Please Join Mayor Mike McGinn for a press conference to announce the Seattle Public Utilities 2012 Composting & Waste Reduction Work Plan Friday, February 24, 2012, 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands 5513 S. Cloverdale Street Seattle, WA 98108 The Mayor, representatives from Seattle Public Utilities, and Seattle Tilth will [...]

Is the Office of Sustainability and Environment still the smallest department at the City? Why does OSE report to two committees? What are the big things on the office’s workplan for 2012? Find out the answers to these and many more questions by viewing the video from today’s Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Council meeting.

The Seattle City Council is looking for a new Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) member to fill the Arborist role in Position # 5. The term would start upon selection and extend through December 1, 2014. To be considered, applicants must have board certification as a Master Arborist or Municipal Specialist from the International Society of [...]

Every year, Seattle Tilth offers Seattle residents the opportunity to get in-depth training on composting and the many benefits of good soil. After training, you build your skills by volunteering to teach others what you’ve learned. Through eight sessions of hands-on workshops, lecture and discussion, Master Composter/Soil Builders learn to: compost a variety of organic [...]

Community Power Works (CPW), a City of Seattle energy efficiency initiative to weatherize buildings and help grow a sustainable source of green jobs through energy upgrades, is now serving homes throughout the City of Seattle. The CPW for Home program is one of six programs operated by Community Power Works and funded in part by [...]

The Office of Sustainability & Environment is partnering with Futurewise and Councilmember Mike O’Brien on a series of brownbag events around the Seattle Climate Action plan.  The next one is Thursday, January 26, 12:00 – 1:30 pm at GGLO’s Space at the Steps. Brownbag: “Healthy Communities: Saving Families Money at Home and on the Road” [...]

April 1 2012 is the deadline for building owners to comply with Seattle’s new energy benchmarking and reporting ordinance.  Seattle is offering a free workshop for building owners and property managers to help support their compliance efforts. The workshop is from 8 am to noon and is offered on the following four dates:  Jan 25, [...]

The latest installment in Councilmember Richard Conlin’s blog posts about carbon neutrality. Click here to read the whole post.  

The City Green Building team takes an exciting new step in 2012. Beginning in January, part of the “green team” will join forces with the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE). Staff focused on policy development will become part of OSE, and those focused on green codes and permitting will stay with the Department of [...]

Seattle residents can compost trees and greens free of charge between December 26, 2011 and January 9, 2012. At Recycling & Disposal Stations Trees should not exceed eight feet in length and must be free of decoration so they can be turned into compost for local parks and gardens. Trunks should not exceed four inches [...]