The District has more trees, more bike share options and fewer carbon emissions than it had 10 years ago.

Along the Anacostia River, Oana Leahu Aluas is excited to talk about the progress D.C. has made in its 20 year goal to become more environmentally sustainable.

“We’re doing well on a lot of fronts,” said Leahu-Aluas of the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment.

Sustainable D.C. was launched 10 years ago, setting environmental goals to be reached by 2033. And Leahu-Aluas is smiling, knowing D.C. is ahead of schedule in many areas.

“Last year, Capitol Bikeshare had its biggest ridership in all of its history,” Leahu-Aluas said. “And we’ll see if that gets outdone this year.”

Another benchmark is the number of trees across the city.

“We do plant more than 10,000 trees every year,” Leahu-Aluas said. “And we also want to make sure that those trees are planted in the areas where they’re needed most. So areas without a lot of shade currently, areas where there’s extreme heat, a lot of asphalt really creating that urban heat island effect.”

And the District isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

“We’ve also gotten more funding coming in to plant more trees in specifically those types of areas,” Leahu-Aluas said.

With clear effects of climate change in the news as the death toll after Hurricane Helene climbs, it’s a reminder of how important sustainability efforts are.

“If you look at the climate section of our sustainable D.C. progress report, you’ll see accomplishments in areas like through our flood smart homes program, how people can get assessments to learn what they would need to install to make sure their homes are more flood proof,” Leahu-Aluas said.

While most of the goals in the Sustainable D.C. plan are on track, there are some areas where the District is behind schedule, like what we do with our trash. Leahu-Aluas says that’s where residents and businesses can help.

“We’re trying to recycle or compost 80% of the waste we generate away from landfills and incinerators. And right now we’re closer to 30%.”

Leahu-Aluas says one way people can help is by participating in programs, like the curbside compost collection program. Local farmers’ markets often have compost collection sites available to visitors, with more options on the way.

“There soon will be sites all around the city where people can drop off their compost 24-7,” Leahu-Aluas said. “And businesses can certainly initiate better recycling and composting programs as well. So that’s a place where people can really help.”

As for the big goal for D.C. and the entire U.S., reducing carbon emissions, the District is on track to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by the year 2030, three years ahead of schedule.

The National Park Service (NPS) has collaborated with the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation for a new monument in Washington, D.C., honoring the pursuit of truth, courage, and the sacrifices made in journalism. The proposed design features a collection of transparent glass sculptures. These elements form a cylindrical space, with all paths leading to a central Remembrance Hall, where the First Amendment is inscribed on a glass “lens.” The memorial will be softly illuminated at night, with a view of the U.S. Capitol dome to symbolize journalism’s role in democracy.

Everything you need to know about the Fallen Journalists Memorial

The site for the memorial, chosen in mid-2023, is Reservation 201, which is located near the Capitol and the Voice of America headquarters. A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on October 16, 2024, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to present the design and gather feedback. All public comments will be taken into account as part of an environmental assessment to evaluate the new memorial’s impact on the environment and other historical features.

You can view a video walkthrough of what the memorial will look like on the Fallen Journalists Memorial website. Comments can be submitted on the website or by mail to:

Laurel Hammig
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
ATTN: Fallen Journalists Memorial EA

This memorial will be funded entirely by private donations. The total cost of the memorial is still being measured, and it will depend on the size and design of the memorial itself, the cost of materials and construction, as well as the approval and permitting process. At least 10 percent of the funding will go to the National Park Service since they will be maintaining the memorial after its completion.

“We are basically homeless now. We’re homeless.”

It’s been nearly two weeks since a gas explosion forced Angel Requeno from his Columbia Heights apartment, and he says many of his neighbors are worried about what’s next.

“We have only had enough time to take out personal belongings, like clothing, medications,” he said

The blast on September 20 left the apartment complex too dangerous to be inhabited.

And in the days following the explosion, Requeno and his 16-year-old pitbull, Peggy, were forced to sleep in his car, and his beloved birds left out in the elements.

District leaders say dozens of families were forced from their homes.

Wednesday evening, those residents got some answers about what’s next, with reps from several agencies holding a town hall.

The District says currently 100 displaced residents are staying in hotels, and they will cover those rooms until October 17.

“Where can we go? You know a lot of places we go, the rents are from 1800 to over $2000 and you know for us to provide that type of rent, we are going to have to literally work day and night,” Requeno said.

The Department of Buildings says it is the owner’s responsibility to make those repairs, but damage to the complex is so bad, it will take months before it’s safe enough to turn on utilities. That’s if the landlord doesn’t appeal, and officials say they have been “less than responsive.”

“We have rights as tenants, and they pointed that out,” Requeno said. “However, the landlord is not responding.”

In the meantime, the District is helping residents with supplies and transportation to move their stuff into storage, as well as a long list of resources to find temporary housing.

Requeno says thankfully, he and Peggy are now staying in a hotel. But he says he doesn’t know what he’s going to do once that time is up.

“Only God knows,” he said. “Only God knows.”