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  Holiday Road Trip? Rent a Hybrid

  02 Dec 2009 | Brandon Fuller

  Like me, if you live in the city, you might not own a car. To make a road trip during the holidays, you’d have to rent something. This got me thinking about how I could reduce my carbon footprint, and my travel costs, significantly by renting a hybrid.

  It isn’t as easy as you might think to rent a hybrid. Even though the technology has been around for years and many vehicles now integrate it into their engines, very few rental companies make it as intuitive to rent a hybrid as it is to rent an SUV, convertible or economy car.

  Here is a quick breakdown of the best route to rent a hybrid:

  • From THIS site you can view the Hertz “Green Collection” and select a fuel efficient car to rent. Unfortunately, you will find that availability is limited and it

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  It’s Almost Time for Zoo Lights!

  02 Dec 2009 | Brandon Fuller

  Zoo Lights is a festive annual tradition held at the National Zoo for the holidays. The entire zoo is decorated with colorful lights in animals shapes. Part of the fun is just being in the Zoo at night when it is usually closed.

  The event runs from December 4th through the 13th (Friday – Sunday nights) and December 18th through January 2nd (every night) from 6:00-8:30pm.

  In addition to the exiting light displays, the Zoo will also feature keeper talks and live music. You can even access the small mammal house, great ape house, reptile discovery center, think tank and the kids’ farm.

  If you were curious, the displays at Zoo Lights are made of all LED lights that use 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

  See the full calendar of special events and buy tickets ($5 for FONZ members, $8 for non-members) by …

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  Appliance “Cash 4 Clunkers” in DC

  01 Dec 2009 | Brandon Fuller

  The Federal government’s “Cash 4 Clunkers” campaign was a big hit with Americans looking to dump old fuel hogs in exchange for efficient new cars. Congress has debated extending the trade-in program to apply to appliances as well. This would mean anyone suffering with high utility bills because of old refrigerators could afford to replace them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the appliance version of “Cash 4 Clunkers” is moving forward through Congress very quickly.

  Thankfully, the DC government is here to save the day for owners of inefficient appliances by offering rebates for Energy Star refrigerators, washers, heat pumps and dishwashers. Starting in April, DC will distribute claim forms for new appliance purchasers that will provide specific instructions and appliance requirements. You can be on the list to receive information on these rebates by going to the District Department of the …

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  Is Your DC Apartment Earth Friendly?

  01 Dec 2009 | Daiva Kacenauskaite

  DC is an expensive city to live in, so most of us can only afford to rent.  Washingtonians living in rental apartments or group houses often feel that they don’t have control over the things they could do to make their living space greener.  I would like to offer some easy, landlord approved tips that would make your apartment living environmentaly friendly.

  • Turn off all lights when you leave a room. Replace incandescent light bulbs with EPA ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescents (CFL) or Light-emitting diodes (LED).
  • Turn your electronics off when not in use. Home electronics such as computers, TVs and printers use power even when idle.
  • Have all leaks or drippy faucets repaired immediately. Run your dishwasher with only full loads, and use the energy-savings setting if you have the option.
  • Have heating/cooling equipment serviced on a seasonal basis for preventive maintenance,

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  Dreaming of a “Green” Christmas?

  01 Dec 2009 | Brandon Fuller

  December has arrived in Washington. All us snow bunnies are eagerly watching the Capital Weather Gang’s snow predictions. While we dream of the white Christmas that will probably not happen, let’s think about the green Christmas that should.

  This holiday season its really easy to incorporate some eco-thinking into your routine. Newsweek has some great tips on doing just that…

  • Use LED Lights: Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. all sell LED holiday light strings that look just like traditional lights. How are they different? They’re technologically advanced! A string of these lights will last longer and use 80-90% less energy. Make sure you attach all of your lights to timers so they don’t stay on when nobody can see them.
  • Bring Your Own Bags: This year, bring your own bags to the mall

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