Congratulations to the 2017 Storm Drain Winners

As part of the RVA H20 initiative, four local artists have been selected to paint their designs onto storm drains along West Grace and Harrison streets. The winners are part of the 2nd Annual Storm Drain Art Project. The first contest painted storm drains near Tredegar Ironworks.

Donna Baily and Jennifer Haebel painted their designs in late May. Alison Tinker and Douglas Fuchs painted theirs the weekend of June 3-4.

To see the winning designs, go to Richmond Magazine.

Richmond Improves Its Efficiency Rankings by Eight Spots

Washington, DC—As the federal government weighs budget cuts to energy efficiency programs, cities are stepping up efforts to reduce energy waste. More mayors and local lawmakers in America’s largest cities are turning to energy efficiency to reduce energy costs for consumers and businesses, strengthen the resilience of their communities, and reduce pollution, according to the third edition of the City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released May 11, 2017 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Richmond improved its ranking by 8 spots to be No. 28 on the list.

“Across the nation, cities are taking steps to save energy, and they are creating more economically vibrant and resilient communities in the process,” said ACEEE senior researcher David Ribeiro, the lead report author. “More than half, 32, of the 51 cities improved their scores from 2015 to 2017, with several making substantial point increases. More cities are requiring building owners to benchmark and report buildings' energy use, updating building energy codes, and setting community-wide goals to save energy and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We also see a new set of cities emerging as leaders for energy efficiency, knocking on the door of the top 10.”

Mayor Kicks Off Earth Week with New Sustainability Plan for 2050

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, along with Alicia Zatcoff, the City’s sustainability manager, announced a new sustainability planning effort for the City of Richmond called RVAgreen 2050. 

This project is a comprehensive undertaking to develop a community energy plan, a deep greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan, and a climate action plan. These components align with the collective goal of reducing city government and community greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 in order to create a healthier, more vibrant, economically competitive and resilient community.

This summer, the Mayor will host a summit of community leaders to begin planning the year-long process to deliver a realistic yet challenging plan. Indicators have been positive so far. Recycling rates are up, community energy use is down, and renewable energy capacity has increased more than 44,000 percent since 2008. City government emissions are down 11 percent. 

The Sustainability department has improved energy efficiency and reduced power use in city buildings, including new HVAC systems, automated controls, energy-efficient lighting, and power and water use tracking software, resulting in $3.8 million in savings.

VCU Study on Economic Impact of the James River Park System

Two professors from VCU completed an economic impact study of the James River Park System (JRPS) that details its positive impact for the river city. Funded by the Friends of the James River Park System, the study focuses on two factors -- property values and tourism -- and reveals that, among other things, every dollar in the park budget returns over $60 in visitor spending, and that the JRPS generates $33.5 million per year in tourism.

The full report is here.

Richmond is Finalist for Culture of Health Prize

Richmond has been chosen as a finalist for the fifth annual Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize. As a finalist, Richmond is one step closer to the national prize which honors communities that understand health is a shared value and everyone has a role to play in driving change.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation's largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. Since 1972, it has supported research and programs targeting pressing health issues from substance abuse to improving access to healthcare. Johnson was a member of the Johnson & Johnson family business and gave his New Jersey employees hardship bonuses during the Great Depression of the 1930s. In 1936, he set up a foundation with company stock to help the indigent.

Selected from more than 200 communities across the country, Richmond joins 10 other finalists. Winners will be announced this fall.

“Building a culture of health in Richmond is not just about physical health, “said Richmond City Health District Director Dr. Danny Avula. “It’s about safer, greener neighborhoods, more reliable transportation, cradle to career social and educational supports, and building hope and agency in communities with high rates of poverty. Richmond has been working hard to ensure fairer access to resources for all residents and to become a healthier, more united city, and we are so pleased to advance as a RWJF Culture of Health Prize finalist community.”

The prize is guided by the principle that every community has the potential to improve and be a healthier place to live and thrive.To earn finalist status, Richmond had to demonstrate how it excelled in the six Prize criteria:

·         Defining health in the broadest possible terms.

·         Committing to sustainable systems changes and policy-oriented long-term solutions.

·         Cultivating a shared and deeply-held belief in the importance of equal opportunity for health.

·         Harnessing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members.

·         Securing and making the most of available resources.

·         Measuring and sharing progress and results.

          

If selected as a winner, Richmond will be given a $25,000 cash prize and opportunities to share their story and lessons learned.

To learn about the work of the 27 previous Prize winners, visit rwjf.org/prize.

City Wins Virginia Green Travel Leader Award

The City of Richmond has won a Virginia Green Travel Leader Award, in the category of Most Innovative and Impactful Green Project, for the initiatives put into place by the RVA Green Team.

RVA Green Team is a partnership of the City of Richmond Sustainability Office, HandsOn Greater Richmond and the Virginia Green Travel Alliance to recruit, train and deploy volunteers to help special events in the city become more sustainable by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and enhancing the overall sustainability of events.

Due to their efforts, the RVA Green Team helped reduce the environmental footprint in the City of Richmond by decreasing the amount of waste sent to landfills. From January through October of 2016, 42,424 pounds of waste were diverted from landfills, which includes a 59 percent recycle rate over 14 events held during that time.

The RVA Green Team achieved these results by increasing the amount of recycling and composting at events throughout the City of Richmond. RVA Green Team volunteers helped attendees sort and divert their waste into the right containers.

“Congratulations to the RVA Green Team, and thank you to the many volunteers whose hard work helps improve the quality of life for our residents, and to create a healthy environment for everyone who lives, works, and plays in the City of Richmond,” said Mayor Levar M. Stoney.

On February 17, 2017, the Virginia Green program will recognize outstanding Virginia tourism businesses from across the Commonwealth for their voluntary efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of their operations.

The awards will be presented during the Virginia Green Travel Awards Luncheon. which will be held from Noon until 1:15 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. Virginia’s First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe will be attending the luncheon and presenting the awards.

Get Solar at a Low-Rate Loan

Sigora Solar, a Waynesboro-based solar energy equipment supplier, is working with Virginia Community Capital to provide solar panels to small businesses.

The program offers an initial interest rate of 2 percent. Sigora opened an office in Scott's Addition last year to serve residential customers in eastern and central Virginia and now the Richmond business market.

The average cost to install solar panels is $18,000 and take an average of 60 days to complete.