Earth Share of Washington - News

Stories of a Wildlife Rescue

by Naturalist Kevin Mack from Earth Share of Washington member PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, published in the January 28, 2004 edition of Wild Again

Ken instructed me to stay low as we approached the beach to avoid being seen by our target. We got down on all fours and crawled through the yard of a stranger's beachfront property. By the time we reached the sand we were flat on our stomachs, propelling ourselves forward by walking on our elbows. We stayed behind driftwood and the remnants of an ol...Read the full story

January 29, 2004 | Comments Off

Washington's Most Popular Trail - Mount Si - Needs a Facelift

Washington Trails Association tackles major winter storm damage to restore trails

Washington State's most popular hiking trail is about to get some much-needed maintenance from volunteers with the Washington Trails Association, in partnership with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. And to the delight of Mount Si's thousands of fans, the trail will remain open during t...Read the full story

January 28, 2004 | Comments Off

More Wind Power Options in Washington

BPA ready to shape wind for low price
by Marc Krasnowsky from ESW member NW Energy Coalition, published in the NW Energy Coalition Report

Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) much-anticipated program to "shape" wind-generated electricity with hydropower is finally in place, in the form of two new products.

On Jan. 13, BPA announced the signing of a precedent-setting agreement with Longview, WA-based Cowlitz County Public Utility District. Under terms of the contrac...Read the full story

January 27, 2004 | Comments Off

Court Stops Pesticide Spraying Along Salmon Streams

January 22 - Seattle - In a precedent-setting ruling, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour has restricted the use of 38 pesticides near salmon streams and has required point-of-sale warnings on products containing pesticides that may harm salmon. The ruling came in a case brought by fishing and conservation groups.

"This is a landmark decision that finally gives salmon relief from pesticides after a decade of agency inaction," said Patti Goldman, the Earthjustice attorney that represented the groups. "The court has blocked the use of the most harmful pesticides along salmon streams u...Read the full story

January 26, 2004 | Comments Off

Bank Giant Takes Tough Environmental Stand

An excerpt from an article on MSNBC.com

NEW YORK - Citigroup, the world's largest financial institution, announced Thursday that it is adopting a corporate policy to carefully evaluate requests for project financing that could adversely affect the environment.

It also bans funding for illegal logging operations and commits Citigroup "to invest in sustainable forestry and renewable energy."

Activists applaud initiative
Ilyse Hogue, global finance campaign director for the San Francisco-based environmen...Read the full story

January 22, 2004 | Comments Off

Bi-partisan effort calls for recognition of Important Bird Areas

Seventeen Washington State senators and 23 house members representing both parties have co-signed proposed legislation that would provide both public and private landowners with scientific information about where birds live, feed and nest in Washington state.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will work with the Earth Share of Washington member, Audubon Society, and other experts in bird population data, to officially recognize areas that are important for birds as they migrate through or reside in Washington. The proposed bill is not regulatory; rather, it provides a stru...Read the full story

January 21, 2004 | Comments Off

Seattle's golden opportunity to be a transportation model

From an article featured in the Seattle Times, by former Vancouver B.C., city councillor, Gordon Price

Ever since the 1960s, when it's come to transit, Seattle has been blowing it.

Yes, there was that monorail from the 1962 World's Fair, but in 1968 voters nixed the chance to build a truly regional rapid-transit system. Today, that system would have been paid for and gone farther than Link light rail.

And in the meantime, the freeways have filled up or threatened to fall down, the region is split and the initiative system allows charlatans to threaten whatev...Read the full story

January 14, 2004 | Comments Off

The Endagered Species Act Turns 30

Published courtesy of ESW member World Wildlife Fund in their newsletter, Focus.

Enacted by Congress in 1973 with overwhelming bipartisan support, and signed into law by President Richard Nixon, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted to protect endangered and threatened species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. To date, the ESA has contributed to the recovery of many species, including the country's national symbol, the bald eagle. Other ...Read the full story

January 13, 2004 | Comments Off

Earth Saving Tips - Resolve to Make Your Life Toxic-Free

Resolve to Make Your Life Toxic-Free

Even if you do a lot to keep your family healthy, you may not have considered all of the potential dangers of toxic chemicals in your surroundings. Toxic chemicals can be found in virtually all creatures and in all environments. An estimated 1,000 new chemicals enter the market every year, in addition to the tens of thousands of chemicals already in commercial use. Very few have been adequately tested for threats they may pose to wildlife and humans.

This New Years, make a resolution that's healthy for you and your fa...Read the full story

January 12, 2004 | Comments Off

Concerns Raised Over Farmed Salmon

An excerpt from the Seattle P-I, January 9, 2004

People shouldn't eat farm-raised salmon more than once a month in most cases because the fish contain long-lived industrial chemicals that increase the risk of cancer, a major study concludes.

Wild salmon carry lower levels of PCBs, dioxins and other contaminants but also could present a cancer risk if eaten too often, according to the study released yesterday, the most comprehensive examination of the issue to date.

The scientists' findings were quickly assailed by fish farmers, state and federal government o...Read the full story

January 9, 2004 | Comments Off

Global Warming Threatens Extinction for 37% of All Species

This excerpt is from a January 8th Washington Post article

In the first study of its kind, researchers in a range of habitats including northern Britain, the wet tropics of northeastern Australia and the Mexican desert said yesterday that global warming at currently predicted rates will drive 15 to 37 percent of living species toward extinction by mid-century.

Dismayed by their results, the researchers called for "rapid implementation of technologies" to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and warned that the scale of extinctions could climb much higher because of...Read the full story

January 8, 2004 | Comments Off

PAWS Wildlife Treats 1,100 Animals in 2003

- PAWS Wildlife Naturalist Kevin Mack reflects on 2003

There were over 1,100 graduates in the PAWS Wildlife Department Class of 2003. Although all of these 1,100+ individuals were attempting to acquire the same degree (a PhD in freedom), no two "students" followed the exact same course of study. Some earned their degree in a day, while others required several months of hard work. All behaved badly towards the faculty, often attempting to bite, scratch, or run away from them. Luckily, this behavior is encouraged in the PAWS program, and the faculty is well trained to deal wi...Read the full story

January 6, 2004 | Comments Off