City of Alexandria Hub Updates

In May, the Alexandria hub partnered with local organization Build Our Future to create and disseminate an informational questionnaire to all City Council candidates in areas such as green building policies, transportation issues, and the degree of their support for the city’s Environmental Action Plan. The purpose is to help educate candidates and voters on relevant local climate policy issues (as with FACS overall, our hub does not endorse candidates).  

Also in May, hub members tabled at the Eco-City Alexandria Festival and EV Ride and Drive Event and joined a number of local groups in connecting with attendees around our programs. We also participated in a discussion with Alexandria City Public Schools staff on their facility sustainability programs at the City Environmental Policy Commission meeting.

Most months the Hub meets on the first Wednesday at 7pm, but in June we will meet later in the month (date TBD–stay tuned). Instead, we are encouraging our members to attend the Sustainability Champions 2024 Awards on the evening of June 6.

Arlington County Hub Updates

In May, the FACS Arlington Hub discussed the County's 2025 budget. We're pleased that the budget presented by the County Board reflects our advocacy priorities and provides a substantial boost to the climate budget for 2025. In the Hub meeting, we reviewed the Budget Guidance from the Board and discussed the next steps for advocacy to ensure the funds are allocated so they support maximum decarbonization initiatives, enhanced natural resources and support for community energy and resilience efforts. The Hub also had a side outing to visit Area2Farms, an indoor, vertical, organic farm in Arlington, and gathered after for social time. Our guest at next month's Hub meeting will be the rabbi from Arlington's Jewish House of Worship, Rav Amelia Wolfe, who will talk about Jewish climate action. The Arlington Hub meets on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 7PM via Zoom. 

Fairfax County Hub Updates

If you love trash talk, you would have loved our last Hub gathering! Rick Galliher gave us the scoop on the emerging plans to get Fairfax County, ALL of it, to zero waste by 2040. Look at the county Dashboard for progress so far. We’ll need to double the percentage of waste recycled or composted from residences. Watch for a comment period in July.

The other big deal is Plan Forward, an extensive process for the County to renew its Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is the overarching direction the County uses to set up regulations and land use. One Fairfax, CECAP and Resilient Fairfax will be woven into it, guiding decisions for the next decades. If you’d like to help shape the future, attend a public hearing and volunteer to monitor the meetings over the next year. Contact Kristin.rosenthal@gmail.com to help.

Loudoun Hub Updates

Friends Acting for Climate Group (FACT) has fully subscribed tours to the Loudoun Landfill and Loudoun Water facilities scheduled for May and June. Our Storm Drain Medallion Project was completed with the assistance of 11 Boy Scouts and leaders from Troop 997 placing. over 100 Medallions at the Ashby Ponds Senior Living Community. Their message, "No Dumping (No Descargue Basura) -Drains to Waterways," reminds us that what goes into storm drains makes its way from our streams and rivers to the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed. This directly affects the sustainability and health of our watershed's humans, flora and fauna. Loudoun Soil and Water Commission provided the medallions. FACT tabled at the May 14 2nd Annual Loudoun County Energy and Environmental Forum.

Central Valley Hub Updates

At our regular monthly steering committee meeting on May 13, we discussed ways to engage and empower younger climate activists. Andrea Troyer, the recently hired Sustainability Coordinator at Eastern Mennonite University, joined us for that discussion. One need is more opportunities for university students to volunteer with local climate and creation care organizations.

As an outgrowth of the Ecumenical Earth Day Worship Service last month, we are planning an informal Creation Care/Green Team mixer on Saturday evening, June 22. It will be an opportunity for climate and environmental groups from area congregations to learn to know each other and hear about the things some of us are working on.