At the Climate Solutions breakfast on May 10. Watch the conversation here.
May 14 “Spring Into Bed!”
King County residents will gather as volunteers at farms and gardens throughout the county as part of the Just Garden Project’s second annual Spring into Bed! celebration. Volunteers will build gardens, work on farms and help to build a more robust and secure local food system. The idea behind this day of action and celebration is to activate our food space and celebrate ourselves toward a truly sustainable local food system.
Volunteer from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and attend the celebration at Pratt Park from 3 – 6 p.m. Register by May 10 to participate.
Act Now to Opt-Out of Phone Book Delivery!
17,500 tons of unwanted paper—100 pounds per household—delivered each year!
The City of Seattle now offers a free and simple online registry system that will allow Seattle residents and businesses to choose whether they receive yellow pages phone books. But you need to act fast if you want to opt out. Your opt out selection must be in effect 30 days before a company starts its Seattle distribution cycle. Choices for DEX yellow pages phone books must be made by May 16, 2011 in order to prevent delivery of books this year.
Two million yellow pages phone books are recycled in Seattle every year at a cost of approximately $350,000 to Seattle Public Utilities ratepayers. While its important to recycle phone books, it’s much better for the environment to reduce their production altogether.
May is Bike To Work Month!
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!
Ask a Tree Expert!
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!
OSE City Council Briefings, May 3
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.
May 3, Community Kick-off for Community Power Works for Home
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:
- Food and children’s activities
- Free advice from our Energy Experts
- Sign up for an Energy Assessment
- Meet our certified contractors
- Learn about special rebates and incentives from our partners at Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy
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.
Community Power Works for Home Launched
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.
City Councilmembers Honor Earth Day
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.
Climate Action Highlights Report Released
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.
