Mar 9, 2024 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
What’s found in the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, inside your brain, and even in a newborn baby’s first poop? If you answered plastic, you would be correct. Recent studies have found micro- and even smaller nano-plastic particles virtually...
Mar 6, 2024 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
In the past, heat pumps were not expected to perform well in colder climates, but as the technology has developed that is no longer the case. In fact, it is common now to find heat pumps functioning well in very cold climates, such as in Finland and Norway. Shifting...
Feb 1, 2023 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
About half of the homes in Washington Grove already rely on heat pumps to at least partially heat and cool their homes and 75% of new homes in the county are now built with them. Some Grovers are considering switching their primary heating from boiler/radiator systems...
Jan 9, 2023 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Invest in big changes when the opportunity arises: 📝 Find out where your home energy consumption can be improved. Learn about conducting an energy audit. 🚘 When you’re in the market for a new car, look into electric vehicles. 🏠 When you have to...
Jan 7, 2023 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Many actions to address climate change require investments of time and money by government, industry, business, or individuals. Here’s something everyone can do right now that will make a difference immediately: reduce meat consumption. How does meat promote climate...
Dec 1, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
In the past, the Sustainability Committee has encouraged Grovers to switch from Pepco’s standard-offer electricity (which is only 6% renewably generated) to a renewable electricity supplier via MD Energy Choice. While some of your neighbors have signed up for...
Sep 30, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
If it’s time to replace your cooktop or range, it’s a good idea to consider induction models. Induction models first appeared in stores in the 1980’s and are now the preferred option for many people because of their energy efficiency. They resemble smooth glass-top...
Sep 11, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take, Flora and Fauna in the Grove
Planting trees is a key tool in the fight against global warming. Climate change is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. Trees help to reduce these gases by taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it...
Aug 4, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
You may be surprised to learn that many of your Washington Grove neighbors are composting their autumn leaves, yard trim and food scraps. Rather than sending these valuable materials to landfills, they are putting them to much better use — while also helping to reduce...
Jul 3, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
About half of the homes in Washington Grove rely on heat pumps to heat and cool their homes. Other homeowners are considering switching their heating systems from oil or propane furnaces, or boiler/radiator systems to heat pumps. The Sustainability Committee...
Jun 14, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Love the sun but not the heat in your house? Here are some ideas to lower your air conditioning use: 🌞 Open windows when you can to let the cooler night air flow in and the hot air escape. Enjoy the fresh morning air and birdcalls. Then, close things up again...
May 8, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Heat Pumps in Washington Grove We know a large portion of GHG emissions is attributed to heating and cooling in Montgomery County, primarily due to residential reliance on natural gas furnaces and boilers. In Washington Grove, we rely on fuel oil and propane, which...
Apr 12, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
On this page: Benefits of Driving an Electric Vehicle Electric Vehicles: Three Main Types Electric Chargers: Three Levels Related Resources Benefits of Driving an Electric Vehicle Reduce Greenhouse Gases. Every gallon of gasoline burned in your internal combustion...
Jan 30, 2022 | Sustainability Matters
Q: How much does it cost to charge a typical vehicle, and how does that compare to what I would pay at home? A: The cost, as regulated by the Public Service Commission, will be $0.18/kWh (what is a kWh?), vs. $0.12-0.13/kWh at home. To fuel 300 miles of travel, Cost,...
Jan 16, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Easy Take your own bags when you shop. Decline the plastic utensils in your take-out orders. Stop buying plastic bottles of water; use refillable bottles. Avoid using plastic straws. Change of Habits Rinse, dry, and reuse lightly used plastic bags. Use paper...
Jan 16, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Here are some actions you can take to help keep your home warm and use less energy: 🏠 Nudge your thermostat down at night and when you’re away from home. 🏠 Drafts cause discomfort and waste energy. Insulate ducts and block air leaks around windows,...
Jan 14, 2022 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
On this page: Unnecessary Mail Party Supplies Reusable Cups and Bulk Drinks House Cleaning Gas Efficiency Local Produce Unnecessary Mail Reduce the catalogues you receive by following the steps at CatalogChoice.org. In addition, inside of each catalogue,...
Jan 11, 2022 | Sustainability Matters
Got questions about the prospect of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the Grove? Here are some resources you can review. Site plan diagram for charging stations near McCathran Hall (PDF) Most recent version of proposed License Agreement with PEPCO, agreed to...
Dec 30, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
In 2022, let’s resolve to reduce our carbon footprint! ✔️ Manage energy use by adjusting the thermostat and water heater and unplugging chargers. ✔️ Plan trips to consume less gas and consider going electric for your next vehicle purchase....
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
From resident Bruce Daggy: As new Maryland residents and new homeowners in the Grove, we took advantage of several programs to make our home more energy efficient. Ours is a newer (2005) home, built to modern efficiency standards; these programs are likely to identify...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
We have a lot of leaves in Washington Grove and they have to go somewhere. Can we use more of the leaves in our yards? Find ways to collect them that cause lower carbon emissions? Have fewer collection trucks come through town? Here are some ideas to help lower our...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
When you let grass clippings fall where you cut them, you’re practicing grasscycling—that is, recycling the grass. Because the clipped grass contains nutrients and moisture, it’s good for your lawn. The clippings decompose fast. Here are a few benefits of...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Yard Care Alternatives Here are a few ideas to consider for your yard care: 🌿 Go electric for your next blower, trimmer, and mower. 🍁 Practice “grasscycling”—-i.e., leave grass clippings where they fall to decompose and fertilize your lawn. 🌱...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take, Flora and Fauna in the Grove
Planting trees is a key tool in the fight against global warming. Climate change is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. Trees help to reduce these gases by taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Love the sun but not the heat in your house? Here are some ideas that may help lower your air conditioning use: 🌞 Wake up before the sun and open windows to let the cooler night air flow in and the hot air escape. Then, close things up tightly as soon as the...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Want to wring a bit of energy efficiency out of your laundry energy use? Perhaps some of these ideas will work for you: 🧺 If the temperature of the water in your tank is set at “Scorching,” lower it and save on heating the water. 🧺 Most likely your...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
What’s Your Carbon Footprint and Why Does it Matter? Your carbon footprint is your total output of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). When we drive and travel, when we heat our homes with oil or gas (or with electricity generated by fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Our homes in the Grove tend to fall into three categories when it comes to energy efficiency. Those built originally as summer cottages with no insulation, those built with little concern for retaining heat or cooling before energy codes began requiring insulation,...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Please Note: When this article was posted in June 2021, electricity generated from renewable energy could often be purchased for less than Pepco’s price. That is generally no longer the case. Offers change on a daily basis, and currently (May 2022) most are not to the...
Dec 3, 2021 | Climate Actions Grovers Can Take
Vampire energy is wasted electricity that leaks from appliances that are turned off but still plugged in. The less of these critters the better for energy efficiency. Here are some ideas to banish vampire energy: 🧛♂️ When you’re in the...
Sep 21, 2021 | Sustainability Matters
IPCC Report – a Wake Up Call. On August 9, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a landmark report stating that the climate is changing in unprecedented ways; human influence is clearly responsible for many of these changes; and catastrophic...
