GREEN STEPS |
|
| The City of Greenbelt is taking steps to becoming an even more sustainable community. See how you can help. | |
UPCOMING NEWS AND EVENTS: SHREDDING DAY: Saturday, May 4th from 9 AM – 12 NOON New Program to Provide Rebates for Stormwater Retrofits! Prince George's County is providing a number of different rebate programs for residents and businesses who put in Stormwater Mitigation solutions. PEPCO OFFERING FREE TREES TO CUSTOMERSIn its third year as an Arbor Day Foundation partner, Pepco is providing free trees to customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia through the Energy-Saving Trees program. Launched as a pilot initiative in 2011, the Energy-Saving Trees program conserves energy and reduces household electricity bills through strategic tree planting. Pepco customers can reserve their free trees today at www.arborday.org/pepco <http://www.arborday.org/pepco> . Within seconds of accessing the website, an online tool helps Pepco customers find the most strategic location for planting and estimates the annual savings that will result from the tree. Customers can reserve up two trees per household and the program will continue until all trees are reserved. In exchange for the free trees, customers are expected to care for the trees and plant them in the location provided by the online tool. The two-to-four-foot trees will be delivered directly to the customer at an ideal time for planting. “The Energy-Saving Trees program saves money and the environment,” said Thomas H. Graham, president, Pepco Region. The Energy-Saving Trees online tool was created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Davey Institute, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Co., and uses peer-reviewed scientific research from the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree Software to calculate estimated benefits. For more information and updates, visit www.pepco.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at PepcoConnect, and download our mobile app at www.pepco.com/mobileapp. DONATION DROP-OFF: American Rescue Workers,
Second and Fourth Saturday of Every Month
from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. Make sure you have clean, properly prepared recyclables set out on your collection day! |
|
Stepping Together Towards a Sustainable Society
The City of Greenbelt takes pride in being socially and environmentally responsible, two things the community believes to be intrinsically interlinked. From recycling to bike paths and the overhead tree canopies in between, the city continually strives to live as Green as possible. As the rest of the world progresses into a cleaner, more eco-friendly way of life, the City of Greenbelt plans to keep on evolving with it.
ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
The City has a fleet of environmentally responsible vehicles in service, currently running six natural gas vehicles (two sedans, two vans, and two pick-ups) with the goal of doubling that (making them 10% of the City fleet) by 2012. It employs one hybrid SUV as well as a number of flex-fuel vehicles. Bio-diesel (80/20) was used in the fleet for years until 2006, when it was cut as a cost saving measure. Though ethanol is not yet available in the area, there is the opportunity to expand the fleet due to the natural gas pumping station at Public Works.
GREEN FACILITIES
City facilities in Greenbelt also maintain a high level of environmental responsibility. The new Public Works facility will be a green building, using 70% of materials recycled from the site of its demolition. The facility will rely on geo-thermal energy for heating and cooling, as well as energy efficient lighting, with automatic on/off settings and light sensing. The facility's Energy Efficiency Program is an ongoing process to continually upgrade the lighting. The now recently completed energy efficiency audit (Chevron) will continue to implement recommendations over the next few years.
TREE CITY USA
The City of Greenbelt is proud to have been designated at a Tree City USA City for the past 10 years.
To qualify as a Tree City USA community, a town or city must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.
These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program.
It is important to note that they were also designed so that no community would be excluded because of size.
- A Tree Board or Department
- A Tree Care Ordinance
- A Community Forestry Program With an Annual Budget of at Least $2 Per Capita
- An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation
GREENBELT'S TREE CANOPY
City operations focus on the Tree Canopy, which is currently at 62%. A few years ago the Public Works department completed their street-tree master plan, to identify gaps in the street tree canopy and improve on those gaps. Goals were set and met. The city is also participating in the new State program to measure and improve tree canopy. Recent surveys show Greenbelt as having one of the highest percentages of tree canopies in the region. The Adopt-a-Tree program in the city is as always, alive and flourishing.
RAIN BARRELS AND RAIN GARDENS
Greenbelt uses rain barrels to collect water in several places throughout the city. Water running of the Youth Center Roof is collected to water its decorative gardens. The Public Works Green House, which grows plants used in landscaping throughout the city, has a large rain barrel system to address its watering needs. During Earth Day 2010, a rain garden was planted near the new restroom facility at Buddy Attick Park.
CLEAN-UP PROGRAMS
Clean-up programs are vital to the city, with Greenbelt's Recycling and Environment Advisory Group organizing more community volunteer clean-up programs on Earth Day each year. The city has an ongoing program which works to improve the water quality at Greenbelt Lake through upstream improvements. In addition to that, Greenbelt is signatory to the Anacostia Trash Treaty, which also works on improving water quality. The City recently identified a trash "Hot Spot" at Spellman Overpass. Currently more than 54% of all collected waste gets recycled. Greenbelt provides curbside and drop-off services, which includes but is not limited to electronics, clothing, oil and batteries, and leaf collection and composting. On days with lower air quality conditions (deemed Code Orange and Red), the City adapts all of its operations, to include limiting refueling to mornings or evenings, and no grass cutting on Red Days. In the 2010 fiscal year, the city is working with apartment communities to improve recycling.
ZIPCAR
The City is taking on other Green initiatives, like the Zipcar, which was established at the Green Ridge House. The City has also provided residency programs. This includes a monthly grant for police that live in town, as well as a $2,000 grant to any City employee who buys a home in the community. In agreements negotiated with Greenbelt Station and Springhill Lake, the city pushed for use of Green building technology and low impact building approaches.
PAPER RETRIEVER PROGRAM
The City of Greenbelt uses the Paper Retriever Program to collect newspapers at the city's 2 reycling centers located at Buddy Attick Park and at Hanover Drive. Collections through this program helps to raise money for the city's other recycling efforts.
SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING
The 2010 fiscal year budget established a sustainability tracking system which monitors progress towards the climate change goals set by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.