EOS Alliance

Salmon Success!

2010-10-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Salmon days has come and gone, we helped out putting up, taking down, and meeting some awesome people at Salmon Days!

In other news, our new website is up!! Check it out! www.eosalliance.org

Also, be sure to come to Duamish Alive on Saturday and our 10/10/10 even in Beacon Hill on Sunday.

Gearing Up for Salmon Days!!

2010-09-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

The sustainability team spent this morning gearing up for Salmon Days by getting our hands dirty (or wet) at the Issaquah Hatchery. We helped out the best we could by catching salmon...WITH OUR BARE HANDS! It was a blast, met some cool people, helped propagate some Salmon. It happens every Tuesday morning, be sure to come check it out next time. Be sure to come by Salmon Days too, which is October 2nd and 3rd in Issaquah.

We got a tour before they threw us to the fish

The end goal.

Duwamish Alive!! Habitat Restoration--Be a Part of Making Seattle Green!

2010-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Twice a year, EOS partners with the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and People for Puget Sound to host one of Seattle’s largest environmental stewardship events, “Duwamish Alive!”

The EOS Alliance, in partnership with CleanScapes sponsors and hosts volunteers at a cleanup site located at Gateway Park on 8^th Ave S, in Georgetown. Coupling the mission of EOS Alliance we encourage a zero waste policy and will have recycling and composting facilities at all cleanup sites along the Duwamish River. With members of the Georgetown Community Council and CleanScapes, on Oct 9^th we’ll be rolling up our sleeves to plant native species, eradicate invasives and pick up trash along the river. There will free food, both breakfast and lunch, and hopefully some late fall sunshine. SAVE THE DATE!

When: Sat, Oct 9, 10am-2pm

Where: Gateway Park (South end of 8^th Ave S)

Who: YOU!

What: Plant native species, pull up weeds and invasive species, pick up litter, and EAT DELICIOUS LUNCH!

Read on for more about the fascinating Duwamish River:

The Duwamish River has been heavily polluted for over 100 years by industry along the shore. Toxins in the Duwamish include PCBs, Lead, Mercury, Phalates and a long list of other chemicals dumped or buried in the river sediments (many of which are cancerous). Negligent and ignorant practices along the shore went on for decades before the EPA stepped in. In 2001, the River was declared a Superfund site—one of the most polluted sites in the country—and a plan was implemented to begin restoration. Only 2% of the original Duwamish wetlands exist today and while we can’t expect to completely restore the original habitats of the Duwamish, steps are being taken to cleanup toxins and create a healthier environment.

For more information or to find an event in your area visit: Duwamish Alive! or RSVP tflynn@eosalliance.org

Things are happening!

2010-09-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

Here at EOS Alliance things are happening! We got a fresh batch of AmeriCorps volunteers, and we are gearing up for our next event! We will be hosting a work party at our habitat restoration site in Beacon Hill on October 10th. This is going to be a part of the 350.org movement, which is coordinating over a thousand events in over a hundred countries to raise awareness about carbon emissions and climate change. BE A PART OF IT!

We will be having a rockin' work party from abut 10 to 2, then there will be time for food, drink, and having fun!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, let us know, and we hope to see you there!

You can also check our our Facebook event page here, and keep up to date with us on twitter!

Happenin' on the Hill

2010-07-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

The EOS Alliance AmeriCorps team has been working to restore the Maple School Natural Area of Beacon Hill to its native habitat. To mark the end of our term and introduce our neighbors to the hottest hidden forest this side of the Duwamish, we want to invite everyone to come celebrate with us out in the sun on Saturday, July 10th! We will have food, tours of the site, activities for kids, and a raffle of sweet prizes! At 12:30 Erick McWayne, Executive Director of EOS Alliance will be speaking, and immediately following will be Richard Conlin, president of Seattle city council. Hope to see you there. This is going to be good, folks!

Demanding Change

2010-05-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

The BP oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico is stunning. Not only because of the extent of the damage, but due to the question “How did we let this happen?” To see the Gulf revisited with another tragedy so soon after Hurricane Katrina is heartbreaking. Drilling a mile deep may have once been lauded as brilliant; now the world is watching our arrogance take a toll on Louisiana’s fragile wetlands. Apart from the obvious sealing of the leak, two issues need to be resolved: there must be justice for the injured parties and we must make sure this does not happen again.

In 2008, a report concluded that pollution from Texaco Petroleum (Texaco’s Ecuadoran affiliate) has led to 1,401 deaths from cancer. A lawsuit filed in Ecuador alleges that Texaco deliberately disposed of 18 billion gallons of toxic oil production waste in unlined pits. Chevron (Texaco’s current owner) has still not addressed its crimes in Ecuador. Exxon said they would be fully accountable for the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. That never happened. BP has been convicted for environmental crimes 3 times in 10 years. They are now responsible for the largest oil spill in U.S. history. This same company has been described as having a “corporate attitude of noncompliance.” BP has paid little attention to human life, the environment, or economy of coastal Louisiana. They need to be held accountable for every life lost in the accident, all environmental damage caused by this spill, and their destruction of livelihoods of Louisiana residents. That is justice and as a nation, we have a responsibility to hold BP to nothing less.

Likewise, we have a duty to come away from this tragedy smarter and more diligent. America uses 25% of the world’s oil, yet we only have 3% of the reserves. This shows absurd national policy, and I’m sorry, but this policy will not be solved if you bike to work or buy a Prius. There needs to be legislative action taken in this country. I do think it is very important that we are environmentally responsible and genuine in our personal lives, but given the extent of the greater environmental crisis we are facing, our country needs change at a national level. And just like we can buy “green” products or minimize our CO2 footprint, we can affect this process. Contact your local, state, and national representatives.

A Gallup poll found that only 17% of their sample of Americans belong to an activist group or contacted an official about a green issue. And if we don’t speak up in our government, we know who will. A report by the Department of the Interior Inspector General found that staffers of the Lake Charles, Louisiana Materials Management Services district office accepted sport event tickets, lunches, and other gifts offered by gas and oil production companies. The “BP Oil Spill Response Plan – Gulf of Mexico” is “studded with patently inaccurate and inapplicable information but was nonetheless approved by the federal government”. Industry lobbyists have no shortage of money or motivation to guide the American government and nation in a “profitable” direction. The only thing public officials may care more about than money is getting re-elected. That is why we have power and responsibility to have an impact on our nation. We can use our voice to demand the change America needs. I challenge you to consider contacting a politician who represents you as being equally important as choosing to buy organic food or all-natural cleaning products.

If you are a West Coast resident and looking for a place to start, look no further than S 3358/HR 5213 which seek to permanently ban offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Contact Congress, and be a voice for the justice you desire. Move away from being a passive dreamer; become an active force in your country. Don’t just hope for change, demand it.

EOS Alliance presents two Eisenhower Fellows

2010-05-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

EOS Alliance is pleased to present a special evening with Eisenhower Fellows Dr. LI Hongwei (Beijing, China) and Michael Voordeckers (Brussels, Belgium). Both will be speaking on low carbon sustainable development practices in China and the European Union. The presentations will be followed by a moderated panel discussion where the audience can ask questions and interact with both speakers.

About the speakers:

Dr. LI Hongwei
Global Environment Institute
Chinese Society for Sustainable Development

Dr. Li is a teaching secretary at the China Central Party School (CCPS) who focuses on environmentally sustainable development and a low carbon economy. She is an inaugural Fellow in a new partnership launched by Eisenhower Fellowships with the CCPS, an influential and widely-respected Chinese institution that also functions as a policy generator. Dr Li is positioned to influence leaders among China's power elite through her courses on sustainable development and eco-civilization. Her fellowship will focus on U.S. environmental policy development and regulation, as well as clean energy development.

Michael Voordeckers
European Affairs Advisor
Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB)

As the FEB's climate change expert, Michael Voordeckers promotes Belgium business interests at U.N. international climate change conferences, and represents Belgian employeers at BUSINESSEUROPE. Mr. Voordeckers was previously city counselor in Ghent, and is a regular columnist in journals and newspapers. With a background in law and business, he has also worked in the cabinet of the Belgian Minister of Justice, where he oversaw new commercial law and intellectual property legislation development, and advanced Belgian interests in working groups of the European Council.

Registration: FREE!! Please let us know if you plan to attend by dropping an e-mail to rsvp@eosalliance.org.

EOS Alliance celebrates 10th Anniversary May 3rd, 2010

2010-05-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

For the past ten years, EOS Alliance has been making the world a better place through ecoliteracy education, wildlife habitat restoration, and energy and water conservation. Our programs have directly served over 30,000 people across the country empowering them with the tools necessary to live more sustainably. EOS has planted thousands of native trees and shrubs for wildlife habitat and distributed over 5,000 energy and water conservation devices to reduce carbon emissions and preserve precious water resources. It's been a fantastic ten years and the best is yet to come!

Earth Day Event: April 17 2010

2010-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Early morning on Saturday April 17 2010. Its 10AM and rain is sprinkling down from the grey sky of Seattle. Seattle Councilmember Richard Conlin rolls in on his road bike. Slowly volunteers begin trickling into T-105. Tools have been laid out and snacks nibbled. An osprey perches on a pillar. Time to get to work.

George Blomberg, Environmental Program Manager for the Port of

Seattle, kicked the event off with a little history of the Duwamish River. The Duwamish River started off as miles of mud flats and tidal estuary for natural wildlife habitats. When the turn of the century came, so did industrial development along the river. The Duwamish was straightened out and deepened to make way for giant cargo ships. Straightening the river and pollution from industry destroyed habitats. Now many volunteer organizations have been working to restore several areas along the Duwamish and create new habitats to encourage wildlife to repopulate.

Our mission for the Duwamish Alive! Earth Day Celebration was to sheet mulch the natural area of T-105. Our volunteer team numbered over 20 persons. We had spread cardboard and mulch over a large cleared area in no time. The work was tiring, but in the end it was quite rewarding to see all that our team of volunteers accomplished.

The end neared, the tools were packed up, people stayed to chit-chat about the proceeding Earth Day event at Pathfinder School, and news came in that there were over 900 volunteers total for the Duwamish Alive! Earth Day Celebration!! The greatest of thanks to everyone who came out this past Saturday and gave your time and efforts to restore and beautify the natural area of our Duwamish River! Give yourselves a huge pat on the back and a high five to someone next to you!

Don't forget that Earth Day is April 22! So plant a tree and hug an environmental junkie that day! Organize a group and pick up trash along the highway, visit some youth and teach them about organic gardening, or walk instead of drive! Let us know what you're doing to celebrate Earth Day! Yay for Mother Earth!!

For more coverage of this event check out the West Seattle Herald:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2010/04/17/news/duwamish-alive-nets-938-volunteers

Duwamish Alive! Earth Day Celebration

2010-04-13T15:43:00.001-07:00

‪I work in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. Driving to work, it’s hard not to notice the abundance of potholes in this part of Seattle. Rainy weather transforms the neighborhood into a landscape of miniature lakes of stormwater. Some of the stormwater flows with its collection of pollution from cars and development into the nearby Duwamish River. And the cycle of using the Duwamish River as sewer system continues…

The Duwamish River has served as wildlife habitat, food source, a means for transportation, and industrial development area throughout its existence. Nearby industry has used the river as a dumping ground for the past 100 years, leading to the declaration of the river as a Superfund site in 2001 by the Environmental Protection Agency. Superfund is the common name given to the most toxic hazardous waste sites in the nation. Contaminants that contribute to the pollution of the river include: sewage overflow, petroleum spillage or runoff from boats, and stormwater runoff carrying toxic chemicals, fertilizers, oil and grease from our city streets.‬

The Duwamish is Seattle's only river that supports many types of wildlife habitats for several species of salmon, shellfish and birds. These habitats are all at risk due to industrial dumping. The Duwamish River also runs through Seattle’s poorest committees. Immigrant and refugee communities, low-income residents and workers, and the largest Hispanic population in the area reside along the Duwamish River area. Fishermen depend on the river for their livelihood and a food source, and a family struggling to put food on their table may be tempted to ignore posted warnings by the Department of Health about eating toxic fish from the Duwamish River.

The Duwamish River is an environmental justice issue for Seattle. The United States Environmental Protection Agency describes environmental justice as:

“the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.”

Anyone who has spent time around the Duwamish River may be familiar with the warnings and stigma regarding this river. I was at a park on the Duwamish and noticed a sign that warned about toxins in the fish. Would you want your child running around shoeless or sitting on the ground in this park, or in your backyard if your property was on the Duwamish River? Toxins can be acquired as easily as a child dropping a toy, picking it up, and putting the toy in its mouth. Residents in the area feel neglected. They are vocal, but feel that the government doesn’t pay attention to them.

The communities in South Seattle are lower on the Seattle neighborhood “totem pole”, and may be dismissed as industrial areas, but people live there. Their children deserve the same quality of life as those in Greenlake in North Seattle. Youth in South Seattle should not have to grow up being taught that it’s ok for companies to use their river as a sewer system.

On Saturday, April 17th, EOS Alliance will celebrate Earth Day 2010 as a part of the Duwamish Alive! initiative. Join us at the Terminal 105 Park, where we will be restoring riverside habitat. Help us make the Duwamish River a healthier ecosystem for all who depend on it. We need your help to restore this habitat, river, and community.

For more info, go to: http://eosalliance.org/DuwamishAlive.html or contact Ben Kantner at bkantner@eosalliance.org

Article by: Ben Kantner and Sarah Choy

Lower electricity bills, lower emissions, and more green jobs

2009-12-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

Here at EOS we are especially pleased to hear that the Obama administration is stepping up the economic incentives for improving home energy efficiency. A "Cash for Caulkers" stimulus package is in the works, which will make every home, apartment, commercial, and industrial building eligible for up to a $12,000 rebate for energy retrofits! The timing is perfect for us to continue with phase two of our GreenBlocks pilot program. Phase two will include implementing the suggested retrofits of the 95 homes that we audited last spring. Purchasing energy efficient appliances, adding insulation, and eliminating air leakage are all things that will be eligible for a 50% rebate on both the price of the equipment and the installation. Not only is this going to be a great program to reduce our country's overall carbon emissions, but it will also be key in the creation of much needed green jobs.

After the new year we will be moving forward with our second round of GreenBlocks. If you are interested, the first step is making the investment to have a certified energy auditor come to your home to assess it for weatherization opportunities. Contact the sustainability team at EOS to request an audit , and our certified staff will schedule the audit date and time. You may also call us at (206)762-2553. After the new year we will be moving forward with our second round of GreenBlocks. If you are interested, the first step is making the investment to have a certified energy auditor come to your home to assess it for weatherization opportunities. Contact (LINK here) the Sustainability team at EOS to request an audit , and our certified staff will schedule the audit date and time. You may also call us at (206)762-2553. ">

Habitat Restoration Monthly Work Parties!

2009-12-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

Beginning Saturday, December 12^th EOS Alliance is hosting monthly work parties at the Maple School Natural Area! Starting in January the work parties will be the third Saturday of every month; and for those of you who think “work” and “party” don't go together, you obviously haven't worked with this AmeriCorps team yet!

Work parties may include invasive plant removal, site prep work, and plantings. Our goal is to continue our habitat restoration work in this natural area, completing the process by 2013. This project is part of the Green Seattle Partnership, an important initiative to restore parks and natural areas across Seattle. And now for a history lesson...

About 100 years ago the Seattle region was logged for timber. Conifers were cut down and removed, decimating seed banks and allowing quick-growing deciduous trees to grow in their place. Deciduous trees such as Big Leaf Maples and Red Alders are native to the Seattle area, but forests in this region should be dominated by conifers. Expanses of these deciduous trees led to forests with short lifespans and additional light in the winter months for hungry invasives. Seattle's forests have gotten to the point where within twenty years, 70% of Seattle's forests may become ecological dead zones full of invasive plants, dead or dying trees, and without appropriate wildlife habitat.

We can be part of the solution to this problem. The Green Seattle Partnership aims to restore 2,500 acres by the year 2025. EOS Alliance is a member of this partnership at the Maple School Natural Area. Please join us as we fight to save our city's forests and create a better living environment for Seattle

For more information, visit our website at eosalliance.org or come to our first work party on Saturday, December 12^th from 10am to 2pm at the Maple School Natural Area (20^th Ave S & S Lucile St at the top of the stairs).

EOS Sustainability Team tackles weatherization for the cameras

2009-12-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

This week half of the Sustainability Team at EOS Alliance joined up with Dan Wildenhaus of Green Dog Enterprises, Doug Kennedy of Pathway Design and Construction, and John Alexander of Sunshine Construction for a hands-on workshop that was being filmed for a pilot of a PBS series on home weatherization and retrofitting. The PBS series aims to educate home owners about how they can improve the energy performance of their houses, increase their comfort, and save money on heating and electrical bills.

The team met up at a house near Golden Gardens Park ready to dive in and get their hands dirty. After a short introduction, and with the camera rolling, Dan launched into a demonstration of home air leakage using a model of a house made from a cardboard box, a smoke pen, and a light bulb. This demo emphasized the importance of air sealing the attic of the house to prevent warm air from escaping out of holes near the top of the house and cold air from being drawn in down low. The team then performed a quick blower door test to determine the amount of air leakage within the house, which was fairly high (approximately 2250 cubic feet per minute). On top of this, a zone test done with the blower door running revealed the attic had many leaks into the main floor of the house, which could be addressed. With this information and the demo fresh in their heads, the team moved up into the attic to learn air sealing techniques and to put their new found knowledge into action.

Dan started off the hands-on workshop with an explanation, and demo, of using spray foam insulation to seal gaps in floor joists and around plumbing and electrical penetrations. "Great Stuff" brand spray foam was used for these projects and is easy to use after a bit of practice (see video below). Just don't forget to wear gloves, as it can get sticky! Spray foam insulating around these areas prevents air leaking through the numerous holes in ceilings and must be done before batt insulation can be installed in the attic. While fiberglass batts act as a great insulator they still allow air to pass through, hence the need for a quality air barrier. Dan also used the spray foam together with pieces of rigid foam board to seal off a large cold space created by a dropped ceiling. Lastly, vent ducting in the attic was insulated using slim R-4 fiberglass batts. This prevents condensation from forming within the ducting which could lead to issues with mold, mildew, and reduced fan performance in the long run.

To wrap up, the team performed another blower door test to see how effective the sealing they had done actually was. This second test gave them a much lower result, 1850 cubic feet per minute, demonstrating that the couple of hours in the attic had dramatically reduced the amount of air leakage in the house. This was roughly the equivalent of sealing up a 40 square inch hole in the side of the house. Not a bad result, and certainly an improvement that will be felt by the homeowner!

In the coming weeks the other half of the Sustainability Team will be going out to another work site with Dan, Doug, and John to tackle weatherization projects that can be done in a basement or crawlspace which will also be filmed as part of the PBS series. Stay tuned to the EOS blog for an update on how this workshop goes!

Act soon to apply your home energy improvement to your 2009 taxes

2009-11-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

For you homeowners out there looking to get an $economic incentive$ on an energy efficient improvement to your home, time is running out if you want to claim it on your 2009 taxes.

To be able to apply the tax credit to your 2009 taxes, you must act before the deadline of DECEMBER 31st, 2009. Be able to celebrate that new year knowing that you took advantage of the best incentive to help save energy that we've ever been offered.

Already have in mind something you are looking to upgrade?

Check the Energy Star's Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency page for FAQs and details about what will qualify.
Come tax time, use the most recent draft from the IRS form for Residential Energy Tax Credits.
Remember, you'll need a manufacturer's certification statement for any products you intend to get a tax credit reimbursement. Many companies have their certification statements online.

$1,500 is the maximum applicable tax credits that can be claimed for most home improvements, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and small wind energy systems which are not subject to this cap, and are in effect through 2016!

Eat Local this Thanksgiving

2009-11-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

We call it Turkey Day for a reason—Thanksgiving totally revolves around food, so what better day to support a localized food system? By adding one or more locally sourced dishes to your Thanksgiving menu, you’ll decrease your carbon footprint, help preserve local farmland, and support the local economy. Plus, you’ll get delicious, fresh, and unique foods to add to your Thanksgiving table. Most importantly, you can educate your friends and family on the benefits of eating local foods and show them how delicious and easy it can be.

Thanksgiving is a good holiday to take local because it’s a traditional harvest festival that celebrates seasonal food. That means it’s easy to make your favorite traditional dishes with local foods, just substitute some locally grown ingredients.

For example:

Mashed Potatoes make an easy start. You don’t have to change anything about your recipe, just buy some potatoes from the farmer’s market and mash them! You might encounter some interesting varieties; ask the vendor for a starchy or all-purpose variety.

Crudités, also known as the veggie tray, are another easy dish to take local. Replace the baby carrots with farmer’s market carrots that you cut up yourself, along with some local celery. Then add in some parsnips, and maybe you’ll introduce some kids to a new veggie!

Stuffing can incorporate homemade bread cubes. Use a homemade loaf or one from a local bakery, cut into 1-inch cubes. Toast the cubes in a 200-degree oven until dried through but not browned at all. Use these cubes in your favorite stuffing recipe, adding homemade stock for extra credit!

Pumpkin pie, that Thanksgiving classic, doesn’t have to come out of a can. Pick up a pie pumpkin (or another winter squash) at the farmers market. Carefully cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds (roast them for tasty treat), and place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Put the sheet in a 325-degree oven and pour a quarter-inch of water into the pan. Roast until tender, about 1 hour, adding more water to the pan if necessary. Let cool and then scoop the flesh out and puree it. Add the puree in place of the canned pumpkin in your favorite recipe. You can also do this several weeks ahead of time and save the puree in the freezer.

Apple pie is a great celebration of our local Washington produce. You can find Washington-grown apples in many grocery stores, even if you can’t make it to the farmer’s market. At the market ask for a tart variety, Pink Ladies are my favorite.

Turkey stock adds extra Thanksgiving flavor to stuffing, gravy, and various leftover creations. Ask a local butcher for soup bones, parts like turkey necks are often wasted because people don’t know how to use them any more. A few days ahead, boil these with an onion, a carrot, celery, and a turnip, along with some fresh thyme, sage and savory. Strain and save in the refrigerator or freezer until the big feast.

Cascade Harvest Coalition and Puget Sound Fresh are encouraging King County residents to take a pledge to add one local dish to their Thanksgiving table. Take the pledge and find more resources, like where to buy, what’s in season, and some new recipes, at eatlocalforthanksgiving.org.

Green Blocks In-Home Workshop

2009-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

It was a busy weekend for the EOS Alliance team! Over at Maple School Natural area, 160 plants were given a new home by volunteers from the Garfield High School Key Club. It was a wet workday but all the effort paid off and we want to send a big “Thank You” to everyone who stopped by and helped make that green space a little bit greener.

Meanwhile, up in Wallingford a much smaller group was gathering to learn about do-it-yourself weatherization projects that every homeowner can undertake. Green Blocks participants Michael and Julie Kucher were kind enough to open up their home to a group of would-be home retrofitters who saw first hand how to install weatherstripping, insulate an attic hatch and seal up pesky cracks that silently whisk away heat from most of our homes.

Guided by local home efficiency guru Bob Thoreson, we bounced around the Kucher household performing a variety of retrofits with a range of difficulty levels. The most challenging proved to be the recessed can lights (see diagram), although the energy savings make that task well worth the effort. Bob carefully walked us step-by-step through the process, providing us with confidence to take this knowledge and apply it to our own homes.

More do-it-yourself workshops are in the planning stages for other Green Blocks neighborhoods and we are looking forward to the next opportunity to make practical, money saving changes in a real-life home!

EOS celebrates 4th annual Green Seattle Day

2009-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Green Seattle Partnership was formed in 2004 as the result of an agreement between the city of Seattle and the Cascade Land Conservancy. In the past, 450 acres of land has been restored, 40,000 trees have been planted and over 300,000 volunteer hours have been logged thanks to the hard work and dedication of the community during Green Seattle Day.

This year the partnership set a goal to have 1,000 volunteers participate at 17 different sites all over Seattle. As a Green Seattle Community Partner, EOS Alliance spent Saturday, November 7th at the Maple School Natural Area planting native species of trees and shrubs across the 15 acre green space. We had 12 youth and 18 adult volunteers working with the Sustainability Team throughout the day.

Garfield HS Key Club hard at work

The morning skies seemed clear at first, but we were swallowing our hopes of a nice planting day after introductions and enjoying some morning snacks. As we finished our tool safety discussion and started to go into a demonstration of correct planting procedure, the rain started to come down hard. Regardless of the weather, the crew along with several volunteers from the Garfield High School Key Club trudged through the mud and carefully navigated across the slippery leaf-covered slope. We fought to keep the team morale high as our gloves quickly got heavy with mud and the cold rain started slow our progress. After just a couple of hours of hard work we were able to transplant many Red Alder, Big Leaf Maple, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar trees along with Sword Ferns and various shrubs, such as Snowberry, Salal and Kinnikinnik. Due to the extreme weather conditions the EOS team decided to call off the planting early. Even though we had to cut the event short, over 100 plants made it into the ground.

Muddy, but still smiling

After regrouping and doing some quality control, the rain seemed to subside. Luckily, we had previously scheduled a second round of volunteers to show up around 1:30 PM for more planting. A group of about 15 members from a wedding party wanted to celebrate their special day by getting outside and making a difference in their community. The afternoon was beautiful and another 60 plants were brought to rest in their new home at the Maple School Natural Area. This brought our planting total to just about 160 for the day. All of the plants were donated to EOS by the Green Seattle Partnership. Overall, Green Seattle Day was a success and everyone involved gained something positive from the experience.

A great way to spend the day, even your wedding day!

For more information on Green Seattle Day or the Green Seattle Partnership visit:

http://www.greenseattle.org/

The Salmon Are Coming!

2009-11-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

The salmon is an inconic species for Washington. They are not only a key species in the natural heritage of the Pacific Northwest, but are essential to the continued health of their ecosystem as they “fuel” the natural environment. So how could I say “no” to the opportunity to become a Salmon Steward at Carkeek Park in Seattle?

Carkeek Park is located in northwest Seattle and occupies land in the Pipers Creek Watershed. From early November thru early December, chum salmon return to Pipers Creek. During this time, volunteers called Salmon Stewards educate the public concerning salmon topics. I received this training, and feel that I've already learned so much about this amazing animal.

Of all the things I learned during my training, two subjects impacted me the most: the connection between salmon and an ecoystem, and the importance for individuals to take careful action in preserving this species.

Salmon are a keystone species for coastal ecosystems. Salmon runs act as pumps, pushing marine nutrients upstream to the headwaters of rivers. The salmon themselves serve as a primary food for aquatic invertibrates, fish, bears, eagles, minks, and river otters. Salmon-derived nutrition allows many animals to survive the winter. Salmon carcasses carried into the forest by bears can even act as fertilizers for trees!

Now for the bad news. Every two years there is an oil spill the size of the Exxon Valdez in the Puget Sound as a result of pollution from automotive oil and exhaust. Stormwater enters our watersheds and carries along with it oil from car engines, copper from brakes, zinc from tires, roofing run-off, pesticides, herbicides, and pet feces. All of these things combine to make life tough for our urban salmon friends. Reduced car trips, rain gardens, organic substitutes for traditional pesticides/herbicides, and picking up after your pet are all actions we can take to save our salmon.

And if you need any convincing that salmon are worth saving, stop by Carkeek Park on a weekend, early November thru early December. Or attend the Piper's Creek Salmon Celebration on Friday, November 27^th. Nothing speaks more loudly for salmon than the sight of a 2^3/4feet long fish swimming in Seattle. So come learn, celebrate, and care for this incredible resident of our city!

EOS BPI energy audit field week!

2009-10-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks EOS Alliance Sustainability Team members have been in homes all across Seattle learning the ropes of BPI energy auditing. We've learned how to operate blower doors, manometers, and furnaces under the tutelage of energy auditing expert Bruce Minturn.

Our week of fieldwork was, at first, a difficult transition. We moved from a classroom full of breakfast pastries, never-ending coffee pots, and after-lunch cookies into homes with cold basements and cramped attics. It certainly appeared as if our best days might be behind us, but in time the intrigue of mysterious air leaks and strange building construction made it our best week yet. As it turns out energy audits have more in common with CSI than any of us could have imagined. Turning on the blower door will tell you if a house has air leaks, but determining where they are and how to fix them is a challenging logic puzzle. Of course any good drama requires some danger, and what could be more ominous than an invisible and harmful gas leaking into a home? Well we encountered not one, but two furnaces leaking dangerous levels of carbon monoxide! By the end of training we were a team of unflappable detectives ready to solve energy cases all across the Puget Sound.

Field training wasn't just about television style drama, it was also a chance to become acquainted with the field of energy auditing. Hands-on training made concepts clear and applicable. We calculated volumes of homes and determined their minimum airflow, which we then compared to airflow measurements from blower door readings to make air quality recommendations. We measured air leakage using the blower door and then used a duct blower to determine leakage within the duct system. We also learned how awkward it can be to search through a homeowner's closet in search of air leaks, and how nice it is when a homeowner offers you pumpkin cake.

Next step, field tests, and then we start performing EOS audits all over Seattle!

Salmon Recovery Conference Happening Next Week!

2009-10-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Join us October 28-30 for the 2009 Pacific Salmonid Recovery Conference! Forty presenters over three days will cover a range of salmon science topics: fisheries science, policy updates, strategies for assessment, and innovative restoration and monitoring techniques. Presenters from featured organizations include NOAA, Puget Sound Partnership, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, and many more!

For more information and to see the full conference schedule, visit us online at http://nwetc.org/salmon2009

To register online, follow this link: https://nwetc.org/registration_process/reg_bio-500_10-09_attendee/registration.htm

Group discounts, volunteer rates, and scholarships for students and tribes are now available! For more information, call us at 206-762-1976, or email Leah at lbaugh@nwetc.org

EOS Helps Out with Duwamish Alive!

2009-10-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, EOS joined forces with CleanScapes and the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition to host one of nine Duwamish Alive! river rehabilitation volunteer events around Seattle. While the total number of volunteers for the day has yet to be calculated, our site alone drew 56 dedicated volunteers out of bed to partake in the clean-up effort. In addition to the volunteers attending from local Seattle neighborhoods, we were also joined by 10-15 Japanese students spending the fall at the University of Washington studying Environmental Science.

Despite an extremely wet morning, the rain cleared up just in time for us to get our hands dirty and move the project forward. Located at Gateway Park North at 7699 8th Avenue South in Georgetown, the volunteers worked to rid the industrial area of materials contaminating the Duwamish River as well as clear the park of invasive species to create a safe and enjoyable space for visitors. By picking up garbage on and around 8th Avenue, transplanting trees and shrubs, removing invasive blackberry, and mulching path and planting areas, we made significant progress in the effort to transform the area from a polluted and weed-infested piece of land to an inviting and sustainable green space.

In the coming weeks, we will be participating in a follow-up volunteer event to plant trees and shrubs in two freshly installed bioswale natural drainage areas located on 8th Avenue South. Not only will these drainage areas serve as storm water retention ponds to prevent toxins from flowing into the Duwamish River, but the plants and soil within them will act as additional barriers by filtering pollution from the water itself. With ongoing efforts, we hope to completely rehabilitate the river, park space, and native wildlife in and around Gateway Park North into a clean and self-sustaining space for Georgetown residents and river enthusiasts to enjoy. For more information about the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and the projects they are currently conducting with Duwamish Alive!, visit their website: http://www.duwamishcleanup.org/programs.html#DuwamishAlive

Full day of energy talk at EOS!

2009-10-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was a big day for us at EOS. The Building Performance Inspection course was wrapping up and we had a 100% pass rate for the students taking the certification exam, including our eight AmeriCorps members taking the exam that day. In the afternoon, we were joined by US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Senator Patty Murray, and Washington state energy leaders for a roundtable discussion. The roundtable discussed possibilities for energy investments in the state, including pump hydro power, which stores excess power from wind turbines in the potential energy of water. At the end of the day, Secretary Chu and Senator Murray met with EOS staff. Secretary Chu encouraged EOS in the Greenblocks program, and stressed the importance of such programs that can provide solid data of residential energy savings. He also mentioned plans for implementing a mandatory energy audit as an accompaniment to the building inspection any time a home changes hands. Senator Murray also highlighted the need to expand home energy audits and create green jobs in this field. Here at EOS, we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to meet these leaders and host them at our offices.

Secretary Chu and EOS Executive Director, Erick McWayne

Meet and Greet at EOS office

Secretary Chu and Chair Nancy Sutley (from the White House Council on Environmental Quality)

The BPI students practice setting up the blower door (used in energy audits) with the help of instructor Bruce Minturn

Secretary Chu talks to the BPI class

Accounting for the Environment

2009-09-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

When we buy an apple, t-shirt, or TV, we're used to seeing a price. We see what that item costs us, and make our decision to purchase it given the monetary "sacrifice" required. There are good deals and bad deals, discounts and premiums, but in all cases we are keenly aware of what the item is costing us personally. After all, would you agree to purchase something if you had no idea what the actual cost was?

Humanity has placed values on labor, resources, and skill, but have we accounted for entire ecosystems? If there is no monetary value placed on the filtration ability of a wetlands or oxygen produced by a large forest, we do not see the true cost of products created in conjunction with ecosystem degradation. The human race is producing and purchasing without knowledge of the true cost.

The BBC recently featured a report on Kenya's Mau forest. In the past 15 years, one quarter of the protected forest reserve has been settled and cleared. As a result, rivers flowing from the forest are drying up. Drying rivers have hurt Kenya's harvests, cattle farms, tea industry, lakes, and wildlife tourism. Unlike governments, ecosystems do not know national boundaries. The rivers of the Mau forest feed the Serengeti in Tanzania and Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile. Egypt is being affected by deforestation in Kenya. You can find this article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8057316.stm.

Companies, governments, and individuals alike need to know the true costs of their actions. For this to take place, a value may need to be placed on forests, lakes, rivers, etc. When damage can me monetized, the associated costs cannot be ignored. This may be the only solution for capitalism to co-exist with a healthy environment. In the meantime, it is up to us as individuals to always be conscientious of the "hidden" costs of the food we eat and merchandise we buy.

Wanted: 21st Century American Leadership

2009-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

“In the case of China, [climate change plans] so ambitious that it could well become the front-runner in the fight to address climate change. The big question mark is the U.S.”

Yvo de Boer, the UN climate chief, made the above remark this past Monday. De Boer offers a lot of praise for a country who may account for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 according to a study by the Energy Foundation and WWF. So what exactly did President Hu Jintao of China promise? No more illegal coal power plants? A ban on Hummers? Actually, he explained that Chinese factories, power plants, etc would accomplish “notable” improvements in carbon efficiency between now and 2020. “Notable.”

My point, however, is not to complain about Mr. Hu’s vagueness. The true tragedy in this story is that a offer of “notable” improvements is enough to make one the “front-runner” in the fight against climate change. Where is the United States? Well we won WWII, so I guess we’ll leave this one up to the rest of the world, right?

Why is the United States so impotent when it comes to addressing what may be the greatest issue of our time? We got Obama, so why can’t we get anything done? It would be easy to pass this off on the rascals in Congress, but I suggest we look inward first. The US population drives this country, and we are all members of this population. So what can we do?

I believe the answer is sacrifice. What better way for the United States to lead than by example. In 2004, the United States accounted for 33% of world consumption (we account for 4.6 percent of the world’s population). China may have intense air quality problems and India serious water problems, but the US’s problem is more disgusting in my opinion. We suck down the earth’s resources and then wonder why our role as world leader is vanishing. As citizens of the US, we get to vote during elections. But we also vote every time we spend our hard-earned money. So instead of eating a banana everyday in the Pacific Northwest winter or gobbling up electricity with the Xbox when it’s raining outside, why not seek a regional/seasonal breakfast alternative or have a conversation with a friend about global warming when the rain keeps us inside.

It’s time for some new American leadership. Winston Churchill once said, “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.” Let’s not waste time on trying everything else. We’ve seen a scary vision of what global warming could do to the world (flooded New Orleans). We cannot let this happen. We need demonstrate that the caring spirit of the people, not their wealth, is what makes a world leader in the 21^st century. Less is more when it means saving the people and environment of this world from the climate change crisis.

Make an Impact: Become a Carbon Coach

2009-09-17T15:07:00.001-07:00

In recent years global warming and carbon footprints have been a hot topic in the news. Global warming is “an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution” (http://www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/The_River/glossary.html), and a carbon footprint is “the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product (UK Carbon Trust 2008).

The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment is offering a program where individuals can learn more about these important issues and will train individuals how to become a Carbon Coach. The free six-week long program trains individuals to educate, motivate and support others in their household as well as in their community to reduce their carbon footprints/climate pollution in their lifestyles. Training topics include learning about:

• Carbon emissions caused by transportation options
• Waste generation
• Home energy use
• Materials purchasing

The goal for completion of the program is for Carbon Coaches to raise awareness, make an impact and engage in public outreach about issues dealing with climate change.

Registration for this course ends September 20. If you are interested visit the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment website: http://www.seattle.gov/ENVIRONMENT/

Washington State to Recieve $10.6 million from ARRA

2009-09-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Energy just recently announced more than $354 million for energy efficiency and conservation projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As part of the Department of Energy's Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, the funding aims to implement programs that conserve energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and create green jobs. Energy Secretary Steven Chu outlined the funding's intention:

"This funding will allow states across the country to make major investments in energy solutions that will strengthen America's economy and create jobs at the local level. It will also promote some of the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies we have - energy efficiency and conservation - which can be deployed immediately. Local communities can now make strategic investments to help meet the nation's long term clean energy and climate goals."

The funding is to be spread among 22 states – including Washington State. Washington will use its $10,645,900 to aid local communities in meeting some of the country's most stringent energy codes. In addition the state will create an Energy Planning Program to enable cities and counties to perform energy efficiency and conservation measures. Washington State's program aims to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, while creating hundreds of green jobs statewide.

The full announcement can be found here

Day of Caring Restoration Work Party

2009-09-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the United Way of King County's 17th Annual Day of Caring this past Friday, the EOS AmeriCorps Sustainability team joined forces with Notre Dame Seattle AmeriCorps members for a restoration work party. The Volunteers worked in the Maple School Natural Area removing invasive English Ivy and Blackberry, then finished up the day mulching their respective zones in preparation for planting new plants. November 7th, Green Seattle Day, the volunteers will be returning to plant native species in the zones that have been previously mulched.

Welcome to the new EOS Alliance blog

2009-09-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the new EOS Alliance blog!

We will be using this space to provide regular updates and news about the programs and services offered by EOS Alliance (including our professional training programs and our Sustainability Team's projects), thoughts and commentary on environmental issues, links to useful resources, and just general information about environmental sustainability and all things green. Feel free to leave comments, check us out at www.eosalliance.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Check back often!