During the warmer, drier summer months, we depend on water stored in our mountain reservoirs to meet customer demand while leaving enough water in the rivers for fish. The tiered rate structure helps to ensure that we all help conserve water.

So, what can you do to save water and money?

Check out the Saving Water Partnership site for lots of great information, rebates and tips on saving water.  In addition, Seattle Public Utilities has new income guidelines for receiving up to 2 free low-water use toilets, including installation! Learn more at their site.

SEATTLE – Mayor Mike McGinn today announced a Green Ribbon Commission to steward development of the Seattle Climate Action Plan. Co-chaired by Denis Hayes, President of the Bullitt Foundation, and Doris Koo, Senior Advisor to Enterprise Community Partners, the primary charge of the Green Ribbon Commission will be to help the city of Seattle create a climate action plan that increases the circle of economic prosperity, affordable housing, public health, and social equity while protecting our planet for future generations.

“The challenge for this Green Ribbon Commission will be to fully integrate our climate goals with our job creation and social equity goals,” said McGinn. “Cities that do so will be leaders in creating a new model for quality of life, environmental sustainability and economic success.  I thank all the members of the Green Ribbon Commission for their commitment to this vision and their service.”

The Green Ribbon Commission is comprised of business, civic, and environmental leaders. The City convened a Green Ribbon Commission in 2005 to help develop the Seattle’s first climate action plan. The mayor was a member of the 2005 Green Ribbon Commission, as were several returning members of the Green Ribbon Commission, including co-chairs Denis Hayes and Doris Koo.

“Seattle’s 2005 Green Ribbon Commission launched one of the nation’s first municipal climate action plans,” said Hayes.  “I’m pleased today to join another diverse, talented group to help Seattle demonstrate that a low-carbon future can also be a healthy, vibrant, and prosperous future.”

The Green Ribbon Commission will meet six times between May and October 2012.  The Office of Sustainability & Environment is supporting the Green Ribbon Commission and leading the City’s climate action planning process.

More information on the Seattle Climate Action Plan can be found here.

The Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) are comprised of experts in the transportation, building energy, waste and land use and were convened to analyze and recommend a wide range of greenhouse gas reduction strategies in those sectors. The TAGs also helped identify short and long term goals and funding mechanisms for the strategies identified in the plan. Their recommendations can be found here.

OSE welcomes comment from the public on these recommendations. These recommendations are just the first phase of the climate action planning process.  This work will be taken up by a Green Ribbon Commission for further evaluation and analysis. The Green Ribbon Commission will consider all public comment on these preliminary strategies and will release their final recommendations in the fall.

Three meetings are scheduled to hear from the public:

• April 12 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Bertha Knight Landes Room of City Hall
• April 17 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Northgate Community Center,10510 5th Ave. NE
• And April 19 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the NewHolly Gathering Hall, 7054 32^nd Ave. S

 The report answer the questions:

• Under what conditions is building reuse environmentally preferable to demolition and new construction? 
• Do benefits differ by region and building type?
• Are there significant opportunities to reduce near term carbon emissions by reusing buildings rather than constructing anew? 

 The presentation will last 30 minutes and will include a question & answer period afterwards.

Friday April 20
12:00-1:00 p.m.
700 5^th Ave, Rm 4080 (40^th Floor conference room) 

Presenter Bio:

Ric Cochran is a project manager of the Preservation Green Lab. He manages building performance projects that enhance the value of existing buildings and increase rates of preservation and adaptive use. He leads development of the City of Seattle Outcome-Based Energy Code for Existing Buildings and the Getting to 50 Deep Energy Savings for Existing Buildings initiative. Ric’s professional experience includes real estate development and green building consulting. He is a Fulbright India fellow and has Master of Urban Planning and Master of Public Administration degrees from the University of Washington.

Bloom! is Seattle’s Green TED – an evening of innovative speakers working in the three areas of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic. There will be eight speakers
(short, 10 minute talks) and plenty of time for networking.

When: April 5, 2012. Doors opens at 6pm. Speakers start 7pm. The bar is open all night.
Where:  Sole Repair, at 1001 East Pike on Capitol Hill.

Spring Clean—held each year in April and May—is Seattle’s premier clean up event. Spring Clean provides opportunities for citizens to clean up Seattle’s public open spaces of their choice with city support, including planning assistance, gloves, safety vests, disposal bags, transfer station passes, and waste disposal. Typical volunteer projects include litter pick ups, invasive plant removal, storm drain stenciling, graffiti removal, and general area beautification. More information here.

WHAT WE ARE SEEKING
Seattle residents are passionate, committed and creative when to comes to making Seattle—and the world—better places. As individuals and as a community, Seattleites have helped our community become a national and international leader in sustainability. And, we know the community has more great ideas about how we can continue to be leaders by taking action at the neighborhood level to address climate change.

The City of Seattle is seeking community partners to help residents and businesses take action for the climate. We will be awarding contracts up to $7,000 for the projects, and will be providing on-going project design support.

If you have an idea about how to inspire your community to make positive choices that support the environment, we want to work with you to make it happen! We are accepting applications for projects in the following categories:

Transportation
Energy
Food
Waste

WHO SHOULD APPLY
Organizations or individuals with a good idea who want to partner with the City to help their community take climate action.  No idea is too big or too small! More information at www.seattlecan.org

HOW TO APPLY
Download a proposal form and submit it by 4:00 pm on April 27, 2012
Email: Sara.Wysocki@seattle.gov
Fax: 206-684-3013
Mail: PO Box 94729, Seattle, WA 98124-4729

QUESTIONS?
Email Sara Wysocki or call 206.233.7014

Please note: We are currently undergoing additional program evaluation and are considering staggered reporting deadlines based on building size. This is in response to public input that additional assistance and time is needed to comply. We will post details as soon as possible.

Click here for more information.

SOUTH – March 19 – 6:30-8:00 p.m.
NewHolly Gathering Hall
7054 32nd Avenue South

NORTH – March 20 – 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Northgate Community Center
10510 5th Avenue NE

For more information about City Light’s Draft Plan, please visit:

http://www.seattle.gov/light/strategic-plan/