Washington State - Cascade Chapter

South King County Group

 

Events

Bi-Monthly Meeting-- Puget Sound Clean-Up

 

On September 17, 2008, at our bimonthly meeting, the South King County Group hosted a“Puget Sound Clean-Up Status Report." Chris Townsend of the Puget Sound Partnership--the state agency charged with planning the clean-up--and Naki Stevens of the People for Puget Sound made presentations. The overall plan was detailed. Many of the critical issues and potential solutions were discussed. Major parts of the plan include: (1) better managing the ecosystem, (2) protecting existing ecosystem processes, (3) restoring what we've lost, and (4) preventing further pollution. The plan's overarching goal is to restore the Sound to health by 2020. More information can be found on the Puget Sound Partnership website and the People for Puget Sound site.

 

 

Being Caribou Movie

 

Our bi-monthly meeting on April 16, 2008, was enjoyed by all, with two informative presentations concerning Alaska wildlands. First, we aired the fantastic wild nature film "Being Caribou." Environmentalist Leanne Allison and wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer followed a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot, across 1,500 km of rugged Arctic tundra.

 

The husband-and-wife team raised awareness of threats to the caribou's survival. They let the caribou guide them through a wild and remote landscape, from the central Yukon to coastal Alaska and back. During the five-month journey, they skied and hiked across mountains, swam icy rivers, braved Arctic weather, and endured hordes of mosquitoes. The movie included dramatic footage and video diaries that provided an intimate perspective of their epic expedition.

 

Following the movie SKC Group's own Mark Johnston presented a hard-hitting slide show detailing what is at stake on Alaska's north slope including the caribou herd's delicate habitat (shared with so many other wild creatures). This habitat, along with the way of life for so many and native Alaskans, could be devastated if proposed oil and gas development goes ahead in the herd's calving grounds in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

 

There are many threatened wildlife areas in the Alaskan Arctic. Please see Threatened Areas for details and on what actions you can take to help protect them. Also, there are several bills before Congress that are of interest. Please see Background Information for details on each bill. Finally, please visit the Alaska Wilderness League for a more thorough review of what is happening in the Alaskan Arctic.

 

King County Presentation on Global Warming

 

On Wednesday, February 20, 2008, at our bimonthly meeting, the SKC Group hosted a presentation by Elizabeth Willmott on King County's Climate Change Plans. The presentation was well-received with much good interaction between speaker and attendees. Ms. Willmott, King County Executive Ron Sims' Global Warming Coordinator, described the county's Climate Action Plan. She specifically detailed Mr. Sims' Executive Orders and the county's direct and indirect actions to combat climate change.

 

Ms. Willmott mentioned that King County is a pacesetter for US counties in developing and implementing climate action plans. She described how the county's plans interact with and complement those of local cities to meet our state's climate goals, as well as regional, national, and international goals. Please visit the King County website to see how the county is taking a proactive stance on combating climate change. Several documents are available on the site: King County Climate Plan (2/07); How to prepare for Climate Change: A Guidebook (9/07); and King County Climate Report (2/08).

 

Stories on climate change are now in the news daily and many people are very aware of the ramifications for all of us and our children and their children. The Sierra Club Cool City and Cool State campaigns are working at state and local levels. Please contact Jessica Eagle to get involved in your local community. Finally, the Federal government is waking up to the problem: Congressional committees have proposed several bills to combat climate change  and all major 2008 Presidential candidates have stated that they will strongly address climate change.

 
 

Annual Holiday Solstice Potluck

 

On Wednesday evening, December 12, 2007, members and friends met at the Streifferts home in Kent to celebrate our 2007 accomplishments and look forward to the new year in 2008.

 

Many delicious foods and drinks were shared by all. We once again thank Dan and Nancy Streiffert for acting as gracious hosts and opening up their beautiful home for our annual potluck celebration.

 

 

Hybrid Vehicle Tour

 

On Saturday, November 17, about a dozen people participated in our visits to two Auburn-area hybrid vehicle dealers. Our first stop was at Doxon Toyota. There new received a very informative presentation from Don Stose Regional Sales Manager, on all of Toyotas current hybrid vehicles and future plans. Mr. Stose indicated that Toyota has committed to offering a hybrid version of every one of their vehicles--a big and important goal.

 

Following the presentation all participants were offered the opportunity to either drive or ride in three different hybrids: Prius, Camry, or the new crossover Highlander SUV. Once our drivers mastered the futuristic cockpit and controls, each vehicle drove quietly and efficiently and showed considerable power.

 

Next up was a visit to Robert’s Jeep-Oldsmobile to view their GEM vehicles manufactured by Global Electric Motorcars, LLC. The GEM is the first multipurpose neighborhood electric vehicle available for sale from a major automaker. The GEM is engineered to meet federal safety requirements for street-legal operation as a low-speed vehicle (LSV).  Currently, they sell about 5-6 per month. Several customers are using them to commute to Boeing from the Kent/Auburn area. They are available in 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8- passenger versions and can come with a variety of accessories.

 

The hybrid vehicle tours were fun and informative. But even more important is that hybrid vehicles are now being developed by every major auto company throughout their fleets in every size category to meet the growing needs and public desires to increase gas mileage, reduce exhaust pollution, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

 

An Inconvenient Truth Showings

 

On September 12, over 45 Federal Way citizens and friends attended our free showing of Al Gore’s Academy-award winning climate-change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, at the Federal Way Regional Library. The audience represented all ages and walks of life. A question-and-answer session followed the movie, in which people asked informed questions about solar energy, alternative fuels, and what they could do to combat climate change.

 

On Wednesday, May 9, at our South King County Group's bimonthly meeting, over 30 people attended a free DVD showing of An Inconvenient Truth. The venue, one of the Kent Senior Center's large meeting rooms, provided ample room for all. Besides enjoying plenty of popcorn, attendees received a great primer on climate change and what they can do about it.

 

Following the movie, an update was given on what has happened since the movie was released last summer such as the three major reports produced by the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, multiple carbon emissions bills under review in Congress; the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the EPA can regulate carbon emissions; and the major international economics report by former World Bank Economist Nicholas Stern showing that addressing climate change is far cheaper and better for the world's economy (not to mention life on earth) than not addressing it. A question and answer session was also held to address specific concerns attendees have on climate change.

 

Post cards were filled out by Kent residents that will be sent to the Kent City Council and Mayor urging them to consider becoming a Cool City. This specifically includes asking the City of Kent to develop and implement a plan to address climate change, as over 400 other U.S. cities have already done, including Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, and Auburn.

 

 

Attendees were encouraged to take personal actions at home and to contact their Congressional representatives and voice their concern about climate change and its impacts on them, their children, and their grandchildren.

 

Climate Change Presentation

On Tuesday, March 27, at our bimonthly meeting, the SKCG’s Peter Rimbos gave a presentation on climate change at Wesley Gardens in Des Moines. The presentation was well-received by an audience of 50 people. The presentation dealt with the history of climate change, as well as the latest scientific data, potential solutions, and actions underway. An enthusiastic and informative question-and-answer session closed out the evening. As a follow-up, the SKCG will host Al Gore's Academy Award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth" in May.

 

More and more people are aware of climate change and, thus, working to address it. Sierra Club Cool City and Cool State campaigns are working at state and local levels. Finally, the Federal government is waking up to the problem: Congress is proposing and reviewing actions, the 2008 Presidential candidates are discussing climate change, and there are several climate change cases before the US Supreme Court. On April 2, the US Supreme Court ruled in a major decision that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gasses!