Congratulations to the Class of 2013 for graduating with zero carbon debt!! Image via Microsoft Clip Art.

As an aside, I thought I was really clever and came up with the term carbon debt all on my own but then I googled it and…Oxford, the world’s most trusted dictionaries, even has a definition. Carbon debt is a thing! Just to make sure that you, Oxford and I are on the same page, carbon debt is “the imbalance between the carbon footprint of a particular country, group, person, etc., and any carbon offsetting that has been agreed or undertaken to counteract this.” In simpler terms, if you have carbon debt, you and your lifestyle choices produce more CO2 than your environment uses.

But don’t get upset! Don’t get discouraged! Carbon debt is easily relieved! You can drive less, eat local and lower on the food chain and plant some trees. And, you can invest in carbon offsets!

NWF Campus Ecology and Carbonfund.org Foundation are partnering to offer premium pricing to campuses looking to offset their carbon emissions. Click the photo to visit the NWF Carbonfund.org page.

1. Help your campus achieve carbon neutrality
2. Finance climate projects in three different categories
   1. Renewable energy and methane
   2. Energy efficiency and carbon credits
   3. Reforestation and avoided deforestation
3. Support NWF Campus Ecology programming

If carbon offsets make you feel like that vegetarian who eats bacon in secret, rest assured that all Carbonfund.org offset projects are third-party verified, certified and audited. Carbon offsets are the perfect way to account for emissions resulting from events (sports games and, ahem, graduation ceremonies) and travel, and can be a bridge between the present and your campus’s self-supplying energy future as it builds that infrastructure. Investing in Carbonfund.org’s innovative offset projects–landfill methane gas-to-energy conversion operations in the northeast, reforestation along the banks of the Mississippi River and truck stop electrification across the country– is something your campus can do while continuing to increase energy efficiency and building its own, on-site renewable energy portfolio.

So here’s an idea for that graduation check from your great-uncle Harry:  how about you invest it (or at least part of it, because let’s be real, graduating from college requires a bit of cash in the “celebration” fund) in a climate action project so you can graduate knowing that the CO2 emitted throughout your college career is being absorbed by climate-smart projects throughout the country and even the world. Better yet, pay a visit to the Commencement Committee, and ask them to look into offsetting your graduation ceremony.

If you have questions about Carbonfund.org offsets on your campus, email NWF Campus Ecology’s resident carbon offset expert, Kristy Jones at jonesk@nwf.org.

And most of all, HAPPY GRADUATION!! We wish we could sign all of your yearbooks personally with our soy ink pens, but just know that we have loved working with you! Best of all, this isn’t goodbye! Be sure to stay in touch by joining the NWF Emerging Leaders Initiative, which supports recent grads and young professionals (that’s you!) as they embark on careers in the environmental and conservation fields. The Emerging Leaders Initiative offers opportunities such as fellowships, leadership skills and professional development training, networking and more!

Keep in touch!

Love,

The NWF Campus Ecology Team

Related Reading:

• Find out more about the NWF Emerging Leaders Initiatve at www.nwf.org/emergingleaders and on facebook at facebook.com/nwfleaders
• Learn more about the NWF Campus Ecology partnership with the Carbonfund.org Foundation.
• Like NWF Campus Ecology on facebook, and follow @CampusEcology and @YouthforClimate on twitter.
• Sign up for the NWF Campus Ecology e-newsletter.

According the American Psychological Association (APA) more than one third of Americans report high stress levels, and one in five say they feel very stressed at least half of each month. Stress impacts our health with physical symptoms like fatigue, headache, stomach upset, and back pain. It can affect our emotions, causing anger, depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.

Children, as well as adults, feel the pressure from peers, schoolwork, and busy schedules. So what can we do?

Eating right, making time for exercise and spending time with friends and family are all important steps. But, a step outside may be the most beneficial. One study, from the American Journal of Public Health, revealed stress levels fall within mere minutes of being outside.

Here Are 3 Great Ways to Go Outside & Get Calmer:

1. Run (Walk, or Bike) Away From Your Problems

Everyone knows getting moving is great for you; moving around outdoors may be even better. According to Oprah.com, scientists have found that walks in nature reduce markers of stress within the body like decreased blood pressure, heart rates, and lower levels of cortisol.

Get outdoors and get moving with these activities or go to NWF’s Activity Finder for more ways to Be Out There:

• Kick a ball with your kids
• Climb a tree
• Play Tag or hopscotch
• Host neighborhood relay races
• Jump rope

2. Be Still Your Beating Heart

Meditation is an excellent stress buster. Why not find a quiet spot in your backyard or local park and enjoy some outdoor introspection? Here are some simple techniques from the Mayo Clinic:

• Breathe deeply. Focus all attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.
• Scan your body. Focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of your body’s various sensations. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises.
• Repeat a mantra. You can create your own mantra, whether it’s religious or secular, such as “Om.”
• Walk and meditate. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you’re walking–in a tranquil forest or a city sidewalk.

3. Get Grounded

There’s powerful evidence that digging in the dirt reduces depression and anxiety and strengthens immunity. According to Huffingtonpost.com, a 2008 survey showed gardening may help reduce stress, even among those caring for chronically ill family members. Huffingtonpost.com also reports gardening can help lower cortisol levels and boost mood among people who had just finished a stressful task.

So grab your trowel and some seeds or plants and start growing with your family. Get your kids in on the action with these great tips for gardening with kids.

This month, try an easy, healthy, and fun way to reduce stress– spend time outdoors. Where you’re gardening, exercising, or just “be-ing” a new, relaxed you is just moments away!

For other helpful resources and to learn more about NWF’s goal to get 10 million more kids spending regular time in the great outdoors, visit: www.BeOutThere.org.

Alyson Weinberg (Mom, writer): Alyson Weinberg is a Washington DC-based writer specializing in issues concerning children and families. She is an award-winning speech writer, feature writer and communications strategist and the former editor of Spirit, the magazine of the Special Olympics movement. Alyson’s articles and editorials have appeared in national print media, textbooks, and on the web. She and her husband Josh live with their two daughters, Josie and Raina, in Potomac, MD.

The ideology of “sustainable dining” is a fairly new concept on campuses. While students and universities have been focusing on energy efficiency and policy, of course important issues, there has been another looming shift in our country where people are beginning to focus on their food and what their body intakes. We’re not just talking calorie counting, but examining what farmers and food processors put in the things we eat. In the light of this shift, students are demanding their school dining services think about these things as well. Additionally, how far food travels is a considering factor. Reducing the carbon footprint of your campus includes decreasing the distance your food is travelling from “Farm to Table”. Basically, buying local, naturally grown produce and naturally fed meat is important for the sustainability of human health and the health of our planet.  And of course, in a still largely agricultural state like Georgia, opportunities for this should not be hard to find.

Friday’s workshop began with a keynote from K. Rashid Nuri, founder of Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture. Truly Living Well is an organization with two community gardens in Metro Atlanta’s urban neighborhoods. However, they do much more than gardening. TLW has a number of programs educating Atlanta and the state community on urban agriculture. Nuri came and gave a very inspirational speech on his background, starting Truly Living Well and his opinions on urban farming. We were reminded of why we were there and why this work is so important.

Jett Hatthaway’s lunch time presentation on Kennesaw State Students for Environmental Sustainability’s new student run farmer’s market

Campus Ecology’s Southeast Campus Field Coordinator, Eriqah Foreman-Williams, holding two new friends at Hunter Cattle Farm in Brooklet, GA

“It was very inspiring to see others who are breaking new ground in the ‘good food’ movement. It was such a pleasure to hear stories about the creative work colleges and universities are doing across the state, in the area of sustainable food. Momentum for this movement is growing, and it’s very exciting!”

I believe this was the necessary guidance needed to drive sustainable food initiatives forward on Georgia university campuses. In the next year, my plan is to organize strategic planning meetings with students, administrators, and university dining staff together to brainstorm how to tailor this new venture to their individual campuses.

Billy Parish shared three keys to his career success in a webinar discussion with NWF Emerging Leaders. Read more in his new book, Making Good: Finding Meaning, Money and Community in a Changing World. 

If there is anyone who knows about successfully building a career of meaning, it’s Billy Parish. Within the last decade, Parish co-founded both the Energy Action Coalition (of which NWF Campus Ecology is also a co-founder and proud partner!)–the largest youth advocacy organization in the world working on climate change issues–and Solar Mosaic, a solar energy marketplace, where he currently serves as President. In 2012, Parish and co-author Dev Aujla published Making Good:  Finding Meaning, Money and Community in a Changing World, a project that’s expanded beyond a simple print publication into a multi-faceted support and empowerment system for young people looking to “build careers that make money and change the world.”

This sounds like a big task, and highly idealistic. But Parish assured us that our work, our paying work, not just our extracurricular activities, can be meaningful.

Billy Parish’s Guiding Principles to Building a Career of Meaning:

1. Follow Your Purpose:  Parish admitted that when he started with EAC, he had no training (and no money) but he had a clear purpose:  building a movement to address climate change. His focused purpose helped him stay the course and fit all the puzzle pieces together to achieve his goal.
2. Build With the Best:  As you are following your purpose, Parish encourages partnering with the best people you can find to help you accomplish your goals. While you may not be calling up Van Jones or Joel Rogers, as Parish did, he wisely suggested reaching out to the people you actually need on your team–don’t refrain from asking for help for fear of rejection. So maybe you should dial Van’s number after all! (“Hey, remember me from Power Shift ’11?! I was the one in the green hard hat!” might be a good way to start your conversation…) More realistically, think of the “Van Jones” in your life–someone with political, legal and business savvy. A corollary to building with the best includes cultivating relationships with your future co-founders:  identifying your dream co-workers, your dream job. Keep in touch and lend a hand to the people who will help you get where you want to be.
3. Go to the Root:  Parish used the metaphor of a plant to represent his goals, and warned against always hacking at the leaves rather than tackling the root–the leaves always grow back, they even multiply, and a more effective and efficient strategy is to address the root issue. For Parish this meant building a constituency willing to fight for bold legislation to grow the green energy industry (through EAC’s Power Shift conferences), and later, finding a way to finance clean energy projects (via the creation of Solar Mosaic).

So there you have it:  strong advice from a successful, driven, young, inspired (and inspiring!) entrepreneur for entering the working world while still achieving your ultimate goal of building a cleaner, greener society!

Of course, you are encouraged to read more than just this blog about Making Good — Indie Bound will help you find a local book store to visit and order the book from — the book itself offers exercises and other resources to help guide you through your meaningful career path!

Have you read Making Good, or did you attend the webinar? Are you finding meaning, money and community in this changing world? Share your thoughts, your advice and your experiences in the comments below.

Praise for Making Good from Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada, Author of Global Warming for Dummies:  “Billy Parish and Dev Aujla embarked on a remarkably ambitious book. Not content to educate and mobilize on global warming and social justice, they have written a ‘how to’ book for ethical living in a corrupt economy. It is a practical guide to ensure that ‘making a living’ does not compromise ‘having a life.’ Making Good could change the world.”

NWF’s recent report Wildlife in a Warming World: Confronting the Climate Crisis details how wildlife and wild places across the nation are already dealing with climate change. As we celebrate the many wonderful ways trees touch our lives and benefit wildlife during this year’s National Wildlife Week, we also take a moment to step back and consider what climate change means for trees today and into the future.

Forests Facing New Climate Challenges

The trees that define the landscape in many parts of the United States are expected to undergo significant range shifts in the decades to come. As temperatures increase and patterns of rain/snow change, many tree species will have to find ways to adjust. And, this means that the birds, mammals, and other wildlife that depend on these forests will also have to adjust, not to mention the livelihoods and communities that are closely tied to the many services provided by the forests.

Here are a few examples of what climate change means for our forests:

• In the Rockies, forests are facing major changes as a result of droughts, wildfires, and insect outbreaks, all fueled by the warming conditions. More than 6 million acres of pine forest in Colorado and Wyoming alone have been devastated by mountain pine beetle outbreaks, drastically affecting the heart of the region’s tourism industry. The loss of white-bark pine has wildlife managers worried about the impacts on wildlife—including grizzly bears—that depend on pine nuts as an important food source.
• As the Southwest faces more intense and frequent megadroughts, chances are that we won’t be able to have forests in many of the places they are currently found. A recent study based on tree-ring analysis found that these megadroughts are now happening about 14 percent of the time, up from about 5 percent during the past 1000 years. If we keep polluting at the same rate, the Southwest could be in megadrought conditions 80 percent of the time during the second half of this century.
• In Alaska, forests are already beginning to encroach on the tundra. Wildlife species that are specifically adapted to tundra conditions are especially at risk. For example the arctic fox is facing new competition from forest-adapted red foxes.
• Climate change is projected to make parts of the Northwest much less suitable for many of the conifers for which the region is famous. In Washington State, for example, Douglas fir could be lost from over 32 percent of its current range.
• In the Northeast, spruce-fir forests are expected to recede up mountain slopes as temperatures become too warm for their survival, to be replaced by oak-dominated forests. Eastern hemlock is expected to be lost across most of its U.S. range as warmer winter temperatures allow the destructive hemlock woody aldegid to survive and spread. Many wildlife species rely upon the year-round cover of these evergreen species.

Conservation Approaches Branching Out, Too

Forest and wildlife managers are realizing that our approaches to conservation need to match the new challenges confronting our forests. When making plans for how and where we protect forests, we now need to think about possible shifts in forest ranges, changes in wildfire and pest outbreaks, and the impacts of more heat waves, droughts, and heavy rainfall events.

National Wildlife Federation is helping lead efforts to make conservation efforts climate-smart. For example, in a project to restore Ohio’s Black River, NWF made recommendations about which tree species to plant based on climate model projections of how tree ranges will shift. Our efforts with rural landowners in Alabama have helped them understand the value of longleaf pine as a native species that is more resilient to climate extremes than other pine species.

At the same time, conservationists, city planners, and water managers are looking to trees and forests as a way to increase the resiliency of our communities to climate change. Trees are critical infrastructure for cities and towns, and tree plantings, like those NWF is urging for National Wildlife Week, can help create more shade and reduce the need for air conditioning during heat waves. Healthy forests also help soak up heavy rainfall, reducing the likelihood of downstream floods while providing natural filtration for drinking water.

Don’t Forget Carbon Storage

When it comes to climate change, perhaps the most compelling reason to protect our forests and urban canopies is the crucial role trees play in removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for a long time. In fact, the regrowth of trees in the Northeast currently offsets about 16 percent of the nation’s carbon pollution from burning coal, oil, and gas.

Trees are a bigger part of the carbon pollution equation than many people realize.  That’s why NWF is working hard to fight deforestation in the Amazon and support forestry programs here at home. And, that’s why we hope that you’ll take a moment to plant a tree (or even better, a LOT of trees!) this year.

During the roaring 20’s, Detroit glittered as a global center of automobile manufacturing. With a population that soared from 285,000 in 1900 to 1.6 million by 1930, it was the fourth largest city in the United States. As more and more Americans clamored for cars, workers flocked to the Motor City seeking the American Dream, dark plumes of “progress” loomed over manufacturing facilities, and art deco skyscrapers dotted the skyline.  Today, the population has dipped to just shy of 706,000, about one-third of properties are vacant, and 10,000 homes are slated for demolition in 2013. To add insult to injury, climate change impacts are being felt in the Great Lakes Region. These impacts are not only adversely affecting wildlife, but are also affecting the places where people live: for example, when increased rain events exacerbate stormwater flooding and create sewage back-ups in basements and streets.

Andrew Moore, Cooper Elementary School, East Side, 2008, digital chromogenic print scanned from film negative, 62 x 78 in., Collection of Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell. Credit: Andrew Moore

Andrew Moore, House on Walden Street, East Side, 2008, digital chromogenic print scanned from film negative, 36 x 45.5 in., Collection of Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell. Credit: Andrew Moore

In Detroit Disassembled, Andrew Moore’s stunning large-format photographs are a nod to the style of 17th Century paintings, featuring crumbling buildings and streetscapes that are now overtaken by nature.  In one over-sized print, an abandoned elementary school is surrounded and swallowed by prairie beneath bucolic blue skies, a stark juxtaposition in a once-booming metropolis. In another photograph, birch trees are growing out of decayed tomes left behind in a former book depository. In another, foliage has literally overtaken a two-story home, covering it in green leaves.

Camilo José Vergara takes more of a retrospective approach in his exhibition, Detroit is No Dry Bones, documenting locations of the city over time, profiling the transition of the former industrial capital.  Vergara posits that Detroit’s “ruins” should be preserved, constant reminders of the Detroit’s cultural heritage and the capacity of its residents to survive in the face of adversity. Should modern ruins like the Michigan Theater, a once-grand renaissance-style building that is arguably the most beautiful parking garage in the world (cars are literally parked inside the theater’s shell, perhaps even in the spot where Sammy Davis Jr. met Frank Sinatra), remain as links to the city’s past?

Is there hope to revitalize decaying and declining urban centers, like Detroit, as they struggle to find their new identities? Of course there is, and nature can actually drive that transformation in the Motor City and elsewhere, but it requires us to be urban visionaries.

We need to take an approach that doesn’t exclusively focus on problem-fixing, but envisions the potential of our cities and towns, and recognizes that nature is critical, functional infrastructure and is just as important as buildings and roads. Instead of riding shot-gun, we need to put nature in the driver seat of our cities and towns.

Putting Nature in the Driver’s Seat

We know that nature can survive and thrive in urban areas, while benefiting the humans that live there — we just need to place a premium on our green infrastructure and be smarter about designing spaces to function in this way.

Here are some ideas:

• Establish networks of Certified Wildlife Habitats® that help restore wildlife in cities and suburbs, sequester carbon, reduce the urban heat island effect, and help manage flooding and drought.
  

  Hutchins Cole’s Garden, Rosa Parks Boulevard, Detroit, 1987 Photo © Camilo José Vergara

• Create robust urban tree canopies that provide habitat and food for wildlife, improve shade and cooling effects, and manage stormwater flooding (and reduce the urban heat island effect and air conditioning, thereby lowering GHG emissions associated with building energy use!). Climate science should inform trees species selection so that trees can survive in a changing climate.
• Transform vacant properties into wildlife gardens that grow local food, support wildlife, and provide ways for children to connect with nature.
• Restore urban streams and waterways to provide habitat for wildlife and recreation opportunities for residents. Of course, restoration projects should be designed to be “climate-smart,” meaning they can adapt to climate impacts over time.
• Enact local policies and plans that require wildlife-friendly, nature-based approaches to prepare for the impacts of climate change.

These ideas are not only relevant for communities that are re-developing and re-defining themselves due to economic downturns. Some of the same approaches can be taken in communities that are re-building and recovering from natural disasters, like those communities affected by Superstorm Sandy.

These are just a handful of ideas — learn more about climate-smart communities.

What are your ideas to make natural an integral part of our cities?
Detroit Disassembled and Detroit is No Dry Bones can be seen at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, through 17 March 2013.

And that’s not all – in the forest, an immediate concern  is the potential for hemlock woody adelgid to have a major range expansion, and possibly wipe out eastern hemlock altogether.

These insects are native to Japan and feed on and kill eastern hemlock trees. The bug’s range is constrained to places where minimum temperatures remain above -20 degrees Fahrenheit… which now includes where I grew up, in North Carolina, and soon could include the forests in the entire Northeast. Climate model projections indicate that temperature increases could place the entire range of this tree above this temperature threshold, leading to range-wide declines and possible loss of the tree species altogether.

Why do we care? “I am more of a wildlife gal/guy than a tree one”, you say?
Eastern Hemlock is the most significant whitetail deer wintering cover in southern and central NH and parts of Maine and much of Massachusetts. Hemlock is used both as cover and forage during deep snow or cold temperatures. Loss of hemlock from the bugs could significantly drop the number of deer who make it through the winter, especially as we have more extreme winter storms that dump larger amounts of snow.

“But we need to worry about the economy, what about the economy?” Good question.  Deer drive hunting license numbers, important revenue in most states.  A significant reduction in deer numbers drives license sales and hunters getting out and spending money down correspondingly. Hunting and fishing license sales provide the bulk of state fish and wildlife funding in many states, which protects our wildlife and our pristine places.

A few fun facts from the Congressional Sportsmen’s foundation:

• The $12 billion anglers spent on boats and other special equipment in 2011 is more than the global revenues for Starbucks that year .
• Hunters spent $6 billion on guns, ammunition and archery equipment in 2011. That’s the same as the sales of bicycles in the United States.
• And hipsters beware: Sportsmen spend $90 billion annually – that’s more than the combined 2011 global revenues for Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

“I am convinced! What can we do about?” I am so glad you asked. We have a plan!

1. Reject tar sands in the US (including a pipeline here in New England)

2. Cut climate pollution from coal fired power plants

and last but not least,

3. Get the word out:  talk to your friends and neighbors, post this on your facebook page, and share it on twitter.

No trash cans? Correct! The 2013 Green Inaugural Ball will not have a need for trash cans. A commitment was made by the Newseum, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and event organizers to compost and recycle all waste generated by the event.

To reach the goal of a zero-waste event, the Newseum will only use serving materials that can be composted, such as bamboo skewers, or reused, such as glass ware. The Newseum will also transform all of their existing trash cans into compost and recycling receptacles so guests and staff will be able to contribute to the event’s composting effort.

The commitment to reducing waste goes beyond the front of the house and into the kitchen. Before the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball, the Wolfang Puck Catering culinary and pantry staff will receive extensive training on compostable materials and source separation from Compost Cab, a pioneer in the area of urban agriculture and community composting. Compost Cab is a locally-based compost pickup service launched by entrepreneur Jeremy Brosowsky that helps urban dwellers turn their food scraps back into food, reducing waste and creating fertile soil in the process.  Subscribers have the option to receive some soil in return for their yard or window-box or donate the soil generated to a local urban farm.  Since the Newseum does not have a need for compost, whatever compost is created from the materials collected from the event will be donated.

Chef Tom Blundell outlines the plan for composting and recycling for the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball. NWF photo by Shelley Cohen.

The Wolfgang Puck Catering kitchen at the Newseum, led by Chef Tom Blundell, has also incorporated into its routine a number of waste minimization strategies, including:

• Cardboard Recycling: large boxes and cardboard items are separated and broken down for recycling.
• Compaction: waste is compacted to minimize space needs on the dock and in the landfill
• Oil: Kitchen oil used for frying is separated and disposed of in a separate grease trap in the dock where it is picked up and recycled.
• Light Bulbs: bulbs are broken down in a Lampinator, an eco-friendly lamp compressor that safely crushes the bulbs and separates the mercury from the glass and compresses it in a carbon filter.  This on-site machine reduces the need to dispose of the bulbs in a landfill, and eliminates the costs and emissions related to transporting the bulbs.
• Bulk Purchases: Chef Tom reduces waste by buying in bulk and carefully calculating food amount.

The 2013 Green Inaugural Ball and the Newsuem have carefully collaborated to find as many areas to reduce waste as possible, and we are excited to offer guests a waste-free experience.

Haven’t purchased your 2013 Green Inaugural Ball ticket yet? Purchase them soon before the event sells out.
Already have you Green Ball ticket? Don’t forget to tweet using the #GreenBall2013 hashtag.

Shelley Cohen is Chair of the Greening Committee for the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball. Ms. Cohen is an urban eco-mom with eighteen years of experience in environment and energy-related fields. She currently serves as a Senior Project Developer for Ameresco where she specializes in developing renewable energy and energy conservation projects, and is responsible for developing over 15MWs of renewable energy. Prior employment included jobs with EPA, the White House, and the office of Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT). Ms. Cohen’s green home includes eco-friendly materials, 12kw of solar PV, a cool roof, rain barrel, organic garden, and has been featured in local and national media. Ms. Cohen serves on the board of the National Wildlife Federation, and in 2012 was trained as a Climate Leader through the Climate Reality Project.

We all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint and lessen the impact of global warming. That’s why the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball, aside from “greening” the event, has teamed up with Carbonfund.org Foundation to reduce its carbon footprint with two carbon offset projects: The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge Reforestation Project and the New Bedford Landfill Gas-to-Energy Methane Project.

As a green event, we just couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to reduce the Green Ball’s climate impact, and help pave the road toward a clean energy future.

Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge Reforestation

Photo via Carbonfund.org. 

This area was once covered in dense forests, but now it supports less than 20% of its original 22 million forested acres due to decades of land conversion for agriculture. Why are forestry projects important? They help offset the effects of climate change, and help improve the quality of top soil, reduce and control erosion, protect and filter water while reducing the threat of flooding, produce oxygen and nutrients and provide habitats for wildlife.

New Bedford Landfill Gas-to-Energy Methane Project

This landfill gas-to-energy plant, located in Greater New Bedford, MA., not only produces 3.3 megawatts hours of clean electricity, but also reduces the amount of methane released into our atmosphere. Why is the destruction of methane important? It’s approximately 21–to–23 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and a major contributor to climate change. A major concern about climate change is the release of an enormous amount of methane—previously trapped in permafrost in frozen tundra areas like Siberia and Northern Canada—into our atmosphere.

Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Check out this list produced by Carbonfund.org Foundation on how you can do just that:
http://www.carbonfund.org/reduce

About Carbonfund.org Foundation

Carbonfund.org Foundation is the leading nonprofit carbon-reduction and climate solutions organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact by supporting third-party validated renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. Carbonfund.org has over 600,000 individual supporters and over 1,800 business and nonprofit partners including Discovery, Motorola, Amtrak, Dell, JetBlue, Virgin America and Staples.

Haven’t purchased your 2013 Green Inaugural Ball ticket yet? Purchase them soon before the event sells out.
Heading to the Green Ball? Don’t forget to tweet using the #GreenBall2013 hashtag.

Shelley Cohen is Chair of the Greening Committee for the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball. Ms. Cohen is an urban eco-mom with eighteen years of experience in environment and energy-related fields. She currently serves as a Senior Project Developer for Ameresco where she specializes in developing renewable energy and energy conservation projects, and is responsible for developing over 15MWs of renewable energy. Prior employment included jobs with EPA, the White House, and the office of Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT). Ms. Cohen’s green home includes eco-friendly materials, 12kw of solar PV, a cool roof, rain barrel, organic garden, and has been featured in local and national media. Ms. Cohen serves on the board of the National Wildlife Federation, and in 2012 was trained as a Climate Leader through the Climate Reality Project.

The Newseum, site of the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball, is centrally located on Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of D.C. and all of the inaugural action. Choosing the Newseum as our green venue provides attendees with access to multiple green transportation options.

The 2013 Green Inaugural Ball Greening Committee encourages attendees to evaluate their options and choose the greenest mode possible for travel to the event. Transportation pollution is one of the environmental concerns where attendees can make a tangible difference. Small behavioral changes, such as riding public transportation or carpooling, can have a huge impact.

Washinton’s Metro system is one of the best options for getting around during Inaugural festivities. Flickr photo by Paulo Ordoveza.

• METRO: The Newseum is located near three metro stations. The has a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority website can help travelers plan their trip.
  • Archives/Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Station (Green and Yellow Line)
  • Judiciary Square Station (Red Line)
  • Gallery Place-Chinatown Station (Green Line, Yellow Line and Red Line)
• BUS: There are multiple bus lines that travel within walking distance of the Newseum.  Attendees can view schedules and plan their trip by visiting the WMATA website.
• BIKE RENTAL: New to the D.C. area are bike-share kiosks. You can borrow a bike almost anywhere in the city and return it to an alternate location. To engage this service, a traveler must purchase a membership, which provides access to hundreds of bikes across the city. Find bike and kiosk locations by visiting Capital Bikeshare.
• EFFICIENT WHEELS: Secure facilities will be available for eco-friendly transportation devices, such as bicycles and scooters, to be stored during the event.
• WALK: The venue is conveniently located in downtown D.C. and is walkable from many hotels, restaurants, and metro stations
• DRIVE: If you must drive a car, consider carpooling or driving a hybrid or plug-in vehicle to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion.

The 2013 Green Inaugural Ball is also investigating options to offset emissions for attendee transportation to the event. More details about carbon offsets will be detailed in future posts.

If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, we strongly urge you not to wait till the last minute! General admission tickets can be purchased here.

Let us know how you plan to head to the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball. Tweet your answer to #GreenBall2013 or leave a comment below.

Shelley Cohen is Chair of the Greening Committee for the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball. Ms. Cohen is an urban eco-mom with eighteen years of experience in environment and energy-related fields. She currently serves as a Senior Project Developer for Ameresco where she specializes in developing renewable energy and energy conservation projects, and is responsible for developing over 15MWs of renewable energy. Prior employment included jobs with EPA, the White House, and the office of Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT). Ms. Cohen’s green home includes eco-friendly materials, 12kw of solar PV, a cool roof, rain barrel, organic garden, and has been featured in local and national media. Ms. Cohen serves on the board of the National Wildlife Federation, and in 2012 was trained as a Climate Leader through the Climate Reality Project.