green

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Businesses Compete for Green Games — More than 120 property owners and office tenants have signed up for Arlington County’s inaugural Green Games competition. The Games challenge local businesses to cut energy and water consumption over the course of a year for a shot at awards and recognition. [Arlington Green Games]

Lyon Hall Beer Dinner Reviewed — Lyon Hall in Clarendon held its first beer dinner last week. The French-inspired brasserie paired Belgian-style brews with artfully-prepared small plates for a group of lucky beer enthusiasts. Another beer dinner is planned for April 8. [We Love DC]

Spa Replaces Book Store in Shirlington — A spa is coming to the space formerly occupied by Books-A-Million in Shirlington Village. [Shirlington Village Blog]

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

McDonnell Pushes For Quick Action on Health Care Challenge — Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who praised state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s now-successful challenge to President Obama’s health care reform law, wants the federal government’s inevitable appeal to go straight to the Supreme Court rather than take a more circuitous route through a federal appeals court. “Everybody knows it’s going to go to the U.S. Supreme Court,” the governor told Fox News.

W&OD Trail Closure Postponed — A portion of the W&OD Trail was supposed to be closed today to allow for power line work, but that has been postponed indefinitely because of the wind, a county official says.

Arlington-Based Green Firm Acquired — ClearCarbon, a Courthouse-based company that audits corporations’ greenhouse gas emissions, has been acquired by consulting giant Deloitte. More from Reuters.

Street Closure Near Rosslyn Metro Sunday — North Moore Street between Wilson Boulevard and 19th Street North will be closed all Sunday as a result of utility work for the Rosslyn Metro entrance project. Buses that normally use the street will be redirected to North Lynn Street. Signs will be in place to direct riders.

Union Jack’s Reviewed — Parody, or just really enthusiastic? You decide.

Flickr pool photo by Amber Wilkie

Earth Day Events

By ARLnow.com

There are a number of ways to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in Arlington tomorrow. Below are some that don’t require access to the Pentagon.

From 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., a new rain garden and public plaza will be unveiled in Rosslyn. The temporary park was built on the site of a stalled skyscraper project at North Moore Street and Wilson Boulevard. Learn more about the project from the press release, after the jump.

Big Wheel Bikes in Lyon Village (3119 Lee Highway) is holding an unveiling for a new line of electric bikes from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. There will be free food, drinks and live entertainment, and attendees will be able to test-ride the bikes on the nearby Custis Trail.

Disney’s new nature documentary “Oceans” will be playing tomorrow at the AMC Courthouse theater starting at 10:00 a.m.

Bus Boys and Poets in Shirlington (4251 Campbell Avenue), together with the Earth Day Network, is celebrating the occasion with an extended happy hour featuring earth-friendly cocktails. The “Green Hour” is taking place from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m.

There are also a couple of Earth Day events this weekend. See our events calendar for more.

Pool photo by GlitrVamp

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Green Energy Innovation in our Backyard

By Alex

A new technology that generates electricity using bacteria will be unveiled at the Pentagon on Thursday. The Earth Day event will showcase a microbe-powered fuel cell developed by the the Office of Naval Research.

“Microbial fuel cell research is a great example of naval needs propelling advanced technology that also has potential benefit to the public,” said Chief of Naval Research, Rear Adm. Nevin Carr.

This new green energy innovation utilizes decaying marine organisms to generate power, offering a clean and robust alternative to environmentally-destructive batteries and other sources of electricity.

“Think of it as a battery that runs on mud,” ONR Program Manager Dr. Linda Chrisey said. “They are sustainable, environmentally-friendly and don’t involve hazardous reactants like a regular battery might because they use the natural carbon in the marine environment.”

The fuel cells can be used to power underwater autonomous vehicles such as surveillance equipment, oceanic monitoring probes and other devices. In addition, they promise a long, productive life span, unlike current battery technology.

“Essentially, they could go on for years without any kind of battery replacement,” Chrisey said.

The technology is currently in use at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Pacific, where researchers are using fuel cell-powered equipment to monitor endangered sea turtles.

To Do This Weekend: Earth Day Edition

By ARLnow.com

Earth Day is coming up on Thursday and there’s plenty to do this weekend to celebrate. Unfortunately, everything seems to be happening on Saturday, so hopefully you have a fast-but-fuel-efficient car to get you from place to place.

Rain Garden Creation — From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, volunteers will transform an empty construction site in Rosslyn into a beautiful urban space and rain garden. Volunteers will plant, paint, and install furniture at the site on North Monroe Street and Wilson Boulevard. The temporary urban green space will open on Earth Day.

Arlington County Community Energy Town Hall — The Arlington County government wants citizen input on energy issues in the community. Attendees receive a free compact fluorescent light bulb. The meeting is happening from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Washington-Lee High School Commons Room (1301 North Stafford Street).

E-CARE Recycling Event — Being held between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 South Old Glebe Road), this event lets residents recycle bikes, small metal items, shoes, eyeglasses, books, and durable medical equipment. Household hazardous materials will also be accepted but, unlike the last E-CARE event, electronics will not be collected due to space restrictions.

Family Earth Day Event — From the comments section. This event is happening at the Arlington Arts Center from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

See more weekend events in our events calendar. White you’re there, be sure to check out two very worthy fundraisers this weekend: Saturday’s Pooches on the Patio fundraiser for Doorways Women and Families, and Sunday’s Walk to End Violence Against Girls and Women.

Eat (and Dance) Compassionately This Weekend

By Alex

If you want evidence that eating vegan is becoming more mainstream, just look at the 29 Arlington restaurants listed as vegetarian-friendly on VegDC.com.

“There’s no doubt that the popularity of meatless cuisine is on this rise,” said Erica Meier, Executive Director of  Compassion Over Killing, a D.C.-based animal advocacy group. “A growing number of restaurants in Arlington and throughout the D.C. area are dishing out more delicious and nutritious animal-friendly fare to meet the increase in consumer demand.”

One local restaurant is going all-out in its effort to meet that demand.

Toscana Grill, an eco-friendly restaurant in Courthouse, together with Compassion Over Killing, recently launched “Vegan Weekends in April.” Each weekend features a menu of exclusively plant-based dishes.

Timed to coincide with Earth Day, Toscana is also holding some special vegan weekend events. On Saturday, the restaurant is hosting a “dancing and drinks night,” featuring wine and all-you-can-eat vegan appetizers. Then on April 25, it’s Bring Your Dog to Brunch Day.

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Free Gardening Classes at Arlington Home Show

By Alex

Is your garden or yard losing its luster?  No need to worry, help is on the way.  Coming up on Saturday, April 10, at the Arlington Home Show and Expo, two garden-specific classes will be presented by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Starting at 10:15 a.m. there will be a class called “Garden Soil Testing! How and Why” that will include a free test kit for all participants. Later in the day, at 3:00 p.m., a class titled “How to Catch a Squirrel:  Solutions to Common Garden Problems” promises valuable tips for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

There’s a ton to learn about gardening — proper mulching, watering, fertilizing, etc. — but these free classes should be a good start for any green thumb looking to keep their yard pristine and make their garden yield better results.

Other classes offered at the home show will pay special attention to eco-friendly home building and remodeling. Among the classes being offered are “No Cost and Low Cost Ways to Reduce Energy Usage”  and “Green Your Home From Soup to Nuts.”

Arlington County representatives will also be attending the Expo to answer questions about permits, zoning and inspections.

The Expo is being held at the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street South.