Thursday, December 16, 2010

December 16, 2010: Duwamish River Clean Up Options, the EPA and the South Park Community

When the Duwamish River was declared a Superfund site ten years ago, the intent was to right the damage caused by one hundred years of industrialization. The Superfund law was enacted to clean up hazardous substances that endanger public health and the environment. The threat was typified by the Love Canal disaster in New York and the Valley of the Drums in Kentucky. In this week’s Green Acre Radio, Martha Baskin takes us to a public meeting about clean up options the EPA proposes for Seattle’s embattled river.

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Thursday, December 9, 2010

December 9, 2010: Educating a New Wave of Chefs in Sustainable Cuisine: Community College Series Part II

Cultivating the art of producing healthy food that doesn’t harm the environment is a viable job creation strategy across the country. At Seattle Central Community College, the Seattle Culinary Academy has been vital to building the city’s sustainable foods industry. The Academy is one of the first in the nation to offer formal sustainability courses. This week Martha Baskin visited the school’s new "One World Kitchen and Dining Room" to see what’s cooking.

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

December 2, 2010: Sustainable Education: Community College Part I

If you’re talking about job potential, community colleges seem to operate in a parallel universe. Emerging as innovators in the field of sustainable energy education, the colleges are moving the clean economy forward, despite the job market. Hone your skills. Think holistically. The jobs will come. Martha Baskin checks in with program at Cascadia Community College.

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

November 18, 2010: Return of the Southern Resident Orcas: Holding Steady in a Tough Environment

'Tis the season for sighting southern resident orcas in the Puget Sound. From November through February orcas leave their summer home in the San Juans to follow winter salmon runs. Listed as endangered, their numbers are barely holding steady; down from 97 a decade ago to 87 today. Persistent risk factors include declining salmon runs, noisy marine waters and persistent toxins.

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Thursday, November 4, 2010

November 4, 2010: Alternative Fuels: The Pros and Cons of Washington’s Choice: Natural Gas

Alternative fuels are often cited as a silver bullet in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - biogas, algae, natural gas, electric. But are they all good alternatives? In this week’s Green Acre Radio, Martha Baskin looks at compressed natural gas. Taxis, mass transit and garbage trucks have embraced it as a clean energy solution. But it comes with a cost.

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

October 28, 2010: A Sneak Peek At R52, A Ballot Hybrid Promoting Energy Efficiency, Jobs and Healthy Schools

Mid-term elections are around the corner. If you’re wondering whether there are any green issues you might have overlooked, you’ll have to wade pretty deep. On page 109 of the 118 page Voter’s Pamphlet is a little mentioned Referendum. Called Referendum 52, the ballot measure is a hybrid mix of job creation, energy efficiency and what promoters call "healthy schools." Martha Baskin takes a closer look.

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

October 21, 2010: Cohabitation on Hood Canal: Fish, Humans, and New Treatments for Human Waste

Hood Canal has long been treated as one of the most scenic places in the Pacific Northwest. It also used to be one of the most productive water bodies, sustaining generations on its bountiful fish and shellfish. But for all its beauty, Hood Canal also suffers from a complex problem: low levels of dissolved oxygen, a critical indicator of water quality health. Martha Baskin brings us this report.

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Thursday, October 14, 2010

October 14, 2010: Fooling Mother Nature When Real World Conditions Make the Going Tough: The Other CO2 Problem

Scientists call it the other CO2 problem. Oceans absorb a third of the world’s carbon dioxide every day. Then the CO2 reacts with seawater, lowers its pH and reduces carbonate ions, an essential component in the calcium that makes up the shells of shellfish and the skeletons of corals. Scientists and shellfish growers are trying to manipulate seawater chemistry to help baby shellfish adapt. But fossil fuel usage worldwide and time is not on their side. Martha Baskin brings us this report.

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Thursday, October 7, 2010

October 7, 2010: Talking With Women When Talking About the Clean Energy Economy

What do women talk about when they talk about clean energy? Energy pricing. Smart grids. Buildings designed for community. Martha Baskin attended a panel discussion on "Women Leading the New Energy Economy" and brings us this report.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010

September 30, 2010: Urban Creeks, Urban Runoff From You & Me and Puget Sound Water Quality

Polluted waters and oxygen'deprived fish aren't unique to Hood Canal. Urban creeks and waterways all over Puget Sound have the same problem. Vehicle runoff and chemical fertilizers washing into the Sound are the main culprits. Solutions are underway but a lot more needs to happen for marine ecosystems to recover. Martha Baskin brings us this snapshot from Piper's Creek, an urban waterway in Seattle's Carkeek Park.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

September 23, 2010: Sustainable Cattle Farming That's Good for Cows, People, and the Environment

The idyllic vision we may have of cows grazing on open fields under blue skies isn't a very realistic picture of cattle production today. The vast majority of cattle begin and end their lives in large, overcrowded feedlots. Their diet consists of grains, the flesh and bones of other animals, and heavy doses of antibiotics to fend off disease. but what about that idyllic vision - what about cows raised on grass land. What is their life like and what does it mean for us?

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

September 16, 2010: The Healthy Corner Store Campaign Comes to Delridge on a Saturday Night

What happens when "food deserts," communities underserved by healthy food, decide to turn things around? Three years ago West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood joined the nationwide "Healthy Corner Store Campaign," whose mission is to bring fresh produce to corner stores that dominate the landscape. With help from the city, the county and private foundations, the effort is finally paying off.

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Thursday, September 9, 2010

September 9, 2010: An Inner City Fall Harvest With Clean Greens Farm

It’s fall harvest and this season fresh food from a local farm is aimed directly at the inner city. A project of New Hope Baptist Church, Clean Greens Farm grows produce and eggs for Seattle’s Central District. The mission is to grow healthy food for those who’ve historically gone without. The produce is sold at affordable prices and is starting to make a mark in the local food movement. Martha Baskin has our story.

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Thursday, August 5, 2010

August 5, 2010: Senate Stalls on Climate and Clean Energy Solutions: What Next?

Last summer the effort to get a federal climate law seemed on track. The House of Representatives has passed the Waxman-Markey bill and the Senate was slated to take action of its own in 2010. A year later, the Senate bill is dead – at least for now. Green Acre Radio caught up with Climate Solutions, a regional clean energy leader, along with business and legislative advocates to learn why the issue remains critical and what needs to happen next.

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Thursday, July 29, 2010

July 29, 2010: Protecting Urban Waterways With Roadside Rain Gardens

Seattle is a leader in Low Impact Development to control storm water. Techniques include rain gardens, green roofs, and permeable pavement that allow more rainwater to flow into the ground instead of running off and carrying pollutants into streams and Puget Sound. The 'SEA street' LID project that was built in the upper part of the Carkeek Park watershed reduced storm water flow by 99%. Today Seattle Public Utility is working to protect another waterway, Salmon Bay. Green Acre Radio brings us the story.

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

July 22, 2010: The Merlin Family of Thornton Creek & The Trees That Nurture

When it comes to merlins, the predatory bird popular in falconry in medieval times, seeing them in urban Seattle seems like a stretch of the imagination. But two merlins named Thor and Spike appear to have taken up residence in a neighborhood near Thornton Creek. Green Acre Radio takes us for a visit to learn why "98115" has become the merlins' favorite urban zip code.

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Thursday, July 15, 2010

July 15, 2010: Energy Tales from the Home Front: Harnessing the Sun & Region’s Ambient Light

Solar energy - power from the sun - may not seem like the best energy alternative in gray Western Washington. Yet Germany, who gets 70% of the sun we receive, leads the world in solar installations. Washington has a long way to go. But more and more homeowners are taking advantage of tax incentives and “net metering” which allows them to sell the solar energy they make back to the utility. Green Acre Radio takes us to the rooftops with this story, checking in on homeowners committed to harnessing the sun’s vast and inexhaustible resource.

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

July 8, 2010: Industrial Feedlots, Growing Geoduck in South Puget Sound Intertidal Estuaries

43,500 plastic tubes per acre covered with nets and staked with rebar may seem like an unusual sight on most beaches in Puget Sound. But in South Puget Sound citizens and environmentalists are crying foul. The tubes are used to plant geoducks, a type of clam favored in Asian markets, by Washington's shellfish industry. Martha Baskin brings us the story - industrial farms on beaches and inter-tidal estuaries.

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

June 24, 2010: Question Your Shrimp: The High Cost of Imported Shrimp

Shrimp is the country’s most consumed seafood. But it comes with a heavy price. More than 90% are grown on industrial shrimp farms in the global south. The practice involves clear cutting mangrove forests and displacing coastal communities. What about the 10% raised in US waters? Martha Baskin checks in with the Mangrove Action Project's “Question Your Shrimp” campaign and finds conscientious seafood markets who continue to vouch for domestic shrimp from the Gulf.


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Thursday, June 17, 2010

June 17, 2010: Sustainable Oceans, Sustainable Fish: Market Strategies & Consumer Demand

While it may seem there are plenty of fish in the sea, it’s a different story just below the surface. Overfishing, ocean acidification, and our own consumption habits are just a few factors contributing to the decline of wild fish. The solution for some fish sellers is to become “sustainable.” But what does that mean? Green Acre Radio takes us to the Pike Place Market and PCC to find out.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

June 10, 2010: Fish Farms, Low Oxygen Levels & Wild Salmon: A Troubled Coexistence

With fish resources depleted worldwide, open water and offshore fish farming or aquaculture is seen by some as a way to increase fish production. Washington State has been a leading producer of aquaculture for over a century. What’s the impact to wild fish resources? And what does the future hold? Martha Baskin has our story.

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Thursday, May 27, 2010

May 27, 2010: Grease the Biodiesel vs. Grease the Movie: Small Producer Makes It Work

At a time when the US biodiesel industry has been in turmoil – faulted for where it sources raw materials or feedstock and hammered by the economy – a small producer in Seattle has plans to expand. What’s their secret? Grease. General Biodiesel takes used cooking oil collected from local restaurants and converts it to biodiesel. The company may not be able to displace all the country’s fossil fuel usage, but they’re carving out a niche market with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

May 20, 2010: Oil Follies, Lawsuits Against Interior, Concerns from Alaska and Puget Sound Fishermen and Climate Legislation

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has been embroiled in controversy since it was revealed on May 5 that he allowed the Minerals Management Service to exempt BP’s offshore drilling plan from environmental review. This week the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit against Salazar for approving 300 drilling operations without permits required by the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Drilling opponents in Alaska would like to see a moratorium on drilling. While fishermen in the Puget Sound say all fisheries are at risk if drilling and oil addiction continue.

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Thursday, May 13, 2010

May 13, 2010: Care for a Job With That Locally Grown Bok Choy?

Green jobs and growing local food are usually served as separate items on today’s sustainability menu. A new urban farm hopes to offer both as entrees for the new green green economy. The farm, Ground Up Yesler, is on the site of Yesler Terrace, a culturally diverse housing project on First Hill. Their non-profit partner is Creatives For Community or C4C. C4C was inspired in part by Will Allen, a nationally respected urban farm leader and Van Jones, a leader in creating green jobs for all. Martha Baskin has our story.

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Thursday, May 6, 2010

May 6, 2010: GMOs, Food Security and Misplaced Philanthropy, An Interview with Jos Ngonyo with the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition

Organic non-GMO foods aren’t just the preference of countries in the so-called developed North. 40,000 tons of GMO-grown maize was recently rejected in Kenya. Protestors are making sure it remains stuck in the port city of Mombassa. Jos Ngonyo, with Kenya’s Biodiversity Coalition spoke to Green Acre Radio in a recent visit to Seattle. Ngonyo spoke about why small-scale farmers reject the Green Revolution in Africa and about "dysfunctional aid." The Gates Foundation helped launch the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa four years ago.

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Thursday, April 29, 2010

April 29, 2010: Seawalls for Salmon

The seawall on Seattle’s waterfront carries a lot on its shoulders: structural support for surface streets and buildings and protection from the raging sea. The seawall is slated to be rebuilt. A question fisheries biologists and city engineers are asking, is can the seawall be rebuilt to accommodate salmon? Can the new seawall be designed as a prototype for ways coastal cities can protect marine life the world over? Martha Baskin found some boots and went down to the seawall to find out.

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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

April 22, 2010: Duwamish Alive! On the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

Earth Day #40 and the place is Seattle’s hidden river, the Duwamish. Salmon used to run a mile deep in acres of tidal marshes here. Things have changed since that time, the river's been tamed and contaminated by industry. But determined environmentalists are working to turn the tide. 15 acres of habitat at 13 sites have been restored. The EPA is pushing industry and municipalities to clean up the site - soon. Martha Baskin brings us to the river where kayakers and others are taking things into their own hands.

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Thursday, April 8, 2010

April 8, 2010: Climate Hope On the Front Lines of the Fight Against Coal

This week Green Acre Radio interviews Ted Nace, author of the new book, Climate Hope: On the Front Lines of the Fight Against Coal. Nace tells the story of the remarkable grassroots movement to shut down coal plants. The reality of coal mining in the US doesn't usually become news until disaster strikes like the most recent one at Massey Coal in West Virginia. Climate Hope talks about stopping these disasters altogether through courageous action from sit-ins at coal mines to blockades at big city banks. In the period 2007 to 2009 the anti-coal movement succeeded in stopping over 100 power plant proposals, bringing the coal boom largely to a halt.

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

April 1, 2010: City and Community Join Forces to Grow Food on Roof Tops

Worm bins and compost rich soil are reaching unexpected heights these days. The Mayor and City Council declared 2010 "The Year of Urban Agriculture." The idea is to expand agriculture in the urban core. Rooftops at the Centennial Apartments in Belltown may not seem the most logical site for 40 square feet of food gardens, but it’s a win for the neighborhood. The pilot project even has the support of Seattle Public Utilities. Martha Baskin has our story.

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

March 25, 2010: All Together Now with Alleycat Acres and A New Urban Farm Hub

The line between cities and rural landscapes defining where food should be grown is being redrawn from one season to the next to capture the growing interest in local food production. Parking strips are being converted into planting strips, back yards dug up and soil hauled up to roof tops with one objective -- growing healthy food for as many people as possible. In this week’s Green Acre Radio story Martha Baskin brings us to a new urban farm with a unique approach, Alleycat Acres.

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

March 18, 2010: Healthy Rivers & Farms With Salmon-Safe Eco-Labels and Wildlife Habitat

In the early 1980's the Snoqualamie River and its tributaries produced more coho salmon than the entire west coast of Oregon. By 2001, however, the Snoqualamie was designated as one of America's "10 most endangered rivers" by American Rivers. Today the farmland adjacent the river and densely populated Seattle metropolitan area, is fast becoming a landscape with not only viable farms but significant ecological features with some of the healthiest salmon runs in Washington State. Green Acre Radio's Martha Baskin has our story.

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

March 11, 2010: The Most Contaminated Site in the Western Hemisphere: Washington State’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation

This week Green Acre Radio takes us to a public hearing on federal plans to resume importing radioactive hazardous wastes before cleaning up existing contamination. Nuclear waste is the most deadly on the planet, according to the Heart of America Northwest, the non profit who has been pushing the Department of Energy to clean up these high level nuclear wastes. The impacts to health and drinking water are nothing short of deadly.
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Thursday, March 4, 2010

March 4, 2010: Growing the Local Food Movement in Urban King County

This week Martha Baskin reports on the burgeoning local food movement in urban King County.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

February 18, 2010: Operation Free - a New Military Mission to Secure America with Clean Energy

This week Green Acre Radio catches up with vets on a mission - to secure America with Clean Energy. The mission, called "Operation Free," was kicked off last month as a nationwide bus tour. The bus rolled through Washington State last week before heading to Montana, the Dakotas and points beyond. The tour highlights the connection between climate change and national security. On a wet and rainy day vets and others met with reporters inside the bus to speak about their personal experiences in war zones and about how oil is funding "our most dangerous enemies, making America vulnerable and causing destabilizing climate change."

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Friday, February 12, 2010

February 11, 2010: Restoration of the Nisqually: The Tides Return

After an absence of more than 100 years, the tides have returned to part of the Nisqually estuary in South Puget Sound. This is the largest estuary restoration project in the Pacific Northwest and in important step in recovering Puget Sound. Green Acre Radio brings us to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge to find what restoring freshwater tidal wetlands means to wildlife and salmon runs along the coast.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

February 4th, 2010: 21 Acres: Growing Food, Building Efficiency and Embracing Community

This week Green Acre Radio brings you to a Sammamish Valley community barnstorming - or brainstorming session. 21 Acres Center for Local Food and Sustainable Living in Woodinville has supported community supported agriculture and farmers market for five years. Now the Center is designing a building to challenge conventional wisdom about sustainability. Come listen in as we hear the community's response to the idea of wedding local food production to energy efficient buildings and in the process create educational opportunities for youth and adults and a model for the state's future.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

January 28, 2010: Saving Orcas On “The Whale Trail”

In this week's story, Green Acre Radio checks out sites for a proposed "Whale Trail" that would set up public viewing sites throughout the Salish Sea. We speak with the Whale Trail's founder and also attends a "Ways of Whales Workshop" on Whidbey Island. The Whale Trail's goal is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales and the marine environment; the workshop's goal is to help whale lovers understand recovery strategies and the link between orcas, dams and salmon restoration. The largest member of the dolphin family and a major draw at marine parks, orcas were listed as endangered in 2005. Due to their voracious appetites and their place at the top of the food chain, orcas are extremely susceptible to pollution and chemicals. Join us as we learn the "ways of whales."

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

January 21, 2010: Job Creation and Cleaning Up Polluted Waters

This week Green Acre Radio tells us about another "green" legislative priority. Teaming up with cities and labor, a proposed bill "Working for Clean Water" promises to clean up polluted waterways, create jobs and rebuild our local economies.

Honest!! Only catch is how the environmental community, association of Washington Cities and state labor council plan to raise money to do it!

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

January 14, 2010: Environmental Community on the Defensive With Cuts to Core Programs

It's budget season at the state legislature and the environmental community has its work cut out for it. Steep cuts to core environmental protections including toxic clean ups, air quality and water supply are already underway. The environmental community is committed to stemming the tide in order to sustain key programs the public expects. Green Acre Radio's Martha Baskin has our story.

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Thursday, January 7, 2010

January 7, 2010: Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice

In their new book, Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice, co-authors Eric Holt-Giminez and Raj Patel dissect what they call "the corporate assault" on the right to food. They do so at a time when a billion people are going hungry in the world, 50 million of them in the US. The book’s mission is to tell the real story behind the world food crisis and end the injustices that cause hunger. Food Rebellions documents the policies that have lead to food injustice as well as the multiple ways people the world over are actively building alternative food systems to protect their land, water, seeds and livelihoods. Holt-Gimenez is Executive Director of one of the country’s most established food think tanks, the Institute for Food and Development Policy, also known as Food First. He was in Seattle for a recent Food Justice and Fair Trade Summitt.

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