Environment

The Arlington Energy Masters program is a joint venture between three Washington, DC area nonprofit groups - Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE), Arlington Thrive, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) – which aims to increase energy efficiency in Arlington’s low-income residences. Volunteers from the DC suburb are put through a 20 hour training course on what impacts a home’s water and energy usage and strategies to make homes more efficient. Once the training is completed, volunteers spend at least 60 hours in the community applying their knowledge to help lower energy and water usage in low-income apartments from throughout the county.

Founders Award for Civic Leadership

The Founders Award for Civic Leadership acknowledges groups and individuals of national stature for his or her contributions to the stewardship of communities.

Thomas E. Lovejoy is being honored for bringing climate change and the vulnerability of the world’s tropical rainforests to national attention. Lovejoy, an accomplished conservation biologist, is often credited with coining the term “biological diversity.”

Thomas E. Lovejoy traveled to Brazil in 1965 as a graduate student to conduct one of the first studies of the effects of habitat fragmentation in the Amazon. This led to what is now the largest long-term experiment in the history of landscape ecology, the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, which has produced invaluable data on the severe risks posed by habitat destruction and climate change.

In 1973, Lovejoy was named the director of the conservation program of the World Wildlife Fund. He served until 1987 at which time he became the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Affairs for the Smithsonian Institute and a protégé of Dillon Ripley. Lovejoy has lent his expertise as an environmental advisor to a number of influential organizations including the Inter-American Development Bank.

Lovejoy has played a fundamental role in bringing the vulnerability of the Amazon rainforest and the dangers of climate change to international attention, most notably through his work with David Attenborough on the PBS series Nature. For years he was the lone voice measuring the impact of climate change and habitat destruction on biodiversity. Today, Lovejoy is celebrated for his pioneering work in this emerging field and his noble devotion to the protection of the world’s most vulnerable natural habitats.

photo credit Oak HammockAs the baby boomers reach retirement age, institutions across the United States will have to find creative solutions to accommodate their burgeoning numbers. Despite this growing need, a retirement community on a college campus might not seem to be a great idea. It’s not difficult to imagine late-night police calls from seniors who think midnight is entirely too late to be playing loud music, or are appalled by the undergraduates who trample the beloved garden of a 90-year old during their late night escapades. But Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, Inc. has created just such an unlikely pairing, a relationship in which university administration, students, senior residents, and other stakeholders have found a lot to like.  

Rarely does the subject of water inspire poetic phrases or passionate dedications. While we may occasionally recognize its importance, this appreciation is usually offset by the size of the water bill at the end of the month. Regardless, I’m going to ask an odd question: have you ever celebrated water? If I got a single “yes” I would be very surprised, for the simple reason that there are few formalized occasions for the public to appreciate water. This year, a multitude of civic and non-profit organizations have teamed up to give individuals the opportunity to celebrate their “love for water” in the annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest.

2012 marks the 40^th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Although it was originally enacted in 1948, the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972 to regulate discharges of water pollutants and monitoring water quality standards in the United States. The Annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest is honoring this anniversary and renaming itself the “Sense of Water Contest” for 2012.

Bridge Builders Award