This year marks the 40th anniversary of the rediscovery of a small colony of black-footed ferrets in North America.

We first heard about Earth Aid last autumn, when the D.C.-based group enlisted several D.C. Council members to launch a green rewards network. Earth Aid encourages residents to lower their utility usage by helping to monitor their electric, natural gas, and water bills. Consumers earn points, redeemable for rewards from local business partners, when their usage drops a certain amount below their own personal baseline. One point can be earned for every kilowatt hour…