Monthly News Archive:
December 2003
Table of Contents:
- Happy Holidays from Earth Share of Washington
- Environmental Victories this Holiday Season
- PAWS Wildlife Benefits from Dedicated Volunteers
- At Home on the Waves - Stories of a Wildlife Release
- City of Seattle Plans 12 New Parks
- Seven key trends shaping the future of the Northwest
- Global Warning
- How Big is Your Ecological Footprint?
- Help Washington Trails Association pinpoint blown down trees on trails
- Earth Saving Tips
- There Goes the Neighborhood - Stories of a Wildlife Release
- Kyoto Protocol in the balance
- Audubon Washington Set to Open Seward Park Nature Center
Happy Holidays from Earth Share of Washington
The Earth Share of Washington office will be closed from December 22 - January 5. Please check back in 2004 for updates to the website.
Happy Holidays from your friends at Earth Share of Washington!
...Read the full story
December 20, 2003 | 
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Environmental Victories this Holiday Season
Great news for environmental protections this holiday season, here's a brief of some of the latest victories:
Seattle Times | Orcas get 2nd shot at stricter federal protection
Rapid declines in Puget Sound's signature marine mammal, the killer whales that summer off the San Juan Islands, may, after all, land orcas on the list of creatures protected under the Endangered Species Act.
A federal judge yesterday ruled that the agency charged with protecting the region's w...Read the full story
December 18, 2003 | Comments Off
PAWS Wildlife Benefits from Dedicated Volunteers
Most of us know how much volunteers support non-profits. There is nary a non-profit that hasn't benefited, and at times survived, because of the dedication of people who work in alignment with their values and beliefs to make things happen. It is always gratifying to support these special people whenever possible.
Recently, this was possible in a big way at the PAWS Wildlife Center due to the generosity of a group of kindhearted volunteers. The PAWS Wildlife Center has a "Sunshine Shack", that is to say, a brand new volunteer station. The project was fully funded by a PAWS volun...Read the full story
December 18, 2003 | Comments Off
At Home on the Waves - Stories of a Wildlife Release
by Kevin Mack, PAWS Wildlife Naturalist
On December 10th, 2003, Wildlife Care Assistant Jeanette Gaines was approaching the waters of the Pacific Ocean with a very anxious bird in her hands. If viewed from a distance, the bird might have been mistaken for a medium-sized gull. The bird's shape was certainly gull-like, and his solid gray coloration may have appeared, at a glance, to match that of a first-year gull. But closer inspection of his beak would have helped clue an observer in to the bird's true identity. The mostly yellow bill was offset with areas of black patterni...Read the full story
December 17, 2003 | Comments Off
City of Seattle Plans 12 New Parks
Read this excerpt from the Seattle P-I:
Taking advantage of matching grants and other money from state, county and neighborhood groups, the Seattle City Council unveiled plans yesterday for 12 new parks.
All told, the city will spend $7 million from various sources to build the parks, preserve open space and protect salmon habitat.
New parks are planned in Ballard, the Central Area, Fremont, Georgetown, Greenwood, Maple Leaf, Northgate, Pinehurst and along Thornton Creek.
The parks are funded, in part, by $2.3 million from King Co...Read the full story
Seven key trends shaping the future of the Northwest
- courtesy of Northwest Environment Watch
Over the past century, the Northwest - the region encompassing British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and western Montana -- has changed dramatically: Northwesterners have multiplied their number ninefold, added three decades to their lives, and increased their economic output thirtyfold. Their cities and farms have spread across the most fertile lowlands in the region and their clearcuts, dams, and roads have transformed much of the rest.
These changes are extrem...Read the full story
December 15, 2003 | Comments Off
Global Warning
Courtesy of Earth Share of Washington member Audubon
A decade ago a small crowd of politicians and environmentalists gathered on a steamy summer day outside the alabaster dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and peered into a hole in the ground. The earthen cavity was cool and soothing, but the people were hot and bothered. The sapling they were supposed to plunk into the hollow to commemorate a new clean-air law was stuck on a truck in traffic. Turning to a bystander, one sweaty lawmaker compared the delay to the trouble he was...Read the full story
December 11, 2003 | Comments Off
How Big is Your Ecological Footprint?
Many of our daily activities affect the environment, from our consumption of natural resources to your disposal of household waste. One of the most important is our generation of carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas that is significant contributor to climate change. Since the beginning of industrial times, there has been a marked increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, mainly as a result of human activities. For example, the burning of fossil fuels for home heating, transportation, and electricity production generates a large percentage of our personal carbon dioxide ...Read the full story
December 10, 2003 | Comments Off
Help Washington Trails Association pinpoint blown down trees on trails
The recent windstorm will have undoubtedly left many blowdowns on local trails. The biggest hurdle to clearing trails is information. Washington Trails Association doesn't have the resources to walk every trail so they need to rely on the hiking community to help them out.
Are you a hiker? Keep an eye out on your next hike. If you find any blowdowns on trails along the I-90 corridor from Rattlesnake Ledges to Cougar Mountain, please email WTA at trail_teams@wta.org. Include the trail name, location of the blowdown, and its approximate diame...Read the full story
December 09, 2003 | Comments Off
Earth Saving Tips
Courtesy of Earth Share of Washington member group, Union of Concerned Scientists
'Tis the season when our shopping and entertaining skyrocket - and with them, our environmental impact. From Thanksgiving through New Year's, we generate some 5 million more tons of trash than usual. Home energy use also rises in December by about 25% by some estimates. Here are some ways to cut the unnecessary waste, without cutting into your celebrations.
TREES
Those beautiful evergreens that light up many people's ...Read the full story
December 05, 2003 | Comments Off
There Goes the Neighborhood - Stories of a Wildlife Release
by Kevin Mack, PAWS Wildlife Naturalist
On October 29th, 2003, Sharp-shinned Hawk 03-4284 arrived at PAWS as many of his kind do... with a splitting headache. The headache was the result of an instantaneous, unplanned deceleration that took the hawk completely by surprise. Sharp-shinned Hawks are small and highly maneuverable. They are able to fly at top speed through dense tree cover while pursing the smaller songbirds that comprise the bulk of their prey. Although they are extremely impressive on the wing, their flying abilities do come with limitations. Sharp-shinned Hawk 03-4284...Read the full story
December 04, 2003 | Comments Off
Kyoto Protocol in the balance
A top Kremlin official indicated Tuesday that Russia does not intend to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to limit greenhouse gas emissions, citing "limitations on economic growth" thereby placing the future of the treaty in jeopardy. However, the Russian Economic Minister, Mukhamed Tsikhanov responded today by saying that indeed no decision has been made and that the country is moving towards the treaty. While Russian intentions remain unclear, it is clear that if Russia rejects the Kyoto Protocol that it will fail due to lack of global support.
In order for the treaty to take effect, a...Read the full story
December 03, 2003 | Comments Off
Audubon Washington Set to Open Seward Park Nature Center
Signed, sealed, and delivered. That's the status of the lease agreement between Audubon and Seattle City Parks and Recreation, cementing a partnership three years in the making to build and endow a flagship nature center at Seward Park.
"It couldn't have happened without everyone pulling together every step of the way," said Joyce Kelly, chair of the Seward Park stewardship board. "Now the exciting work begins."
Nearly 70 people braved chilly sunshine Nov. 4 to officially launch the center. Speakers included Mayor Greg Nickels, stewardship board member Reco Bembry, Seattle ...Read the full story
December 02, 2003 | Comments Off