Earth Share of Washington

Hazardous Nuclear Waste Coming to Washington State?

The federal government announced last week that it will begin shipping extremely radioactive plutonium waste (called Transuranic or TRU waste) from California and Ohio through Oregon to the Hanford, Washington nuclear waste site starting Wednesday, December 18, 2002. In exchange, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) has promised to renegotiate the timetable for cleaning up Hanford.

Two Earth Share of Washington member groups - Heart of America Northwest Research Center (HOANW) and Government Accountability Project (GAP) have voiced concerns over safety and precedence. The TRU waste shipments, according to the groups, are as radioactive as the High-Level Nuclear Waste to be shipped to Yucca Mountain (Nevada), but are transported in trucks that are much less protective of radiation than the Yucca-bound trucks will be. Potentially harmful radiation from these trucks may reach cars stuck in traffic as the trucks wind their way along Interstates 5 and 90. HOANW and GAP prefer the USDOE live up to its pre-existing legal requirements to clean up the nuclear waste already threatening the soil and Columbia River at Hanford before adding even more. In addition, public interest groups are concerned about the legality of such a transport, claiming that there is a rigorous permitting process in place for this type of proposal.

The USDOE counters that Hanford will benefit by exporting twice as much nuclear waste as it will import under this plan.

To learn more about these nuclear shipments and Hanford cleanup plans, you can attend one of two public hearings scheduled in Washington this January.

R-51's Defeat Can Spur Reform and Innovation

- submitted by Edie Gilliss from ESW member group Transportation Choices Coalition

On November 5, Washington votes soundly rejected Referendum 51, the $7.8 billion highway construction package. With no foreseeable solution in sight for our transportation woes, traffic and new construction remain at a standstill. The good news amidst the transportation gloom is that R-51's defeat creates an opportunity to introduce reforms and innovations that can substantially improve our State's approach to transportation.

Voters want fundamental changes in the solutions being offered. A Seattle Times/Elway Poll found that 44 percent of "no" voters statewide thought Referendum 51 put too much emphasis on roads and not enough on mass transit. The political math is pretty straightforward: any statewide tax measure must win large majorities in Central Puget Sound, especially King County and Seattle and in order to win big in these areas, a transportation package must have much-needed investments in public transit and other transportation choices.

Earth Share of Washington member group Transportation Choices Coalition is working hard to create a plan that will get Washington State moving again. They are partnering with legislators this session and beyond to ensure that any state transportation package puts 1/3 of funding to transportation choices (rail, bus, vanpools, bikes) and makes maintenance and repair of existing roads and bridges the first priority in the evaluation and funding of road projects.

To volunteer at Transportation Choices Coalition, call Edie Gilliss at (206) 329-2336 or email edie@transportationchoices.org.

Budget Crunch to Dominate 2003 Legislature

-submitted by Policy Director Josh Baldi from ESW member group Washington Environmental Council

The $2 to $3 billion state budget shortfall will dominate the 2003 Legislative Session, which kicks off January 13th. Environmental issues also will be debated within the broader context of continued concern over the state's economy, particularly as they relate to the hard hit agricultural sector and local government funding and stewardship responsibilities.

Earth Share of Washington member group Washington Environmental Council (WEC) is enhancing its effectiveness by launching a legislative partnership with Washington Conservation Voters. The two organizations have worked with the broader community to create a common list of priorities, including:

Budget: The unprecedented budget shortfall has significant implications for all environmental programs. At just 1.5% of the General Fund, natural resources programs historically have been cut at a rate disproportionate to other sectors of government. WEC will fight for critical program funding and advocate creative revenue ideas.

Regulatory Rollbacks: The economic downturn that began two years ago provided a catalyst for "regulatory reform" advocates. While there can be value in permit coordination and streamlining, regulatory reform efforts historically have been aimed at weakening existing environmental protections.

Mercury Pollution Reduction: An effort to phase out the use of mercury stalled in 2002. The effort will be redoubled this session to phase out use of this persistent toxin, which can harm human health and wildlife even at very low levels.

Transportation: See previous transportation article on life after R-51's defeat.

WEC's legislative agenda will extend to other key issues. One primed for success is improved shoreline protection. Securing $2 million in funding for local governments to revise Shoreline Master Programs and a schedule for compliance with the new state rule may bring closure to an acrimonious seven-year debate.

Water resources fall within the third year of Governor Locke's "Water Action Strategy," which is based upon his commitment to move forward the interests of people and fish, together, in increments over time. The governor will be under pressure from municipalities, the building industry and the farm lobby, all who want to expand water use without clear safeguards. WEC will work to ensure that any new benefits for water users are linked to stream flow protections.

WEC's anticipated efforts are rounded out by the following: support for energy efficiency and renewable resource performance standards for utilities; opposing efforts to weaken the controversial Forests & Fish law and supporting efforts to better manage the state's forested trust lands; opposing efforts to weaken the Growth Management Act; and, ensuring that any reforms to the state hydraulics code better protect fish.

If you would like to get more involved on these and other issues, please join WEC's GreenTree action system. Simply go to http://www.wecprotects.org/GreenTreesignup and fill out the signup form.

Earth Saving Tips for Winter (part 2 of 2)

COLD FACTS ABOUT FIREPLACES

When you light a blazing fire on a cold winter day it looks and feels wonderful, but it can be an expensive endeavor. A fireplace is one of the least efficient heat sources because it sends most of the heat in your house straight up the chimney. A fireplace can exhaust as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour to the outside, which must be replaced by cold air coming into the house from the outside, which then must be reheated. There are ways you can limit the loss of heat when enjoying a quiet evening by the fire.

• Reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly - only about an inch - and close doors leading into the room.
• Lower the thermostat to between 50 and 55 Fahrenheit.
• Install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room.
• Check the seal on the flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
• Add caulking around the fireplace hearth.
• Use grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.
• When you aren't using your fireplace, keep its damper closed. Forgetting to do so is like keeping a huge, 48-inch window wide open!

FACT: Fireplace smoke can contain hundreds of chemicals, many of which can cause health problems for children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

LET THERE BE LIGHT - AND ENERGY SAVINGS, TOO
Household lighting is a great way to brighten up the dark winter days. But lighting accounts for 20% to 25% of all electricity consumed in the U.S. In a typical home, half or more of lighting energy is wasted by obsolete equipment, inadequate maintenance, or inefficient use. Here are some ways to lighten the energy load, while keeping your home bright:

Lighting controls turn lights on and off or dim them. There are several kinds:

• Photocells turn lights on and off in response to natural light levels - for example, outdoor lights on at dusk and off at dawn. Advanced designs gradually raise and lower light levels with changing daylight levels.
• Mechanical or electronic time clocks automatically turn on and off indoor or outdoor lights for security, safety, such as front porch lights.
• Crank timers, which are spring-driven and similar to old oven timers, limit lights to short durations where the need for light is brief.
• Occupancy sensors activate lights when you enter a room then turn off them off after you leave. They are popular for areas used infrequently, such as storerooms.
• Dimmers reduce the wattage and output of light bulbs. They also significantly increase the life of incandescent bulbs.

Replacing conventional bulbs with energy-saving types can cut costs without reducing lighting:

• Replace standard lamps with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs in spaces where lights are needed for long periods of time. A standard 18-watt CFL can replace a 75-watt bulb without losing light. CFLs use 75% less energy than a standard bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Over the life of one CFL, you can avoid replacing up to 13 incandescent bulbs! It also means you can save at least $25 in energy costs over the life of each CFL that replaces an incandescent bulb.
• Consider three-way lamps; they make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light isn't necessary.

Maintenance is vital to efficient lighting. Light levels decrease over time because of aging lamps and dirt on fixtures, lamps, and room surfaces. Together, these can reduce total illumination by 50% or more, while lights continue drawing full power. Here are things you can do:

• Clean fixtures and lamps annually by wiping off the dust. However, never clean an incandescent bulb while it is turned on. The cooling effect might shatter a hot bulb.
• Clean or repaint small rooms every year and larger rooms every 2 to 3 years. Dirt on surfaces reduces the amount of light they reflect.

And, of course, turn off lights when you leave a room, even if only for a few minutes.

FACTOID: A typical family spends about $90 a year, or 10% of its electricity bill, on lighting.

Cool Website

eNature.com

This fascinating site serves as the ultimate reference point for your trip into the great outdoors. It is packed with useful information including a regional park finder, complete field guides, a birding section, and even a page where you can ask the experts (about any nature question you can think of! Answers are provided by expert biologists). It could take days to sift through the wealth of information contained in this easy to navigate site, check it out!