Earth Day is Monday, April 22, and in the spirit of “think globally, act locally,” some residents of Greenbelt and surrounding areas met recently in the MakerSpace to discuss global warming. At the meeting, city resident Lore Rosenthal shared the concept of drawdown, which is the point in time when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere begins to decline on a year-to-year basis. Participants learned about the top 100 most effective solutions to get to that point. Some solutions are already happening locally, including solar and wind power initiatives, stormwater management to preserve coastal wetlands and composting. City government efforts to green the town have been documented by the News Review. Some neighborhood and small groups also contribute their own efforts and solutions to global warming. Bob and Mona Kessel of Greenbelt East were early adopters of solar panels. They put a small 1-kilowatt system on a southeast-facing roof in 2006 and a 4-kilowatt system on a south-facing roof in 2009. The Kessels have already realized a net financial gain with the energy savings and available government subsidies. Mona also noted an unexpected effect on their neighborhood. “In the year or two after installation,” she said, “people would walk by our house on Mathew Street, notice the solar panels, and stop and ask questions. Bob had the answers since he did the design and we installed the panels with the help of our daughters. Today there are dozens of solar rooftop systems in Green belt East.” The Greenbelt Community Church, United Church of Christ, is completing a rain garden project this spring and plans to dedicate it in May. It was designed for two purposes. First, it slows the rush of stormwater by absorbing it into the ground, lessening the amount running into the Anacostia River. Second, it removes pollutants such as oil or pet waste by filtering the water through special absorbent soils at the base of the garden. This protects the Chesapeake Bay and preserves coastal wetlands. There is no cost to the church for this project because it is funded by the County’s Alternative Compliance program. The Greenbriar Condominium community, with nearly 1,000 households, is completely powered by green e-certified 100 percent wind power. A few years ago, the community switched to power sourced from wind farms in Texas through a multi-year electricity contract with the utility company. Greenbriar estimates they reduced their greenhouse gas emissions each year by about 8,383 tons. They are also installing LED lighting throughout the community for even greater reductions of power usage and costs. By focusing on solutions, “drawdown [discussion group] has given me a social support network that helps me stay focused and optimistic in these challenging times” said one of the group members.
Linda Rich is a participant in Greenbelt Drawdown, Greenbelt Climate Action Network and a resident of the Greenbriar Condominium community.
