Day 34: It Ain’t Easy Being Green
These days you hear a lot about environmental sustainability, being green, reducing your carbon footprint and reuse, reduce, recycle. I care deeply about being a responsible citizen and doing my part but even though I try hard, study up on things and even have a B.S. Degree in Environmental Science, it’s not easy to figure out the most effective and efficient ways that I can really make a difference. Plus, life is hectic darn it and being green takes some thought. When you’re overwhelmed with propaganda and don’t know where to start, it can seem like nothing you do really makes a difference.
Bethesda Green logo
ENTER: Bethesda Green. Started in 2008, Bethesda Green serves as a community center and model for sustainable living practices and offers a place for people to network, volunteer, learn more and discuss how to live a “green” lifestyle and promote a healthy community. Even their office building, located at 4825 Cordell Ste. 200 (above Capital One Bank) was re-designed to showcase green products and services in action. Bethesda Green is also the first organization in Montgomery County to offer an incubator program for fledgling “green” businesses. It is an impressive program and I would encourage you to explore more.
Their website calendar offers a whole spectrum of events available to the public to serve any interest – everything from educational programs, volunteer meetings and, my personal favorite, the Happy Hour networking meet-up every FIRST THURSDAY of the month from 5 – 8 PM. Today, the happy hour meet-up will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Bethesda and is an opportunity to meet some great people and just have some fun. I now have some wonderful new friends I met at the Thursday meet-ups.
Bethesda Green was co-founded by Seth Goldman, President of TeaEO of Honest Tea and George Leventhal, Montgomery County Councilmember, At Large. Their impressive staff, headed by Executive Director, Dave Feldman, is highlighted on their website. They are all down-to-Earth, genuinely nice people who are eager to guide you to any information you may be seeking about how you can volunteer, get to know the organization and how you can be a better steward of our environment and honestly make a difference every day. Volunteer, donate, sponsor or just subscribe to their newsletter for informational updates but consider participating. Bethesda Green is you and me – changing our community for the better, one initiative at a time. Let’s meet-up some Thursday and toast to being green. ~Amy
Bethesda 365
Amy, you really nailed what Bethesda Green is about: getting us from Point A (awareness) to Point B (taking action) toward living sustainably. Well said.
Thank you for your comment and feedback Ann. It is appreciated. I really think Bethesda Green is something special. I hope more cities follow the example. See you at a Meet Up soon.