Environmentalists Find Being Green Is Getting Easier

In Fairfax, environmental coordinator Kambiz Agazi said that because of popular demand, he has incorporated information about global warming into his presentations on the environment.

"It has changed," he said. "When I first started in county government nine years ago, there was almost no talk about greenhouse gas emissions."

Morrill, a self-proclaimed "energy geek," has more than a dozen compact fluorescent lamps in his home. Energy conservation is his thing -- just get him talking about his high-efficiency German boiler, and you can hear the excitement in his voice.

One recent evening, more than 60 people gathered at the Arlington Central Library for an information session on "Greening Your Condo," in which Morrill made his pitch. To underscore his point, he brought along his four-bulb light display ("It's as American as energy efficiency" reads a slogan on the display), which compares compact fluorescent lamps to incandescent bulbs.

"This is the easiest, most visible thing you can do to reduce carbon emissions," he told the crowd. Flipping on the bulbs, he said, "We can quibble over which one is brighter, but to me, they're comparable."

After the presentation, Morrill and other members of Arlington's "green team" answered questions and passed out free compact fluorescent lamps. Many people left the event smiling.

Still, energy conservation experts know the public can be fickle. Sure, their phones are ringing off the hook -- but that might not be the case in six months. The real work, they say, is just beginning.

"County government's job is to not let this die," said Feldmark, of Howard. "It's to keep the wave building, to make sure this fad turns into a trend."