Earth Share of Washington - News

Hatchery Salmon to Count as Wildlife

SEATTLE, April 28 -- The Bush administration has decided to count hatchery-bred fish, which are pumped into West Coast rivers by the hundreds of millions yearly, when it decides whether stream-bred wild salmon are entitled to protection under the Endangered Species Act.

This represents a major change in the federal government's approach to protecting Pacific salmon -- a $700 million-a-year effort that it has described as the most expensive and complicated of all attempts to enforce the Endangered Species Act.

The decision, contained in a draft document and confirmed Wednesda...Read the full story

April 29, 2004 | Comments Off

Clean Technologies Attracting Investors

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) -- Martin Roscheisen, CEO of Nanosolar Inc., holds up a plastic vial filled with dark, purple liquid -- the secret ingredient behind a new kind of technology startup that's turning heads in Silicon Valley.

In a private laboratory here, Nanosolar scientists are designing low-cost solar electricity cells that Roscheisen submits will make solar power competitive with conventional energy sources.

The purple liquid is a nano-engineered material that "self-assembles" into tiny solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity.

"We're at the threshol...Read the full story

April 28, 2004 | Comments Off

Roslyn Saves Local Forest

The Ridge provides a 180-degree green backdrop for town's skyline

ROSLYN, Kittitas County -- There will be celebrating tonight at a meeting of the Roslyn City Council.

A 300-acre strip of Cle Elum Ridge, a timbered, trail-webbed piece of ground known simply as The Ridge, will fall into public ownership, making it off-limits to loggers and home builders.

"They were getting ready to log it," said Peg Bryant, president of RIDGE, a local citizens group that has been working to protect Roslyn's way of life. "We were to have heard today one way or the othe...Read the full story

April 27, 2004 | Comments Off

Environment Not a Pressing Concern This Earth Day

published by the Gallup News Service

PRINCETON, NJ -- Typical Earth Day activities -- festivals, nature hikes, environmental symposiums, and other events designed to attract public interest in the environment -- are going on as usual this week in celebration of the 34th anniversary of the first Earth Day. The question is, how many Americans beyond a core group of environmentalist-minded activists are paying attention?

Gallup's annual Environment/Earth Day poll, conducted March 8-11, finds Americans fairly critical of the quality of the nation's environment today. By...Read the full story

April 26, 2004 | Comments Off

Office Depot Partners with Keep America Beautiful and Earth Share to Make "Earth Day Every Day"

DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--April 20, 2004--In celebration of Earth Day, which is recognized around the world in more than 180 countries on April 22, Office Depot, Inc. today announced strategic partnerships with Keep America Beautiful Inc. and Earth Share both underscoring the company's commitment to environmental stewardship and 'Caring and Making A Difference'.

"We are committed to promoting environmental stewardship in all that we do and we are pleased to partner with these groups because of their focus on children's programs and promoting environmental awareness," said Office Depot's ...Read the full story

April 22, 2004 | Comments Off

Immediate measures needed to save oceans

Too many years of doing nothing, commission says

Americans must get serious now about protecting oceans battered by overfishing, pollution and coastal development, a bipartisan government panel said yesterday in the first major federal look at ocean health in a generation.

Otherwise, the group said, managing the nation's oceans will grow increasingly conflicted as fish farms, wind-power development, mining and projects not yet envisioned move out into waters inside the 200-mile limit of U.S. control.

Congress and President Bush need to double spendin...Read the full story

April 21, 2004 | Comments Off

Mayor Nickels announces plan to save city forests

At a south Seattle greenbelt yesterday, Mayor Greg Nickels announced a plan to raise up to $50 million over the next 20 years from public and private sources to save the city's urban forests.

"If we don't act, ivy and the other invasive species will choke our forests" and turn city greenbelts into "ecological wastelands," Nickels told about 100 people at the Cheasty Boulevard Greenspace.

Nickels' goal through the Green Seattle Partnership is to restore the 2,500 acres most at risk by 2024.

Restoring an infested forest is expensive, about $20,000 per acre. To defra...Read the full story

April 20, 2004 | Comments Off

Cleaner Electricity, Cars and Trucks Can Save Consumers Billions of Dollars Says New Study

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) will released two new analyses last week at the North American Energy Summit here, showing that increased use of renewable energy sources, and improved automobile technology, could save consumers billions of dollars on sky-rocketing utility bills and high prices at the gas pump.

Using a U.S. Department of Energy computer model and assumptions, UCS found that consumers would save $26 billion-$11 billion in lower electricity bills and $15 billion in lower natural gas bills-by using more wind, solar, geothermal and other renewab...Read the full story

April 19, 2004 | Comments Off

Green Tips - Environmentally Friendly Fertilizer

Courtesy of Earth Share of Washington member, Union of Concerned Scientists

If you're looking to grow the perfect garden but your soil could use a bit of work, you can buy any number of fertilizers that promise to provide your soil with the nutrients it needs. But not all fertilizers are alike when it comes to environmental impact.

Many commercial fertilizers are made from ammonia, which is extracted from natural gas using a complex chemical process. This process also releases carbon dioxide-the heat-trapping gas primarily responsible for global warming-into the atm...Read the full story

April 15, 2004 | Comments Off

Northwest called ideal for green power push

With a concentration of technical know-how, entrepreneurial spark and abundant natural resources -- including wind, water, sun and cow poop -- the Pacific Northwest stands perfectly positioned to ride the wave of a coming clean-energy revolution.

That was the message delivered yesterday to labor activists, environmentalists, business people and others determined to launch a renewable-energy campaign with an intensity rivaling that of the Apollo space program, which put astronauts on the moon.

The 10-year, $300 billion program, as envisioned by several dozen labor and environ...Read the full story

April 14, 2004 | Comments Off

Washington Mayors Join Wilderness Effort to Protect Wild Sky

Mayors Highlight Benefits to Economy, Water and Air and Quality-of-Life

Seattle - Over 60 mayors from around the state joined the growing number of local lawmakers and concerned citizens supporting efforts to protect the "Wild Sky" area as a congressionally designated Wilderness. In a letter sent today to the entire Washington congressional delegation the mayors made their case for why wilderness protection is good for their local communities and called on the delegation to work together and "make the Wild Sky a reality."

The letter says, "As locally-elected...Read the full story

April 13, 2004 | Comments Off

Bipartisan House bill may signal growing consensus on climate change

The nascent congressional effort to fight global warming has spread to the House -- but supporters acknowledge that it's not likely to receive an especially warm welcome from the chamber's leadership.

Last week, a motley bipartisan crew of representatives including Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) and John Olver (D-Mass.) stood beside Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) to introduce companion legislation to the senators' Climate Stewardship Act. The House version, like the Senate's, proposes to set a mandatory cap for greenhouse-gas emissions and create a market-based...Read the full story

April 9, 2004 | Comments Off

Stories of a Wildlife Rescue - "A Happy Blue Day"

by Naturalist Kevin Mack from Earth Share of Washington member PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, published in the April 7, 2004 edition of Wild Again

On November 5th, 2003, a nearly four-foot tall bird stood alone in a parking lot in Blaine, Washington. She was not there by choice. Her right wing was hanging down at an odd angle, and she was unable to do the one thing that her instincts were undoubtedly telling her to do... fly away. Confused, afraid, and in pain, she desperately needed help. Fortuna...Read the full story

April 8, 2004 | Comments Off

Earth Saving Tips - Greener Computing

Courtesy of Grist Magazine

U.S. consumers are being cheated out of the chance to buy the greenest possible computers, according to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and other environmental groups that have joined forces on the Computer TakeBack Campaign.

The campaign's latest report card examined 28 computer manufacturers' practices regarding hazardous materials, worker health and safety, and systems for taking back used products. CTBC found that fewer relatively eco-friendly computers are offered for sale in the U.S. than in countries with stronger environmental...Read the full story

April 7, 2004 | Comments Off

15h Annual Oyster Olympics "Oyster Day" Celebration Raises $36,000 for Puget Soundkeeper Alliance

SEATTLE--Oyster-loving Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels proclaimed March 30, 2004 "Oyster Day" to honor the 15th Annual Anthony's Oyster Olympics. In a day of contests, fun, food and drink, over 600 celebrants at the sold-out, popular, rite-of-spring event consumed 30,000 oysters while raising $36,000 to support the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. Governor Gary Locke sent a letter extending warm greetings to those attending and commended Anthony's for generously sponsoring these games. And what a party it was--there is something about oysters!

In the zany, only-in-Seattle Celebrity Oy...Read the full story

April 5, 2004 | Comments Off

Earth Month 2004

Why have just one Earth Day when there are plenty of environmental restoration projects happening all month long. If you haven't explored the volunteer section of our website, check it out!

Earth Share of Washington members are hosting volunteer opportunities all month long, including the following:

• More than 50 trail stewardship projects with Washington Trails Association and Volunteers for Outdoor Washington.
• Restoration work parties with EarthCorps at Magnuson Park, Cheasty Greenspace, and Licton Springs throughout t...Read the full story
  April 2, 2004 | Comments Off

Favor Salmon Over Farmers, Panel Says

Study looked at drought withdrawals from Columbia River

Farmers should not be given permission to withdraw more water from the Columbia River in the hot summer months unless the flow can be cut off during droughts, because salmon already are under assault by water that is too warm.

That was the conclusion of a long-awaited National Academy of Sciences study released yesterday to the praise of environmentalists and the scorn of farmers.

Instead, conservation and purchases from those who hold long-standing water rights should help lessen the effects of...Read the full story

April 1, 2004 | Comments Off