Going Green
Who's not going green these days?!
Did you Know?
- Downtown Dallas, Inc. partnered with City of Dallas Recycling to implement the first recycling program for Downtown residential and small office buildings. The Downtown Dallas, Inc. Clean Team currently collects over 215 bags of recyclable materials each month from five buildings in the Central Business District.
- 73% of U.S. workers say they want their employers to be more environmentally responsible, according to a July study by Sun Microsystems.
- Nearly 80% of companies say they are doing something, even if it's as simple as recycling.
- According to the Worldwatch Institute, in the United States, food now travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25% farther than two decades ago. Food transportation is now among the biggest and fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide so visit a local DSpot like the Farmer's Market in Downtown Dallas to buy produce and goods from local producers.
- Limiting car use can be an great way of reducing your individual carbon footprint, but it doesn't end there. When we walk, cycle, or use DART, we also help make it easier for others to do the same, and it can be a great way of meeting people. It's much easier to catch a stranger's eye and say "hi" when you are not surrounded by a ton of metal and moving at 70 mph.
- In 2006, Downtown Dallas, Inc. partnered with Abitibi-Consolidated to create the first paper-recycling program in Downtown that is available to the general public. Paper collection dumpsters are located in convenient locations adjacent to the West End Historic District and Deep Ellum including the parking lot under Woodall Rogers Freeway at the southwest corner of Houston Street and McKinney and the parking lot underneath I-45 at the northwest corner of Main Street and Good Latimer. During 2007, nearly 102,000 pounds of paper was collected from these locations, saving 150 cubic yards of landfill space, 850 trees and 3,000,000 gallons of water.
How Downtown Dallas, Inc. works to keep Downtown GREEN
Tree Well Upgrades and TxDOT Improvements — Downtown Dallas, Inc. provides hundreds of landscape enhancements to public space in Downtown each year. Most of the plants used for these enhancements are Texas native, drought tolerant needing very little to no water for survival. By using these types of plants, we are able to beautify the public space in Downtown without using additional, valuable water resources.
Tree Planting, Trimming and Fertilizing — Downtown Dallas, Inc. works to improve air quality and greenspace in Downtown by planting many trees in the public space, resulting in temperature reduction, removal of air pollutants, lowered emission of volatile organic compounds and better energy efficiency for buildings. In addition to planting trees, Downtown Dallas, Inc. keeps existing trees healthy by trimming and fertilizing hundreds throughout the year.
Downtown Lighting — In 2007, Downtown Dallas, Inc. replaced thousands of incandescent lights in sidewalk trees and overhead Main Street with the latest technology LED lights. By changing these lights, Downtown Dallas, Inc. retains a well-lit, safe environment while reducing the energy needed to power Downtown lighting. Downtown Dallas, Inc. is also working with Oncor and the City of Dallas to incorporate new LED lighting for streetlights and parks in Downtown.
Stay tuned for more information on green friendly upcoming events, topics and interesting facts!
