We want Prince William County to be green

Cindy Patterson
Published: August 7, 2008

Prince William County is in the process of prioritizing their financial goals in the 2010-2013 Strategic Plan.

The number four goal has been dropped. That goal was the environment and energy conservation.

I understand that we are in a downturn. Can the downturn be turned around with “green” technology that will bring in high-paying jobs for we, the citizens? Yes, it can.

When we tell our elected county officials that we want the LEED standards and the RETScreen clean energy project analysis software in the Strategic Plan, all our new and old buildings can go “green.” It
will give we, the citizens, the ability to step into the future of saving and making money with our homes.

One example is the new solar panels that look like roof shingles that can make enough electricity for each home owner to sell a percent of that energy back to the electric company. 

Another example is the contemporary rain barrels placed under our down spouts that can give us water for our lawns and gardens and stop land erosion and water pollution from heading for the
Chesapeake Bay. 

Our county already has inexpensive compost bins so we can feed our lawns and gardens our free composted kitchen scraps and yard debris.

Let’s tell our county elected officials to let that information out to all its citizens. We want “green” technology written into the Strategic Plan now.

CINDY PATTERSON

Southbridge