The story below is from our September/October 2020 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Finding and correcting the size of our environmental shoe is getting attention from a lot of sources these days. Many of them are local and quite effective.
Celeste Delgado-Librero, founder of the environmental movement Sustainable Roanoke, has seen environmental consciousness grow almost exponentially in the past year or so despite the COVID-19 pandemic. And she is encouraged:
“When social restrictions are lifted, we need to resume our recycling collections; we need to organize cleanups and other events to raise awareness; we need to figure out how to reach more people through our personal reach or educational programs; we need to put pressure on our local leaders, businesses, and organizations to adopt and promote sustainable practices. When social restrictions are lifted, we will need everyone’s help.”
Though not an expert, she says emphatically, “What I bring is activism: I’m tired of being worried about the environment and of waiting for others who may know better to do something about it. So, I decided to jump in and err on the side of activism. Things have gotten much better in terms of pollution – I hear stories about noxious air stuck in the valley for days… That doesn’t happen anymore, so, some things are improving.”
The raw statistics are stark, if not depressing.
Three quarters of the U.S. waste stream is recyclable but less than a third of it actually gets recycled. Americans toss 24 trillion foam coffee cups a year and those cups aren’t recyclable or biodegradable.
The average American produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste a day and we casually waste 21.5 million tons (43 billion pounds) of food annually. We use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. Americans throw out 28 million bottles and jars annually, even though 87% of us have access to curbside or drop-off recycling programs.
Each of us, at the most basic level, has an environmental footprint that expands as we add other people to the equation. There are massive efforts underway to diminish that impact in both simple and complex ways, often at the level of the city, county or town we live in.
Nell Boyle, Roanoke’s sustainability and outreach coordinator, says the Roanoke Valley has “seen a reduction in greenhouse gases over the last 10 years just under 15%.”
Electricity producers still use a lot of coal, “so our electricity is high in carbon dioxide.”
Response to efficiency “is working,” says Boyle. “We see a reduction in emissions in the building sector. The general awareness in the community is improving. People are embracing energy efficiency with easy changes such as LED lighting, better HVAC equipment and better conservation behavior.
“In transportation, we have seen an increase in biking and passenger rail, as well as cleaner burning hybrids and electric vehicles.” Roanoke’s Ride Solutions encourages carpooling.
The pandemic has intensified some solutions, even if inadvertently. For example, there are far fewer cars on the road than normal and fewer toxic emissions from tailpipes.
Mark Barker of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League has kept track of emissions in our region for years, using the Department of Environmental Quality monitors. He says that in the Roanoke Valley “the pollutant levels for PM 2.5 [particulate matter] and ozone [which has a devasting effect on lungs] have decreased over the years. That’s good. … Research has shown that small increases and decreases in this impact health, so reducing as much as possible should be the goal.
“There are several factors in the decline. Of course, the coal-fired power plant reduction is the primary reason for the declines. … Better vehicle emission standards and fuel standards have also played a role. Various EPA programs such as the Clean Diesel Program, which supports ways to reduce diesel emissions, have also helped.”
Award-winning environmental activist Diana Christopulos of Salem insists that “the biggest challenge is in energy use for electricity. American Electric Power continues to rely much more heavily on coal, the source with the heaviest footprint for greenhouse gases, particle pollution, mercury, and others. The other source that is hard to control is I-81 and its truck traffic, a major source of particle pollution and ozone.”
There has been talk in the business community of “dramatic expansion” of the Valley’s population, including projections of a population of a million people within a few decades. That would have numerous environmentally destructive consequences, says Christopulos.
“Roanoke City is the only local government acting to reduce its carbon footprint and thereby generally reduce the cost of energy use [through conservation and efficiency] while cleaning the air,” says Christopulos. However, there are a number of non-governmental organizations working toward footprint-reduction. (See sidebar.)
“Our air quality remains good,” says Wayne Strickland, director of the Roanoke/Alleghany Regional Commission. “We’ve haven’t had ‘red alerts’ on ground level ozone for several years. Water quality is important to us since we are marketing our ‘Outside’ brand. Stormwater runoff is still an issue, especially when we receive two-plus inches of rain in a short time period. Our Tree City status in our urban localities has been maintained.” Roanoke is a major planter of trees.
Ivy Main, renewable energy chairwoman of the Virginia Sierra Club, notes that in mid-March Virginia’s Virginia General Assembly “passed legislation to transition our economy from fossil fuels to clean energy over the coming years. Two weeks later, Virginia shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the businesses whose very existence is now in peril are the energy efficiency companies and solar installers we will be counting on to get us off fossil fuels.
“Home weatherization and energy efficiency programs have come to an almost complete halt in Virginia, including programs run by Dominion Energy Virginia. Nationwide, the energy efficiency sector has lost almost 70,000 jobs. Companies that install solar, especially rooftop systems, report plummeting sales.”
Boyle offers specific recommendations for what each of us can do to shrink the environmental footprint. “Programmable thermostats can really help save energy and they can improve the comfort of your home. The AEP Take Charge Program [https://app.takechargeamerica.org] will pay you $50 to install one in your home. The new LED lights are much better and much cheaper than just a few years ago. They can save up to 75% of energy compared to the incandescent of yesteryear.”
She suggests “simple actions like carpooling, not just for work and school, but for social and recreational events. When you look to replace a car, pay attention to the gas mileage. … Consider a hybrid or going all electric. Virginia will be adding chargers across the state in the next two years, making electric vehicles easier to own.
“Finally, consider using or advocating for clean energy.”
Celeste Delgado-Librero says, “The solution lies in death by a thousand cuts: People who are concerned about the environment need to push for change, working with local and state political and industry leaders. … The solutions will come from the top. … We need to convince [leaders] that by accepting [current conditions] we are also part of the problem, that what we do individually will not bring about the solution, but that our actions are key components of that solution.”
Polluting the environment was a massive group effort. It will require the same force to clean it.
Shrink Your Footprint
Reducing your environmental impact is easier than you might imagine. Consider, for example, buying less food. In the U.S., 40% of all food becomes garbage and just five percent is composted. “Pre-cycling” means paying attention before using anything that can be recycled.
Here are a few ideas on how to reduce your impact:
- Recycle appliances and old technology (Home Depot recycles appliances).
- Recycle only items larger than a credit card. Small items jam recycling machines.
- Clean containers before recycling.
- Use toothbrushes with replaceable heads.
- Use cloth instead of paper towels and facial wipes.
- Use razors with replaceable blades.
- Replace plastic kitchen wrap and foil with reusable containers or fabric containers.
- Eliminate bottled water (you can use a seltzer maker if you like seltzer).
- Reuse plastic grocery bags in a variety of ways.
- Eliminate plastic cutlery and straws, using steel.
- Employ reusable coffee filters.
- When eating in restaurants, take your own containers for leftovers.
- Shop for fresh groceries using mesh bags.
- Compost food leftovers and yard waste (a mulching mower eliminates raking).
- Give old clothes to thrift stores and buy your clothes there.
- Recycle paper, batteries and printer cartridges from home offices.
- Refill ink cartridges (a number of Roanoke area business do that; it’s cheaper, cleaner).
Local Groups Work To Save Environment
Individual groups in the Roanoke Valley are working consistently and intelligently to help government efforts to reduce the footprint of the localities. Nell Boyle, who helps coordinate Roanoke’s efforts, looks to these private groups, among others, for support:
- Clean Valley Council has evolved from a recycling group to environmental activism.
- Ride Solutions is Roanoke’s carpooling program that also emphasizes the use of bicycles. Most recently, it coordinated the Earth Day Online University on Facebook, which was fabulous!
- Virginia Clean Cities is an expert in alternative clean fuels and transportation options.
- Greater Virginia Green Building Council promotes green building.
- Sustainable Roanoke has a recycling drop-off program.
- Citizens for Climate Lobby targets reducing emissions.
- Virginia Sierra Club works consistently for the environment. It is one of the original forces in environmental work.
- Mothers Out Front is new to the Valley and is looking for ways to promote environmental stewardship to protect the planet.
- Roanoke Valley Garden Club promotes environmental protection, with a focus on native plants and non-toxic practices.
- RAISE is a faith-based environmental group, building on some existing programs.
- Carilion Clinic has created an office headed by Sarah Wohlford that concentrates on environmental issues.
- Better Buildings Works combines energy use with architecture to create efficient homes in the Roanoke Valley.
- TAP’s Weatherization Program weatherizes hundreds of homes each year in Roanoke, and has been doing it for over 20 years.
The story above is from our September/October 2020 issue. For the full story subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!