Scene from the Sidewalk: Mini Lion

I was knocking on doors in Alcova Heights and spotted this cat sporting the lion look -- a close-cropped cut except for its tail tip, legs and of course a long mane:

Size Matters: Standing Firm Against I66 Expansion

It took exactly three posts into my blogging at The Green Miles to make my feelings clear on I66: I'm against expanding it. Three years later, my position is unchanged -- our precious transportation dollars would be better spent on Metro and our existing roads and bridges, which remain in desperate need of maintenance funding. On top of that, Arlingtonians shouldn't have to pay the price in higher pollution to smooth (and encourage) commutes from distant sprawling suburbs.

It's important for Arlington's leaders to take a strong stand. Heavy pressure to capitulate comes from representatives of places like Fairfax and Prince William, both in Richmond and on Capitol Hill, who don't much care about more pollution in Arlington or a wider I66 crowding out adjacent trails -- those problems will impact Arlington, not them.

That's why in my run for House of Delegates, I'm being crystal clear about my position on I66. If the delegate from the 47th district won't stand up for Arlington, who will?

It's become a major issue in the Democratic primary race:

Remembering an Arlington Environmental Leader

Just learning some tragic news. Earlier this month, former Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment board member Erik Bluemel was killed in a bike accident in Denver. He was just 32 years old.

The Denver Post details Erik's commitment to environmental protection:

Bluemel's research interests included environmental federalism, climate governance, international administrative law and environmental rights, said Chase Squires, spokesman for the University of Denver. [...]

He served as a staff attorney and teaching fellow at the Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Public Representation, where he represented dozens of national and local groups on administrative, environmental and public-land issues.

The University of California Alumni Club is hosting a memorial gathering for Erik tonight from 6-9pm at Sign of the Whale (1825 M Street NW), all are welcome to attend.

Protesters Arrested Outside Rep. Boucher's Office

Any minute now, the House Energy & Commerce Committee is expected to pass the American American Clean Energy & Security Act (HR 2454), also known as Waxman-Markey.

Earlier today, 15 protesters were arrested outside the office of Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA), who's been working to weaken the bill. Grist has more on the protest:

“It’s really a statement about Boucher and the leadership he has assumed in gutting the bill and giving billions of dollars to polluters,” CCAN communications director Anne Havemann told Grist after the protest.

Boucher has been very open throughout the process about his talks with coal companies about the bill. “In the course of conducting other negotiations, I have had continued conversations with coal companies, both locally and nationally, including the chief executive officers of CONSOL ... which operates the largest mine in Southwest Virginia, and Michael Quillen, the chief executive officer of Alpha, which is our region’s largest coal producer,” Boucher said recently. “I have been in discussions with Mike Morris, the chief executive officer of AEP, and Tom Ferrell, who is chief executive officer of Dominion, which is Virginia’s largest electricity supplier.”

But Boucher hasn’t made himself quite so accessible to foes of coal, prompting the sit-in today. “He doesn’t meet with groups like us,” said Havemann. “We’ve tried for months.”

Wouldn't it be nice if Rep. Boucher could join the fight for a clean energy future and green jobs instead of protecting the dirty coal industry and its rapidly dwindling number of mining jobs?

Rep. Moran: Responsibility to Act on Global Warming

Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public forum on its recent finding that global warming poses a threat to public health & welfare under the Clean Air Act. For my day job with the National Wildlife Federation, I covered a news conference of environmental groups praising the EPA's decision and calling on Congress to pass comprehensive climate & energy legislation this year.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) joined the event, with Rep. Moran delivering an especially forceful call to action:

Video: Miles Grant on Virginia's Energy Policies

We shot this video at Potomac Overlook Regional Park, which has installed solar panels over its performance stage. Learn more about my run for House of Delegates and sign up for campaign email updates at MilesGrant2009.com!

Scene from the Sidewalk: Ballston Birds

I was canvassing in Ballston yesterday when I came upon this house on Columbus Street near Washington Boulevard. It had a small pond with a fountain out front and two Mallards were happily swimming in it.

When I knocked on the door, I was less interested in pitching my campaign than I was in hearing about the yard. Were the ducks regular neighborhood nesters?

"They nested last year, but the eggs didn't hatch," the homeowner told me. "I think it was their first time. She didn't seem to have the hang of it yet."

Sunday: Grand Re-Opening at Potomac Overlook

If you're a fellow fan of Potomac Overlook Regional Park (or even if you've never been), here's a cool event to check out on Sunday:

Join the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority on Sunday, May 17, 1:30-3:30 p.m. for the grand re-opening of the Potomac Overlook Nature Center in Arlington, VA. The renovated nature center features the “Energerium” – a new exhibit on energy in living systems, including human systems. This exhibit examines nature through the lens of energy, drawing attention to the central role that energy plays in our lives. The afternoon will also feature tours of the renovated facility and lots of fun activities for all ages, including live music, a juggler, games, door prizes and more.

The Green Miles' suggested Sunday itinerary -- go to Taste of Arlington in Ballston at noon (wearing your MG09 organic cotton t-shirt, of course), then go to Potomac Overlook at 1:30pm to walk off the calories.

MG09 Signs Rated Tops Among Keen Observers

Now that the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates is fewer than 31 days away, Miles Grant for Delegate volunteers have put up signs on median strips across the 47th district. Given that I'm The Green Miles, we asked volunteers to be especially careful about not placing signs in parks or flower beds and planting signs deep so they wouldn't blow away.

Our signs got some nice recognition over at Blue Virginia:

I got an email about the quality (not quantity) of the signs from a ... let's call him a keen observer of Arlington Democratic politics.

Ranked by ease of visibility and clearness in telling us who the candidate is:

1. Miles Grant
2. Alan Howze
3. Andres Tobar
4. Adam Parkhomenko
5. Patrick Hope

If you live in Arlington and would like an MG09 yard sign, email us!

Seed Paper: Fail

Last summer I planted some seed paper (see: Island of Misfit Green Toys) and told you I'd let you know how it did.

Nearly nine months is more than enough time to render a verdict. Not a single sprout:

Method Man

The Green Miles doesn't have a washer-dryer in his apartment. Especially in the winter, I dread the one-block trek to my complex's laundromat. Not only do I have to schlep my clothes, I have to bring detergent, giving me a choice of bringing the whole big box/jug or trying to pour some into a smaller container, always a messy proposition.

But I've been able to solve at least part of the problem by switching to Method's concentrated detergent. The container is small enough to carry. Plus, I get the benefits of Method's natural cleaners:

Coconut oil soap, a concentrated blend of naturally derived and biodegradable surfactants, and active cleaning enzymes provide the non-toxic cleaning power. the triple concentrate provides a nice eco-innovation: by taking out most of the water, this product saves packaging plastic and shipping energy, not to mention all that water. (oops, we mentioned it.)

More details on laundry detergent from Grist's Ask Umbra:

The No. 1 ingredient to avoid is the surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate. NPE breaks down into NP (nonylphenol, please don't make me spell it any more), an endocrine disruptor (and estrogen mimic) that has been seen to affect male fishes. Since detergent goes out in household wastewater, and NPEs are quite difficult to remove during sewage treatment, we should avoid putting NPE into the water in the first place.

And as Treehugger recommends, wash your laundry in cold water whenever you can.

Exclusive Video: Inside the MG09 War Room

We host Thursday volunteer nights here at Miles Grant for Delegate Campaign Headquarters (a.k.a. my apartment). Here's a look at the craziness of a dozen people phone banking, entering data and assembling yard signs:

Cinco de Mayo Green Dilemma: The Lime in Your Beer Bottle

Grist's "Ask Umbra" says don't sweat the citrus ...

Scene from the Sidewalk: Green Home in Westover

While I was walking through Westover asking voters for their support in my race for House of Delegates, I noticed an open house at this green home for sale. The house was packed and the realtors told me they expected hundreds of visitors that day. Definitely not in my price range though, listed at $1,295,000. You can learn more about Arlington's green home choice program here.

Something Tells Me I Won't Get This Endorsement

The candidate questionnaires are coming in at a rate of about one a day race for the Virginia House of Delegates here in Arlington's 47th district. Here's the first one I've gotten that I strongly disagree with.

It's from the National Right to Work Committee, which spends millions of dollars every year on anti-union activities. Most recently, it made headlines for trashing President Obama's Labor Secretary nominee, Hilda Solis.

Given that I'm pro-union, somehow I don't think I'll be getting this endorsement:

No Dominion Money.

If you're a regular reader of The Green Miles, you know my feelings on Dominion Virginia Power. Since 1996, Dominion has contributed more than $5 million to Virginia political candidates and committees.

Our reliance on increasingly expensive, dirty coal power is a failure to our community and a violation of Arlington values – economically, environmentally, and from a public health perspective. As an activist who’s spent years lobbying and organizing for clean energy and climate action here in Virginia, I’ve seen firsthand how Dominion’s huge financial power works to keep our energy policies locked into the status quo at a time when we desperately need a new direction.

That's why I've signed a pledge (PDF) not to accept contributions or gifts from Dominion or its employees:

April 29, 2009

As Virginia confronts the threat of climate change and our dependence on dirty, polluting energy sources, we need leaders who will think big and fight the special interests that block progress towards a clean energy future.

Dominion Virginian Power was the top business donor to Virginia politicians in 2008, contributing nearly twice as much as the runner-up, the tobacco company Altria. Their influence has gone unchallenged for years, allowing them to serve as the dominant force in policy decisions – consistently weighting the scales against clean energy and a cleaner Virginia. The stakes are too high to let that continue.

Therefore I, Miles Grant, Democratic candidate for House of Delegates in Virginia’s 47th district, pledge that I will not accept contributions or gifts from Dominion Resources, its subsidiaries or its employees, either as a candidate or as an elected official. If I ever mistakenly accept such a contribution, I pledge to give it to a clean energy or environmental nonprofit as soon as the error is discovered. I take this pledge not as a statement about Dominion's right to exist or its employees, but as a promise to consider only the public interest as we move Virginia's energy policies forward.

Miles Grant
Democrat for Delegate
Virginia’s 47th District in Arlington
MilesGrant2009.com

I know we can’t move Virginia’s energy policies into the 21st century without working to engage Dominion as a partner. I’m always happy to sit down and talk to Dominion. But I’m not interested in its financial backing.

Learn more about my campaign at MilesGrant2009.com.

Arlington Co. Board Votes to Preserve Gulf Branch Nature Center

Michael Laris reports in today's Washington Post:

The Arlington County Board passed a budget last night that increases the real estate tax rate 2.7 cents and restores some unpopular proposed cuts.

Board members increased the general fund operating budget by $5.4 million over the one for this fiscal year to $946.8 million, officials said. The rate increase will bump the average homeowner's property tax bill from $4,501 to $4,551, based on a new rate of 87.5 cents for every $100 of assessed value, county officials said.

Board members reversed a plan to demolish the Gulf Branch Nature Center and partially or completely restored library hours for three branches. But recreation centers' hours and other services were scaled back, and officials cut 95 positions countywide. All of those employees have found other county jobs or taken voluntary severance packages, officials said.

Congratulations to the thousands of Arlingtonians who rallied to save Gulf Branch!

Rep. Boucher Working to Weaken Clean Energy Legislation

From The New Republic on Rep. Henry Waxman's American Clean Energy and Security Act:

In particular, watch the coal-state Democrats, led by Virginia's Rick Boucher, who are pressuring Waxman to weaken the short-term emissions targets, so that coal-heavy utilities will have more time to develop carbon-capture technology and be able to compete with renewable power. It's not that they're necessarily worried the targets for emission cuts by 2020 are unrealistic on some macro level. Rather, they're worried that the coal industry will play only a tiny role in a low-carbon future if it's not given ample time to adjust. The flipside, of course, is that most climate scientists don't think we have time to dally around.

As a ratepayer, I don't think we have time to dally around, either. Dominion Virginia Power raised our rates 18 percent in September, 1.5 percent in January and now wants to raise them another 7 percent, all in large part due to higher coal prices and the huge cost of building new coal-fired power plants.

Who's Rep. Boucher really looking out for -- coal states? Or corporate coal polluters?

Scene from the Sidewalk: Sign & Sustainability

On Saturday, I dropped off a yard sign at a supporter's home on George Mason Drive (his dog, Paco, came out to supervise). Andrew has solar panels that provide most of his home's electricity, even watching his electric meter spin backwards on sunny summer days. He's planning to add a few more to try to get off of Dominion's coal-fired power as much as possible. And of course, don't forget the Honda Civic Hybrid in the driveway.

If you'd like a Miles Grant for Delegate yard sign, email us!

Gore Lays the Smackdown on Ignorant Republican

For my day job with the National Wildlife Federation, I live-blogged Friday's House Energy & Commerce Committee hearings on the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

This was the quintessential moment of the hearings -- a Republican ignorantly spouting off about something he or she didn't know about, then getting smacked down by Al Gore: