Like most people in this world, I hate to backtrack. I believe at the core of this aversion is our desire to be accurate.   Backtracking represents a misstep, defeat, and as my son says, an epic fail. Backtracking can be very helpful at times, though. For instance,  backtracking is very useful when one finds a dead end at the termination of a  one-way street.  Walking in a blizzard is another situation where backtracking comes in handy. Backtracking is on my mind because I firmly believe that we as a nation are going to have to go back to successfully find energy stability.  I think it is …

 I have to admit that I am a bit confused.  Every day I see and read about our government representatives fighting over whether to cut spending, shut down vital services, or raise taxes to keep up with the pace of our increasing debt management burden.  It seems obvious to me that if we follow a very basic green principal, everything will work itself out…buy local!  Since we are talking about our entire country, buy local translates into buy American, sort of. A longtime cornerstone of any good pragmatic environmental purchasing mantra, buying from local farms, merchants and the like just …

Renewable energy has a new face - duckweed.  Duckweed looks like (and is) green pond scum or algae, and is used as fry cover, frog shade provider and one of the best natural nitrate and toxin removers around. I have asked before in this column for a truly green renewable energy source.  My argument is that production of any form of energy always seems to carry non-environmental methods and therefore cannot be completely “green."  Well, Duckweed may have proven me wrong. Duckweed is in fact the color “green," but it is also a naturally produced substance that can be used in place of corn for …

At the risk of sounding like the great Andy Rooney, allow me to complain for a moment.  Don’t you hate it when you see someone throw litter out of their car window? I can understand you not wanting to ruin the new-car smell or tarnish those beautiful leather seats, but do you really think your palace on wheels is more important than the side of the road we all must share? I was behind a car as we both exited the Dulles Toll Road the other day.  The car and its occupants rose to the top of the exit ramp and stopped. They promptly opened their door, extended their litterbug hand, and dumped …

Today is the 41st anniversary of the first Earth Day event! A common myth about Earth Day is that this season change (which happens in some form four times a year) is the reason April 22 was chosen as Earth Day. Cathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network in Washington DC, says that April 22  was not chosen because of it's significance to the changing of the seasons, but because ... it was a Wednesday. As the story goes, the first Earth Day was organized by a Wisconsin Senator named Gaylord Nelson.  He wanted to have what amounted to a walk-out from work and classes to protest our …

Here is a challenge for you.  Name a power generating process that is totally clean, completely safe and can produce enough power to make a difference?  For many years now I have asked that question of others.  The answers vary as much as the people I have asked.  It seems that power is something we are all keenly aware of, but most of us have simply not taken the time to really think about the problem. Here is what I see.  First, our electrical grid is old and in great need of repair.  The costs to properly update, harden and repair what we presently have correctly will dwarf that of the …

I was 12 years old when I first fell in love with cars. I was visiting my father in Mississippi, and he had purchased a Corvette Stingray.  It wasn’t a brand new Stingray, but a boy in a two-seat “race car” driving down Highway 90 in Long Beach, MS,  could care less when the vehicle rolled off the assembly line. I got my driver’s license in 1981.  I knew exactly which car I wanted -  a Delorean.  They only made a few of these stainless steel beauties, but each looked like it belonged in California, and required only cool drivers.  Though I was in California at the time, I got a chocolate …

After World War II, the United States saw the expansion of its urban areas to include sprawling neighborhoods in the surrounding suburbs.  These neighborhoods are collectively referred to today as suburbia.  Suburban living provides residents with so many wonderful amenities.  Close neighbors, cozy streets and nearby necessities such as grocery stores, gas stations, drug stores and restaurants all are available to suburbia’s residents. There are a variety of suburbias.  Some clear large amounts of trees and set up shop in the vacancy that remains.  Others simply take what used to be a farmer’…

Dear planners and engineers of the Wiehle Avenue Metro stop and surrounding area, I wanted to let you know that Wiehle Avenue is a beautiful drive.  The winding road rises and falls along the natural landscape of north Reston.  Drivers are taken on a journey along this scenic avenue that calms and soothes their nerves as they travel along its relaxing bends and curves. Who am I kidding?  Wiehle is indeed a very beautiful road.  But for those of us who use it daily, the intersection of Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills can be a congested area of frustrated drivers and idling vehicles.  Unless you…

If someone asks me if I am an environmentalist, I am known to respond that I am a pragmatic environmentalist.  I brought that term up in one of my recent articles, so this is not a new concept in this column.   Pragmatic environmentalists believe, as other environmentalists do, that we have an obligation as the smartest animals on the planet to make smart decisions on issues that affect our world.  My definition as to how a pragmatic environmentalist is different is that such types of folks focus their efforts first on the matters that we can all agree upon in hopes that the common ground …

I have always called myself a pragmatic environmentalist.  My drive to create such a title for myself, and others who believe similarly, is derived from my belief that “saving the earth” won’t happen unless it makes sense to people.  Not littering is a good example of a pragmatic environmental activity.  Using less water makes sense.  Turning off unneeded lights or closing windows on a cold day makes sense as well.  Lying down in front of a logging truck does not make sense to many, so this action and other more extreme measures like it do not fall into the world of pragmatic environmentalism…

Reston Association recently achieved LEED Silver status.  That sounds great.  But, what exactly is LEED?  LEED is an acronym that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED is a rating system that provides a grading system of sorts.  Each segment of the process of constructing a new building or modifying an existing building has a set of guidelines that provide a point system for each action.  The accumulation of these points will allow the owner to achieve a level of LEED.  A building can be LEED certified, LEED Silver certified, LEED Gold certified, or LEED Platinum …

 This is a tough time of year for environmentally conscious individuals.  The holidays are over, so how does someone who is environmentally conscious deal with all of the leftover holiday extras?  Not all religions celebrate during the time in December known as the "Holidays." But regardless of whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Agnostic, or another type of religious faith, this time of year seems to create a pile of extra trash. If you are someone who puts up a tree, there are three types to choose from:  root ball for replanting, cut fresh, or artificial.  I have always …

'Tis the season to give or at least that was how I was raised.  The study of giving, and why people give, is broadly named philanthropy.  Giving money to charity, giving your time to a cause or giving someone a gift all constitutes philanthropy.  There is a psychological aspect to why we give, and this unseen force drives charity in our world.  I know this sort of thing because my brother, Michael Moody, literally wrote a book on philanthropy, Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission (Indiana University Press, 2008). I taught him everything he knows.  Giving makes us feel good …

Green.  It is a term that invokes images of money, envy, algae, plants and trees. For years the word was used predominately as an adjective, but today it is being used most often to describe the environmental movement that has grown exponentially over the last few years. Similar to the process the word "organic" has gone through, the new-found success for the word green has brought it increased negativity from those that feel it is being shoved down their throats, a process sometimes referred to as "greenwashing."  Like brainwashing, greenwashing is perceived negatively.  Some feel that Al …

With the passing of Election Day earlier this month, I am reminded of how unsightly political signs are to our roadways.  Don't get me wrong, they are a necessary evil of the democratic process and I support their use 100 percent - I just want to make sure the signs get picked up.  Like cigarette butts, signs are an unfortunate part of every intersection.  Weight loss, odd jobs and fast ways to make money are all well represented.  My favorite though is the sign that tells me who to call to have the signs made! There are many signs that deserve, and sometimes need, to be stapled, taped, hung…

There are many words in our daily vocabulary today that were not words when I was born.  Merriam-Webster Dictionary annually introduces the new words they add to their dictionary suite of products.  Last year words like memory foam (yes, the mattress memory foam) made the list, as did staycation, the supposedly less-expensive way to vacation. Recycling is one of these words.  Though the actual process of recycling here in the United States has been attributed to Philadelphia's  Rittenhouse family, who started their paper recycling mill in 1690, the real push for recycling happened in the mid…

Reston is a mini haven for hybrids. I've always noticed there were quite a few hybrid cars on the road since I moved to Reston in 2006, and it makes sense considering its eco-friendly culture. One day I counted 14 just walking to my car in the Whole Foods parking lot.  Since so many Reston drivers care about what they drive, they probably care about where their car lives. The garage can be green, just like a hybrid car and just like a green home. The garage quite possibly uses the least amount of energy in your entire home, but is likely to be the most toxic. The garage often houses cars, …

I was delighted to get a postcard in the mail last week announcing the Reston Home Tour on Oct. 16. I was pleased to see that "green" is the inspiration for the event this year. Inspired by that theme,  I would like to share ways to green your own home one room at a time over the next few weeks. Having a green home does not necessarily mean spending a ton of money or making complicated changes. You might even end up saving money. Many people who work from home don't realize how much time they spend in their home offices. For some, it is easily the room where they spend the most time, so that …

There's a word creating a buzz among those in  property development, real estate, and commercial construction in Reston. That word is LEED. If this is the first time you've heard of LEED, don't worry it will not be the last. Reston has LEED on the brain, and is shaping up to become an icon for sustainable, environmentally friendly neighborhoods. Business leaders are talking about achieving LEED status, but what is LEED? LEED is an acronym which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. LEED is a third-party rating system awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It's a complex…