Since opening last September, Wheaton Library and Community Recreation Center has earned Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The library is Montgomery County’s first combined multiplex to include a library, community recreation center, Friends of the Library used bookstore, and local park. It is the 14th building in Montgomery County since 2012 to earn the prestigious LEED Gold Building ranking in addition to eight LEED Silver buildings. Read on for the full press release.

Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation recently completed its countywide conversion of streetlights from predominately high pressure sodium to light-emitting diode (LED). The LED conversion is estimated to yield a 55% decrease in energy usage and a subsequent reduction in associated CO2 emissions of approximately 4,500 metric tons annually. Energy and maintenance savings resulting from the conversion are estimated at $900,000 annually. Read more at MyGreenMontgomery.

County staff host the next virtual office hour on Thursday, August 20 from 4-5pm. These hours- scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of each month through December 2020- are an opportunity for all members of the community to engage with County staff who are working on climate issues. Please consider RSVP’ing 24 hours in advance to climate@montgomerycountymd.gov. More details at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/climate, under Upcoming Events.

Montgomery County and consultant AECOM (in partnership with Nspiregreen) continue to make progress on the development of the County’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan. In June, the County hosted kick-off sessions which brought together the consultant team and members of the community-based climate workgroups that drafted 850+ recommendations last summer.

On September 10 the consultants will provide an update on their work to-date. More details at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/climate, under Upcoming Events.

Montgomery County received a climate resiliency grant award from the Department of Defense (DOD).  Montgomery County’s Departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection will develop a Naval Support Activity Bethesda Military Installation Resiliency Review to assess approaches to minimize impacts from flooding caused by extreme storm events, evaluate opportunities for stormwater management to improve water quality, develop approaches to prevent or address adverse impacts to transportation logistics and the power grid, and ensure that this plan addresses climate resiliency challenges. The $372,000 climate resiliency grant award is funded by DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment Military Instillation Sustainability program.

Trees are essential to combatting climate change and building resiliency against increasingly hot temperatures. Their importance is emphasized in the Carbon Sequestration Workgroup recommendations and other parts of community-based climate workgroup recommendations  (including climate adaptation approaches). With your help, we can increase Montgomery County’s tree canopy! Tree Montgomery supplies free shade trees to those who ask- simply complete an application and a Department of Environmental Protection staff member will reach out to you. Now is a great time to apply for a free shade tree before Tree Montgomery’s October 15 planting season begins! Learn more here.

Have you completed your 2020 Census? Great! Now encourage your community to do the same. 1 in 4 households have not yet responded to the census – that means that Montgomery County could lose out on $4.6 billion over the next 10 years in funds for schools, hospitals, roads and social services. The Census is available in 60 languages, including braille and ASL- responding has never been easier.

It’s almost back-to-school season, and that means time for a career change, too. Take a look at Montgomery County’s Green Jobs Board for locally-based green positions. Recent postings include Communications Fellow with NWF, Head of Development for BlueWave, and Business Operations Manager for Montgomery County Green Bank. The County’s climate team is also recruiting climate interns for the fall term.

To Listen

Story Snapshots: Living the Just Transition
(Climate Justice Alliance)

Did Congressional Lawmakers Create the Most Complete Climate Policy Plan Ever? (The Energy Gang)

Getting Around: Transportation During and After A Pandemic
(The Kojo Nnamdi Show)

To Read

The Washington Post releases U.S. climate data on GitHub (Washington Post)

How accessible is Metro anyway? (Greater Greater Washington)

Montgomery Co. leaders call for more time to weigh in on I-270, Capital Beltway road-widening report (WTOP)

What renters and landlords need to know about Montgomery County's new air conditioning law (WJLA)

8 cities share how racial justice is embedded into their climate plans (GreenBiz)

Montgomery County ‘BikeMatchMoCo’ Donation Program Directs Unused Bikes to People Who Need Them (MoCo DOT)

Study Shows Dramatically More Flooding in Md.’s Future (Maryland Matters)

Maryland Publishes 18,000-page Environmental Impact Assessment Of Proposed I-270 And I-495 Expansion (DCist)

Md. Enters Into Pact to Promote Zero-Emissions Trucks (Maryland Matters)