Rachel is the Assistant Editor for Change Magazine in Washington DC. Her interests are self-analysis, C.S. Lewis, tea, educational pursuits, poetry experiments, primary colors, and legwear. A personal goal of hers is to to think effectively and write affectingly.
Aurora Energy, Inc. is a Columbia, Maryland-based solar-energy company specializing in solar thermal and solar electric installations. Its website includes an extensive photo gallery of previous projects, detailing the construction of solar water-heating systems, solar paneling, and solar signage at various residential and commercial sites, both locally and nationally.
Baltimore Bird Club is a chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society, the Baltimore Bird Club provides a series of links on its website — other local birding groups, birding blogs, interactive games, and issues of the club’s downloadable newsletter.
Standard Solar is a solar home energy services company that provides solar photovoltaic (and solar hot water) systems for the Metropolitan Washington area. Their core business is installing residential solar energy systems. They work to standardize the sale, delivery, and installation of solar home systems.
Community Forklift is low-cost/surplus building-materials supplier that pledges to “lift up communities by making repairs and renovation more affordable for everyone in the community,” “reduce construction industry waste,” “keep reusable materials out of the landfill,” “promote environmentally-friendly building materials and methods,” and “develop career opportunities for nearby residents.” The company’s warehouse, located in Edmonston, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., accepts donations from businesses and private homeowners of countless architectural fixtures and appliances, such as flooring, cabinets, stoves, mirrors, fireplace mantels, wallpaper, bathtubs, trim and molding. Its website provides a “What’s In Stock” list, as well as links to local green-building and DIY conferences and events.
Based in Cabin John, Maryland, Renewed Materials works to develop ecologically- and economically-sound alternatives for the design community. Their flagship product, Alkemi, is composed of 60% post-industrial scrap aluminum and can be used for a variety of interior-design fixtures — as a replacement, for example, for stone, plastic, or glass.
Breathe Books is a multifaceted books-and-accessories store, located on the famed "Avenue" in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood, and offers its patrons more than just books — its products espouse the concept of "conscious living, personal growth, and spiritual awareness" touted by founder and proprietor Susan Weis. In addition to the offerings of the store itself — with themes such as shamanism, acupuncture, ghosts, numerology, magic, Chinese medicine, and tarot — the bookstore’s website features "Susan’s Musings," the owner’s blog about her travels, talks, and discoveries.
DeConstruction Services, LLC is a Fairfax, Virginia-based company that disassembles single-family homes in an eco-conscious manner — salvaging the maximum amount of reusable materials to save landfill-space and reduce energy-use in demolition. The firm’s website features a list of recent projects, with specifics of each home and each list of materials saved — appliances, flooring, outdoor decks, kitchen fixtures, roofs, etc.
View the dynamic, moving GOforChange: Greening Baltimore video
