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On October 18, we kicked off the Sustainable DC 2.0 working groups by taking a novel approach to community engagement. Instead of taking the traditional approach of holding one centralized meeting, we responded to what we have been hearing from residents and brought the meeting to neighborhoods around the city. Participants could choose from five meeting locations throughout the city: Lamond-Riggs Library, NE; Francis Gregory Library, SE; Dorothy I. Heights/Benning Library, NE; DC Office of Planning, SW; or the Franklin D. Reeves Center, NW.

Each site location participated in a live streamed event hosted by Tommy Wells, Director of the Department of Energy and Environment. The presentation included an overview of the Sustainable DC Plan, how it was created, and our proposed working group process for the plan update. We also shared the results of surveys and focus groups as well as what we heard through our numerous open houses and community conversations that occurred over the last five months.

Those that weren’t able to join us at one of the five sites, were able to participate from the convenience of their mobile phone, tablet or computer via Facebook Live. We streamed the opening presentation and then the five neighborhood sites logged off to engage in facilitated discussions intended to help establish top priorities for the various working groups. Facebook Live viewers stayed tuned for a virtual meeting with a panel of local sustainability experts. Moderated by Dr. Dwayne Jones of UDC, our knowledgeable panel included Christopher Shorter, Director, DC DPW; Ronda Chapman, Executive Director, Groundwork DC; Laine Cidlowski, Director, DC Food Policy Council; and Marc James, President, Urban Green, LLC. Viewers were able to engage virtually by submitting questions and comments via Facebook and Twitter. The evening was filled with lively conversations with over 120 residents at the five different meeting sites and an even broader community via Facebook Live.

Missed the live broadcast? No problem! It’s available to stream from the SDC Facebook page.

Well now it’s time to get to work.

Working group meetings begin the week of November 6, 2017 and will continue through early December. Based on feedback from this kickoff event, we’re planning to host the meetings in the evening to make it more convenient for you to participate. You can read a full description of the working groups and sign up to be a part of them here.
Check out the video from the event!

Time to be energy active!

Did you know that October is Energy Action Month? It’s a time where we look to the government and each other for leadership in energy management and optimization. Here’s the catch: being energy active does not mean that you have to be using a lot of energy. It actually means being aware of and making sure you’re using energy necessarily and not excessively. Take this month to make sure you’re checking out how you can be more sustainable energetically!

You can participate in these simple but important activities to learn more about Energy Action Month and what you can do:
UNPLUG extra devices or appliances that you don’t switch on often.
Use POWER STRIPS to control energy flows! If the power isn’t necessary to those devices, you can turn off the strip and save some energy. Some cool power strips automatically shut off idle devices, too!
Make smart UPGRADES – think about updating your appliances and electronic devices and replacing the old with ENERGY STAR devices.
Visit EnergySaver.gov to learn more!