WASHINGTON, DC–The District Department of the Enviornment has started a new campaign in an effort to clean up the Anacostia River. The campaign, called “Skip the Bag, Save the River,” begins January 1, 2009.

According to Alan Heymann, the Director of Public Information at the DDOE, the campaign will charge shoppers a five cent fee for ever plastic bag they use for food purchases. Heymann says he hopes this bag fee will encourage people to decrease their use of plastic bags, and increase their use of reusable bags. Money raised from the campaign will go to restoring the Anacostia river, according to Heymann.

“What this is designed to do, is to do two things at the sametime,” Heymann said of the campaign. “One is to generate revenue so we can use the money to educate the public about liter and to actually clean the river itself, and the other is to get people to use fewer bags.”

Residents are divided on the issue of using reusable bags. Many say they often forget to bring their bags to the store, or just don’t care about using a reusable bag. While others say they always use reusable bags to help keep the enviornment cleaner and greener.

“I do use [resuable bags],” said Dave Sungarian a Safeway supermarket shopper. “It doesn’t make sense to me to use plastic bags…in a global sense it’s not a sustainable way to be shopping.”

For residents interested in buying reusable bags to avoid the fee they can be purchase them at Safeway supermarkets and CVS, both of which have partnered with the DDOE in the campaign.

For more information on the campaign please visit http://green.dc.gov/green.

WASHINGTON, DC-Many DC residents are trading in their grocery bags for gardening tools. DC public gardens are growing in popularity.

Gardens are found in various places around the city, allowing residents to pay a yearly fee to grow their own vegetables, fruits, and other plants of their choice.

But why the recent surge in public gardens? Well, according to many gardeners, growing you’re own vegetables has more satisfaction to it than meets the eye. Many say just the act of being outdoors, and experiencing the growing process from start to finish, is enough of a reason to get out there and start growing your own food. Others do it to save money and be environmentally friendly.

No matter the reasons people of all ages are enjoying DC’s finest outdoor gardens.

WASHINGTON, DC- The famous boy band known for their late 90s hit, MmmBop, made their way onto AU’s campus last week as part of their “Take the Walk” campaign.

Hanson fans showed up on AU’s campus ready to take off their shoes and take a one mile walk with the band to raise awareness and money to fight poverty and HIV/Aids in Africa.

So far, the band has walked 28,201 miles through various cities across America.  Including walks through New Orleans, New York and Chicago.

After their walk, the band treated the crowd to a mini concert, singing songs they wrote while they were in Africa.

You can learn more about Hanson’s Take the Walk campaign by visiting http://www.takethewalk.net/.

WASHINGTON, DC-Neighbors in Chevy Chase, Md. are in a heated debate over speed humps.

Morrison Street, a heavily populated block with children, recently installed speed humps in an attempt to slow down the traffic coming down the road. Morrison residents say cars would speed down their block in order to “beat” the newly installed light at the end of the block. Though the humps may be working to slow cars down, they have caused much aggravation with neighbors on a parallel street, McKinely.

McKinely residents say traffic that would normally drive down Morrison, is now diverting their trips down McKinely in an attempt to avoid the humps. Those on McKinely are angered that drivers are now speeding down their block.

The battle between the two blocks has been going on for some time now. The humps can still be found on Morrison, and McKinely residents are still fuming.

WASHINGTON, DC- Union Station just got a bit more biker friendly to D.C. cyclists.

A 1,700 square foot bike complex will open on October 2 right outside of Union Station. The center was a joint financial effort by the   U.S. Department of Transportation and the District Department of Transportation.

It will feature 150 in-door bike racks, 20 outdoor bike racks, changing rooms, lockers and a bike repair shop, according to the DDOT.

The Bike Center will be open from 7am until 7pm and customers can opt to pay either the $1 a day access fee, or purchase an annual membership for $100. If customers wish to access their bikes after hours they must pay the annual fee which will give them access to a security swipe card to enter the facility.

The DDOT hopes the new center will help cut back on bike crime.