Up Next, Pigs to Fly: The Green Miles & Charles Krauthammer Agree on Something

Thanks to both of the people who donated to Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment using the SixDegrees.org charity badge on the right side of my blog! I'm thrilled to have been proven wrong on that one. It only takes a few minutes, and a $20 donation will get you a Friends of ACE membership, or you can make contributions as small as $10. Please donate now!

* What's this world coming to that Charles Krauthammer and I agree on anything? Today's column, "Energy Nonsense," is right on the money in saying that President Bush's energy plan is about pleasing constituencies, not sound policy. I'd disagree with him on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and it's farm corporations and Midwestern politicians who are pushing corn-based ethanol, not environmentalists. But we do need hard measures like higher gas taxes to lower fuel consumption, and we need to talk about nuclear power. Lowell agrees over at Raising Kaine, and adds a push for green buildings.

* New blogger Jonathan Krall points out the comedy of errors that passes for transportation planning along the I66 corridor.

* Politicians have always been happy to pose for pictures by the Chesapeake Bay and pledge their commitment to clean it up, but they've usually been reluctant to take the tough stands against business, development, and farming interests needed to make a real difference. As a result, the Washington Post reports, "A Revitalized Chesapeake May Be Decades Away."

* Interesting article on green construction in E/The Environmental Magazine.

* I appreciate his strong advocacy on environmental issues, but I absolutely do not get former Green Party County Board candidate Josh Ruebner's recent letter to the editor in the Sun Gazette. He equates Arlington's Metro-centered smart growth with suburban sprawl. Exactly where does Josh think new development should go? Should we put up a fence along the Beltway and refuse to let any new people in? A former Arlington resident named Lisa Nisenson wrote a nice rebuttal.

* After the recent the demise of Backfence, What's Up Eric recommends checking out outside.in.

UPDATE (1/29/07): More reactions to Josh Ruebner's letter, including a thoughtful response from an Arlington resident and a nutty rant from a Manassas resident.

SOTU: Bush Fiddles While Globe Warms

In the days leading up to President Bush's State of the Union address, the White House leaked word that the president would be making new announcements on climate change and energy policy. Unfortunately, his proposals seem carefully crafted to appease the most interest groups while having the lowest actual impact on global warming. (And really, the most compelling story of the day was over his left shoulder, as Rep. Nancy Pelosi became the first woman to preside over a State of the Union address as House Speaker.)

In an era where denying climate change is a national outrage, I'm amazed the Bush administration thinks this plan would make even a ripple in the debate. If not for the serious setting of the SOTU, the Bush plan would be dismissed as completely inadequate even as a starting point. The Washington Post reports on how "each of [President Bush's] proposals immediately prompted questions about its ultimate effectiveness."

As the Post detailed today, the President is only now even admitting that climate change exists, never mind acting properly to address it:

NOW
"America's on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us become better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change."
- Jan. 23, 2007

FIRST TERM
"We must also act in a serious and responsible way, given the scientific uncertainties. While these uncertainties remain, we can begin now to address the human factors that contribute to climate change. Wise action now is an insurance policy against future risks."
- Feb. 14, 2002

CAMPAIGN
"Global warming needs to be taken very seriously, and I take it seriously. But science, there's a lot -- there's differing opinions. And before we react, I think it's best to have the full accounting, full understanding of what's taking place."
- Oct. 11, 2000

Once Republicans and corporations were lumped together in the global warming deniers, but today, even corporations are tackling climate change as a looming threat to their financial health, and calling on President Bush to do more.

More generally speaking, the most common reaction I've heard to Tuesday night's addresses is that Sen. Jim Webb's response blew the doors off of Bush's SOTU. Six months ago I was taking bets from people who didn't think Webb would come within 10 points of then-Sen. (and then-presidential candidate) George Allen. Now Webb is the one being talked about as a potential presidential candidate! Life just wouldn't be as fun without unbelievable comebacks, would it?

Fresh AIRE Blog Goes Live

Arlington Co. has created a blog for Fresh AIRE! Board Chair Paul Ferguson has the first post talking about the inspiration for the initiative. Post some comments if you like what the county is doing!

Blogs as Fundraisers?

I saw on CNN today that Kevin Bacon has launched a new fundraising site for charities, called SixDegrees.org, in partnership with NetworkForGood.org. The name and theme of the site, of course, plays off the infamous Kevin Bacon game. He's signed up some pretty big names, including Bradley Whitford, Nicole Kidman and Ricky Gervais. After only a few minutes of clicking around the site, I made my own "charity badge" for Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and put it up on the right side of this page.

So now the question is, will anyone give money to an organization just because they like the blog that recommends it?

Personally, much as I'd love to add a new revenue stream for ACE as we try to offer improved health benefits for our employees (both of them) ... I'm skeptical. But it's an interesting experiment, and it's free, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'd love to be proven wrong!

Coming tomorrow ... my State of the Union review.

State of the Union: Watching the World Pass Us By On Climate Change

Just as President Bush is preparing to deliver his State of the Union address, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is delivering a devastating report, what one top climate scientist calls "the smoking gun" of the human causes of global warming.

Bush and Vice President Cheney declared their stance on environmental issues in their very first year in the White House, when Cheney dismissed conservation as nothing more than "a personal virtue." Since then, Bush has repeatedly downplayed global warming as a "theory," even hosting a secret meeting with one of climate change's leading deniers.

The Bush administration's lack of leadership has been crippling to America's competitiveness on everything from carbon trading to alternative fuels. As the Washington Post details today, American automakers are now playing catch-up with the rest of the world on hybrids and other energy-saving cars:

"As soon as George Bush got elected, the U.S. car companies walked away from the partnership and didn't continue developing hybrids," [Clinton administration Energy Dept. official Joseph] Romm said. "And the Japanese did. As a result, they ended up the leaders."

Sebastian Mallaby had a great column yesterday detailing how far behind Bush is in the debate and how much things have changed in just the last year:

Eight months ago, when Gore's climate documentary was released, this state of affairs was inconceivable. Not only was Bush still a player, the case for climate change was widely doubted. Chortling climate-deniers, expecting an easy propaganda victory over the man whose energy-tax proposal they killed in 1993, greeted Gore's movie with glee. A group called the Competitive Enterprise Institute put out two TV commercials asserting that climate science is inconclusive. A House Republican hearing ridiculed a graph that features prominently in Gore's movie showing the world's temperature puttering along in a steady state before shooting upward like the handle of a hockey stick.

But this time around, Gore has proved a tougher adversary. His movie has grossed an astonishing $24 million, not counting foreign sales; the accompanying book has spent 29 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. His Republican opponents have lost control of Congress. And the Competitive Enterprise Institute has lost the patronage of Exxon Mobil, which decided to stop financing climate lies and start discussing carbon regulation.

Today's Post article on the corporate environmental initiative Mallaby mentions in his column here, more details at Raising Kaine, and my review of an Inconvenient Truth is here.

Take Action to Support Clean Indoor Air in Virginia

The American Lung Association's Virginia chapter has posted an e-action campaign to urge your representatives in Richmond to support smokefree air legislation. It only takes a minute, so please voice your support for this important legislation!

I've mentioned my support for a smoking ban in Arlington bars & restaurants. I'd rather the issue be left up to localities, but thanks to the Dillon Rule, action has to be taken on a statewide level.

This debate is falsely portrayed by tobacco lobbyists as an issue of choice. It's true that chewing tobacco is an issue of choice -- your disgusting habit doesn't affect my health. And I fully own up to my own destructive habits. I'm sure my liver is none too appreciative of my drinking. But if I got into my car in a drunken state and started mowing down pedestrians, then I think we'd all agree that my personal habits would become a public issue.

That's where a personal choice becomes a public threat -- the cigarette smoking of others directly impacts my health. As a devastating report from the Bush administration's own Surgeon General pointed out, there's no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

States like California and Massachusetts have already banned smoking to mild grumbling but no widespread chaos. As for the "a smoking ban will devastate bars & restaurants" argument, it's proven to hold no water, because even individual cities like DC and NYC have banned smoking without seeing a mass exodus. Strangely, it seems the Village and Dupont Circle are still hipper than the Applebees and Ponderosas of Paramus and Centreville. Who knew?

While we're on the subject of bans, I haven't formed an opinion on the spreading wave of trans fat bans. Using the logic above, seems to fall more under personal choice than public threat, though if we can ban red dye #2, trans fats are fair game. What do you think?


UPDATE: Here's the response I got from Sen. Whipple's office ...

Thank you for expressing to us your interest in advancing the cause of a smoke-free Virginia. You will be pleased to know that Senator Whipple has cosponsored smoke-free legislation in the past and is supportive of smoke-free workplaces in Virginia. Thanks again for your input; it is greatly appreciated.

Alex Jakubow
Legislative Intern
District 31
Senate of Virginia

Ask The Green Miles: Proving Myself Wrong About Urban Heat Islands

Not quite a question, but worthy of a response nonetheless. Comment from Citizen Tom ...

It seems to me you worry too much. The fact we think we have global warming is obviously due at least in part to the heat island effect.

Check out this web site. http://www.epa.gov/heatislands/

As someone who spent nearly 4 hours chewing on a Nerf football during last Sunday's Patriots-Chargers thriller, I'm in no position to address my anxiety. (Irrelevant Google-induced sidebar of the week: Nerf balls are apparently a must for sailing.)

The Urban Heat Island effect is popular because it makes sense. I know I've never questioned it. It's hotter on the pavement than on the grass. There's lots of pavement in the city. The weather people on TV are always saying it's a few degrees warmer at Reagan than it is in, say, Frederick. And there are lots of cartoons like this one that make a colorful (if not quite scientifically rigorous) case.

But after reading up on Urban Heat Islands, there seems to be only one thing everyone agrees on: It's really hard to objectively measure the temperature in a given place. If you take a temperature two feet off the pavement on a summer day, it's going to be much hotter than a temperature reading taken 100 feet above the pavement. Which is accurate? Unfortunately from a scientific standpoint, urban weather stations tend to be in/on/near buildings, while rural weather stations tend to be in/on/near dirt, so it's hard to make an accurate comparison. For details, scroll down to "Disadvantages of Surface and Air Temperature Measurements" at this site.

Because of all that disparity, there's some skepticism about whether the Urban Heat Island effect even exists, nevermind its effect on global warming. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states, "Extensive tests have shown that the urban heat island effects are no more than about 0.05°C up to 1990 in the global temperature records used in this chapter to depict climate change."

So it looks like the conventional wisdom about the effect of Urban Heat Islands is wrong on the global level, and a little shaky even on the local level. In fact, the very EPA website that Tom refers to discourages any direct connection between urban heat islands and global warming, and says that if anything, it's the byproducts of the heat island effect that could contribute to global warming ...

Heat islands describe local-scale temperature differences, generally between urban and rural areas. In contrast, global warming refers to a gradual rise of the earth's surface temperature.

While they are distinct phenomena, summertime heat islands may contribute to global warming by increasing demand for air conditioning, which results in additional power plant emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Strategies to reduce heat islands, therefore, can also reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming.

Temperatures Rising, Climate Knowledge Dropping

And the records just keep falling -- 2006 was the warmest year ever recorded in the United States.

That news comes as the Bush administration's scientifically dubious missions to the Moon and Mars force NASA to slash its earth sciences budget, as another agency struggles in its climate analysis. According to the Washington Post, "As a result, the [National Academy of Sciences] panel said, the United States will not have the scientific information it needs in the years ahead to analyze severe storms and changes in Earth's climate unless programs are restored and funding made available."

But there's good news from California, where Gov. Schwarzenegger continues to show some of the strongest (no pun intended) leadership in the country on climate change issues, telling gas producers to cut their product's carbon emissions by 10 percent. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers defended its inaction by saying, "Currently there are more than nine million alternative-fuel automobiles on the road." Yes, since roughly three perfect of the cars on America's roads are flexfuel cars that are capable of using alternative fuels (but usually don't), that absolves the car & fuel industries of any additional need for change. Right.

Rich Little: Too Hot for DC

Thanks to everyone who came out for CRM's Beers with the Board Chair last night! Always fun to have an excuse to hang out at Jay's. On to the news ...

* Progress on transportation as Virginia Republicans have finally agreed to compromise on funding. Let's hope Metro gets its fair share.

* Speaking of Metro, the Express takes a look into the crystal ball and predicts the Orange and Blue lines will have to stop sharing the Rosslyn tunnel down the road, using last weekend's construction map as a jumping-off point for what the new map could look like. It would be great to ease congestion in the Rosslyn tunnel, especially since it seems silly that 8-car trains on the Orange Line have to wait for 4-car Blue Line trains to pass by, a congestion problem that will only get worse as the Orange Line expands west. And I suppose the new Silver Line (or whatever it gets called) to Tysons/Dulles could run out to Largo to take over the Blue Line's eastern stops. What happens to the Arlington National Cemetary stop? I guess the tourists could just take the bus there.

* How fragile have Washington's egos become that Rich Little has to be warned to tone down his act for President Bush & the White House Correspondents Association? I guess they're still smarting from Stephen Colbert's routine last year.

Google Was Right

I'll be at Jay's tonight from 7-8pm for CRM's Beers with the Board Chair. Hope to see you there!

Apparently Google Thinks I Love Something More Than the Environment

The Green Miles ... your #1 search return for "virginia bars last call."

The Post Profiles Arlington's Leading Green

In the wake of his Fresh AIRE proposal, the Washington Post profiles County Board Chair Paul Ferguson today. Arguably the best part of the article -- the attached photo, which in my limited experience with Paul's kids perfectly captures their energy and its contrast to their dad's laid-back style. As Paul was delivering his New Year's Day address, his boys were hovering over the compact fluorescent display in the lobby, their mere interest menacing its survival. Ah, to be young and maniacal.

I got to talk to Paul during last year's ACE Hike & Happy Hour, and I was struck by many of the same things the Post reporter was -- very unassuming guy, easy to talk to, never preachy.

The profile raises an interesting question for all environmentalists. What's the best way to advance green causes? Are you better off gently pushing on the macro level for slow, sustainable change as Paul has? Or is it more effective to attack wasteful habits on the micro level, even calling out friends & family who drive gas guzzlers or don't recycle?

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, and fortunately it doesn't seem like Arlington County does either. It's working on both broad initiatives like Fresh AIRE, and trying to push individual apartment/condo complexes and businesses to recycle at the same high rate single-family homes currently recycle.

On a personal level, I'm both a member of ACE working to back Fresh AIRE, and willing to urge my friends & family to be more environmentally conscious. Just yesterday, a college friend told me she drove an SUV, but by the tone she used, you'd think she was telling me she'd accidentally flushed my winning lottery ticket. I don't wave my environmentalism in people's faces, but I guess if you know The Green Miles, you feel the guilt!

Gore's 'Truth' restricted at schools

I can't decide what my favorite part of this news item is ...

* "Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore." So if Al Gore brings condoms to school, they'll REALLY be pissed?

* Citing John Stossel as a scientific expert to counter the opinion of the entire National Academy of Sciences.

* "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

* "None has seen the movie."

Just go read it and you'll know why I don't know whether to laugh or head to Federal Way, WA with a thermometer and a baseball bat.

One-Click Tree Planting

It takes a lot to get me to post twice in one day (OK, sometimes it takes a lot to get me to post twice in one week), but I just got an email from Citibank and wanted to pass it along.

They've been trying to get me to convert from paper statements to electronic statements for a while, but haven't offered much incentive, so I haven't bothered. But they've launched a new program -- for every person who converts to electronic statements, they'll plant one tree. (If you care about the details, they'll actually make a donation to the National Arbor Day Foundation towards the planting of one tree.)

If you're interested, there are also organizations like Green Dimes that say they'll cut down on your junkmail, helping avert wasted paper.

Next Interior Secretary Nominee: Oil Can Harry

Gale Norton worked for the mining industry before becoming Secretary of the Interior in 2001. So now that she's left the Bush administration, where is she going? Right back to industry, this time taking a job with Shell Oil. Talk about a revolving door.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a detailed report on what the environmental community has been whispering about for years -- that ExxonMobil pays scientists to back their corporate position.

Some positive environmental news from a power company ...

Energy firm buys into wind turbine project
By The Associated Press
Tuesday December 19, 2006

A Virginia energy giant has bought a 50 percent stake in a Grant County wind turbine project that is the subject of a case before the state Supreme Court.

Dominion, one of the nation's largest energy producers, announced Monday it plans to develop the first phase of a 200-turbine wind farm near Mount Storm, a project that some residents are trying to block.

In a news release, Dominion said the $300 million project gives the Virginia company an opportunity to increase its renewable energy portfolio.

State Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple is sponsoring a bill this year to require a portion of electric power in Virginia come from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro-power and bio mass products. It would be a major step forward, considering green energy is difficult (if not impossible) for Virginia customers to buy right now. Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment has worked on this issue and found Dominion eager to study the issue but reluctant to change.

Will Virginia Bars Go Smoke-Free Voluntarily?

You hear the argument from opponents of smoking bans all the time: It should be up to the bars to decide whether they're smoke-free or not. The market will accomodate the needs of customers.

And it turns out the biggest voice against that argument comes from ... the bars themselves.

Even the DC smoking ban that took effect last week hasn't prompted even one bar to change its policy. Showing about as much spine as Smithers shows Mr. Burns, Virginia bars have proudly stood up to say, "We'll keep refusing to change and thumbing our noses at the needs of non-smokers. If you want us to change, you'll have to pass a law forcing us to."

While dozens of Arlington restaurants have gone smoke-free, only one nightspot has gone even partially smoke-free, and that's Clarendon Ballroom.

I emailed eight Arlington bars last week to see if they'd be willing to go smoke-free. Bars are notoriously bad at responding to email, but I did get responses from Eleventh and Whitlow's. The reply from Eleventh was especially encouraging. Both responses are below:

Eleventh: "The basement is smoke free and chances are the main floor will go that route soon."

Whitlows: "Thank you for your kind words about Whitlow’s. Our smoking / non-smoking policy is ever evolving. While we don’t have any immediate plans on changing the policy, we continually review this issue. In light of this trend Whitlow’s will continue to meet the demands of our patrons. Thank you, Jonathan Williams, General Manager."

Raw Fisher's Half-Baked Attack

You know the world's gone topsy-turvy when The Green Miles is coming to the defense of Wal-Mart. Maybe I'm still in the Christmas spirit because I'm wearing the nice green shirt The Green Mom got me for Christmas?

Marc Fisher is one of my favorite columnists (next to fellow Fall River, MA native and fellow bleeding heart EJ Dionne), but his blog post today couldn't be more off-base:

Wal-Mart, the company that lefties, urbanites and greens love to hate, is repositioning itself as a friend of the environment: The retail behemoth has announced its intention to sell 100 million of those compact fluorescent light bulbs that cost an arm and a leg to buy, but save lots of energy (and therefore cut your electric bill.)

This will not work, for one simple reason: The bulbs provide only the illusion of light. We shelled out the big bucks--the things cost upwards of ten times the price of cheap but energy-hogging incandescent bulbs--for a bunch of different so-called swirl bulbs and actually lived with the things for a couple of months before, finally, we all realized that we were straining to read, straining to do anything that required what a good old 60-watt Sylvania provides with total reliability.

The propagandists behind the compact fluorescents claim that the new swirl bulbs are every bit as bright, warm and user-friendly as the cheap bulbs that have served Americans for the better part of a century. These folks are--how to put this--wrong.

I don't "love to hate" Wal-Mart. (For the record, I love to hate Paris Hilton.) I support their compact fluorescent effort, and I wish Wal-Mart would take more simple, low-cost steps to minimize its environmental impact. In an age when even the Pentagon is going green, Wal-Mart remains years behind.

I also love to hate critics who make six figures complaining about paying $3 for light bulbs.

And how can a light bulb not be user-friendly? How many Post columnists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Fisher is already getting ripped in his comments section. Please join in!

UPDATE: Of the 37 comments filed right now, I only count three that support Fisher's position on this. Go, greens, go!

Recapping Reaction to Fresh AIRE

Here's a quick recap of the reaction Paul Ferguson's Fresh AIRE plan has received in DC-area media ...

* The most impressive coverage came from the Sun Gazette, which had two articles up within minutes of the meeting's close.

* Apparently trying to prove true the criticism that the Washington Post's Virginia coverage is shoddy, the Post's recap of Ferguson's proposal quotes only one person outside the County Board ... Takoma Park, MD resident Mike Tidwell, who wasn't even at the New Year's Day meeting. Mike's a great guy and as head of CCAN he's one of our region's leading environmental voices ... but there were dozens of people who actually live in Arlington who were actually at the meeting the Post reporter could've talked to.

So they'd have to correct the mistake in the follow-up article, right? Nope. Wednesday's article on the cost of the program quotes ... another Takoma Park resident! Two articles on an Arlington environmental initiative, zero quotes from Arlington residents not on the County Board.

Today the Post editorializes in favor of Ferguson's proposals, saying, "We hope that more cities, counties and states take note while the federal government fails to lead."

* The DC Examiner mentioned the plan within an article on the County Board's first meeting.

* The Washington Times, not surprisingly, ignored the County Board's New Year's Day meeting altogether. And you wonder why they're giving them out free at Metro stops.

* The Arlington Connection previews Fresh AIRE within a broader profile of Ferguson and look ahead at his year as chair.

* Lowell at Raising Kaine praises Arlington for taking the environmental lead among Virginia communities, and several commenters question why Fairfax County is so far behind.

* Jim at Bacon's Rebellion offers cautious praise for Fresh AIRE, correctly pointing out the proposal is still short on specifics when it comes to financing.

Protesting with My Wallet

With DC's smoking ban taking effect this week, I thought it would be a good time to email some of my favorite Arlington bars to let them know that unless they voluntarily ban smoking, they'll be losing some of my business to DC. Here's the list of contacts if you're interested in doing the same:

Carpool -- office@carpoolweb.com
Bailey's (Ballston) -- bross@fhrg.com
Whitlow's -- whitlows@whitlows.com
Dr. Dremo's -- drdremo@msn.com
O'Sullivan's -- osullivansirishpub@gmail.com
Continental -- continental@modernpoollounge.com
Eleventh -- http://www.eleventhstreetlounge.com/contact.php
Mister Days -- http://www.misterdays.com/contact/feedback.html
Clarendon Grill & Front Page -- no email

If I get any responses, I'll post them here. You can also comment on the ban (and Virginia's lack of a ban) at Backfence and DCist.

Here's a list of restaurants in Arlington that have already voluntarily gone smoke-free! Thanks to the Arlington Civic Federation for maintaining it.

Arlington Co. Board Begins 2007 with a Breath of Fresh AIRE

Just got back from the Arlington County Board's traditional New Year's Day session. It was loaded with red meat for the tree-hugging crowd (and yes, I'm aware of the irony of connecting those two political phrases).

Just how green was it? Three different board members referenced An Inconvenient Truth (official site, my review, buy the DVD).

My biggest bone of contention with the County Board -- and I don't have many -- has been that in a green-and-getting-greener community like Arlington, there's no reason it shouldn't be pushing the envelope of environmentally-friendly policy. Yet DC gets the headlines for requiring green buildings and innovating on things like rubber sidewalks.

But today's meeting marked the start of a new era for Arlington's environmental policies, with new Board Chair Paul Ferguson kicking off his Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) program. Arlington County has already reduced its emissions 2% since 2000, and Fresh AIRE aims to cut emissions another 10% by 2012 from that 2000 baseline.

Ferguson pointed out several ways Arlington residents could quickly, easily, and affordably contribute to the effort, though he was careful to avoid nannyism, citing Jimmy Carter's sweater speech (not to be confused with Weezer's Sweater Song). The county will be providing some incentives for people to get started:

* Giving out 2,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs at county events over the next year
* Exploring personal property tax (car tax) discounts for drivers of hybrid vehicles
* The county and Dominion Virginia Power will pay for dozens of homes to get energy audits

You can watch video from the board meeting on the County website, or read the text of Ferguson's address.

The elephant in the room, as always, is funding. The dichotomy is visible in the Sun Gazette's coverage of the meeting -- separate articles detailing Ferguson's initiative and the possibility of a tight budget ahead, without mentioning how either might be affected by the other. Obviously I'm not the one writing the budget, but I'd certainly be willing to pay more (in my case, through higher property taxes via higher rent) to make sure the environmental initiatives have the money they need.

Please email board members to let them know you support all the new environmental initiatives and want to make sure they're fully funded!

In Virginia, It's Still "Thank You for Smoking"

DC's smoking ban is set to take effect Tuesday, to much hand-wringing from DC bar & restaurant owners. The Washington Post follows the pattern of most media coverage of the ban, mentioning bar & restaurant owners' fears of lost business in the sixth paragraph, but waiting until four paragraphs later to mention that New York City and California (among dozens of other communities) have had smoking bans for years now, and from what I hear, people do still go out there.

Another fear -- that smokers will head en masse to Virginia. Luckily for DC, Virginia already discourages people from coming across the Potomac with its 2am last call (which translates to as early as 1:15am at many bars).

A much more likely scenario is that the smoking ban will be a benefit to DC businesses. DC already has the aforementioned 3am last call and the all-important Cool Factor. Now Virginia nonsmokers have another big incentive to head into DC. Montgomery, Prince George's, and Howard Counties in Maryland also have smoking bans.

For Virginia, it's one more area in which we're lagging behind. Virginia not only lacks a statewide smoking ban, it doesn't allow cities or counties to ban smoking on their own. (Because of the Dillon rule, localities only have the powers specifically granted to them by the state [thanks to Vivian for the correction]). You'd think a Democratic governor like Tim Kaine would support a smoking ban, but in fact he opposes it.

If you think Virginia should ban smoking in bars and restaurants (or at least allow communities to make their own choice), email Governor Tim Kaine, your state delegate, and your state senator now.

UPDATE: DCist agrees on the impact of the smoking ban, as do a vast majority of commenters.

Global Warming Makes Finland So Hot, a Quick Swim is the Only Relief

OK, so that's not quite an accurate caption for today's photo, but there is a flood (no pun intended) of global warming news this week, plus a little comic relief from the Clown Prince of Politics ...

* If you're re-landscaping your yard, you might want to re-consider what kind of foliage you're planting. Scientists say 15 years of global warming has made the DC's climate less like Massaschusetts' and more like Texas'. In: the Arizona cypress. Out: spruce trees.

* A massive Canadian ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields is now an iceberg, floating in the Arctic Sea. The money quote: "This is a piece of Canadian geography that no longer exists."

* Swimming is unusually good in the Baltic Sea this year ... since it's not frozen.

* And for a little comedy, check out Robert "I Never Outed Valerie Plame, Unless This is Under Oath, in Which Case I Did" Novak's column on how those dastardly environmentalists are allegedly infiltrating the Bush administration. My favorite part is when he refers to "environmentalists' well-financed propaganda operation." Can even Bob Novak be that delusional to think in the battle of greens vs. industry, it's the tree huggers who are the well-financed ones?

China Going from Red to Green?

Catching up on some interesting stories that came out while I was in Massachusetts for Christmas ...

* Now even the Bush administration is admitting climate change is already here, finally recognizing the threat to polar bears.

* China has issued its first report on the impact of global warming in the world's most populous country. The results are ominous but not unexpected -- higher temperatures along with more rain AND more droughts (the extra rain will evaporate faster in the heat). Meanwhile, some American companies are recognizing China as a huge, untapped market for green products and services.

* Cool story from Forbes about a guy who figured out how to make big bucks by convincing people to recycle.

* Over at Bacon's Rebellion, Jim points out one reason why Arlington has fewer traffic problems than Fairfax -- it has 38 times as many people working to convince commuters to ditch their cars.

* And as the nation remembers Gerald Ford, I couldn't help remembering this classic 1996 Saturday Night Live skit, with Dana Carvey portraying Tom Brokaw recording some potential breaking news bulletins before leaving on vacation.

UPDATE: Chinese officials suspected of faking smog data to make clean air targets.

Would You Like Your Air Leaded or Unleaded?

If it's a choice between the health of 300 million Americans or improving the bottom line of battery makers, lead smelters, refiners, the Bush administration will side with industry every time. So here's the choice for you -- would you like your air leaded or unleaded?

Other environmental news & notes ...

* Some great tips from Arlington County on going green over the holidays.

* California is getting ready to spend more than $3.4 billion over the next 10 years to subsidize the installation of 1 million solar roofs, or about 3,000 megawatts of electricity capacity, enough at peak output to match six modern natural-gas-fired power plants. It's the biggest solar energy effort in U.S. history.

* Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) flatly says the era of silent but deadly environmental rollbacks is over.

* Think we humans know everything there is to know about everything on this planet? Here are 52 reasons why not.

* Questions about whether a science association is looking out for students or its oil industry funders.

Railing Against the Rails

Angry, bitter, venomous, it-could-only-happen here, this-is-why-everyone-else-laughs-at-us, what-horrible-mismanagement reaction to proposed public transportation increases.

In DC? No.

Cincinnati.

And New York City.

And Montreal.

And Boston. Oh, and it's a ridiculous joke there, too.

Am I saying DC's Metro is perfect? No.

Am I saying commuting sucks, no matter where you live, where you're going or how you're getting there? Pretty much.

Metro's Fare Increase & Incentive Package: A Good Start

Judging by the hysterical reaction on DCist, you'd think Metro was proposing to extract a pound of flesh at each faregate. But I'm going to make the radical argument that the transit agency's plan to increase some fares and create new rider incentives seems not just reasonable, but overdue.

Metro faces two major problems, one financial, and one social. While the causes are beyond the reach of 15 cent fare hikes and such, this package seeks to address the effects of both.

There is only one major transit system in the country that lacks a dedicated government revenue stream. There is only one major transit system in the country that serves three states/districts in very similar proportions. Metro.

This year, Congress, DC, Maryland, and Virginia came closer than ever to agreeing on a dedicated funding source, but Virginia Republicans killed the deal. Lacking that funding source, fare hikes are Metro's quickest way to balance its budget is to raise fares. It's not necessarily the easiest, as the public backlash shows, but that Metro is willing to take that heat shows how tight its budget is.

More radical are the financial incentives for commuters to avoid riding during peak hours (5-9:30am or 3-7pm). I do agree with critics who say commuters are at the mercy of their bosses, and that the fare incentives target the thousands of ants marching and not The Man who decides when they work. But the suggested fare incentives are a nudge, not a shove, and hopefully employers and the federal government will take notice.

The overcrowding issues on both Metro and our region's roads are frequently and wrongly labeled as capacity problems. They're not. Metro is half-empty for 18 hours a day, as are all but the most congested local roads like I66 or the Beltway.

The traffic is a result of a social problem -- every employer asking all of their workers to come in at the same time, then telling all of their workers to leave at the same time. As a result, we make extremely inefficient use of our transportation systems.

Aside from high-tech companies, both private employers and government agencies have resisted telecommuting, and individual commuters are left to arrange their own lives around a reverse commute or fight their bosses to let them work a 7-3pm or 11-7pm shift. I pitched something similar to my boss once and was quickly shot down with, "I need you here when I'm here." Nice to know I'm wanted, but what am I, her favorite teddy bear?

It's sad that it's fallen to Metro to try to address decades of short-sighted choices, shirked responsibilies, and failed leadership. But as DC's growth continues, commuters are going to have to let go of the idea that one lane of highway or one rail car should be exclusively theirs to zip straight to work at their chosen time.

And before you accuse me of being a Metro apologist, don't forget Festivus came early this year when I aired my grievances against the system back in July.

Just in Time for Christmas: Green Dimes & Red-Hot Car Sharing

I've discovered that this blog has become a clearing house for my friends' environmental news. They send me the articles and I post them here. It's a pretty sweet deal ... they spread the word on cool environmental tidbits, and I don't have to come up with a topic for that week's blog! If you have any articles you'd like me to feature, please post them in the comments section.

* General Motors has put together a futuristic green concept car called the "Hummer O2." Never mind that it looks nothing like an actual Hummer ... or that the current H2 gets around 10 miles to the gallon of gas ... GM thinks this proves they care about being environmentally friendly. Right.

* It takes the equivalent of 100 million trees to create the paper to print a year's worth of America's junk mail, but a new organization is pledging to cut down drastically on your junk mail for about $3 a month. It's called Green Dimes, and I don't know if it works, but it's worth checking out!

* According to the Washington Post, car sharing is catching on fast:

[November 29th], one of the two major car-sharing companies that operate in the Washington region, Zipcar, announced a $25 million investment that will allow it to possibly double the 350 vehicles it already puts on area streets.

In June, Zipcar's rival, District-based Flexcar, announced a major investment by a company started by AOL co-founder Steve Case. That could set up the Washington area -- one of only two major markets where the two companies compete -- as a testing ground to see just how far car sharing can go in reducing congestion, pollution and parking woes.

"Some of the highest adoption neighborhoods in the country are in D.C.," said Scott Griffith, chief executive of Zipcar, based in Cambridge, Mass. He said that in the Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill neighborhoods, where parking can be difficult to find, more than 10 percent of residents older than 21 use the service.

Good News on Green Buildings

The DC Council has given final approval to landmark new law requiring private developers to adhere to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council:

Environmentally friendly buildings can include simple design elements such as abundant natural light -- which can save energy by minimizing the need for artificial light. They can feature windows that open to allow in fresh air, unlike those in most office buildings. Low-emitting carpet and paint can be used to improve indoor air quality.

Green buildings are likely to be equipped with low-flow water fixtures and even, perhaps, no-flush urinals, which use a chemical trap instead of water, Moore said.

Builders can also earn points by recycling materials. Carpet, for instance, is typically replaced in a building every seven years and lasts 20,000 years in a landfill, Moore said. But it can be recycled by shaving the nylon off the top and reusing the backing, she said.

Mayor Williams is expected to sign the bill. You can learn more by visiting the U.S. Green Building Council.

Let's Play "If You Ran VRE"

OK, so you're running Virginia Railway Express. Service is so unreliable, ridership is falling. Passengers would rather sit in gridlocked traffic than ride your rail system. So what do you do?

According to today's Washington Post, if you're the VRE board, you jack up fares for the fifth time in five years, stop compensating people for late trains, make the cars dirtier, and slash the marketing budget.

There! That oughta lure 'em back!

Green Party = Pinko Commies

One of my favorite recent editions of Get Fuzzy (arguably the best comic strip around now that Aaron McGruder has said he won't resume the print version of The Boondocks).

I'm Just Glad the Ringleader was Caught & Charged

From over at Backfence ...

Two rare Royal Paulownia Trees chopped down in Potomac Overlook Park

The two Royal Paulownia trees, also known as Princess trees or Empress trees, are rare. A single tree’s lumber can bring up to $30,000.

Arlington County Police say that a Northern Virginia Park Authority official discovered the men cutting down the trees.
Police arrested three men including Woodrow Fincham, Jr. of Boston, VA. Fincham has been charged with felony destruction of property. The other two men had been hired for the day by Fincham and were not charged.

Climate Change Goes to the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court takes up a major global warming case today, as the Bush administration makes a bizarre argument. Despite its reliance on the unitary executive theory, that Congress and the Supreme Court cannot restrict the unlimited power of the presidency, from torturing terror suspects to ignoring the intent of law through signing statements, the White House is arguing it is powerless to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

I'll leave some of the heavy lifting to links from Mother Jones ...

* Koshlan Mayer-Blackwell takes an in-depth look at the legal and policy issues at stake.

* According to the Washington Post, even energy executives have stopped fighting the scientific consensus on climate change.

* Clara Jeffrey says the Bush administration's position on climate change is much like its position on Iraq -- spin and denial over substance and reality.

* The San Francisco Chronicle strangely offers up the climate change argument for dummies, treating it like readers may not have heard of global warming before.

Generally speaking, I wouldn't expect to hear the Supreme Court's decision on the case for several months -- maybe not until this session adjourns, which I think is in June.

Side note -- the Supreme Court's inscription is probably my favorite on any building in DC, "Equal justice under law." Here's a closer picture. I feel like it's not coincidental that it faces some other key buildings in DC, as though it's a reminder just in case the knuckleheads across the street or the decider down the block get any bright ideas about screwing stuff up.

Green Buildings, A Slam from John McCain, and An Eco-Thug

* Extraordinary news from DC, where city officials are moving towards requiring green building practices. The city has already done some neat things, like putting in recycled rubber sidewalks. I know Virginia communities are restricted by the state's status as a commonwealth, with local governments only granted the specific powers given to them by the state. But again, I have to ask, if DC can do it, why can't Arlington?

* More election analysis: An eco-thug's demise.

* As I covered back in July, even though not many green candidates were directly elected this year, the shift to Democratic control of Congress could mean big things for environmentalists.

* 30 months after it was due, environmentalists sue the Bush administration for failing to produce a required report analyzing global warming's impact on America. Great quote by Sen. John McCain to an administration official: "You know, you are really one of the more astonishing witnesses that I have [faced] -- in the 19 years I've been a member of this [Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation] Committee."

* How did the Bush administration end hunger in the blink of an eye? It stopped calling it hunger.

Election Results: Bye-Bye, Bipartisanship

After yet another bitter, divisive election, it would be nice to think that the two major political parties in this country would have an interest in coming together to tackle some of the major problems facing this country -- the national debt, the entitlement crisis, the decrepit health care system.

But the incoming House Speaker has already put loyalty ahead of ideals. And White House allies are saying in no uncertain terms that they have no interest in bipartisanship. "When we want to go up and they want to go down, we want to go right and they want to go left, there's no compromise," said anti-tax activist, White House adviser, and good buddy to Jack Abramoff Grover Norquist.

Harold Meyerson explained it brilliantly in a recent Washington Post column. There's no middle ground anymore. Candidates have to run hard right or hard left to win in the primaries and raise enough money to run in the general elections.

My solution? Proportional representation. If the Democrats get 50% of the vote, the Republicans get 40%, and the Green Party gets 10%, the Congressional seats are divideded up proportionately. Candidates run towards the middle trying to get the most votes, yet the people with fringe views (like, say, environmentalists) are also represented. But it will never happen because it makes too much sense. And because of the dreaded inertia against change.

Don't Forget to Vote!

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday! As I've mentioned, control of the House & Senate have major environmental implications.

There are two critical votes right here in Virginia, the Senate race pitting George Allen vs. Jim Webb, and a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Nationwide, it looks like control of the Senate will be decided by the races in Missouri, Montana, Rhode Island, and Tennesee. If you have friends in any of those key states, please email them and make sure they get out and vote!

Why Voting in Arlington Matters

I've always been amazed at how many people my age live in Arlington, work in Arlington, pay taxes in Arlington, spend their money in Arlington ... but when it comes to voting, say they're still registered to vote back home, because they're "from Ohio" (or whereever).

Even worse, usually when I ask them if they're voting in Arlington on Tuesday, they say, "Crap, I forgot to get my absentee ballot!"

They don't know who's running back home, or what the big issues are, but somehow they think they're still supposed to vote not where they live, but where they grew up. Do you still sleep in the bed you grew up sleeping in? Still go to the pizza place you hung out at with your high school friends? No. So why do you think you're supposed to vote there?

The Arlington County Board regularly makes decisions that directly affect you, from big decisions like property taxes (and even if you don't pay those directly, they're reflected in your rent) to relatively minor decisions like whether Dr. Dremo's will remain in its current location.

And it's not like people are voting in overwhelming numbers anyway. In the last presidential election, only 58.3 percent of citizens of voting age cast ballots. In 2002—the last mid-term election—only 48 percent voted. The percentages for people under 40 are even lower.

So register to vote in Arlington now! You can print out the form online. You won't be able to vote Tuesday, but you'll be all set for next November.

Oh, and why can't you register and vote on the same day? Good question.

Other notes ...

* Check out this interview with the producer of An Inconvenient Truth.

* ACE's website updated with three November events and a December cleanup.

* Capitals Iceplex to open soon in Ballston.

* Hope to see you at the next Community Role Models event, the AFAC Food Drive on Saturday November 11th!