Spew

Green Crush: Holy apple maggots!

MICHAEL SWAN: WHO ARE YOU GONNA CALL?! >>>

There's nothing like a walk in the woods at Point Defiance Park to clear your mind. The chirping of birds, the wind rustling through the trees — away from computers, microwave dinners, and traffic. It's peace, naturally.

But not all green is good. Most casual walkers on a stroll through the trails don't realize that in the calming shade of the vegetation around them, there's an ongoing war for survival between species native to South Sound and immigrants from abroad. These invaders arrive via bird droppings, through lawn ornamentals that naturalize, and in the ballast water of oceangoing tankers.

The Washington State Invasive Species Council announced today the launch of a hotline and Web site for people to report sightings of invasive species.

Green Crush

WEEKLY VOLCANO: GREEN NEWS AND EVENTS >>>

Root of a problem
A number of trees below the main picnic area in Point Defiance Park are suffering from root system damage resulting from landslides and continuing soil erosion caused by severe winter storms last January. The unstable trees have been evaluated and marked by the park district’s urban forester and will be taken down by a contracted tree care company today.
 
Tree work will begin at the corner where the Washington State Ferry roadway intersects with Anthony’s parking lot, where a small number of the trees are scheduled for removal.

The majority of the trees, approximately 120, average between 3-8 inches thick and are located above the promenade, north of the Point Defiance Marina. Some of the wood will be left on site to help block pedestrians from accessing unsafe areas, the majority will be taken away by the contractor. This work is anticipated to begin Thursday, Sept. 24 or Friday Sept. 25. Staff currently anticipates that the promenade may be able to re-open outside of contractor work hours, which are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Following the tree removal, work will be done to help stabilize the slope above the ferry landing area and the Five Mile Drive washout near the Rhododendron Garden. The slope stabilization work is anticipated to begin Monday Sept. 28, along with restoration of the Five Mile Drive washout.
 
Green Links Dump
Eco Gadgets: KILLA debuts vintage series bags with solar harnessing capability.

Eco Tech: Oregon brewery develops a pedal-powered mobile beer bar. Nice!

Save A Postal Worker: The Smarter Wallet examines the pros and cons of using email.

Oceans Are Filling With Plastic: Fake Plastic Fish is pissed.

The 15 Best Companies For The Environment: includes Starbucks

Green Crush

WEEKLY VOLCANO: GREEN NEWS AND EVENTS >>>

Everyone from Washington who becomes a member of the Arbor Day Foundation in September will receive 10 free live oak trees as part of the Foundation's Trees for America campaign.

The trees will be shipped postpaid between Oct. 15 and Dec. 10, at the right time for planting. The 6-to-12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge. Planting instructions are enclosed with each shipment of trees.

New members of the Arbor Day Foundation also receive The Tree Book, which includes information about tree planting and care.

To receive 10 free live oak trees, send a $10 membership contribution to Ten Live Oaks, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410, by Sept. 30, 2009, or join online here.

Mark your calendar with a green pen

The second annual Green Tacoma Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to noon.  In conjunction with National Public Land Day Tacomans can explore parks, take part in educational events, or help restore parks. For a complete list of sites, directions, and how to RSVP visit here.

Members of the Tacoma City Council will receive an update from staff on the City’s Safe and Clean efforts during their noon study session Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the Tacoma Municipal Building North, 733 Market St., Room 16. The presentation will focus on updated statistics from the round one teams and an introduction of the round two teams. As a second item on the agenda under other items of interest, Public Works staff will provide an update on the status of the Luzon Building. Audio from the session will be broadcast live on TV Tacoma and on www.tvtacoma.com.

The Tacoma City Council will consider a resolution that would authorize the execution of a Hazardous Substances Indemnification Agreement with the Foss Waterway Development Authority, and Hollander Investments, LLC for property located at 1543 Dock St. Tuesday, Sept. 15. Hollander Investments, LLC, is purchasing property located at 1543 Dock St. from Site 4 Foss Waterway, LLC to facilitate redevelopment of properties on Foss Waterway for public and private uses. The City has sought to integrate environmental cleanup and protection into redevelopment of waterway properties and is providing a limited environmental contamination indemnification as a condition of the developer’s acquisition and redevelopment of the property.

This just in
Duh: Study confirms direct link between CO2 and Antarctic ice sheets.

Daryl Hannah talks dirty — dirty coal, that is
When actress Daryl Hannah was arrested in southern West Virginia on June 23, she joined thousands of other activists and residents who are fed up with the coal industry's toxic legacy. Visiting the sites of mountaintop removal mining — the destructive process of blowing up mountains to access coal stores — Hannah says she was left feeling sick.

"I almost can't explain how hard it is to assimilate and process the moonscape that is left behind," the star of 1984's Splash and 2003 and 2004's Kill Bill Vol. I & II told E magazine. "I went to one site just yards from some of the locals' homes...and in their front yard there's this massive contaminated explosion site with a slurry lake filled with billions of gallons of poisonous toxic sludge."

Read an interview with Hannah related to coal and her own involvement in coal activism here.

Green Crush!

RON SWARNER: A RANDOM SAMPLING OF ENVIRONESS >>>

You Dig?

Plant a tree. Still the cheapest, most effective way of removing CO2 from the atmosphere. If every American family planted one tree, it would cut more than 1 billion pounds of CO2 from our atmosphere each year — about 5 percent of Earth's annual carbon footprint.

So plant two as part of the City of Tacoma's TreeStreet NW project, which, according to a press release, " which supplies trees to neighborhood groups and property owners within Tacoma to plant in their right-of-way area."

Applications to be a part of TreeStreet NW will be accepted beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1 and are due on a rolling basis through April . More information is available at www.cityoftacoma.org/evergreentacoma — click on “TreeStreet NW Project.”  


Future Things Are Coming

If you're like most South Sounders, you're worried about global warming, you wish you weren't part of the problem, but you're about as optimistic about your ability to go low-carbon as you are about going low-carbohydrate — or making any other of a thousand lifestyle changes that would make you a better person. Yet you can't quite afford the "easy fix" of a fancy new hybrid right now, either — right? Well, the fact is: You can still make a big difference without spending a bunch of money and without carb-starving yourself, and that's what we hope you'll find out Sept. 26 by participating in the 2nd annual Green Tacoma Day to be held in conjunction with National Public Lands Day.

Things your can learn and do at Green Tacoma Day:

• Help protect and restore your favorite local park, gulch, shoreline and garden.
• Learn more about your favorite recreation destination from experienced Habitat Stewards.
• Discover something new by taking a walking, hiking, or bike tour of Tacoma’s Natural Areas.

More information is available at the Green Tacoma Web site. www.greentacoma.org

Embrace Treehugger

Treehugger.com is an invaluable resource for green ideas. But getting to know an actual treehugger would probably be edifying, too.

Support Tacoma Food Co-op today

RON SWARNER: RALLY AROUND THA CO-OP WITH A POCKET FULL OF SEEDS >>>

Co-ops don't grow on trees, people. Obviously trees have a role to play. So do you, namely fronting the money. There's a big outdoor benefit for the Tacoma Food Co-op today at wright Park from 4-9 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a co-op member or learning more is encouraged to attend, as are current members. More info can be found here.

LINK: Read our cover story on the Tacoma Food Co-op

LINK: Go see the film Food, Inc. and support the Co-op

Tacoma Food Co-op: the long, arduous journey

MATT DRISCOLL: WHEN SOCIAL PROFIT TRUMPS FINANCIAL PROFIT >>>

Still, there’s a lot of work yet to be done before the Tacoma Food Co-op vision is a reality, and sometimes people don’t realize that an ever changing, democratic body like the one necessary to power a food co-op takes time to develop. A storefront doesn’t pop up overnight, and — for success — the groundwork has to be laid properly, which requires a lot of community building elbow grease. Businesses are easy to start, says Julio Quan, the former executive director of Tacoma’s Centro Latino and a self-described Co-op supporter “since the womb.” Co-ops aren’t.

The Tacoma Food Co-op is well on its way yet far from the finish line. And those behind the Tacoma Food Co-op are tired but relentless. My impression is they won’t be denied, and they want to recruit you.

“We have the instruments, the foundation, the technical parts,” says Quan. “We are responsible for this pregnancy. It’s about to be born. Now it has to be developed by the community.”

Throughout our discussion, Quan regularly turns the spotlight in my direction, quizzing me — to some extent — on just how much I actually know about co-ops.

It’s a good place to start.

Read how I did and my story on the Tacoma Food Co-op here.

See your future, be your future

MICHAEL SWAN: CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR WEDNESDAY >>>

Water chat and ride
The Puyallup River Watershed Council will hang out at the Carbon River entrance to Mt. Rainier Nation Park Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Want to join them?

Meet at the Sumner Library (116 Fryar Ave.) at 10:30 a.m. First, you have to sit through a slide show concerning the hydrology and sediment transport of rivers presented by Paul Kennard and Susan Dolan, scientists from the Park Service.

At 11:30 a.m. you’ll hop on a bus. After a two-hour ride (you have to have snacks along the way!), you’ll pile out for short and long walks to see flood impacts from previous floods. Discussion on river hydrology and the Park’s future by Bryan Bowden, Park planner/ranger will be part of your day.

It’s back on the bus at 3:30 p.m. for return trip. If you’re not sunburned, the Puyallup River Watershed Council hosts a forum at the Sumner Library beginning at 5 p.m. on rivers management in both Pierce and King counties.

For more information, call the Watershed coordinator at 253.798.3096
               
Do It Right Tacoma
Do It Right Tacoma, a blog “created by concerned citizens wanting the City of Tacoma to demand Sound Transit to reevaluate, review, and present their plans to result in the best solution possible for our city,” will host a public discussion on Sound Transit’s rail plans for Tacoma Wednesday, Aug. 26, 5 p.m., at 402 E. 26th St. in the Tacoma Dome District. The meeting will include a walking tour of Sound Transit’s plan for the Dome District.

Expect Do It Right Tacoma to encourage you to attend Sound Transit’s presentation to the Community Councils of Tacoma that goes down Thursday, Aug. 27, 6 p.m., in the Tacoma Municipal Building.

We're not so addicted to oil

MICHAEL SWAN: OIL VULNERABILITY RANKINGS >>>

As gas prices rise, consumers face increased threat of oil dependency. The Natural Resources Defense Council's analysis shows state-by-state ranking of oil vulnerability. The average Washington state driver spends 4.43 percent of their income on gasoline, which is low compared to other states.

Green Scene: abandoned carts, folding bike

RON SWARNER: GREEN LINKS OF THE DAY >>>

Attention Lakewood Towne Center: Your shopping carts are down the street strung along 108th Ave. S.W. this morning.

Soiled: Growing hemp in Oregon faces challenges.

Eye In The Sky: Helping salmon survive.

The Dumbest Smart Car: They may be good for the environment, but they aren't exactly seaworthy.

Hello? Anybody listening?: UN chief calls for global push to combat climate change.

Huge Tracks Of Land: New study reveals large scale conservation essential.

Best Folding Bike Eva:

Critical Mass tonight

RON SWARNER: GREEN LINKS OF THE DAY >>>

Snapped: frustration at 26th and Pearl Street in Tacoma.

Critical Mass: It's tonight in T-town!

Fancy Bikes: Eight designer bicycles for two-wheeling fashionistas.

By the way ...

Cash For Clunkers NOT FAIL: Cash for clunkers gets another $2 billion.

Global warming as new religion?: Give The Vancouver Sun a break — climate change is serious.