Monthly News Archive:
April 2008
Table of Contents:
- Scientists: Rescue plan for Sound falls short
- Nutrition grants meant to help Washington schools, farmers
- Our travel habits are changing - Northwesterners are buying less gas
- This weekend kicks off Native Plant Appreciation Week
- Earth Day synergy
- 52 tips for living green
- Green reads for Earth Day
- The Natural gardener: How green does your garden grow?
- Art and the environment mix in Earth Day event
- Washington Birding Trail forum set for Toppenish
- Buckhorn Mountain mine will go forward after years-long fight
- Good and Bad News about Gas in Washington State
- Sound saviors list specific goals
- ome municipal projects to be exempt from critical areas rule
- "Green" Jobs Can Revive Economy, Golden Says
- TDR: balancing the goals of conservation and growth
- The education of Warren Buffett; Why did the guru cancel six coal plants?
- Wild Sky Passes Senate
- King County Grows Cooler - Futurewise
- Paper or plastic? You may pay 20 cents either way
Scientists: Rescue plan for Sound falls short
New blueprint neglects stormwater, critics say
For a quarter-century, government agencies have been birthing plans to rescue ecologically ailing Puget Sound. They didn't work.
And neither will the latest blueprint, a brand-new stab at the task unveiled by a brand-new agency that fails to deal with the biggest source of pollutants entering the Sound, leading scientists charged on Friday.
That pollution source is stormwater, the fetid mixture flowing off streets and parking lots and other hard surfaces, carrying oil, pesticides, antifreeze, pet waste and so much more i...Read the full story
April 29, 2008
Add Comments...Nutrition grants meant to help Washington schools, farmers
Public schools would be allowed to pay more for Washington produce as part of a new law promoted as a way to improve child nutrition while supporting Evergreen State farmers.
"It's a tremendous opportunity for us. We just need to connect with our farmers. ... It's great for kids to learn where food comes from - not from a can or a box," said Lisa Chatterton, a dietitian and nutrition service supervisor for the Franklin Pierce School District in Parkland.
The Washington Environmental Council and others lobbied for the "Local Farms-Healthy Kids" legislation as a way to foster go...Read the full story
Our travel habits are changing - Northwesterners are buying less gas
Like a frog who slowly permits himself to cook because the water only slowly comes to a boil, people in the rural Pacific Northwest have remained relatively quiet in the face of painfully escalating gasoline prices.
It was only four years ago when gas prices controversially broke the $2 a gallon threshold, a psychological barrier that unleashed a spasm of hand wringing and angry denunciations. Now, the Oregon average exceeds $3.50 for regular - and is considerably higher here on the coast. It is easy to imagine surpassing the $4 mark by Memorial Day weekend.
What happened? W...Read the full story
This weekend kicks off Native Plant Appreciation Week
Governor Gregoire has proclaimed April 27th through May 3rd, 2008 as Native Plant Appreciation Week in Washington.
You and your organization are invited to participate in the celebration of Native Plant Appreciation Week.
What is Native Plant Appreciation Week?
This week is a celebration of the amazing diversity of Washington's over 3000 native plant species that inhabit deserts, rain forests, high alpine environments, river valleys, and even backyard landscapes. Native plant ecosystems are critical to sustaining our native wildlife and the quality of Washi...Read the full story
Earth Day synergy
In 1980, on the 10th anniversary of Earth Day, Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson recalled the "broad and deep support for the environmental movement" his inspiration revealed. The response stunned him.
After nearly four decades, discussions about a safer, cleaner and healthier planet are part of everyday conversations at work, home and houses of worship. Even the Seattle Mariners, in a first for MLB, are going carbon neutral for tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles.The first Earth Day was followed by monumental legislation -- the Clean Air Act, the Clea...Read the full story
52 tips for living green
Going green all at once is too much for almost anyone to accomplish. Instead, try making just one new change or adding one new habit or resolve each week. You'll be surprised at how it adds up after just a year.
To get you started, here are 52 tips compiled from the P-I's weekly "Living Green" coverage:
Get the list from the Seattle P-I
...Read the full storyGreen reads for Earth Day
Going green is not just for Earth Day anymore.
Green has become the daily imperative. But the annual observance of this planet and its perils -- originated in 1970 by Denis Hayes, who now lives in Seattle -- does provide a time for a checkup on one's progress toward a more sustainable lifestyle.
Publishers are happy to help with new green titles in the spring. What follows are some of this season's most consumer-friendly titles. All are filled with practical advice, surprising findings, plus little preaching.
As co-authors Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King advise i...Read the full story
The Natural gardener: How green does your garden grow?
Gardeners have their fingers on the pulse of the planet. Every time we pull a weed by hand rather than douse it with chemicals, we've chosen health over a poisonous quick fix. When we plant a native shrub that feeds hummingbirds or hosts butterfly larvae we create a ripple effect of planetary well-being.
It might seem redundant to talk of a "green" garden, but until all those bright little warning flags on chemically treated lawns and landscapes disappear and the piles of plastic nursery pots end up recycled rather than clogging landfills, our gardens aren't necessarily sustainable,...Read the full story
Art and the environment mix in Earth Day event
Many different environmental organizations will be celebrating Earth Day this year, but would it surprise you to know that an art museum is going all out for the big day?
Climate Day for Kids at Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Parkinvolves different activities by a number of community groups.
"SAM is trying to be more involved in Earth Day activities. It is something we want to make a tradition," says SAM environmental steward Jackie White.
White, who became SAM's first environmental steward last summer, is b...Read the full story
Washington Birding Trail forum set for Toppenish
YAKIMA -- A forum to gather input on what should be included in the next route of Audubon's Great Washington State Birding Trail will be held next Wednesday, from
4 to 7 p.m. at the Heritage Inn Restaurant of the Yakima Heritage Cultural Center in Toppenish.
Previous meetings have already been held in Kennewick, Walla Walla, Spokane and Ellensburg, but the Toppenish meeting is expected to be the largest gathering for one simple reason: The new route will entail South Central Washington, including places like the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge, Cow...Read the full story
Buckhorn Mountain mine will go forward after years-long fight
Boy, I never thought I'd see the day when enviros in the Okanogan Highlands would actually agree to allow a gold mine at Buckhorn Mountain. But it's happened.
Today the Okanogan Highlands Alliance, the Washington Environmental Council and the Center for Environmental Law and Policy acquiesced and dropped their fight against the underground mine proposed by Crown Resources and Kinross Gold.
Read the complete article at the Seattle P-I
...Read the full storyGood and Bad News about Gas in Washington State
The good news? Washington State has drastically cut back on its consumption of fuel, returning to consumption rates last seen when LBJ was in the White House. The bad news? The gas we do use costs a hell of a lot, and that's not going to change any time soon.
Yesterday, the results of two studies regarding gasoline in Washington were released. Seattle-based think tank Sightline Institute found that the Pacific Northwest is leading the nation in the reduction of gas consumption. According to KING 5:
"From 1999 to 2007, W...Read the full story
Sound saviors list specific goals
Grassroots organizations are unique in that, whatever the goals, their momentum is fueled by passion and unwavering resolve.
People for Puget Sound is one such organization whose influence has only increased in velocity since Kathy Fletcher formed the group in 1991 to protect and restore the Sound and the Northwest Straits.
Fletcher visited Coupeville last month to informally discuss with receptive and like-minded attendees local and regional environmental issues. People for Puget Sound and other groups are supporting the state's 2020 benchmark for restoring health to the ex...Read the full story
ome municipal projects to be exempt from critical areas rule
Certain municipal construction projects could dodge some of the city's environmental rules, but the local chapter of anti-sprawl group Futurewise says that's hypocritical.
The City Council on Monday approved an ordinance establishing a process to let some city projects skirt the "critical areas ordinance," a law that restricts development near wetlands, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas and wildlife habitats. The council voted 6-0, with council member Louise Bjornson absent, to approve the language.
City staff members say the law is needed because the cr...Read the full story
"Green" Jobs Can Revive Economy, Golden Says
To address the problem of climate change Americans must strive to create a "green" economy bolstered by federal regulations that promote innovation and investment, said K.C. Golden in his lecture Tuesday night at the University of Montana.
"The problem is upon us now," he said. "It's time to move from being very worried to being very focused on the issue."
Golden's talk, the final lecture in the University's Wilderness Issues Lecture Series, focused on ways the United States can work to lessen the severity of global climate change while reducing ou...Read the full story
TDR: balancing the goals of conservation and growth
At the Cascade Land Conservancy's fifth Snohomish County Conservation Awards Breakfast last November, the Conservancy's most-honored award -- the Phil and Laura Zalesky Lifetime Achievement Award -- was presented to two longtime advocates of Snohomish County.
Honored were Duane Weston, for his long-standing commitment to sustaining Snohomish County forests, and Cliff Bailey, for his tireless work in preserving Snohomish County farmland.
Bailey spoke briefly in accepting the award, calling on the audience to continue to work for the conservation of forests and farmlands. He p...Read the full story
The education of Warren Buffett; Why did the guru cancel six coal plants?
One of the biggest climate stories of 2007 never made it to the business pages. It's about how Warren Buffett, with no fanfare, quietly walked away from coal, cancelling six proposed plants.
Buffett used to love coal. His involvement with it began when Berkshire Hathaway bought MidAmerican Energy Holdings in 1999. MidAmerican was a big operator of coal plants, and with natural gas prices edging toward a huge leap upwards -- bringing coal back into favor -- it appeared to be a typically savvy Buffett move.
In 2006, Buffett picked up another utility, PacifiCorp, which includes...Read the full story
Wild Sky Passes Senate
Breaking Year-Long Political Log Jam
Washington D.C. (4/10/08) - The Wild Sky Wilderness Act (H.R. 886/S. 520) passed out of the Senate as part of a package of non-controversial bills (S.2739), moving the effort one step closer to final passage. Conservationists were quick to praise Senators Murray and Cantwell as well as Congressman Larsen for their unwavering commitment and determination.The package must now return to the House where it is expected to pass without controversy and be signed into law.
King County Grows Cooler - Futurewise
Tell the King County Council that you appreciate their commitment to sustainability and addressing climate change!
Right now, King County is updating its Comprehensive Plan, the County's blue print for growth in our region. King County's Draft 2008 Comprehensive Plan includes policies that encourage sustainable development, protect resource lands, promote renewable energy, and increase the use of transit.
We know that the choices made in land use and zoning plans lock us into patterns that determine our global warming pollution for decades. With a million more people coming...Read the full story
Paper or plastic? You may pay 20 cents either way
Some plastic, foam containers would be banned under proposal by mayor, council president
Seattle could trump even the greenest of American cities with fines on foam and taxes on bags -- both paper and plastic, city politicians say.
Seattle would impose a 20-cent-per-bag "green fee" and outlaw foam food containers next year under a proposal announced Wednesday. Aiming to persuade Seattleites to ditch disposable bags, the city hopes to send a free reusable bag to every Seattle household, Mayor Greg Nickels said.
"No other city has done what we're suggesting here," Nick...Read the full story