Are you just a “sunny-weekend-days” biker but interested in increasing your miles pedaled per month total? Now is the perfect time to make that change! May is Bike To Work Month and the way to celebrate that is to participate in the 2011 Group Health Commute Challenge!
Even though it felt like it took a long time to get here, it looks like spring is finally here to stay. Anxious to finally get your hands dirty in your garden? As you carefully tend to your veggies, flowers and plants, don’t forget your trees as well! As the weather gets warmer and the rain lessens (we hope) your trees will need even more attention.
Have a question about caring for your trees? Ask a tree expert!
The Office of Sustainability and Environment will be briefing the City Council Regional Development and Sustainability Committee next Tuesday, May 3 between 2-4 pm. Briefings will cover a climate risk assessment tool developed by OSE, as well as the City’s operations greenhouse gas inventory for 2008/2009.
The agenda for this briefing can be found on Council’s website.
You are invited to the community kick-off celebration for Community Power Works for Home – a program to help make your home more comfortable, efficient and healthy.
Join your central and southeast Seattle neighbors and the City of Seattle at South Shore School on May 3, 2011. The event will feature:
Find out details on the Community Power Works Loan program. Plus, learn how you could earn money for your local neighborhood nonprofit organization by helping spread the word about Community Power Works.
More information about the program and event at www.communitypowerworks.org.
The Community Power Works for Home program launched on Tuesday, April 19 at the home of a Genesee Park couple who are early participants in the program. Mayor Mike McGinn chose Earth Week to launch Community Power Works for Home, a neighborhood program that will create good, green jobs and help Seattle residents make energy-saving improvements to their homes. The full press release on the event can be found here.
Many Seattle City Councilmembers will be celebrating Earth Day and renewing their commitment to environmental stewardship at events tomorrow and through the weekend.
Friday, April 22
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Picnic for the Planet – Join Councilmember Clark at the Pike Place Market
3 p.m.: “Sustainability and Community” discussion – Join Council President Conlin at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment
Saturday, April 23
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Parks work day – Join Councilmember Bagshaw at the Washington Park Arboretum
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: B-I-G Birthday Celebrations – Join Councilmember Harrell in a tree planting ceremony commemorating Seward Park’s Centennial and Audubon Center’s “3rd B-Earth-day”
11 a.m.: Park Dedication – Join Councilmember Bagshaw at the Hubbard Homestead Park
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Earth Day Celebration – Join Councilmember O’Brien at Gas Works Park
12 – 4 p.m.: Earth Gay 2011 – Join Councilmembers Rasmussen and O’Brien in South Lake Union
The full press release can be found here.
The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) released its fourth annual Climate Action Highlights Report on Earth Day, April 22, 2011. The report includes case studies that showcase innovative accomplishments in each of the City’s climate action strategy areas: Transportation, Clean Fuels, Efficient Buildings, Waste Reduction, Adaptation, and Community Engagement. Some of the 2010 achievements described in the report include the following:
Making it easier to Walk.Bike.Ride
The City completed pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic flow improvements to Nickerson St in 2010, using the Complete Streets guidelines.
Electric Vehicles (EV):
Seattle is leading the way in the EV arena by working with businesses and property owners to install charging stations that are accessible by the public.
Community Power Works:
In 2010, the City of Seattle received federal stimulus funds to launch Community Power Works, a major new energy efficiency program for homes, businesses, hospitals, and City facilities in Seattle’s Central and Southeast neighborhoods. .
Climate COOLective Program:
Seven organized groups—ranging from non-profits and neighborhood based organizations to a union group and socially responsible physician’s organization—joined OSE’s Climate COOLective program last year to take climate action in their organizations. The program offers seed money, training, and technical assistance to groups to implement an organization-specific climate-change engagement campaign.
Download the entire report here.
April 29 is National Arbor Day, the day established in 1872 to encourage tree planting and care. You can celebrate here in Seattle this Saturday, April 23, from noon to 4 p.m. at the City of Seattle’s official Arbor Day and Earth Day celebration. OUT for Sustainability will be working to restore a stretch of the Cheshiahud Loop on the eastern shore of Lake Union from Fairview Avenue N to Terry Pettus Park (E Newton Street). As part of the Earth Gay-Arbor Day celebration, the Seattle Department of Transportation will contribute and plant three trees at the intersection of Fairview and Blaine. Seattle will be receiving the “Tree City USA” award at this event for the 26th year, an honor Seattle has earned from the National Arbor Day Foundation for Seattle’s dedication to maintaining and improving the urban forest.
More information and registration can be found here.
