How my morning has been progressing

I started out cleaning off my desk - woke up too early. Then of course the sun starting doing great stuff outside my window.

Funny how I see spots every time I take a picture of the sun! Makes it a little hard to see the computer screen.

Blogging is always more fun than cleaning anyway.

I am waiting for the birds to quiet down and then I will go back to bed. 4 hours of sleep is not enough for the day I have planned!

Top 10 Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water

I don't think Nubius Organics will mind if I repeat their email notice from yesterday. Sometimes we need a reminder on these stats and there is always the opportunity I will reach a new reader with this information.

My most recent water bottle acquisition was at Seattle's greenfest in March, from EarthLust. See photo at bottom.

Americans drank 8.8 billion gallons of bottled water in 2007, up more than 7% from 2006.. Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing—producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy.

~ It takes approximately three 8oz bottles of water to make one disposable plastic bottle…so that we can get 8oz of hydration.

~ Approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil—enough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year—are used to make plastic water bottles, while transporting these bottles burns even more oil. Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce and transport the bottle.

~ 40 billion plastic bottles end up in landfills each year, costing cities as much as 70 million in cleanup costs annually. Is this really how we want to spend our tax dollars?

~ In 2006, the equivalent of 2 billion half-liter bottles of water were shipped to U.S. ports, releasing thousands of tons of global warming pollution and other air pollution.

~ The bottled water industry spends millions of dollars a year to convince us that their product is somehow safer or healthier than tap water, when in fact that's just not true.

~ Disposable bottled water has far less rigorous testing requirements than city tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants. There are no requirements for bottled water to be disinfected or tested for parasites such as cryptosporidium or giardia.

~ 3 out of 4 Americans drink bottled water. 1 in 5 will only drink bottled water, (although it’s far less regulated than tap water) and in blind taste tests across the county, 2/3rds of people couldn’t even tell the difference.

~ The irony here, of course, is that about 40% of bottled water is actually tap water, which is typically free and is much better regulated and more rigorously tested than bottled water.

~ In the US, bottled water corporations such as Nestle are draining billions of gallons of water from rural communities around the country, limited or depleting well water available to the citizens who live there.

~ Unfortunately, only about 15% of plastic bottles are recycled. The rest are sent to landfills. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land and in rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

~ Plastic debris in the environment can take between 400 and 1,000 years to degrade.

My new bottle from EarthLust even fits in the cupholder in my MINI Cooper - not an easy feat!

Yeah, it's going to be one of THOSE days

It's a good day! I guess the reason I am up this early is to get complomentary emails from back east in live time! Just received a nice email complimenting my blog from an agent in Indiana. Thanks for your message Beth! You made my day!

This photo was taken 25 minutes after the first one. The color is going to start changing fast now.

No better time to clean your home office than at 4:55 am on a Saturday morning

Morning's like this are one of the reasons why I picked this particular townhome location in High Point in West Seattle.

No, not for mornings where I can't get back to sleep because I am suffering from a head cold and can't breathe properly. But for mornings when I am somehow awake at the miraculous hour of sunrise and the view of the Cascades from my house.

Trying to breathe woke my brain up enough to think about other things, including the fact that I plan on holding the GreenWorks office open today and rearranging said office with the help of Steve. Guess thinking about change got me too stimulated to go back to sleep.

That and the BIRDS are ridiculous. Love it but man, are they noisy. I woke up at 4:15 and they were already singing.

NREL creates the energy VIBE | MNN - Mother Nature Network

NREL creates the energy VIBE | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Shared via AddThis

TOMORROW: Green Jobs, Green Communities

MEDIA ADVISORY – FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE
CONTACT: David Hirning, 206-571-6586

Small-Business Leaders, Local Residents Host Green Jobs Event
Call on Congress to Pass Strong Clean Energy Jobs Bill to Jump-Start Job Creation in Seattle

Local small-business leaders and residents of Seattle will host a green-jobs rally and tour of area clean energy homes on Wednesday, May 27, in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle. The event is being organized by the Seattle chapter of MoveOn.org, which has about 50,000 members in the Seattle metro area. At the rally, local residents will call on Congress to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which the House of Representatives is expected to vote on this summer. If passed, the bill would create high-paying jobs, reduce electricity and heating costs for local households, and keep America competitive in the global economy.

WHAT: Clean Energy Jobs Day – A tour of the High Point neighborhood as an example of how green energy initiatives create jobs, better communities, and a safer world.

WHEN: 4:00 pm, Wednesday, May 27, 2009. The tour is expected to last 1-2 hours.

WHERE: See below.

WHO: Join MoveOn.org members and meet people who are incorporating green concepts into their Seattle lifestyles. Meet High Point residents, a realtor, a small-business owner, and a candidate for Seattle city council.

MEDIA FEATURES: See green-built sidewalks and roads, Longfellow Creek, green spaces, a pond park, walking trail, waterfall, and the Seattle skyline. See green homes constructed by five different construction companies. And while it’s under construction, catch a glimpse of Neighborhood House, which will include 20,000 square feet of classrooms, gathering spaces, social service offices, and technology labs—one of the largest built-green projects in the country.

Stop #1: Resident home of Jennifer Cobb, 3123 SW Raymond Street. MoveOn organizers will provide an overview of the local clean energy economy and talk about potential expansion. Yves Vetter, the owner of a small, local green retrofitting business will speak. Jen will show us the green features in her home, constructed by Saltaire.

Stop #2: Wendy Hughes-Jelen of GreenWorks Realty will lead us on an environmental walking tour of the neighborhood on our way to one the neighborhood’s model homes. Wendy will explain High Point’s green features, which include bio-swales, different forms of pervious and impervious surfaces, and landscaping designed for water filtration. From the home, you can view the green space, pond park and walking trail, waterfall, and Seattle skyline.

Stop #3: Resident home of David Ginsberg. David will show us the green features in his home, constructed by Devland, Inc. David is currently a candidate for Seattle City Council and his platform includes a commitment to the greening of Seattle.

Directions: Take the West Seattle Bridge to the stop light at the end and and turn left on 35th Avenue SW. After about 2 miles, turn left on Raymond Street. Just past 32nd Avenue SW is Jennifer Cobb’s home at 3123 SW Raymond Street. Bus: Route 21 departs about every 30 minutes along First Avenue downtown and along 35th Avenue in West Seattle.

This event is part of Power Up America, a national organizing campaign to support a strong clean energy jobs bill. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.moveon.org. MoveOn.org Political Action is a political action committee powered by 5 million progressive Americans. We believe in the power of small donors and grassroots action to elect progressive leaders to office and to advance a progressive agenda. We do not accept any donations over $5,000, and the average donation to MoveOn.org Political Action is under $100.

Hardhat tour of LEED Gold Neighborhood House construction site in West Seattle

A RARE OPPORTUNITY –
I managed to arrange for a hardhat (and heavy shoes) tour of the new LEED Gold Neighborhood House under construction in West Seattle. Ray Li, the Director of Strategic Planning, will lead the tour.

The building: 20,000 square feet of classrooms, gathering spaces, social service offices, technology labs and more, located in the heart of the redeveloped High Point public housing community.

Green notes: Constructed with the environment in mind

•When certified, the Neighborhood Center will be the first LEED™ Gold-certified building constructed by a nonprofit agency in Washington, meeting the highest standards of environmental design and sustainability as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council.

•The building will use 244 solar panels to produce up to 50 percent of its own energy needs – the largest array of solar panels in the state of Washington.

•A ground source heat pump will significantly increase energy efficiency. By running a non-toxic fluid through underground piping, instead of coils exposed to constantly changing air temperature, the building’s heating and cooling system will take advantage of the relatively constant temperature of the earth to provide much more efficient heating and cooling.

•Natural daylight will illuminate nearly all regularly occupied spaces to reduce reliance on electric lighting. The building will use only electric power (no natural gas); because most of Seattle’s electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, the building will need very little fossil fuel to operate.

•Highly reflective roofing and light-colored paving materials will harmlessly reflect away heat rather than absorbing heat and then radiating it into the surroundings, avoiding the “heat island” effect typical of many buildings.

•Storm water runoff from the site will be slowed by using permeable paving materials and collecting rainwater from the roof in a cistern and series of rain gardens.

•Ninety-five percent of construction waste will be recycled.

•Reinforced concrete will contain high levels of recycled fly ash (an industrial by-product), replacing some of the cement typically used, which requires large amounts of energy to produce. Steel used for reinforcement also will contain a high percentage of recycled material.

•To ensure optimum indoor air quality, the use of low- or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints, sealants, coatings and adhesives will reduce or eliminate the cancer-causing off-gassing that occurs in most buildings, as does the elimination of added urea-formaldehyde in wood and agrifiber products.

“This new building, this crown jewel is important for Neighborhood House but also for the country and for the world. It will change the conversation about social uplift and the environment. This is an extraordinary, bold, breakout move. Neighborhood House should be applauded and supported for taking this first step.”

~ Van Jones / Nationally recognized environmentalist and social activist and now Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

More Information: Green Spaces Real Estate Meetup
Date & time Wednesday, May 27, 2009 7:30 AM
Location Commons Park - High Point (West Seattle)
32nd Ave SW & SW Sylvan Way (32nd is posted as SW Lanham Place)

“ Meet at the amphitheatre on the south side of the "view mound" along 32nd (Lanham) ”

What is green space?

This little tidbit of information is part of a "5 Amazing Green Cities" list. I was drawn to it for its conciseveness.

People ask me how I came up with the name of my blog - which launched at about the time my husband and I put in our offer on our current home in the Built Green Certified Community of High Point in West Seattle. Almost every block has a pocket park and the community is adjacent to a greenbelt. My particular home is across the street from a pocket park on one side and the greenbelt on the other and although the neighborhood is very dense it does not feel that way because of the thoughtfully planned green space.

I specialize in new green homes in addition to traditional homes that can be greened through an energy retrofit and thoughtful design of the available space on the remainder of the lot. I also thrive on learning about healthy living options and green living trends and new products. And I love sharing what I've learned. THAT is where the name of my blog came from.

And here is an explanation of green spaces...

What is "Green" Space?
­
"Going green" can mean literally just that -- turning your community green with foliage. And green space is exactly what it sounds like: It's the amount of open space reserved for plants and trees, gardens, parks and nature preserves. Green space improves air quality, cuts pollution levels and energy costs, and adds to the aesthetic of the city.

Some cities are finding innovative ways to include green space in their urban landscape. In 2000, the city of Chicago planted a garden in place of the black tar roofing on a city government building. Green roofing offers similar benefits to gardens and parks at ground level by helping to reduce urban heat islands. Green rooftops also add a layer of insulation to the building, keeping it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, reducing the building's energy costs.

How to protect yourself from mortgage-modification fraud

From Real Estate Weekly

Based on things I have been reading, I am getting an uncomfortable feeling
regarding the company I am presently using for a loan modification negotiation.
Since the company is not listed with the Better Business Bureau, can you tell me
anything, good or bad, about it?

See Realty Q&A.

Get your tix now to see "Elmo's Green Thumb"

Elmo, Big Bird, Rosita, Oscar the Grouch and the rest of the Sesame Street Live cast are coming to the Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tuesday and Wednesday to share Sesame Street's gentle lessons and fun in "Elmo's Green Thumb," a new show. The story tells of Elmo's quest to find a garden home for Sunny, the sunflower he's been growing in a pot.

The show will also be playing at Comcast Arena in Everett, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Friday-Sunday. Tickets start at $11. Tickets to the show Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome can be purchased at 206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets to the shows Friday-Sunday at the Comcast Arena in Everett can be purchased at 866-332-8499 or www.sesamestreetlive.com.

"You deserve a green job"

Interesting email from Natural Home magazine today.


Find a green job today (and get our free e-book!)

Dear Wendy,

The new green economy is here, and it needs people like you!

That's why Natural Home has launched Great Green Careers. You'll find green jobs in engineering, sales, environmental health and safety, wind and solar energy, business development, and more. You can search jobs, post your resume and set up email alerts to send jobs directly to you.

PLUS: post your resume and we'll give you our exclusive guide, Finding a Green Job, absolutely free! Click here to post your resume today.

The economy's down, but green jobs are up! Great Green Careers has exciting opportunities for solar installers, wind turbine technicians, green sales, mechanical engineers, green construction workers, EHS techs, and much more. So don't wait - check out Great Green Careers today. And remember - post your resume today and we'll give you our e-book absolutely free!!

Thanks, and good luck!
Great Green Careers

PS: Don't forget - our exclusive guide, Finding a Green Job, is yours simply by posting your resume - act today!

Natural Home Magazine, Ogden Publications, 1503 SW 42nd Street, Topeka, KS, 66609

It's official - $8,000 tax credit can be used for downpayment assistance

Heard the news from my mortgage guy, Steve Hochhalter, when he stopped by my open house yesterday. But this was on Realty Times this morning, saving me the research.

Washington Report: $8,000 Tax Credit

Home builders and Realtors cheered in Washington last week when HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that FHA will allow lenders and government agencies to "monetize" the $8,000 federal homebuyer tax credit, providing purchasers with downpayment cash upfront, available at closing, rather than waiting for the IRS to mail them a tax credit check.

Read the Full Story

Open House today 1-4 PM ~ In-city 2+ bedroom home on corner level lot in SE Seattle TWO GARAGES

I am holding an open house today, please stop by! Priced at $249k.

Learn About Native Plants with Your Family!

Learn About Native Plants with Your Family!

Course ID: ECO-327
Saturday, May 30, 2009 10:00 AM -- 2:00 PM
Register Free!

John MacDonald Tolt River Park
Carnation, WA
Directions

Bring your family to enjoy a day outside the city! EOS Alliance, along with the Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force, is hosting a nature walk and ethnobotany workshop. Participants will learn to identify native plants and also learn their medicinal and nutritional values and uses.

If you would like to join us, please remember to dress for the weather and bring comfortable shoes or hiking boots, water, and a sack lunch. We also encourage you to bring any field guide or plant ID book you may have.We will provide coffee, tea and samples of edible plants to snack on!

*We encourage participants to car pool to this event! Please follow the registration link to sign up and get details about car pooling!

To check out other events from EOS Alliance, view our Sustainability Events Calendar!

Dog adoption and how it changed my life 4 years ago today

Today is the anniversary of my adoption of Sophia. I remember a beautiful little Italian greyhound scared of everything. She was not used to the city.

She came home on a Saturday morning. Just like introducing a new cat to the household, I stayed with her in a separate room to bond. We hung out all weekend in the guest room of our former house. I have some interesting pictures of the weird positions I found her sleeping in!

The first 6 months were an adjustment - she always kept close to me but I didn't feel she was bonded to me until several months passed. She would do what I asked her but it seemed she always had a suspicious "what's in it for me?" agenda lurking in the background. A switch seemed to be thrown at some point, tho, and she went everywhere she could with me because SHE wanted to, not because I asked her to.

Never did I think I would be in a position of being able to take her to work every day. Here she is this morning coming back to the front office after a visit to her water dish in the conference room. She is leashed to my desk most of the time since we are on busy Greenwood Avenue and we have a lot of visitors. But we go for walks and I know she's not peeing on my carpet at home. I started in the position of managing the Front Office at GreenWorks in February. I was excited at the time because I envisioned long breaks in the middle of the day to walk around Greenlake. Hasn't happened yet. But it's been raining or snowing ever since we started here so it is not exactly our fault.

Sophia has had a lot of companionship since she joined my household. In 2005-06 I was working part time doing marketing for some loan officers at a mortgage company on the Eastside. So I didn't feel too bad leaving her at home, since I wasn't ever gone more than 6 hours. I tried taking her to doggy daycare to socialize her. I took her to Seattle Canine Club by Safeco Field since it was essentially at the foot of the on-ramp to I-90. It was reported that she spent the entire day (all 5 hours of it) looking for me. She was a shy dog so couldn't be with the big romping canines. And could not be caged either. When they put her in the exercise pen with the other small dogs she just jumped right out of it, in her typical gazelle-like fashion. After the third visit and some studying up on "separation anxiety" I determined she did NOT have true separation anxiety since she did not destroy things in the house and she did not hurt herself. She began getting great naptime at home in the sun.

In 2006 I went independent and worked for a real estate broker that did relo work at SeaTac Airport and road projects elsewhere. She didn't mind my bringing Sophia to work, but I often did not since I never knew what I was going to be doing that day and if it was sunny I would have an issue with leaving the dog in the car. I also worked out of a portable building at SeaTac Airport and they were dog friendly until they began acquiring Town & Country Mobile Home Park just south of the airport and we had too many guests in the building and they made a no-dog rule.

Sophia has just updated her blog, called "Paws for a moment", with the rest of this story. There are also come fun pictures of her in her photo album.

More On Strip-Gardening

I knew that Title would get your attention! Read on...

Note to West Seattle Residents - Councilmember Richard Conlin will be at the next Delridge District Council meeting, Wed., May 20th, 7pm, at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW. He will have more information about the City's Food System Initiative to promote urban food production and healthy living.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 12, 2009

Contacts:
Rob Gala, Conlin Office, (206) 684-8805
Kimberly Reason, Council Communications, (206) 684-8159

Councilmember Richard Conlin

CITY DROPS FEES FOR FOOD GARDENING IN PLANTING STRIPS Department of Transportation moves to help reduce costs and encourage food gardens

SEATTLE - In another victory for the Local Food Action Initiative, City Council President and Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Committee Chair, Richard Conlin, has convinced SDOT and Mayor Nickels to drop fees for food gardens grown in planting strips.

In previous years, many residents had been told that growing food in planting strips was not allowed. In reality, such gardens were permissible within SDOT safety guidelines, but discouraged by the department. In 2008, Conlin requested that SDOT clarify and communicate those guidelines to the public and shift to encourage planting strip gardens. The new modified rules are the result of that request.

The changes are one of many steps that Council, through the Local Food Initiative, is taking to encourage Seattle residents to plant vegetables and other edible foods. Council President Conlin said, “The new rules will make it easier for people to grow their own food in Seattle. Gardening in front yards and planting strips is a great way to build community. I’m pleased that SDOT was able to meet our objective of increasing local food production in a way that does not compromise transportation safety.”

In response to requests by the Council and community, SDOT and the Mayor had proposed rule changes that would require fees and permits for food gardens. However, Conlin, author of the Local Food Action Initiative, consistently advocated for fees to be dropped in order to reduce costs for those seeking to grow their own food. Council also requested that SDOT educate citizens about these modified rules to encourage food gardening.

Today, SDOT delivered its report to Council on these changes, which will make it easier to Seattle residents to participate in food gardening. The changes include:

● Allowing food gardening activities that meet set-back and height requirements;
● Eliminating the need for most food gardeners to obtain Street Use permits;
● Providing free Street Use permits for tree planting and hardscape installations.

Planting strip height requirements include maintaining plantings so that they do not exceed two feet in height within 30 feet of intersections. For driveways, plants within ten feet of driveways shall be clear of sight obstructions between 32 and 82 inches high from the ground. In addition, plants should be set back three feet from curbs, one foot from the edge of the sidewalk, and five feet from utility poles or fire hydrants. More information on height and set-back requirements is available in the Seattle Right-of-Way Improvements Manual at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/.

Conlin’s Local Food Action Initiative is currently working with several community organizations to secure federal money for a variety of projects focused on providing healthy food to low-income residents through gardening, education, and outreach to neighborhood corner stores. The Initiative also includes a request to the Department of Neighborhoods to make recommendations on what publicly-held lands can be converted for the use of local food production.

Council meetings are cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21 and Webcast live on the City Council’s website at www.seattle.gov/council. Copies of legislation, archives of previous meetings, and news releases are available on www.seattle.gov/council. Questions about Council news releases can be directed to Kimberly Reason, Council Communications, at 206-684-8159, or by e-mail at kimberly.reason@seattle.gov.

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Canning 101 is tomorrow in Seattle

Canning 101 is tomorrow!
Space is filling up quickly so click here to register.

Remember: Canning allows you to eat well all year long. Instead of paying for out-of-season produce shipped from the far corners of the earth, look no further than your own pantry!

Jessica Dally is King County's only Master Canner/Food Preserver and she'll be guiding us through the process of water bath canning, pressure canning, food safety issues and the appropriate recipes for each canning method.

This two hour class starts at 7:00 P.M. on May 13th with a fee of $10. It will be held at EOS Alliance Headquarters, located at 650 S. Orcas St, Suite 220.

Directions Register

City decides to encourage flower and vegetable gardening in parking strips, no permits required for raised beds or stepping stones

For Immediate Release: May 11, 2009
Contact: Alex Fryer, (206) 684-8358 or (206) 941-5931 (cell), alex.fryer@seattle.gov

Mayor Nickels Announces New Rules for Gardening in Planting Strips New procedures to encourage more gardening citywide

SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels today announced improvements to make gardening in planting strips easier for Seattles residents. The new planting strip policy, issued by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), eliminates any permit requirements for gardens and ends fees previously required for hardscape improvements, such as planter boxes or pavers.

This change makes it easier to plant flowers and vegetables in the strip between the sidewalk and the street. For many gardeners, thats prime space, said Nickels. Its one of the things that makes Seattle special, and, with planting season upon us, its time to get those green thumbs going.

Under the new rules announced today, residents no longer need to obtain a $225 permit for hardscape improvements, such as raised gardens or stepping stones. Instead, they can obtain a free online permit for these improvements and to plant a tree at: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/stuse_permits_online.htm

SDOT has updated its Web site with information explaining the rules:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/stuse_docs.htm

To ensure public safety and protect city infrastructure, they also provide guidelines for making planting strip improvements.

Get the Nickels Newsletter and the mayors inside view on transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities. Sign up at mayor.seattle.gov

###

It's Native Plant Appreciation Week!

Obviously I have been sleeping at the wheel this week. It is one of my favorite times of year - when the native Bleeding heart flower blooms and smells so sweet (Dicentra formosa). I have some in containers on my back deck, they've been there almost two years now since I moved from my old 1/4 acre lot to a townhome with a 200 sq ft deck.

Governor Gregoire proclaimed May 3-May 9, 2009 as Native Plant Appreciation Week in Washington. More info from the Washington Native Plant Society web site:

This week is a celebration of the amazing diversity of Washington’s over 3000 native plant species that inhabit deserts, rain forests, high alpine environments, river valleys, and even backyard landscapes. Native plant ecosystems are critical to sustaining our native wildlife and the quality of
Washington’s environment.

The Native Plant Appreciation Week inspires citizens through diverse activities and events to learn more about native plant species and their habitats and how to protect them. The public can participate in everything from talks, walks, hikes, garden tours, and visits to our natural areas to active involvement in habitat restoration projects.

and

Native Plant Appreciation Week is primarily an opportunity to celebrate our native floral abundance, our amazing bio-diversity, and all the good work being done to protect and preserve it.

Seek out native plants at plant sales in your area - going on every weekend all over the region right now. They are designed to withstand your local environment. And with proper care they can be kept in containers. In the Northwest that means on a north facing deck that receives shade most of the day. Some plants can withstand more sun exposure. Think about where that plant originally came from and try to mimic it. Many plants grow under trees in the woods - which means they are in the shade most of the time.

Our Neighoborhood House

Neighorhood House under construction in High Point (West Seattle, WA) has a short video on YouTube. I walk by the site every day and am really looking forward to its opening.

Read more about the project

I wish I lived someplace cool. Rotterdam has this building (pictured at left), Seattle as EMP. Shoot, even Chicago is getting this. Just not comparable.

This incredible reclaimed pavilion defies the old “everything but” cliché - it is entirely made of kitchen sinks. Built by 2012 Architechten in cooperation with Jeanne van Heeswijks of Jeanneworks, the structure has risen up as a stainless steel castle tower amidst the traditional architecture of Utrecht, Vlaardingen and Amsterdam. An inventive example of reclaimed construction, the Sustainable Sky Box serves as a multi-purpose space for cultural activities.

This is a retweet of sorts, something on my Twitter feed this morning from nakedbinder who RT @whiskmanagement " Very cool! RT @agallihar A building made entirely out of recycled kitchen sinks: http://is.gd/wGvG "

"Red or White? Go With Green."

Sierra Club Insider tips us off to some tasty sustainable wines.

Please your palate (and the planet) with these sustainable wines
It's the season to toast moms, dads, and grads--but who really needs an excuse to savor wine? In that spirit, we corralled five wine experts to blind-sample and score 20 whites and 20 reds from around the world, each with a legitimate claim to environmental responsibility.

Read Red or White? Go With Green. Thank you Sierra Club Insider email newsletter for this heads up. I need to make sure my personal wine buyer reads this...(my husband).

"Area home sales sprang up in April"

According to SeattlePI.com,

The number of home sale deals in April was the highest since August 2007, as buyers apparently decided prices had come down enough, combined with low interest rates and a federal tax credit, according to a new report.

Non-scientifically I can attest to this since I am staffing the front office of my real estate company at the moment and I have seen a big uptick in calls and emails and almost every listing we have received an offer in the last three weeks.

Read Area home sales sprang up in April Prices continued to fall from a year earlier

This weekend ~ Festival of Trees

On Sunday, May 10, there will be a free festival at Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way, where you can learn something about trees and be entertained.

Arthur Lee Jacobson, Ciscoe Morris and other famous garden authors will give talks indoors. There will be free classes on fruit tree culture, habitat for wildlife, native trees and plants and lots of kid-stuff too. Take an on-site tour of the pea-patch, of the native plant garden, or the children's garden. See the parade, ride the bucket, watch the Haute Trash Fashion Show. Website


On Monday, May 11th, the Festival will continue with an Urban Forest Symposium at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st Street. The Symposium will focus on urban forest management issues and solutions. Topics include communicating the value of trees, trees and climate change, protecting trees during construction projects, and tree risk assessment.
This event is for management-level professionals, on-the-ground technical staff, and community organizations. To register, contact Jean Robins at jrobins@u.washington.edu or 206-685-2590. The Symposium is scheduled from 9 AM to 4 PM; Cost is $55-$65 registration fee for professionals, non-profits and individuals. Limit 200 participants. Complete registration information provided by the Center for Horticulture.

Go for the bold! Red that is...

The sexy Ferrari-red hip mod couch I purchased for my home office when moving in 2007 is on sale again at Scan Design.


Called "Wing Sleeper Sofa" it is surprisingly affordable, comfortable, and in a pinch my mother-in-law can use it when in town on yoga retreats since the Aerobed is being used to stage a bedroom in a home I have listed for sale (pending inspection, tho - yea!)

It also is surprisingly easily punctured by kitty claws, so purchase a vinyl repair kit. Our leather furniture holds up better but I have learned to live with the damage. It just means everything in our home is loved. It takes us from too mod to shabby chic if you look close!

A true vegan furniture choice.

Blogging live from the Sustainable West Seattle Festival

Not that I am trying to beat the WSB at their own game - since I know they are here somewhere anyway - but being a "live blogger" for events has gotten me into some cool stuff for free. In this case, I paid to be here and talked a couple of my colleagues into splitting the cost with me. We'll be here until 3 o'clock. It is sunny and dry and a perfect Spring morning. Stop by and say hi!!

Stop by my booth at the Sustainable West Seattle Festival Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM

I along with a couple of my colleagues am setting up the GreenWorks info booth at Sunday's 2nd annual sustinability festival in West Seattle. Visit the web site or view the official program for the event.

You'll find us in "Area 13" outside of the main entry to the Wells Fargo Bank. The entire event is located in the parking lot behind Next to Nature and Coffee to a Tea with Sugar.

What does living 'green' look like?

There are so many scientific complexities, so many confusing personal choices, so many ways to rationalize doing nothing. Yet doing nothing isn’t really an option anymore.

Read What does living 'green' look like?

By Fran Smith, Redbook via PImail.com newsletter who "Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: What Does Living Green Look Like?"

Raising chickens in the city

I'm a country girl by upbringing and up until two years ago I was hell bent on building a chicken tractor and moving it around my 1/4 acre lot in West Seattle and having fresh eggs every morning. Then my husband strongly vetoed it (as in, absolutely no) and I punished him by moving us to a condo.

Not really how it went, but be that as it may, I *do* now live in a wonderful Built Green townhome and don't have a yard. I am content to buy my eggs at the farmers market when I need them and they are almost as fresh as if I grew them myself.

But if YOU are dying to be an urban farmer, raising your allotted three chickens per 5,000 square foot lot (so if you have a larger lot you can hedge and have more chickens), here is a great little house for them. And a nice article from Natural Home Magazine. Just remember - NO ROOSTERS or someone is going to end up in the soup pot because of neighbor complaints.

Urban gardeners are flocking to chickens to keep bugs away and provide eggs and compost. Keeping backyard birds is easier than you might think.

Read Raising Chickens in the City