Welcome to GreenSpace, the library's portal for locating information about our environment. Here you'll find links to book and article searches, news, suggested websites,  and more.

In the News: AIRE - blog | ENN | New York Times* | Washington Post* *Registration is free, but required

It's not THE environment,  It's OUR environment.

Library Resources

• Search the Library Catalog for books, videos, and more about our environment
• Find articles about our environment at GREENR - The "Global Reference on the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources"

GREENR is a one-stop research portal. Find authoritative content organized into key categories like energy systems, food, climate change, population and economic development. It's reliable information in context, focused on the study of sustainability and the environment. Part of  the premium content on the Library's Research Portal. You will need your library card for access outside the library.

Watts killing you?

Ask for a Kill A Watt™ meter next time you're in an Arlington Public Library. Or search the library catalog, and reserve one with the Place Hold button. Take it home and connect your appliances and measure how efficient they are. Figure out your electrical costs by the hour, day, week, month, year. Then you can consider if power hungry appliances can be replaced with more energy efficient ones, or if some just need to be unplugged when not in us. According to EnergyStar, 40% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Need more details? See this user's review.

Facts to Face - Save Energy, Save Money - Save the Planet

 We all contribute to global warming every day. The average American generates about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, from personal transportation, home energy use and from the energy used to produce all of the products and services we consume. You can use the EPA's online calculator to get a rough "ballpark" estimate of your personal or family’s greenhouse gas emissions and explore the impact of taking various actions to reduce your emissions.

Wise Water Use - Look for energy and water efficient clothes washers and dishwashers, as well as water-efficient faucets and showerheads. Getting unusually high county utilities bills?  See FAQs.

Use less hot water - It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot. See Professor Robert Farr's AIRE Tips: Shower  
Remember - all the water that goes down your drains finds its way to the Arlington County Water Pollution Control Plant.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs - CFLs use only 1/4 to 1/3 as much electricity as regular bulbs, while producing the same amount of light. [more]  Note: For safety reasons, burned out CFL bulbs should not be discarded in household trash, but taken to Arlington County's household hazardous materials (HHM) facility for safe disposal.
>> Before you buy, try the "bulb finder" and more at How to Choose the Right Light.

Stop Getting Catalogs - Over eight million tons of trees are consumed each year in the production of paper catalogs. If it seems like most of these arrive at your door, consider Catalog Choice. This free service can reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources. Registration is free but required.

Consider A Hybrid - Looking to buy a new car? First, check out our Consumer Subject Guide for Cars. Next, calculate your own cost of driving. Then, review the "Greenest vs. Meanest" ratings. For many reasons, you may consider a hybrid, which runs on a combination of a gasoline engine and electric motor. [more] And don't forget to watch tips from Professor Robert Farr, "Our Environmental Czar."

Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner. It can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. [more]

Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible.
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year. Read more basic household energy efficiency tips.

Buy locally grown and produced foods - The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community. Seek out and support local farmers markets, like Arlington's. They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Find more farmer’s markets in the metro area with a search of the USDA site. And don't forget, to buy in season - this handy chart will help you remember!

Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them - "Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. To avoid the drain of these energy "vampires," plug them into a power strip and turn it off when they are not in use [learn more]

Consider setting your thermostat around 68 degrees or so in winter. And install a programmable set-back thermostat to regulate the temperature in your home overnight and/or when you are not home. They can help you save up to $100 per year! [more]

Energy Saving & Green Living

Energy Resource Guide for Virginia
http://www.energyguide.ext.vt.edu/
Save yourself some energy--The Virginia Cooperative Extension has already gathered a detailed collection of "the best available web resources on energy. Discover the best available web-based resources on energy. Review recommended listings representing various universities, state and federal agencies, and energy related organizations. Access Using the Energy Resource Guide for Virginia Website for a summary of the resources on this site."

Energy Savers - U.S. Department of Energy
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/
"Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home." Find how-to info on conducting a home energy audit, a major appliances shopping guide, plus tips on insulation, heating and cooling, windows, and water heating, lighting, home office and electronics, driving and cars, and renewable energy.

Green Matters
http://www.greenmatters.com/gm/index.html
"Simple answers and guidance for busy people going green."

Home Energy Saver - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
http://hes.lbl.gov/
Find the best ways to save energy in YOUR home. Just put in your zip code and receive a "comparison of the energy costs of an average home and an energy-efficient home in your area," and learn how to save money on heating and cooling your home, hot water heaters, lighting, and appliances..

Water Heating - American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/waterheating.htm
Everything you ever wanted to know about hot water heaters, which "next to heating or cooling ... is typically the largest energy user in the home." Discusses types of water heaters (storage, demand, heat pump, indirect, and solar), selection, efficiency, cost comparison, and upgrading your current water heater.

Global Warming / Climate Change

Climate Change - EPA
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/index.html
EPA's Climate Change Site offers comprehensive information on the issue of climate change in a way that is accessible and meaningful to all parts of society – communities, individuals, business, states and localities, and governments.

Global Warming 101
http://www.globalwarming101.com/
Polar explorer Will Steger leads this online expedition to "put a face on a complex and sometimes seemingly remote issue. Through an interactive website students will witness the impacts of global warming on human beings and the Arctic ecosystem in which they live." Also committed to "bringing the most accurate, informative and readable information on subjects like global warming, climate change, sustainability, green chemistry and more."

Global Warming Research – Ask.com
http://www.ask.com/web?o=0&qsrc=6&l=dir&q=Global Warming Research
Use this search engine’s saved search feature to quickly check updates and overviews for Global Warming, Climate Change, and more. Narrow the search with right-side links

Stop Global Warming
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/default.asp
Online grassroots movement aims to bring citizens together for solutions to global warming. Practical, do-able steps we can all take to reduce emissions.

Subject Overview

Energy & Environment  - New York Times
NYTimes.com/Energy
The new Energy & Environment section launched February 2009 with "comprehensive news, analysis and insights. Refer to new topic guides on biofuels, coal, wind energy and more. Also, watch a new series of videos tracking the progress of making a 60-year-old home more energy efficient."

Environment & Environmental Quality
http://science.gov/browse/w_123.htm
Gateway to authoritative selected government science information about Air/Water/Noise Quality, Cleanup, Climate Change , and more.

One World Many People: An Atlas Of Our Changing Environment
http://grid2.cr.usgs.gov/OnePlanetManyPeople/index.php
Compelling satellite images that document dramatic changes to our planet due to global warming and the exploitation of natural resources. Based on the book of the same title.

One-Stop Research – National Geographic Society
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/onestop/?fs=crane.nationalgeographic.com
Find maps, photos, articles, and info which discuss environmental issues.

Science Topics
http://www.usgs.gov/science/
See the sections for Ecology and Environment and Environmental Issues for info from the U.S. Geological Survey. Or search their resources by keyword here: http://search.usgs.gov/