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From YouTube: Fresh AIRE; Setting the Green Standard
Description
In this segment we find out if Fresh AIRE, Arlington's Initiative to Reduce Emissions, is working. And how the County is reaching out to businesses owners to help them reduce their energy use.
A
B
Air
is
working.
The
goal
that
we
set
is
something
that
we
are
on
track
to
meet
between
two
thousand
and
two
thousand:
eight
greenhouse
gas
emissions
from
county
government
operations
actually
rose,
but
since
2008
we've
actually
reduced
energy
use
in
our
buildings
by
eight
percent
through
investments
in
energy
efficiency-
and
this
is
despite
a
sixteen
percent
increase
in
the
square
footage.
B
We
are
focusing
on
county
operations-
it's,
but
since
it's
only
less
than
four
percent
of
the
community
total
emissions,
we're
also
reaching
out
to
the
private
sector
to
encourage
them
to
take
action
and
to
follow
our
lead.
We
launched
the
Arlington
Green
games.
This
is
a
friendly
competition
between
commercial
office
properties
and
then
over
a
year-long
period.
Where
we
organize
trainings
seminars,
we
help
show
them
how
they
can
take
steps
to
reduce
their
energy
use,
their
energy
costs
their
water
use.
B
On
the
one
hand,
we
have
large
firms
like
Monday
properties,
vornado
real
estate
jones
lang
lasalle.
At
the
same
time,
there
are
many
companies
that
have
been
recognized
by
the
county
as
air
champions
because
of
exemplary
programs
or
milestone
accomplishments
that
they
have
achieved
the
Java
shack.
Restaurant
is
one
of
them.
The.
C
Process
of
became
becoming
a
green
business
actually
started
from
day
one.
As
far
as
I'm
concerned,
we
started
with
the
reusable
travel
tumbler
and
that
eliminates
the
use
of
paper
cups,
to-go
cups
and
offered
ceramic
cups.
For
here
from
then
on.
We
just
started
implementing
different
things
from
eliminating
as
many
plastic
throwaway
disposable
cups.
We
could
our
paper
cups,
we
convert
it
to
compostable,
recycled
cups.
Also,
our
plastic
to-go
cups
are
now
made
out
of
corn
product.
C
We
use
biodegradable
compostable
napkins
that
are
made
out
of
eighty
percent
recycled
material
and
that's
post-consumer,
recycled
versus
just
recycled
and
there's
a
huge
difference
in
that
I
was
able
to
work
with
continuum,
energy
solutions
and
they
came,
and
they
installed
two
solar
panels
over
our
patio,
and
we
use
those
for
four
outlets
that
people
can
plug
their
laptops.
Their
cell
phones
other
devices
into
we're.
B
C
A
D
Treated
not
as
a
chasing
of
programs
or
chasing
up
certificates
as
much
as
it's
a
sustainable
consciousness
that
we
maintained
within
the
studio
and
so
all
of
our
projects.
Although
many
of
them
do
achieve
LEED
certification
for
the
US
Green
Building
Council.
We
also
have
a
whole
range
of
items
that
we
just
integrate
into
most
projects
that
are
sustainable
along.
D
There
were
two
maple
trees
that
sort
of
came
with
the
property
and
those
maple
trees
turns
out
after
a
whole
variety
and
discussions
with
arbors
arborist
determined
that
they
were
at
the
end
of
their
useful
life,
and
so
they
could
be
a
detriment
for
the
new
house
and
we
turned
them
into
a
design
feature
of
the
house,
which
was
a
sort
of
a
wall
or
partition.
We
call
the
slat
wall
and
it's
all
made
of
the
actual
milled
maple
tree
that
used
to
live
here
on
the
site
with
us.
D
What
we've
done
on
this
particular
property
as
we
designed
a
highly
reflective
Energy,
Star
white,
roof
membrane.
There's
three
openings
here
which
go
down
to
scuppers
all
the
water
drains
off
the
roof
goes
into
a
1700,
gallon
cistern
and
then,
with
the
cistern.
We
use
to
irrigate
all
of
the
gardens
that
this
client
has
and
underneath.
D
Clients
weighed
the
cost
of
geothermal,
also
with
the
cost
of
solar
panels
and
the
client
decided
on
taking
that
pool
of
money
and
spending
it
on
geothermal
instead
of
the
solar
panel.
So
what
we
did
was
we
prepared
the
house
for
future
solar
panels
and
what
we've
done
is
we've
designed
an
area
that's
right
over
in
this
area
that
will
have
an
array,
a
small
array
for
basically
taking
this
property
off
the
grid.
One.
B
Of
the
great
things
about
investments
in
energy
projects
and
energy
efficiency
is
that
you're
spending
some
money
today,
but
you'll
save
money
next
year
and
every
year
thereafter,
on
average,
we
find
that
the
investments
that
we
make
in
energy
efficiency
projects
in
county
projects
pay
for
themselves
in
about
five
years.
Sometimes
they
pay
for
themselves
quicker,
two
or
three
years.
Sometimes
it's
a
seven
or
eight
year
payback,
but
overall
we're
always
looking
to
do
an
economically
prudent
investment
and
because
energy
prices
are
likely
to
continue
increasing.
That
just
means
additional
savings
in
the
years
ahead.