All I want to do in the summer...

Beat the heat. Whew, anyone who has spent their summers in DC knows why most people opt to leave the city at the first opportunity (and every long weekend). The humidity plus the heat combine to form a formidable force. Ha.
All I want to do is go swimming, drink iced tea.

Some outside reading on water: the environmental impact of bottled water. Better: filter your water and bottle it yourself in reusable bottles.

Beijing Olympic Preparation

Amongst the many actions Beijing is taking to prepare for the Olympics is the removal of dog meat from restaurant menus. Yeah, because eating dog meat is so much different than eating, say, cow or pig meat.
I'm also interested in seeing how effective the car ban during the Olympics will be in bringing down pollution levels. The Beijing government has posted a notice stating that beginning July 20th (and lasting for two months), cars with odd- or even-numbered plates will not be allowed on the roads on alternate days.
Haile Gebrselassie, an Ethiopian distance runner with asthma, has already announced he will not be traveling to Beijing for this year's Games. Other athletes have plans to fly in solely for their competition because they do not want to submit their bodies to the poor air quality any more than is necessary, rather than staying for the duration of the Olympics. I really don't blame them. When I visited Beijing this past winter, nothing was more clear than how unprepared they are to host this year's Olympic Games. The city always looked like it was under a dense layer of fog (really smoke - it was depressing), and breathing was difficult even for day-to-day activities. That level of air pollution isn't something you can solve in a few months.

"...going vegan takes serious bloody willpower."

A bit of light reading for you this morning:
Restaurant critic Jay Rayner goes vegan for a week.

It's entertaining, but not to be taken too seriously (militant vegans, he may piss you off). Rayner writes very humorously and provides good perspective on what a vegan diet appears like to those out of the loop, including the frustration of hidden animal ingredients and the difficulties encountered when dining out.

Also, a photo website comparing what packaged foods actually look like, contrasted with how they appear on the box. Heh!

Extolling the virtues of the reusable grocery bag.

Reusable bags. A topic very close to my heart, because I spend so much time bagging groceries.

They aren't limited to the handled bags sold at the grocery, your own backpack or canvas tote bag is as good. Even bringing back the "disposable" (okay, I detest this description but that's another topic altogether) bags is better than getting new ones on every grocery trip. According to TreeHugger, the average plastic shopping bag is only used for 20 minutes and takes at least 500 years to degrade.

Do not get discouraged and believe that your action will get lost in the world of overconsumption. There is a growing movement towards greening one's lifestyle. In the past few years - okay, even just in the past several months! - I have noticed more grocery stores selling reusable bags and offering incentives for using them, usually something like 5 cents taken off the bill. They cost about a dollar each, so if you use them regularly they pay for themselves. Reusable grocery bags are now available in most mainstream supermarkets such as Giant, Safeway, and Harris Teeter. It works for them because it saves some money and gets them free advertising, too.

Working in a grocery store, I see that every week more people start reusing bags. It's really a snowball effect here. The more people bringing along their bags, the more visible this option becomes, and the more it becomes the norm. I actually get customers stepping up to my register with their food and apologizing for forgetting their shopping bag. The guilt isn't necessary, but it's definitely positive that bringing one's bag is more expected.
We go through so many paper/plastic bags each day, it is unbelievable. So every person who brings their bags is helping. Hey, it's not the end-all and be-all, but it is a simple change to make. Because remember this: reduce and reuse before recycling! Just a note from your friendly grocery store worker.

Ranking enviro-friendliness of transport.

So, I've not got much time, but let's start this off anyway.
What's the most environmentally sound method of travel in DC?

Obviously holding top position is walking or cycling. Both are zero-emissions and you can go anywhere you need to if it isn't too far, or if you have the endurance for it.

Riding a bicycle is much faster than walking, and though the current condition of roads is far from perfect for cyclists, DC's working on improving the situation. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association announced not too long ago that DC was named by Bicycling Magazine as most improved bicycling city in America. There are many exciting improvements planned, and surely more as others pick up some human-powered wheels!
It's a good idea to ride the bike lanes when possible, even if it puts you a bit out of your way. Some roads are just not fun to ride - potholes, dense traffic, poor visibility... fortunately, the DC Department of Transportation puts out a map that charts which roads have been rated in terms of bikeability (yes, probably made that word up). It's a good resource, check it out.

However, there's the added benefit of being able to take in one's surroundings when you walk. You can't exactly take photos when you're riding, and stopping someplace for a drink means dismounting and finding a place to lock up your bike. But it's fun! And it's great exercise!
Yes, and there are others which you may prefer: skateboarding, rollerblading, street luging - is this legal in DC? even possible in flat downtown? I take pause here.

So, use your head and use your legs.