Let's Communicate

[Matthew Bowyer]

One theme that's emerging for me after reviewing the comments from our Nov. 29th meeting is that we would benefit from having a group of people focusing solely on communicating the group's objectives with the other working groups and the public.  Here's some suggestions on what such a group could accomplish:

• Engage the public.  As discussed, we have a number of sustainability initiatives underway, but the public may be in the dark about them.  For example, the data collected through energy benchmarking is a great resource, but how can we turn that information into something the public will take an interest in?  Could we make each building display their energy rating (a number from 0 to 100) near the main entrance?  Collecting data and issuing reports is great, but I think this mostly informs people who are already in the know.
• Connect to other groups with similar objectives.  For example, the local USGBC chapter has a number of committees, such as the Green Schools Committee, that could make potential partners for the Sustainable DC Built Environment group.  I'm sure many people in our group participate in other committees, and it would be great to draw on resources where available and utilize these channels to spread the word about the initiatives we create.
• Organize DC's green initiatives on green.dc.gov.  Some things we asked for are already happening.  I think knowing what we're already doing by organizing all of these initiatives on green.dc.gov will help our working group be as effective as possible.  I realize this is already happening to an extent on that site, but the experience of navigating the site is akin to going through a filing cabinet. I'd like to see something that was more dynamic and less cluttered by eliminating outdated and impertinent links.
  
• Collaborate with other leading cities.  We're obviously putting our own stamp on what makes a city green, but why not draw on the experiences of other leading cities as well?  Maybe we'd find new ideas or people with experience implementing programs we want to see in DC.
  
• Create a Communication working group.  As people commented, we're missing a working group that could focus on education, outreach, and communication both amongst the various working groups and with the public.  I think this is a large enough topic to warrant it's own group, and it may help with cross-pollination and bringing the best ideas of the working groups together.
  

All of these suggestions are really intended to echo the Mayor's point about involving all 600,000 of our residents in making DC a national leader in sustainability.  I'm a DC native, but have experienced other cities and countries where sustainability was much more embedded in the local culture than it is here.  It's true that we are leading in some regards already, but I wouldn't say that Green is a core value for the average resident in a way that it might be for someone in Portland, OR or even NYC.  I think one of the main priorities for Sustainable DC should be getting the word out on what makes our city green and how we're making it greener.

Matthew Bowyer, LEED^® AP

SD Keppler & Associates

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