Earth Day is every day in Montgomery County.
The county government does its part to spread awareness and encourage action against climate change.
Montgomery County will sponsor an Earth Day festival on April 26 in Wheaton. GreenFest will feature booths, giveaways and activities that connect residents with green resources, says Sarah Kogel-Smucker, the county’s climate change officer.
The county government is well on its way to reaching ambitious climate change goals: an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2027 and 100 percent by 2035.
The release of certain gases into the Earth’s atmosphere can create a greenhouse effect, in which heat becomes trapped and global temperatures rise. While emissions can result from natural causes, they are primarily the result of human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation.
“We have a comprehensive road map on how to combat climate change within the county,” Kogel-Smucker says. She leads the county in meeting climate change goals by coordinating all departments and offices.
The 2021 plan has 86 separate actions that are well underway. “This isn’t a plan sitting on a shelf. It’s work that’s being done all across county government.”
The county is electrifying its fleet by buying new vehicles with zero emissions. The total transformation of the bus fleet is expected by 2033.
A bus depot that opened in 2021 in Silver Spring is one of the largest solar bus charging infrastructure projects in the United States. It supplies renewable energy to the county department of transportation’s Ride On electric bus fleet. A second one is under construction in Gaithersburg.
The county will be the first on the East Coast to have green hydrogen-powered buses on rural routes that are out of the electric bus range. Green hydrogen is a clean energy source that only emits water vapor and leaves no residue in the air, unlike coal and oil.
Other examples include the standards for building energy performance. The regulations just passed in the county council. “It will require existing commercial and large multifamily residential buildings to become more energy efficient. It will improve building energy efficiency over time and help us meet our climate change goals.”
Kogel-Smucker believes that climate change is the most pressing environmental issue because it’s existential. “The scientists are very clear that what we do over this next decade will have reverberations for centuries to come. We currently have an opportunity to slow the course of climate change by reducing and eliminating our carbon pollution, but we need to do it now.”
The benefits are both global and local. “When we stop driving polluting cars and drive zero-emission vehicles, it cleans up our local air. When we plant more trees we have more verdant and comfortable surroundings.”
People can take simple actions to help reduce their environmental footprint. The county launched Climate Smart, which advocates for 15 easy actions anyone can take to be more climate friendly. The categories are food, emergency preparedness, transportation, energy and plants.
The program asks for a pledge to commit to taking one or all of the actions with a connection to county resources for assistance. “The one action that I would emphasize is trying public transit,” Kogel-Smucker says. “It reduces single-passenger vehicle trips from gas-polluting cars.”
Another form of climate action is switching to LED light bulbs, which saves money and reduces pollution. “LED light bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last 10 years so you don’t have to change them as frequently,” Kogel-Smucker says. “You can save up to $65 a year in energy costs by replacing your five most frequently used incandescent bulbs with LEDs.”
Kogel-Smucker also recommends composting food scraps. “Way too much of our waste is food scraps that can be turned into nutrient-rich compost for soil which reduces methane pollution.”
The county has a new composting program at four weekly farmers’ markets in Olney, Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring. “Now you can just bring your food scraps there, drop them off at no charge and the county will compost them for you.”
The Climate Smart program recommends buying locally produced foods, fruits and vegetables that are in season. Food transportation accounts for about 20 percent of the carbon in our food system. Support the local economy instead and get fresher produce.
The common misconceptions about environmentalism activism is that people think it’s not for them. “I don’t know enough about this issue or maybe I don’t wear Birkenstocks or I love my truck,” she says. “Environmental activism is for all of us because it’s an issue that affects all of us. Everybody can do their part in a way that works for them.”
Montgomery County seeks to be a leader on climate change. “We have the will, the agreement, the resources to demonstrate that climate solutions are possible,” Kogel-Smucker says. “And we want to do that to improve our own community, but also as an example for other communities that are starting to look for solutions themselves.”
