you,” the new message topping the Bethesda Green website, is a particularly timely theme, given the political emphasis evident from President Obama’s State of the Union address.

We offer a unique take on the question, Is Economics a Green Issue?  Much more so than you might suspect, according to Susan Belchamber, who submits a thoughful feature essay for your consideration.

Belchamber explores the interrelationships among “four forms of capital”:

• Financial — cash, stocks, bonds, intellectual property
• Physical — buildings, roads, infrastructure, ports, bridges
• Social — community/family, social networks, quality of life
• Natural — clean water & air, biodiversity, renewable resources

Read the article then come back and submit a comment.

 

Bethesda Green at Team Obama House Party

RSVP now for this Sunday’s Team Obama Earth Day House Party with Bethesda Green Executive Director Dave Feldman scheduled as a featured speaker.

Sunday, April 19, 2009 2:00 PM in downtown Bethesda

For directions and to register for the House Party, please visit:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gptwcc

 

Sustainable food gets Obama boost

The front page of today’s Washington Post caught my eye.  Opposite the lead story about swelling deficits, was a feature photo of the White House pastry chef shoveling ceremonial dirt at a kick-off event launching the creation of a new vegetable garden on the South Lawn.  Both the story in the Style section and a preview article in Friday’s paper tout the benefits of home gardening and healthful eating.

Reinvigorating the simple pleasures of home-grown fruits and vegetables is also part of the Bethesda Green mission.  Just this month, we launched the Sustainable Food Working Group, chaired by Rana Koll-Mandel from Edible Chesapeake Magazine.  The working group, which includes Master Gardeners and local farmers, meets the first Tuesday every month.  

Among an ambitous set of goals outlined by the working group is educating the public about Montgomery County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Programs.  Like all Bethesda Green Working Groups, anyone is welcome to attend monthly meetings or get involved in some capacity.  Check our Calendar for more details.

 

Seth and Barack

Like old friends catching up on good times, President Obama and Seth Goldman, TeaEO of Honest Tea and Bethesda Green Board co-chair, take a moment to chat at a recent White House gathering of business leaders.  Seems like Bethesda Green and the White House have something in common — we both like to keep well-stocked with the bottled organic beverages produced by Honest Tea.

The president is a long-time fan of Honest Tea and reportedly kept a supply on the campaign trail.  Now Seth drops by to stock the Oval Office frig with Barack’s favorites — Black Forest Berry and Green Dragon — honest.