Politics

The DC metropolitan-area had high expectations for funding in the stimulus plan.

Money for mass transit, infrastructure, home weatherization and federal energy efficiency alterations were on the wish list for area leaders and environmental activists. But in the end, what did we get?

In New York City, a battle is being waged over the role of artificial turf on sports fields in the city’s public parks. Last December, a park in East Harlem was shut down after examiners detected elevated levels of lead coming from the artificial turf on the park’s soccer field. Some samples from the soccer field showed lead levels four times greater than the federal limits for playground soil.

Two …

On Monday night, President Obama spoke to the American people about the urgent need for passage of the stimulus bill before Congress. In his remarks, the President specifically mentioned the importance of funding for energy efficiency improvements in federal buildings. He said, “When people suggest that, ‘What a waste of money to make federal buildings more energy-efficient.’ Why would that be a waste of money?” President Obama said that making federal …

Looking for a new gig? According to an article from the Washington Business Journal, DC is likely to add about 24,000 new green jobs in the coming year. The growth is due, in part, to the District’s Green Building Act of 2006, which requires much of the city’s new public and private-sector construction to adhere to green building standards.

Many of the jobs will result from greening existing jobs such as carpenters, construction laborers and managers, operating …