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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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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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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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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