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Going Green (go'ing gren)
v. An individual action a person can
consciously take to curb harmful effects on
the environment. |
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E-Arlington is going green with
this special issue. Just in time for
Earth Day, the contents of this
newsletter highlight the City of
Arlington and our partners who are
working together to preserve the planet
and build a sustainable community. Earth
Day is April 22 - a day of action
and participation. To learn more about
the Plan for a Clean Green Arlington,
click here.
Note from the
Editor: The web is a
more eco-friendly choice of information
for consumers who care about their
carbon footprint. Don't print this
issue. Read it online. It's good for the
environment.
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Partners for a Clean Green
Arlington |
When it comes to environmental preservation,
Arlington leads by example. The City of
Arlington has adopted new internal policies
for protecting the environment and growing
environmental awareness at all levels of
government. Together, elected officials are
exploring ways to achieve cleaner
transportation solutions and generate more
energy savings. In the community, more
residents and businesses are helping to
reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions. With the community a part of the
solution, there is no environmental problem
we cannot solve together. Read
more.
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The Environmental Golf
Course |
 The
City of Arlington has a first-class golf
facility and sports center enhanced by
nature and supported by sound management
practices with long-term environmental
benefits. In 2000, the Tierra Verde Golf
Club became the first golf course in
Texas to achieve Audubon International
Signature Certification. The nearby
Martin Luther King Jr. Sports Center
became the first sports complex in the
world to achieve Audubon certification.
Today, the City continues to
maintain the highest standards of
environmental care.
Play a
round of golf and experience all that is
green at Tierra Verde and the MLK Sports
Center. Read
more.
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Arlington, Texas: Tree
City USA |
 The
City of Arlington is a Tree City USA
Community and recipient of the Tree City USA
Growth Award. The awards highlight the
city's ongoing commitment for increasing the
urban forest and improving the environment.
According to Urban Forestry and Land Manager
Heather Dowell, Tree City honors are given
to cities with comprehensive community
forestry programs, an active tree board,
tree care ordinances and Arbor Day
observance.
How can you plant a tree? Read
more. |
Lights Out for Change
Arlington joins others across globe
for the Earth
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 In
the largest climate event in history,
Arlington joined more than 4,000 cities and
towns in 88 countries in turning out
nonessential lighting on March 28. Time zone
by time zone, skylines went black for Earth
Hour. Arlington fire stations, UT-Arlington,
the Levitt Pavilion, Chamber of Commerce and
Arlington Convention Center participated,
turning out unoccupied space lighting and
exterior architectural lighting features.
How much energy was saved in this one-hour
worldwide event? Results to be presented at
the 2009 United Nations Global Climate
Conference, December 7-18, in Copenhagen,
Denmark. |
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Get Your Green On
Library hosts landscape
design workshop
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 At
the library this spring, you'll find
more than books, CDs and online
resources. On April 18, you will find
ways to grow your green landscape. The
"Get Your Green On" event is 9 a.m. to
noon at the Southwest Branch Library
located at 3311 SW Green Oaks Blvd. The
event offers a free Water-Efficient
Landscape Design Workshop for adults and
a Learn and Grow Fair for youths age
eight and older. The event will also
feature tours of the SmartScape Garden
and the Ruthie Brock Reading Garden.
Call 817-459-6386 for more information.
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Climate Protection
City of Arlington's
Action Plan
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The City of Arlington is partnering with
the Cities for Climate Protection
Campaign, the U.S. Conference of
Mayors and the U.S. Mayor's Federal
Climate Protection Framework to reduce
fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions
associated with municipal government
operations. What is Arlington doing? Click
here
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What's Your
Carbon Footprint? |
 We
all contribute to the greenhouse gas
emissions in some way. But how much? A
carbon footprint calculator will measure
your personal impact on the environment.
The calculator estimates how many tons
of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases your choices create each year. To
calculate your very own carbon
footprint, visit
www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx.
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GREEN TIPS AT HOME |
 Turn
off and unplug electronics and
appliances when not in use.
Get
a recycling bin and fill it with
plastics, glass, paper, cardboard, etc.
Mulch.
Don't bag grass clippings. More mowing
tips.
Use
energy-efficient fluorescent light
bulbs.
Maximize
natural light and open windows.
When
shopping, use reusable bags
instead of disposable plastic
bags.
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GREEN TIPS AT WORK |
Turn
off computer when leaving the workplace.
Print
out only what you need.
Recycle
all paper.
Find
carpool buddies for off-site meetings
and special events.
Reuse
paper as scratch pads.
Rideshare
or carpool to and from the workplace
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A GREEN GLOSSARY
What does it all mean?
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Carbon
Footprint: Measure
of your environmental impact.
E-waste: Discarded
electronic equipment and components.
Sustainability: Use of
natural resources to meet needs without
compromising future generations.
Black
Water: Wastewater
generated from toilets.
Organic:
Food products where pesticides,
insecticides and herbicides are limited
or completed avoided.
Landfill:
An area where waste is dumped and
eventually covered with dirt or topsoil.
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COMING UP GREEN |
The
City will offer a free water-efficient
landscape design class from 9:30 a.m. to
11 a.m.
Saturday, April 18, at
the Southwest Library Branch at 3311 SW
Green Oaks Blvd.
Keep
waterways clean. Don't flush
pharmaceuticals down the drain. A
Pharmaceutical
Collection Event is
Saturday,
April 18. More
details.
Earth
Day exhibits in the City Hall Lobby from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22.
Citywide
Earth Day Celebration begins at 11 a.m.
Saturday, April 25, at
Veteran's Park, 3600 W. Arkansas Lane.
Learn
more about your water. National Drinking
Water Week is
May 4-10.
Arbor
Day is 9 a.m. Saturday,
May 9,at Richard Simpson
Park, 6300 W. Arkansas Lane.
Complete
a Free
Backyard Composting class. Get a FREE
composting bin!
Click here for times
and locations.
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BANNER PHOTO |
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A beautiful afternoon at the
Tierra Verde Golf
Course in southwest
Arlington. |
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