Earth Share of Washington - News

Away for the Holidays

The Earth Share of Washington office is closed from December 23rd. We will return January 3rd. News updates will resume upon our return.

It is our hope that Nature's richness will fill you with joy and wonder in the coming year. Happy Holidays from the staff at Earth Share.

December 22, 2004 | Comments Off

Kitsap Transit & Transit-Oriented Development

This story courtesy of Earth Share organization Transportation Choices Coalition

Kitsap Transit's general manager, Dick Hayes, knows that he approaches transit differently than most other transit agency managers. That's largely because Kitsap Transit fulfills different needs than most other transit agencies--less than an hour from Seattle and surrounded on three sides by water, they are in the passenger ferry business just as much as they are in the bus business. It's also partially due to the fact that he envisions transpo...Read the full story

December 20, 2004 | Comments Off

Governor Locke unveils Columbia River proposal

Plan aims to end water rights fight

KENNEWICK -- In what is likely one of his last acts before leaving office, Gov. Gary Locke announced a new plan for managing the Columbia River, seeking to provide more water for farmers and cities in Eastern Washington while protecting fish and wildlife.

Water users and conservationists have been battling for decades over water rights for the Columbia and its tributaries, with one side seeking more water for communities and commerce while the other side fights for sufficient water for threatened fish.

Locke made f...Read the full story

December 20, 2004 | Comments Off

2004 Sets Records for Climate and Natural Disasters

Climate change hits bottom line

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has announced that 2004 is expected to be the fourth warmest year worldwide since records began.

And the insurance industry says this year will face unprecedented claims for damage from weather-related disasters.

Both sets of figures were released as ministers from 180 countries heard a message from the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urging an end to doubts and delays on action to combat climate change.

The WMO reported that the average temperature o...Read the full story

December 17, 2004 | Comments Off

Orcas get closer to federal protection

Agency reverses itself, favors 'threatened' status for whales

Puget Sound's resident orcas are on track to win protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, thanks to a government reversal that delighted environmentalists and legions of whale worshippers.

The National Marine Fisheries Service proposed yesterday that the region's struggling orca pods be declared "threatened" under the law. Final approval could take up to a year.

The state of Washington and the Canadian government have already listed the iconic whales as endangered, but the fede...Read the full story

December 17, 2004 | Comments Off

Cascadia Scorecard Update - Gifts for the region that has everything

This story courtesy of Northwest Environment Watch, originally published in Cascadia Scorecard News

Ah, Cascadia. Our region boasts salmon and rivers; snowcapped mountains and towering forests; and cities that regularly top "most livable" lists. But we have problems as well as abundance: half a million children in poverty; cities in which residents are dependent on cars; and growing threats to the creatures and ecosystems that give spirit to our place.

So we posed this question: If we could give Cascadia a few items th...Read the full story

December 16, 2004 | Comments Off

Earth Saving Tips - Socially Responsible Investing

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

Many people do their part for the environment by driving a fuel-efficient car, buying organic foods, or using energy-efficient appliances. You can also promote environmental values through socially responsible investing (SRI), also known as "green" investing. SRI gives corporations an incentive to improve their environmental stewardship and can also provide investors with a more secure financial future - a "double bottom line."

Though socially respon...Read the full story

December 16, 2004 | Comments Off

Send a Holiday Greeting Card from Earth Share

Send a card today!

Still searching for the perfect gift this year? Growing weary of the consumer holidays? Here's the answer: protect our health, our children, and our quality of life by helping Earth Share of Washington!

With a donation of $35 or more, we will mail a holiday greeting card to a special friend or loved one, noting your gift to Earth Share in his or her honor. We will not disclose the amount of the gift.

With a donation of $60 or more...Read the full story

December 14, 2004 | Comments Off

Yakama Nation to take over state fish hatchery

Goal is to improve Klickitat salmon runs

KLICKITAT -- In what some are calling an unprecedented move, the state plans to transfer its Klickitat fish hatchery operations to the Yakama Indian Nation in an effort to restore fish runs to the upper basin of the Klickitat River.

It's been more than 50 years since salmon and steelhead returned to spawn in the upper basin of the Klickitat, which flows some 100 miles from the base of Mount Adams to the Columbia River. Before hydroelectric dams were built on the Columbia, an estimated 15,000 fish returned to the river...Read the full story

December 14, 2004 | Comments Off

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to an environmentalist for the first time

Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai has been presented with the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 at a ceremony in Oslo.

Professor Maathai, also Kenya's deputy environment minister, is the first African woman and environmentalist to win the prestigious award.

The 64-year-old was honoured for her campaign to save Africa's trees and for promoting social, economic and cultural reforms that are ecologically viable.

She was described as an example for all Africans seeking democracy and peace.

Green Belt

"There can be no peace...Read the full story

December 13, 2004 | Comments Off

Locke backs tougher emissions standards

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke and legislative Democrats yesterday proposed that Washington adopt California's vehicle-emission standards, the toughest in the world.

Locke, a two-term Democrat who will leave office next month, also announced a freeze on state-government purchase of four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicles. The state motor pool will begin shifting to hybrid vehicles, which run on electricity and gasoline.

The proposal to adopt California's auto standards, effective with the 2009 model year, is the centerpiece of Locke's package of bills to combat global warming.Read the full story

December 09, 2004 | Comments Off

Inquiry is urged into ability to react to big spill

Oil leak task force drafts recommendations

An independent investigation should be launched into whether the Puget Sound region has enough equipment readily available to contain a big oil spill, a government panel recommended yesterday.

The Oil Spill Early Action Task Force, which is examining the recent spill near Vashon Island, also advocated getting citizens more involved in planning to prevent spills. The group called for an in-depth look at how to do that in time for action by the 2005 Legislature.

One idea favored by some task force members -- a...Read the full story

December 07, 2004 | Comments Off

Spokane River Health Risk Advisories Given to Low-Income and Immigrant Communities in Spokane

By Amber Waldref, from Earth Share of Washington organization The Lands Council

Although you may not see them, almost every day in the past five months, staff and representatives of The Lands Council (TLC) has been out working within and among a diverse cross section of Spokane community members. Their goal is to form new partnerships to increase public awareness about health risks posed by contaminants in the Spokane River, including the effects of exposure to heavy metals and PCBs (industrial chemicals) found in shoreline soils an...Read the full story

December 06, 2004 | Comments Off

Hanford initiative put on hold

Measure that passed last month could harm cleanup, judge rules

YAKIMA -- A federal judge yesterday granted a court order that prevents a state initiative -- dealing with cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation from taking effect.

Earlier in the day, federal government lawyers argued in a telephone conference call that there were too many uncertainties about how the state would interpret the new initiative.

Attorneys for the state argued the temporary restraining order was unnecessary and gave assurances that state officials were still reviewing th...Read the full story

December 03, 2004 | Comments Off

Give a gift that matters

Does Uncle Bob really need one more silk tie?

This holiday season, you can choose from a cornucopia of gifts that will surprise and delight family and friends while helping to protect the environment. Most are equally well suited to birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Here are a few suggestions:

Bird-friendly coffee
Have you wondered why you don't hear as many birds singing lately? Believe it or not, your coffee could be one of the culprits. Most mass-produced coffee today is grown in Latin America on large, full-su...Read the full story

December 03, 2004 | Comments Off

Tighter vehicle emission standards proposed for state

Washington state would follow California's lead in establishing tough new automotive standards to slash emissions of greenhouse gases under a proposed new bill.

The bill, being drafted by Rep. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who chairs the House Transportation Committee, would thrust Washington into the forefront of efforts by states to combat global warming. It would also put Washington in the thick of a battle with automotive companies over the legality of such actions.

"I think this is legal and doable, and intend to introduce it early in the [next legislative] session," Mu...Read the full story

December 02, 2004 | Comments Off