March 6, 2014: In an Age of Climate Crisis, It Takes an (Eco)village

In a world of dwindling natural resources and mounting environmental crisis, who is devising ways of living that will work for the long haul? And how can we, as individuals, make a difference? To answer these burning questions, Professor Karen Litfin embarked upon a journey to many of the world’s ecovillages – intentional communities at the cutting-edge of sustainable living from LA to South India and Denmark to Senegal. Rural and urban, high tech and low tech, she discovered an under-the-radar global movement making positive and radical changes from the ground up.

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February 19, 2014: Oil on the Tracks

The rapid rise in oil terminals in Washington State coupled with mounting oil train explosions in the US and Canada is prompting a slate of proposals on how to address the issue. In this news feature Martha Baskin catches up with a city council president, legislator, policy analyst and activist in a raging debate which shows no sign of ending soon.

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February 7, 2014: Re-Defining Environmental Equity in the Duwamish Valley with Lessons from the South Bronx

Talk to community organizers from the South Bronx and Seattle’s Duwamish River Valley and you’ll learn environmental justice isn’t just about public health impacts and toxic exposure, but about equity – quality of life, feeling good about where you live, good jobs and affordable housing. In this feature set in the Duwamish Valley, where cleanup and revitalization are underway, we talk with local organizers and Majora Carter, a nationally recognized urban revitalization expert, who became known for her work in the South Bronx.

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January 25, 2014: Trading Away Mother Earth: Greens & Fair Trade Advocates Slam Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement

When WikiLeaks recently exposed the "Environmental Chapter" of the little known trade agreement, Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, opponents' worst fears were confirmed. Like trade agreements before it, corporate interests trump enforceable consumer, environmental and labor standards. The agreement is fueling another debate over "fair trade" versus the "free trade" model long favored by the US. Martha Baskin has our report.

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January 15, 2014: Guess What’s Going into a New Holding Tank on Lake Washington?

Cities with beautiful reputations to maintain like Seattle, the "evergreen" city, don’t often talk publicly about problems like raw sewage overflowing into local water ways after heavy storms. But when solutions are underway such as a new "holding tank" on Lake Washington with real time controls and this and that, pride goes out the window. Two million of Seattle’s 154 million gallons of combined sewage and storm water overflow will now have a temporary home, one storm at a time.

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December 20, 2013: Environmentally Friendly Gift Ideas

Still looking for a gift or two this holiday season? Hark!  There are alternatives to contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the chemically thick gyre of marine debris that permeates the ocean deep, with a gift laden with plastic or those that seem so fine but were carved with wood from one of the planet’s last remaining boreal forests.

Gift giving doesn’t have to exact an environmental toll or proclaim your net worth. It can be as simple as the gift of time. "Time is where we are. Time is where we’ve been," writes poet Anthony Zeigler. "Time is being lost and found again." 

Here are a few simple ideas:

1. In the Pacific Northwest gifts can be home-grown plums or mulled wine wrapped in festive ribbons and bows and recycled glass. Even well-scrubbed carrots, parsnips, beets, sun chokes or a mix, become extraordinary when individually wrapped in tissue paper, nestled together, and topped with a colorful card. No garden? Double hark! Many farmers' markets remain open all year long. There are pippin and wine sap apples, red curry and butternut squash, frozen roasted peppers for soups and solar evaporated and hand harvested sea salt from the San Juan Islands. They make terrific gifts, boast the farmers!
2. Gift certificates from a farmers' market or organizations committed to reclaiming the local food movement are also environmentally friendly.  Take 21Acres, the Woodinville center for sustainable living, growing and eating, which has reclaimed farm land and offers classes such as: "Venturing into the Kitchen," "Right Sizing: Less Stuff-Less Stress," and "Irrigation Water Management."
3. An overlooked gift idea might be membership in one of the region's parks. Parks foster trees, unsung heroines in capturing carbon as well as habitat which provide refuge for critters and critical ecosystem services in a time of rapid climate change. With state and federal cutbacks, membership draws people in to a park community where they’ll spend money for food, lodging, gas, and sports equipment, and in so doing, ensure the park's longevity. Blake Island Park, for example, a stone's throw from downtown Seattle, is a peaceful beach camping retreat. The southwest corner of the island has a stand of venerable old growth Doug firs for inspiration and solace – say those in the know. Only accessible by boat, there's a small marina and mooring cans around the island. And if you don’t have your own boat, take the Argosy harbor tour boat.
4. We’ll call this an environmental gift with funk. Boogie down (or up) to the Re-Store in Ballard or Bellingham. Here you'll find salvaged and vintage building materials and home décor (along with two very friendly cats.) There are door knobs (the "k" is emphasized, say the staff) of all makes and models – natty glass ones are as low as $25 bucks. Wooden cabinet knobs are an even better deal, 25 cents each. Attach them to a 2 by 6 "weather" board at 30 cents a foot and you have a handy coat rack! What gift-longing friend could resist? And there’s more!  Windows at the Re-store – the better to see the light return – can be transformed into a greenhouse, an art frame, a cabinet, a planter. Some cost as little as $5 per frame.

Happy gift hunting. May all your holidays be sustainable and bright.

November 26, 2013: Let the Feast Begin: Community Food Kitchen and the Good Food Revolution

As all foodies know, a good food revolution has been underway for decades. The latest addition to the mix are community food kitchens where cooking, tasting and growing food come together to nourish and build -- especially in communities most harmed by the industrial food system. We visit one such kitchen at Seattle's Rainier Beach High School and catch up with Will Allen, CEO of Growing Power, on tour of the region’s urban food hot spots.

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