SUSTAINABLE SEATTLE

Finding the mycelium of true sustainability

2012-02-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

Working in sustainability for over eight years we have found that mimicking natural cycles is a tough act for corporations to follow. It seems Mother Nature has had the time and biota to make perfectly sustainable systems abound, where there is zero waste and nothing truly toxic. Yet when we try to apply these cyclical models to corporations we find so little common ground many corporations have been tempted to give up in disgust in our early meetings.

Early on we try to find the “mycelium” within corporations to begin the path to true sustainability. Mycelium is the white fungal fiber infiltrating the top stratums of soils worldwide. They perform the critical function of taking waste and not only converting it to new resources but actively mapping these new resources to key plants (i.e. - corporations) in their area. In his very interesting book, “Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Save the World”, Paul Stamets mentions a Stanford University experiment using a shaded fir tree. By simulating forest conditions of 30% shade, they discovered that the mycelium fed nutrients to the shaded tree equalling the 30% sunlight deprivation. This transfer required less than 48 hours. These mycelium networks make Six Sigma black belts look slow and inept!

So when we start a project we look for those people who are already acting like mycelium. These people are trimming waste and recycling and eliminating toxic by-products. These are people that understand that end waste should naturally roll back into the feed stream for new products. Making endings become beginnings is a natural cycle but it is very hard to do in a linear corporate world. Finding, building and propagating the mycelium of sustainability is a way to begin curving those lines into sustainable cycles. Now to support these critical networks you need 24/7 training systems, user confidentiality (so as to grill more sacred cows) a Rosetta Stone, and legislation to protect sustainable enterprises but these are topics for future blog posts. B2B4ME – focusing on true sustainability.

posted 2/01/12, Mark Walker, B2B4ME Head Coach

Horse Shoe Nails and Sustainable Washington State Businesses

2012-01-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

There is an old poem “For the want of a horse shoe nail, an empire was lost.” The poem states that when a shoe fell off a horse it went lame, a message couldn’t be delivered speedily and a rapid chain of events led to the eventual loss of the empire. It means the littlest things can have far reaching consequences. Right now, the future of sustainability globally is holding its breath, waiting to locate the place in America, to engage in sustainable global business.

That was two years ago. These same sustainable international corporations are going blue in their collective faces waiting for American corporations and politics to embrace true sustainability. Our sister city to the north, Vancouver, B.C., has declared that by 2020 they want to be the “Greenest City in the World”. California has embraced a strong sustainability path and Oregon is right behind as they both set down the political protections in new regulations and laws to protect fledgling sustainable corporations.

But our overseas partners wonder when Washington state will peek out of our sustainable silos? True sustainability is a product/service cycle that embraces raw materials, production, customers and recycling back into raw materials with as little waste as possible. In today’s global markets this means connecting entire value chains onto the path of true sustainability. Yet the problems in going from a linear, costs-externalizing corporation to a cyclical, non-externalizing sustainable corporation are many, confusing and large. We can devote many future blog posts to how we solve these many decision points. But the call to action here is we need to band sustainable Washington corporations together today and actively engage international partners or lose the opportunity of global sustainable businesses to other states or countries.

We are actively looking for that Washington sustainable corporation we can host and thereby present to all our international sustainable corporations that can garner cyclical benefits from the association. We will also champion the legislative actions needed to protect our cyclical neophytes from their linear brethren. But we need to share hands across the waters to make this into true sustainability.

Please assist us in finding that “nail” of a solid sustainable Washington business. Send recommendations, queries and no paper via info@B2B4ME.com.

posted 1/30/12 on behalf of Mark Walker B2B4ME Head Coach

A "Zugunruhe" for the new year

2012-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

The restlessness of migratory birds described as zugunruhe is Jason McLennan’s analogy for how we sense change is coming. As birds pick up cues from the environment, their marked behavioral changes signal it’s time to head to new ground. McLennan, founder of Cascadia Green Building Council, uses this metaphor to invite us to join him in a migration heading for greater understanding of true sustainability.

In Zugunruhe he chronicles his personal evolution as an architect, through a series of lessons, or gwersi, stated as helpful reminders at the end of each chapter. Mentorship, time management and personal responsibility are key themes. He even pokes fun at himself when making the transition from prestigious sports car to small electric vehicle. McLennan strings his narrative on a path of deepening revelations, some personal, some professional, all heartfelt. Whether he’s comparing generalists with specialists, or directing us to engage in nested problem solving, you can’t ignore his conclusions.

“Once we become aware of the interconnectedness of our daily habits, our ability to manage time, and the ecological impact of our decisions, nested solutions come more easily.”

Some of the best parts come in the critique of his own profession. He ponders the fact that less than 5% of large commercial projects receive any kind of post-occupancy evaluation.

“Those not in the building professions are often surprised that it is actually quite rare for an architect, engineer or contractor to return to a previous design or project and actually measure the job’s performance beyond anecdotal feedback.”

He bemoans enslavement to process and tradition as the forces that help keep habit and standard procedures intact. He insists that we must back our intuition with measurement.

“How much energy do we use in our homes? How much solid refuse do we generate on a monthly basis? How many gallons of gasoline do we purchase each week? If we have not stopped to measure our own usage or those of our businesses in these easily quantifiable categories how do we expect to know how we as individuals can affect change on a grander scale?”

It is from his own inner sense of migration that McLennan began the Living Building Challenge.

“Imagine a building designed and constructed to function as elegantly and efficiently as a flower, one that is informed specifically by place, climate, topography, and microclimate.”

This is just the beginning of where he is headed with the tales from zugunruhe. His insight and challenges to habitual thinking are ever present as he concludes:

“You can’t change the way others act, but you can help them change the mindset from which their actions emanate.”

posted 1/26/12 by Marcella Van Oel

Happy Holidays from Sustainable Seattle

2011-12-25T14:02:00.001-08:00

I just got finished opening my presents from my mom, her boyfriend, and my sister and I have a few hours to reflect to myself since my family members have all gone off to other gatherings they are expected at. I looked at the floor of the living room, covered with opened presents from and for the four of us, scattered around with the miscellaneous wrapping paper or bow that didn’t make it into the recycle or trash, I can’t help but think about how the holidays vary for different people.

Back when I was in high school and Facebook was just getting popular, friends used to post pictures and updates about all the presents they got. “I got two Coach purses, a new laptop, an iPod…” Needless to say, some of the kids I went to high school with were quite spoiled and grew up in what we would call the “nice” neighborhood. (But to put it in perspective, their houses could eat my house for a midnight snack, and the rumor is that the neighborhood bylaws still had it written, although it wasn’t talked about or followed, that African Americans couldn’t live there.) The problem wasn’t so much how much they got, or what they got, because I myself grew up with a family who was always…comfortable…and they could tend to go overboard for the holidays. It was the fact that people felt the need to run around and brag about everything they got like it was a competition of who could get the most stuff.

So, almost 6 years later, looking around my living room post-Christmas-morning made me think about the old times, how far we have come, and what it all means in the greater world. At just 1 PM, I have already had two friends who had texted me “Merry Christmas” also ask what I got. I don’t understand the point of this… I'm not embarrassed of what I got, how much I got (whether a lot or too little), or any combination. I merely question their motivation. To me, Christmas is not about gifts. This does not mean that I didn’t give or receive any. But what makes me happy is making other people happy. Many of my gifts, especially for my friends, were homemade craft projects. I made my sister a set of earring hangers made out of two pieces of wall art I got at a secondhand store for two dollars each and a roll of lace ribbon I got for $1. It was the hours of hammering, sawing, and cutting, and hot gluing that really “cost” me.

This year for Christmas, I vowed to donate something equivalent to everything I got. If I got a new sweater, I would donate a few of my old sweaters. I am encouraging my family to do the same, because even in the economic hard times the world is going through, we still have SO MUCH STUFF.

As your holidays wrap up, and you are looking to see what you got, what you didn’t get, what you feel you need or don’t need, I encourage you to critically evaluate your situation and try to downsize. Whether that means regifting something you aren’t going to use, donating something you got that you didn’t want or don’t need, or donating something old that has been replaced by a new item. Always remember, there is someone out there who has less, but they are usually the ones that need less and want less too. All you NEED, is what you NEED to survive. This doesn’t mean we should feel guilty for having more than that, but I hope that you will all take a moment to think of the less fortunate with me.

Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Happy Holidays from everyone at Sustainable Seattle.

Eliminate the Needless, Useless, Foolish and Frivolous

2011-12-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

In our lifetime we have seen the simplicity movement grow concurrently alongside the general population’s acquisition of stuff. With more gadgets available than ever before, the argument for simplicity is as strong as ever and stresses that, rather than accumulating material possessions in an attempt to gain fulfillment, we need instead to make room in life for experiences and relationships. At first glance, ENUFF: Eliminate the Needless, Useless, Foolish and Frivolous, by Kate Carpenter seems like it will make just that argument. In actuality, The Needless, Useless, Foolish and Frivolous which Carpenter refers to touches on the material just the right amount, leaving plenty of pages to focus on the mental and emotional as well.

ENUFF is constructed of 12 chapters that all concisely, but effectively make the case for eliminating –as Carpenter puts it- the Needless, Useless, Foolish and Frivolous in our lives. This is no impossible task. We all know that we could afford to eliminate, “the need to impress others”, “lack of focus” or “metal clutter,” and Carpenter isn’t the first to make these arguments. She does, however, manage to make the argument for eliminating these 12 “white elephants”, (burdensome possessions whose costs are out of proportion of its upkeep) in just 75 digestible pages.

The format can be at first a bit jarring as ENUFF doesn’t read like a traditional text. Each chapter contains a few short subsections in which Carpenter calls upon experiences we can all relate to, as well as her own, to make the case for de-cluttering our lives. In addition, she quotes and uses excerpts from other authors (including Sustainable Seattle founders Vicki Robin and Alan Atkisson), and provides suggested further reading. Some chapters even include film suggestions. Once the brain and eyes get accustomed to the format it is effective and invites the reader open up and start in whatever chapter may be most relevant.

What ultimately makes ENUFF a success is the constant, “oh yeah” the reader finds him or herself repeating paired with simple –although often frustratingly difficult- actions and suggestions for getting away from the “stuff” that isn’t working in our lives. While change is tough, each chapter is convincing, especially when the reader connects how intertwined the physical mental and emotional clutter is.

ENUFF encourages you be who you are and live the life right for you by removing everything else that gets in the way. If you are up for that challenge, ENUFF will support and coach you through it. If you aren’t sure, ENUFF may put you over the tipping point.

ENUFF by Kate Carpenter is available at enuffstuff.info

Celebrating a Community of Leadership and Innovation

2011-12-08T15:04:00.001-08:00

Last night we celebrated our community’s hard work at our Annual Sustainable Community Outstanding Leadership & Innovation Awards Dinner where we awarded individuals and organizations for all of their truly inredible pursuits. The event was held at the beautiful Duwamish Longhouse where Taylor Shellfish provided fresh seafood and other entrees for a tasty meal. We also had amazing salmon provided by Loki Fish Co. accompanied with fresh bread rolls from Macrina Bakery. Along with all the amazing food and drinks, the room was filled with a lot of great people, including a great storytelling by Jeff Leinaweaver.

And let’s not forget the awards! We had a lot of nominations this year, and we wish we could have given everyone an award—you are all winners to us! Check out the complete list of nominees here. The winners are:

Social Environment

Leader in Sustainability: Community Kitchens NW

Innovator in Sustainability: WestSeattle Tool Library

Personal Environment

Leader in Sustainability: Pomegranate Center

Innovator in Sustainability: Sarah Elwood

Built Environment

Leader in Sustainability: Charlie Cunniff

Innovator in Sustainability: Green Plate Special

Natural Environment

Leader in Sustainability: Stewardship Partners

Innovator in Sustainability: Reed Painting

Happiness Award: Cathy Tuttle

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Sustainable Seattle also had a chance to share what we’ve been up to and where we’re headed in the New Year. We hope you are as excited as us to hear about the national recognition of theHappiness Initiative, the accomplishments of Sustainable Rain, and our upcoming Dream a Sound Future and Neighborhood and Business workshops. We are all so excited to share this work with you, please stay tuned.

All of us here at Sustainable Seattle want to give a big thank you to everyone that came to the event last night. It’s truly an honor to celebrate the vibrant community we have here in Seattle. If you missed it, we hope to see you next year, and if you came, we hope you had a great time!

Click here to view pictures from the evening.

New Year’s Resolution: Lose Weight AND “Trim the Fat” From Your Supply Chain

2011-11-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

It is easy to commit to generic goals like losing weight and getting a better job, but without identifying specific factors that you can keep track of along the way, many general New Year’s resolutions end up like road kill in the middle of a messy highway paved with good intentions. By applying S.M.A.R.T. goals to increase the efficiency of your sustainable supply chain procedures, you can fulfill at least one of your New Year’s resolutions.

Certified supply chain managers and recent graduates in any business management program have certainly encountered S.M.A.R.T. goals in courses that study best practice management theory. For those that are not familiar, the acronym is meant to help managers build strategic goals that are:

S= specific

M=measurable

A=attainable

R=relevant

T=trackable

In this discussion we are going to focus on sustainable supply chain management and review goals that are attainable and relevant.

Attainable goals are essential for success:

Good goals should be like a productive exercise routine; you want to feel the stretch, but be able to walk the next day.

· Any long term strategic plan needs employees on board that will propel the momentum.

· Goals most aligned with specific job performance indicators will be the easiest to follow.

· Employees should feel a strong degree of authorship on his or her specific goals and in the process of monitoring progress.

Teams of individuals with specific goals share positive experiences which promote unity.

· Clear goals that can be articulated, monitored, adjusted, and shared become a vehicle for increased cooperation among departments.

· Assessing the supply chain process from the top down and bottom up, can help identify specific ways to “trim the fat” and become more sustainable.

· By focusing on reports that document a series of very specific goals like minimizing waste and procedural redundancy, increasing communication accuracy and corporate social responsibility, or increasing departmental profitability, the entire company benefits.

Relevant goals create momentum:

Just like in a weight loss program, goals that are relevant are the ones that are most easy to embrace.

· Be sure the focus of the employee’s review goals are relevant to their job description and day-to-day professional life.

Goals that focus on controlling external factors can be divided up into parts so that individuals can incorporate accordingly.

· Communication in all parts of the supply chain is vital, so be sure that at least one of every employee’s individual goals reflect this emphasis.

· Excellent customer-relations reduces cost, can reduce production costs, and makes the customer feel valued, so be sure there are goals that support your commitment to customer satisfaction at every level.

Review of goals need to be ongoing so that feedback, mentoring, and adjustments are relevant and timely.

· Moving forward with the dedication and consistency needed to stay the course and achieve long range goals means utilizing skilled managers who can mentor employees.

· Employees flourish when they are properly supported in their growth. Meeting regularly with a manager in a mentoring relationship is analogous to showing up to the gym because a trainer is expecting to see you; both situations boost commitment and motivation.

When all employees are involved in a cohesive company- wide goals program to increase profits and sustainability while decreasing inefficiencies and waste, the entire process gets a momentum of its own. This energy drives success, sometimes even beyond goal expectations.

Creating a sustainable supply chain in a tough economy is more important than ever. Applying a S.M.A.R.T. goals program to your sustainable supply chain in the upcoming year can help you achieve long range planning resolutions, especially if you are particularly mindful to create company-wide goals that are reflected in job descriptions and review procedures. Getting everyone on board to promote relevant and attainable (and sustainable!) goals builds camaraderie and forward movement. When specific and measurable goals are applied strategically and consistently, “trimming the fat” from your supply chain and making it more sustainable becomes more than a wishful new year’s resolution – it becomes a success story.

University Alliance submitted this article on behalf of The University of San Francisco’s online program. The University of San Francisco provides all the tools and resources necessary to gain a sustainable supply chain management certification online. For further information please visit http://www.usanfranonline.com.

Author's Forum

2011-11-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

From 7-9pm on Saturday, November 12^th, people in the Seattle area joined panelists, Jon De Graaf and Paul Guilding, at Kane Hall to discuss quality of life, justice and sustainability.

“The turn out was great, and people seemed really engaged in the conversation,” Sustainable Seattle’s incoming Executive Director, Terri Butler said enthusiastically about the event.

The two renowned authors shared their thoughts on our economic policies that threaten both our social and environmental well-being. By discussing Guilding’s, The Great Disruption; and De Graaf’s, What’s the Economy for Anyway?, they showcased evidence for why it’s time to stop chasing economic growth as our highest goal, and shared how we still have time to turn things around if we act now. Throughout the event, John De Graaf described how the Happiness Initiative is a way for anyone to get involved in creating this positive change. At the end of the forum, guests were invited to ask the panelists questions, with many taking up the offer.

This event was made possible with the collaborative efforts of the Center for Communication & Civic Engagement, the Happiness Initiative, Sustainable Seattle, and the University of Washington.

By Maureen McGregor

Stressed?

2011-11-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Come listen to Sustainable Seattle's Happiness Initiative team member John de Graaf talk on this panel and Executive Director Laura Musikanski moderate the panel on stress and well-being.

Less stress through technology?

Are you focused? Are you planning to read this entire blog post? How many other browsers do you have open? How stressed out do you feel?

Just to think about the the subject of destraction and the stress that comes with the constant barrage of technology-fed information makes me feel stressed out.

How do we deal with stress? What is the impact of stress on a person's health and on their over-all well-being?

As we all know, in the face-paced world of technology today we are hard-pressed to opt-out of the tech spaces where we, "Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Google, skim, scan, text-message, and instant-message, half-engaged in "hmmm...what?" conversations as we madly multitask" (more on UW blog post).

Writer, researcher, and one of the panelists on the subject at our upcoming event, Got Stress?, David Levy, examines an interesting concept - contemplative multitasking.

What is this concept? How can it help to alleviate stress? Can it make you healthier?

Join us for an engaging conversation on Thursday, November 30th called Got Stress? - just in time for the holidays - where we will examine stress through the lense of health. What is stress all about? How does it effect you?

How many times per day does the typical office worker check email?

Answer to the question: More than 50 times per day.

http://ischool.uw.edu/feature/problem-focus

Pike Pub Fundraising Event

2011-11-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Did you hear all that raucous cheering coming from the Pike Place Market last Friday night? It was because people were cheering for Sustainable Seattle, of course!

Ok, so it may have been rooting for the Cardinals… or the Rangers, since it was the World Series and all, but people in the Museum Room (the back bar) at Pike Pub Brewery, hand-crafted brew in hand, were supporting sustainability efforts whether they knew it or not, with 15% of all beer sales going to Sustainable Seattle.

Kicking off the night, brewery tours led guests around the restaurant and underground where the frothy goodness comes to life. On these tours, guests got an interactive taste for how Pike brew is made and an inside scoop on the business’ commitment to sustainability. Very cool!

The baseball game may have trumped the planned night of trivia, but everyone seemed to have an excellent time drinking great beer and supporting Sustainable Seattle’s mission of being a catalyst and resource for regional sustainability. Materials about our programs were handed out, highlighting Rain Gardens and the Happiness Initiative, which everyone seemed very excited about.

If you missed our fundraiser at the Pike Brewery last Friday night, but still want to support our efforts, have no fear! We are holding our annual Awards Dinner from 6-8:30pm on December 7, 2011 at the Duwamish Longhouse and tickets are on sale now here!

A big thank you goes out to Pike Brewery for hosting such an amazing event, with a special kudos to Tara Shuttleworth for all of her dedicated, hard work getting this event organized with us. We also couldn't have raised nearly $175 without all of those that came to support us-- so thank you for being there!

By: Maureen McGregor

Higher Needs

2011-10-22T03:39:00.000-07:00

On Art - a post by Laura Musikanski

When I was a child I thought that art was the highest form of civilization. A community that valued artistic expression, I reasoned, had the mechanizes in place to meet all the “lower” needs. Similarly, as person who created art had met all lower needs. This was before I heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, or even knew the word “sustainability.”
 Today, I think we all have deep within us an idea of sustainability, and the knowledge that to reach a fully just and healthy place, all people must have their needs filled, not just the basic needs of eating, sleeping and shelter. It’s just that we are a long way from there. So, while doing the work to get there, its important to take the time to meet some of those “higher needs.”   Last night I went to the opening of a small pop art gallery, LTD. I went because I wanted to see Sean Conroe, the guy who started Alleycat Acres.

Gazing at the pieces making gentle fun of the American way, I felt a relaxing of all those cares of the world our kind carries, and a rekindling of the desire to pick back of the paint brush. When your in the sustainability field, the work can be overwhelming. Sometimes you have to step out and take care of your own “higher needs.”

2nd Annual Whidbey Island Beaming Bioneers Conference

2011-10-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Whidbey Institute is proud to be hosting the 2nd Annual Whidbey Island Beaming Bioneers Conference October 14 - 16 - We hope that you will join us for an inspirational and transformative weekend filled with energizing speakers and workshops, delicious local food, community building and networking.

The Bioneers are a group of solutions-based social and scientific innovators who “inspire a shift to live on Earth in ways that honor the web of life, each other and future generations.” Each fall, the national Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California brings together leading innovators to speak and present their unique stories and solutions. The plenary lectures from the National Conference are “beamed” to more than 20 local sites around the country.

This year’s exciting lineup of beamed speakers includes Gloria Steinem, Paul Stamets, Amory Lovins, and Philippe Cousteau.

In addition to beaming the national plenary speakers live to Whidbey Island, the 2011 Whidbey Island Beaming Bioneers Conference will feature a local keynote address by renowned photographer Chris Jordan, a variety of hands-on workshops on topics of interest and relevance to inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest, delicious meals, and ample time for community-building and personal reflection. The local workshop lineup so far:

Karen Liftkin - Developing EcoVillages

Gabriel Scheer - Founder, Seattle Greendrinks

Susan Milan - Bringing sustainability education to the mainstream

Greenbank Farmer Training Center Tour
Chris Jordan - Grief, Hopelessness, Despair and Joy - Walking the tightropes of our Lives

Rowan Schmidt - Earth Economics, Natural Capital valuations and policy change
Sarah Keenan / Theo Simms - Intergenerational collaboration and mentoring with Generation Waking up

Cary Peterson / Ellie Sherman in the Westgarden

Click here to Register!!!

See you there!!!

Thank you to Kris McRea, Outreach Director at The Whidbey Institute at Chinook for this information!

An Update from the Sustainable Rain Gardens Project

2011-10-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

Sustainable Seattle completed installing and planting five rain gardens as part of our Sustainable Rain project. This important milestone means we have demonstration gardens at businesses and organizations in the Central District, White Center, West Seattle, and two different locations in Beacon Hill. We are now planning community workshops in each of the neighborhoods to spread the word about this neighborhood project and how residents can install their own rain garden. We will also be announcing a rain garden scholarship project to help fund more rain gardens in the Seattle area.

Rain gardens are attractive landscape features that remove pollutants from storm water runoff before it reaches Puget Sound. These shallow depressions are designed to absorb and treat rainwater from paved surfaces such as roofs, parking areas, and sidewalks. A rain garden has rich soil and usually native plants adapted to changing water levels. The soil and plants remove pollutants from storm water and reduce flooding and overflow in the sewer system.

We have designed our rain gardens to be more than this, however. They will be a demonstration, an inspiration for businesses and community members to take the next step towards sustainability. All of our neighborhoods were selected because rain gardens were not present yet and so that neighbors could have access to them and learn from them. Rain gardens are one of the tangible things that property owners can do to reduce storm water pollution. Participating business owners are getting some other sustainable business ideas on topics as diverse as reducing solid waste to encouraging community engagement for employees.

We would again like to thank our great partners that have been working with us on this: Home Grown Organics, Rain Dog Designs, Stewardship Partners, Alleycat Acres, and Creatives4Community. Youth from Creatives4Community reached out to businesses in the neighborhoods to find participants. A big thank you to all the volunteers who came out to excavate and plant the rain gardens! Our rain gardens will be a part of the 12,000 Rain Gardens in Puget Sound map. We are producing signs for each of the sites, showing how a rain garden works and what they do. They will match signs at other sites installed by Stewardship Partners as part of the 12,000 Rain Gardens.

We also want to thank our participating organizations, most of whom came to us and asked to participate and worked patiently with us on this new project. Our participants include Big Al Brewery in White Center, whose rain garden required jack-hammering asphalt and now sits next to their outside beer garden area. In Beacon Hill, we installed rain gardens at El Centro de la Raza, Latino cultural center, and Helen B. Ratcliff, a woman's transitional prison facility. Green Plate Special, a educational garden and cooking project in a vacant lot in the Central District, now has a rain garden to treat the run-off from their kitchen facilities thanks to Sustainable Rain. And in West Seattle, Alexandria Melchior warmly embraced her rain garden for her newly renovated yard at her residence and business property.

Sustainable Rain garden workshops where you can learn about how to install a rain garden and about rain garden scholarships:

November 14, 6:30 -8:30 at 2100 Building in the Central District
November 16, 6:30-8:30 at Big Al Brewery in White Center

More workshop announcements coming.

Check out our Facebook page for updates and news on when and where these workshops will be occurring!

O'Brien and Co. Celebrate 20 and Support S2!

2011-09-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last week Sustainable Seattle was honored to be a part of O’Brien and Company’s 20 year celebration. O’Brien & Company is a nationally-recognized consulting company whose mission is to create a sustainable built environment that ensures a better quality of life for present and future generations.

The company’s founder Kathleen O’Brien is a nationally recognized leader in the field of sustainability, writer and author, educator, strategic planner, and project consultant for nearly 25 years. She has earned numerous awards including S2’s own Outstanding Leadership Award in 2006. Most recently King County Executive Dow Constantine declared September 13^th Kathleen O’Brien Day.

To be invited to speak about The Happiness Initiative and table at the event was again, truly an honor. Attendees generously donated to S2 and Kathleen agreed to match all the funds raised throughout the night. In total, Sustainable Seattle raised over $1000! We would like to extend our sincere gratitude and congratulations to O’Brien and Company and to Kathleen personally.

What does 3-11 mean?

2011-09-12T00:29:00.000-07:00

Day three of my amazing Hungary journey

3-11 is what Japan calls the day natural and man made disaster struck. The earthquake that destroyed homes and lives, the nuclear melt-downs that continue to threaten life. We talked about happiness in this context of disaster. With the anniversary of 9-11 looming, I wondered at the connections between disasters – man made and natural – and happiness.

As with each day, there where 3 main talks. The first was given by a softspoken and strong woman fro Japan, Junko Edahiro. She launched Japan for Sustainability 7 days before 3-11. She talked about what happened to her and her friends after the disaster, how hard it was to find food, and how clear their vulnerability of their lives became. One friend realized no one in her neighborhood knew her. If something had happened to her, no one would know. Another friend, a simple life practitioner, realized she was entirely dependant upon convenience stores. Her response was to build community and self-awareness. Over 10,000 people turn off the lights, television and laptop to reflect alone or with family or friends for Candle Nights. The point is not energy savings, but connection. People leave unwanted clothing or other articles with little messages and take what they like as part of a free exchange. Sports and music stars and the minister talk to whom ever tweets, facebook or emails questions at media summits. Junko proposed a new work model- half farmer half worker. All people would stay one half the time to grow and eat their own food.

Day two of my amazing Hungary Journey

2011-09-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

We had a revolution 200 years ago. It’s called the Industrial Revolution. Today, we are in the midst of another revolution. As with the last one, it will take a few generations to gain perspective so we can see this.

Today’s revolution is the Sustainability Revolution. How do we know? We can look to the last one – the same phenomena is happening: an upwelling of ideas, organizations, frameworks, rapid transformations paired with lots of failures and all topped off with lots of disruptions. Standing in the middle of it, it looks like chaos. It’s actually a period of discovery and creation –but the fallouts hurt and often keep us from seeing the creativity but perceiving the chaos.

As with any system there is resistance to disruptions. This is as it should be for some types of disruptions. Wars, famines, pandemics, environmental degradation, terrorism, and addiction. Nobody is okay with this. And to this, we need ways to keep going.

That is key in our work today. While we keep our eyes on the prize- Sustainability however you define that but you know its not happening today- we gird our loins for the work ahead.

Dennis Meadows, a founder of The Balaton Group, resilience. Resilience is not the end goal, but we need it if we are going to make it through this stage of the Sustainability Revolutions. What does resilience mean? Having enough in store to get buy, redundancy and putting in place what needs to be there so if you get knocked down, you can get up again. This is particularly important with disruptions- whether a war or a neighborhood torn by.

Jimela Haider, another Balaton fellows who has been working in Afghanistan talked about power relations and change agents. The change agents in Afghanistan are the women willing to got to the streets, not the powers in place. The change agents are the social capital, and when they are empowered, they create the sharing, caring and trusting society that lives through disruptions like war and pandemic so that life at that time is work living, and we emerge from the destruction happy.

Alan AtKisson, one of Sustainable Seattle’s founders and the Balaton Group leader, talked about keeping our eyes on the prize, asked what Sustainable Development is (and yes, he has the answers but asks for a purpose) and the importance of being conscientious and questioning in all we do.

Hungary? Go Jump in a Lake

2011-09-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

Day one of my amazing Hungary journey by Laura Musikanski.

The Balaton Group is 30 years old today. What is the Balaton Group - it is a "network of professions" but really, it's a love fest. Well, not in the sense you are thinking of - but in another way. It's called Balaton because it all happens on the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary, where 30 years ago, people from the Eastern block could meet with people from the West.

When I heard I was awarded a Donella Meadows fellowship I jumped for joy. Literally. It meant a group of very respected scientists, professors, researchers, politicians and professionals from all over the world thought the Happiness Initiative is an project worth hearing about. To me, it meant we were on the right track. And then it set in- eek. I was going to be among all these giants. As the days passed, I grew more anxious. The night before a case of the nerves kicked in resplendent with upset stomach, headache and even tooth-ache.

Well, I had nothing to worry about. Orientation quickly showed The Balaton Group is a place to get nurturing, help, and ideas from people who have the experience and knowledge of successful large projects. And the people are real. Somehow, this setting, and this organization breaks down the class, sector and other barriers and allows us to look at each other and the work we are doing with the eyes of a child and hearts full of love.

Each day, I will post about what is going on- what we learn, what others are doing and what it is like here.

ONE The Event: Shifting from Fear to Love 9/11/11

2011-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

"In honoring our past, we know that collaboration is imperative for a peaceful and prosperous future."

Number of hijackers: 19. Number of planes hijacked and crashed: 4. Number of towers which collapsed: 2. Total number of people killed in the attacks on 9/11- 2,819. Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343. Number of nations who had citizens killed in the attack: 115.

The numbers can go on and on. And this year, there is one more number. Number of years since the most infamous terrorist attacks on America: 10.

“No problem can be solved from the level of thinking that created it.” –Albert Einstein

Seattle is using this anniversary to respond with a global collaborative effort to shift from fear to love. It is more than just a remembrance, a celebration, a mourning of the lives lost in the attack. It is a movement.

It will culminate in a global synchronized movement of love at 3:46 PM on 9-11-11 to “harness our collective intention to shift to love-based, collaborative solutions that will end the age of fear and isolation”.

Here are ways that you can help:

Pledge your intention for love at http://www.onetheevent.org/welcome.html.

Help promote the event, like we are!

Join! Either on the ground at the event in Seattle, by satellite or webcast, or simply in your heart!

View the event information including schedule and events here: http://www.onetheevent.org/the-gathering.html.

Toyota’s Prius Playground Helps Power-up Bumbershoot

2011-08-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you are heading to Bumbershoot this weekend, take a quick break from the music and crowds and head over to the Prius Playground where you’ll have the opportunity to help power-up Bumbershoot. The Prius Playground is a partnership between Toyota and not-for-profit organization Global Inheritance designed to inspire people to think creatively about energy solutions.

Here’s how it works: Visitors are invited to donate a bit of sweat by pedaling on stationary bikes or taking a spin in the human hamster for three minutes. The energy generated is then stored in an energy well, which allows people to see the real time energy production and consumption at the playground. And, staying true to its name, the playground isn’t all hard work! After each three minute spin fans are rewarded with a free snow cone made with the very energy they generated!

Check out World Watershed Alliance and their great work!

2011-08-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Justin Lacson

World Watershed International is an incorporated, nonprofit organization founded in September of 2010 by professional environmental planners, engineers, landscape architects, and environmental scientists. The purpose of World Watershed is to support communities around the world with professional multi-disciplinary ecological services that strengthen and uplift the ecological and cultural fabric of the landscape. World Watershed aims to meet the needs of the global community through scientific and educational outreach.

In late August, World Watershed scientists will be traveling to the Indian Himalayas to address water quality and quantity at the Jampa Choling Institute, a school for Buddhist women in the Himalayas. The women at the school, located in the Kinnaur Range of the Great Himalaya, consistently get sick from what our regional research team has concluded is poor water quality. The funds we raise at the picnic will help provide much needed UV water sanitation tubes and a water storage tank for the school. Here's a link to the Jampa Choling Institute and these extraordinary women.

You are invited to the World Watershed Benefit Picnic & Paddle Tours on Saturday, August 13th @ 10am in Magnolia Park! Please RSVP here.

Moving Forward on the Happiness Initiative

2011-08-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

A repost from CSR Wire http://www.csrwire.com/blog/posts/84-moving-forward-on-the-happiness-initiative

Moving Forward on the Happiness Initiative

The UN General Assembly says happiness is an important social index

Submitted by: Laura Musikanski and John de Graaf

Posted: Aug 03, 2011 – 07:49 PM EST

Tags: happiness, community, community development, public policy, gdp, sustainability

By Laura Musikanski and John de Graaf

July 19^th was a day for celebration at the offices of Sustainable Seattle, the first organization in the world to create regional indicators of well-being. No, the sun wasn’t shining; it’s Seattle, after all. But that day, the United Nations’ General Assembly adopted a resolution calling the pursuit of happiness “a fundamental human goal” and requesting member nations to “give more importance to happiness and well-being in determining how to achieve and measure social and economic development.” The resolution declared “GDP was not designed to and does not adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people in a country.”

For Sustainable Seattle the declaration was an affirmation of its signature project, The Happiness Initiative. This idea was introduced on CSRwire last spring (see post here).

The Happiness Initiative team finds the project an exciting and effective way to assess community well-being, engage citizens and improve both personal happiness and public policy. It leads to the kinds of broad conversations and policy actions that are implied by the UN resolution. It starts with a survey anyone can take, based on nine “domains” of happiness identified by Bhutan.

The survey was completed by more than 7,200 people. People in every US state, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and some 500 people from outside the US took it. The first report on the data is scheduled to come out in two months. The results show particularly low scores in the domains of “time balance,” “community participation” and “environment.” The Happiness Initiative will combine results from the survey with a set of objective indicators to give a more balanced picture of well-being.

Following the UN’s happiness resolution, the next day The Happiness Initiative took a big step forward. The Seattle City Council unanimously endorsed the survey, agreeing to consult the available happiness data at least once a year as council members pursue future policy options in a time of scarce resources. Support from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods will be used to translate the survey into languages spoken by immigrants and refugees, conduct town meetings to analyze survey results and objective indicators, gather feedback from the community and undertake small “happiness projects” in five neighborhoods. They plan to issue a second report of recommended policy ideas to the city council.

The team is currently working with people from other towns and cities in Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa and Vermont to begin initiatives in their areas. The survey has been improved and shortened to help communities engage more people.

This project allows anyone to participate and become active in the search for new measures of well-being recommended by the United Nations.

Take the survey and conduct a happiness initiative in your community. Check out www.sustainableseattle.org for more information and email us at happy@sustainableseattle.org.

Bamboo, Sustainable Wood of the Future?

2011-07-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Guest post by Jaeger Shaw

El dot is a green furnishings company, the brainchild of husband and wife team Leo and Lishu Rodriguez. Their bamboo furniture line combines a primitive, contemporary aesthetic with one of the most sustainable building materials known to man. Each piece is handcrafted in Nepal before being flat packed and sent to Poulsbo, WA where el dot is located.

Bamboo is an incredibly strong grass, but what most people don't know is that it is one of the world's fastest growing plants. El dot's goal of sustainability is met and exceeded through the use of bamboo, which can grow between three to seven times faster than normal trees. Bamboo is so efficient, and sustainable that el dot advocates for it as the wood of the future.

Leo and Lishu who once lived in Nepal, were inspired by the barebones beauty of bamboo products. Their goal is not only to translate that beauty into modern design, but also give back to the community in Katmandu and its surroundings. Each piece of el dot furniture sold helps to brings commerce and employment to the Nepalese.

El dot embodies the notion of the triple bottom line: The commitment to "people, planet, and profit." It is a business model that has earned them a certification with the B Corporation as well a membership to the Sustainable Furnishings Council.

Measuring Happiness at an agency and individual level. A note about the United Nations resolution for states to measure happiness.

2011-07-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

Posting by Laura Musikanski, Executive Director of Sustainable Seattle

On June 20^th, The Happiness Initiative took a big step forward. The Seattle city Council made a Happiness Proclamation. They stated they will “consult the available happiness data … as (they) pursues future policy options in a time of scarce resources at least once a year…” So how is the Happiness Initiative measuring happiness? Very personally. But we will get to that.

On July 19^th, The United Nations asked countries to measure happiness. They did this by adopting a resolution called “Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development.” In the resolution, they tied well-being, sustainability and happiness together. By doing this, they implicitly settled the question of whether external conditions are separate from feelings for happiness.

What the United Nations is saying is that it is not enough to just “take control of your life” and feel happy. The conditions we live in make a difference. Policies influence whether or not you feel happy. The Government has a stake in whether or not you have an opportunity to pursue happiness.

This is the resolution:

Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development

The General Assembly,

Bearing in mind the purpose and principles of the United Nations as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations that include the promotion of the economic advancement and social progress of all peoples.

Conscious that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal,

Cognizant that happiness as a universal goal and aspiration embodies the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals,

Recognizing that the gross domestic product indicator by nature was not designed to and does not adequately reflect the happiness and wellbeing of people in a country,

Conscious that unsustainable patters of production and consumption can impede sustainable development, and recognizing the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and well-being of all peoples,

Acknowledging the needs to promote sustainable development and achieve the Millennium Development Goals,

1. Invites Member States to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies;

2. Invites those Member States that have taken initiatives to develop new indicators and other initiatives to share information thereon with the Secretary-General as a contributor to the United Nations development agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals;

3. Welcomes the offer of Bhutan to convene a panel discussion on the theme of happiness and well-being during is sixty –sixth session;

4. Invites the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States and relevant regional and international organizations on the pursuit of happiness and well-being and to communicate such views to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session for further consideration.

We think this is wonderful, but not enough. These are all big goals with big players using big words. And that is all good, and necessary.

The Millennium Eight Development goals and reports are inspirational if for no other reason that it breaks your heart to live in a world where children do not have enough to eat, mothers and babies die unnecessarily, youth can not go to school, women are suppressed, curable diseases kill and the natural environment is dying. We need international and national efforts.

And we need the people on the street. People like you and I who do not have access to the United Nations, who are not policy makers, but who are just people.

We need these people to be the measure. Not to be measured – but to be the measure. This way, people can “be” the change in a complete partnership with government.

And this is the measure of happiness that the Happiness Initiative uses. It’s beyond grass roots. It is the people.

The Happiness Initiative is based on the work Bhutan has been doing. It measures wellbeing, sustainability and happiness with a survey complemented by objective metrics to tell a balanced picture. The project is designed so anyone in any area can conduct a happiness Initiative and get a measure of their community, town or city. It is accessible and open. Today, someone only need to go to sustainableseattle.org/sahi and download a toolkit to start their own Happiness Initiative. In September, we will have a website package with a host of other tools for conducing Happiness Initiatives. In Seattle, the city council has made a proclamation that they will “consult the available happiness data… as (they) pursues future policy options in a time of scarce resources...” We are working with people from towns and cities in Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa and Vermont to get Happiness Initiatives going. This is what we mean by accessible- anyone can start measuring happiness.

But what we are really excited about is the openness of the project. The survey is the key. It is online and anyone anywhere with access to the internet at any time. When you take the survey two things happen: First, you are asked questions about your own life experiences. These are very personal questions. (Personal data is secure – we follow European Commission Personal Data Protecting Directive 95/46/EC.) You will see your personal scores, which tell you how you assess your own happiness. The second thing you do is create data. The more people who take the survey, the more data. With local governments listening, this is a powerful way to be the change.

Over 7000 people have taken the survey. People from every state in the USA, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and 500 people from outside the USA have taken the survey. We will be issuing our first report in a month.

And you are probably asking two questions: What about people who do not have access to the internet or do not speak English? And what about representation?

We are translating the survey into Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other languages. It will soon be in an app geared for youth. In Seattle, we are going into food banks to survey the homeless, and creating guidelines for others. We will be doing the same for domestic violence victims (25% of the population), men of color, and those living at or below poverty.

This all still begs the question of representation. Is the data representative of the population? We are working to find a solution so each area that conducts a Happiness Initiative will have access to the resources so a representative survey can be done. This means a pollster comes in and surveys a random sample. At the same time, our research indicates that if a large enough number of people take the survey, the results are within a point or two of a representative survey. How do we know this? Because surveys are composed of other surveys that are tried and true – or “verified.” Parts of the Happiness Survey are based on other organization’s survey and we can compare data. All in all, if enough people take the survey in any area, the data will probably tells truth.

We recognize the importance of a representative survey. But the problem with these surveys is people usually do not get their own scores, and access to the survey is controlled by a few.

We believe that openness is the way to reach our vision of a healthy, just and sustainable society where all have equal opportunity to pursue happiness. And so, we will keep the survey online and continue expanding it into other languages and ways for people to take. We will continue to work with other areas to conduct Happiness Initiatives. We will continue linking the survey to local governments that are listening to the survey results.

We believe that it is all of us regular people who can and will be the change. We believe in a world where all will have equal opportunity to pursue happiness, with sustainability and wellbeing all around us.

We invite you to believe with us – take the survey, conduct a happiness initiative in your area.

Hey HP and Canon – make it easier to recycle printers!

2011-07-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Have a computer or TV to recycle? There’s a free and convenient solution! Have a printer to recycle? It’s not so easy.

That’s why Zero Waste Washington is asking the two biggest printer manufacturers in the U.S. for free and convenient recycling programs for desktop printers. You can join us by sending postcards asking HP and Canon to step up and do more.

We’re asking for something called producer responsibility, and it’s already happening for computers and TVs here in Washington. Throughout the state, you can recycle your computers, monitors, and TVs through the E-Cycle Washington program. Zero Waste Washington fought hard for this manufacturer funded program and, as a result, over 39 million pounds of electronics were recycled last year. That’s about 2,200 units diverted from landfills and incinerators each and every day!

With this approach, manufacturers take responsibility for their products from “cradle to cradle,” including providing and paying for recycling programs. Residents, small business and schools can drop off their unwanted computers, monitors and TVs for free recycling at about 260 locations throughout Washington. The manufacturers have agreed to recycle responsibly, which helps keep our discarded computers and TVs – that contain mercury, lead and other toxic materials - from being sent to developing countries. It’s good for the economy, too. E-Cycle Washington has brought additional recyclers to the state and created close to 80 new jobs.

But printers aren’t collected as part of the E-Cycle Washington program. The 2006 state legislation that mandated the program didn’t include printers or other peripherals. While some manufacturers have voluntarily set up printer mail-back programs (often for a fee), that just isn’t very convenient for most of us.

Zero Waste Washington thinks printer manufacturers can do better! We are working to have producer responsibility for desktop printers in Washington. You can help us make it happen! Please ask HP and Canon to make it easier and more convenient for consumers in Washington to take back printers for recycling. You can click here to sign on and we’ll send postcards to HP and Canon on your behalf.

Here’s one final reason to support producer responsibility. When manufacturers pay to recycle the products they make, they have a financial incentive to design products that are less toxic, longer lasting, and more recyclable. And that means less waste and greener, safer stuff for all of us.

Post written by guest post from Suellen Mele, Zero Waste Washington’s Program Director Zero Waste Washington advocates for the design and production of healthier, safer products that are continually recycled and reused.

Help with the digging of the first Sustainable Rain Garden in West Seattle!

2011-07-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

We are constructing our first rain garden on July 30th in West Seattle at 5902 SW California Ave. and we invite interested volunteers to come and learn about rain gardens, while you help build one! We will be hand-digging our first rain garden at this private residence and business site from 10 until about 2. Come when you can, no previous experience necessary. Bring your own shovel and gloves if you have them. Bring children if you can closely supervise them. And bring water! Come help build sustainable neighborhoods, protect Puget Sound, and bring what you learn home!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

(Photo by Stewardship Partners; Rain garden in Puyallup.)

Read the article below written by Amy Waterman, the project lead for our Sustainable Rain Project. You can learn more about not only our projects, but also about rain gardens themselves. Do you know what they are for? How they help the environment and the surrounding communities? Saturday is a great day to learn the answers to these questions and many others. You can help protect Puget Sound and sustainable businesses. Questions? Contact info@sustainability.org or amy@sustainability.org.

Sustainable Rain: We’re Not All Wet Behind the Ears Anymore
By Amy Waterman, Project Lead

This is an update from the field on Sustainable Rain, Sustainable Seattle’s project to create rain garden demonstration projects at small businesses and organizations in Seattle funded by the Russell Family Foundation. The goal of this project is to energize the business/organization leaders and their communities around creating positive change for their own property that also benefits the community. Rain gardens are one tangible piece of a “sustainable neighborhood.”

Rain gardens, in case you haven’t heard, are basically very attractive stormwater treatment areas that can be used in relatively small spaces to treat the runoff from roofs, driveways, and sidewalks through a carefully designed basin with extra rich soil and plants adapted to different water levels. We will be working in some of our denser neighborhoods to install rain gardens, do education and outreach on their benefits, and also teach business/organization leaders about sustainable practices that go beyond “green.”

We have five forward-thinking leaders who have agreed to work with us to learn more about sustainable practices and allow us to install a rain garden on their property. Our leaders are the Laura Dewell from Green Plate Special organization in the Central District, Doug Jans from the Pioneer Human Services’ Helen B. Ratcliff House in Beacon Hill, Alexandria Melchior, property owner in West Seattle, Estela Ortega, director of El Centro de la Raza, and Noelle Brown from Big Al Brewery in White Center. We are pleased and proud to be working with these organizations and individuals.

We are proud to be working with our partners on this project: Creatives for Community, Homegrown Organics, Alleycat Acres, and Stewardship Partners. Sustainable West Seattle is also an important ally on this project.

Stewardship Partners have been very helpful in getting us started, due to their experience with many community rain garden projects. We have been getting the word out in the neighborhoods and talking to potential participants with the help of Creatives for Community youth (C4C) as well as lots of ideas that came from Sustainable West Seattle. One of our potential sites (which unfortunately did not have enough space for a rain garden) was The Station Café in Beacon Hill and they came to us directly from the canvassing work of C4C. I have been working closely with Homegrown Organics, a local landscaping company that was involved with Sustainable Seattle’s first rain garden last year, to evaluate sites and do technical review to determine if a rain garden will work on an interested parties’ property. Rain gardens are one of many innovative ways to clean up stormwater and they do NOT work everywhere, as has been demonstrated in Seattle already.

This project is ambitious with a short time frame, with all five rain gardens, sustainability training, and community education happening this calendar year. Although El Centro de la Raza and Big Al Brewery are still undergoing some feasibility review, we are moving forward in July with design work and sustainability interviews, beginning at the other three sites. Over the rest of the summer, we will begin construction and develop agreements with landowners on maintenance of the rain gardens. Some sites will be excavated in July and planted in September, in time for the fall rains and some may be completed in July. We are going to be volunteers soon help build the rain gardens and welcome questions, and feedback on the projects, as they take shape. As the rain gardens are completed, we will be holding community meetings to share the project’s lessons and results and provide some training for those interested in pursuing a rain garden on their property.

There will another upcoming volunteer opportunity in mid-August to plant in all five of the rain gardens around the city. Look out for announcement of this on our website and facebook page.

Learn To Play !

2011-07-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, My Name Arianna Jacobs I'm Working With Sustainable Seattle This Summer.

In Partnership With Sustainable Seattle I created a summer music program called LTP(Learn To Play). This program is a FREE instruments instruction program for all youth 4^th-12^th grade. In this program youth in the Central District will learn how to play any instrument of there choice. Research consistently shows that students who study an instrument enhance their critical thinking skills and their ability to work as a team. They are also more engaged in school, less likely to drop out, and do significantly better in all their academic endeavors. This program has Teamed up with Garfield Community Center and Garfield Teen Life Center to make music accessible to youth in their building. Youth are invited to pick any instrument of their choice. And they will be matched up with a volunteer who will come in once a week and teach.

I did this music program because in the summer the youth that go to the community center do the same thing. They go outside to the park and on field trips. At the teen Life Center the teens play Basket Ball and get on the computer. And while doing this they may listen to music. And so I thought “what about putting music into these community centers. So this summer youth 4^th-12^th grade can learn how to play any instrument.

If you would like to volunteer or give donation of instruments you can e-mail me at Arianna@sustainableseattle.org, or call the office at (206) 622-3522

City Club event: The Once — and Future? — Promise of Energy Innovation

2011-07-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

We are co-presenting an interesting event with City Club this Friday:

Friday, July 22, 2011
Environment & Sustainability Series:The Once — and Future? — Promise of Energy Innovation
Rainier Square Atrium, third floor conference room | 1333 Fifth Avenue, Seattle
Registration: 11:30 a.m. | Luncheon & Program: 12:15 – 1:30 p.m.

Buffet Luncheon: $20/CityClub Members | $25/Guests and co-presenters | $30/General public
Coffee & Dessert: $12/CityClub Members | $15/Guests and co-presenters | $18/General public
Visit www.SeattleCityClub.org to register or call 206-682-7395!

Featuring:
Councilmember Hilary Franz, Bainbridge Island City Council
Stan Gent, President/CEO, Seattle Steam
Andy Wappler, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Puget Sound Energy
Denis Hayes, President and CEO, The Bullitt Foundation

Moderator: David Roberts, Staff Writer, Grist

Energy innovation has been hailed as the next frontier for the American economy and as critical for the future of both our environment and national security. Along with an increase in traditional sources of renewable energy like wind and solar, innovative business leaders around our region are making power from dairy waste and municipal solid waste, focusing on making our buildings and appliances more efficient and creating new energy opportunities. We have also faced repeated
challenges with energy crises, calamities at mines, oil rigs, and nuclear facilities, and weather extremes increasingly traceable to climate change. Yet a renewed energy system seems perpetually stuck in the future tense. How can this change? How are industry players, other businesses, consumers, and different levels of government playing a part? Join our panel of experts with your own questions as we imagine an attainable energy future.

Local music - home grown

2011-07-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Yo! Our very own Andrew Cozin performed tonight at the Josephine in Ballard, and performs again tomorrow at 9 pm. Check it out. That is him on the drums.

Honestly- the music is hot, the venue feels good and the people are cool. This is the real stuff.

The name of the band? Thickener.

One more show only- at The Josephine 606 NW 65th street- just down the hill from upper Fremont and the zoo.

- your fan, Laura

Thank you Andrew for the show. Amazing!

Brooks, Crooks, and Sustainability

2011-07-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

by Maureen McGregor

I recently came downstairs from my friend’s Belltown apartment to find that my bike seat and post had been removed from the rest of my bike and stolen. Getting my another bike stolen not even a year ago, I’m thankful that I had the majority of a bike to come back to. Still, I feel like my bike is my car. Stealing someone’s bike seat is like stealing an engine from a car. I couldn’t help wondering, who does that?

Along the way home, I saw a friend that I had worked on Parking Day with last year. He seemed just as dumbfounded by the fact that we live in a community where people do this to each other. To my surprise, others I talked to about this incident have not been as taken aback. The response of a student at Antioch University was, “That’s Seattle for ya.” This is the same person that also makes sure to lock both his front and back tires, and takes his seat with him whenever he parks his bike downtown. “Yeah, they’ll do that,” another friend said.

I tried to think about who exactly they were, and I imagined my bike seat being hung in a house full of bike seats like trophies on the wall. I imagined the giddy feeling the culprit must have felt as they left my bike without an engine. One Sustainable Seattle colleague led me to this article about local bike seat theft, while another told of the negative psychological impacts their partner suffered after having a bike seat stolen themselves. I guess I'm not alone in my misery.

I know that this kind of stuff happens all the time, but instead of normalizing these kinds of expereinces as part of our society, they fuel my passion to restore them. It is normal to react in fear and have a lack of trust with neighbors because of incidents like this, but instead of perpetuating that vicious cycle, I'm on a pursuit for happiness -- I know this isn't how it has to be. That's why I love Sustainable Seattle's, Happiness Initiative and contests like Dream a Sound Future where an opportunity is given to all of us to engage in creating healthier relationships, sustainable commuities, happier cities, and a more just world.

In the midst of all of our woes, there is beauty in the stregth we hold in bond with one another. If you aren't familiar with the programs going on at Sustainable Seattle, I would highly encourage you to do so. There's really something for everyone, and only together will we create sustainable change. The adverse affects of an ill society will not be solved overnight, but I'm using my courage to pursue the dreams of happiness for all in the meantime. You might call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

Beer, Film, and Zero Waste. The Sustainable Future for Events in Seattle.

2011-07-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Seattle is pairing with New Belgium Brewing and the Clips of Faith Beer and Film Tour to produce a local, creative, artistic, and zero waste event at Gasworks Park in Seattle on July 29th.

This event, which is only two years old this year, will travel to 18 cities across the United States. Each city which is visited will have a local organization supported by the proceeds from the festival. The proceeds for Seattle will go to the Nature Consortium. Attendees will be able to view films from all different genres, lengths, and backgrounds, including one from a Seattle filmmaker Sam Nuttman called "The Millionaire's Club."

Sustainable Seattle will be responsible for organizing the recycling at the event. Zero waste is a trend which is beginning to catch on in many different locations and events. For example, upon entering Safeco Field to attend a Mariners game, you might see a large sign that depicts their efforts to make the ball field zero waste. It shows pictures of what can be considered compost, what can be considered recycle, and what might be trash. Only when we are able to create products and behaviors which result in zero items which must be "trashed" can we create a world where zero waste is the norm instead of the alternative option.

The idea of zero waste has been in the news lately for it's use in reality television, grocery stores, and the first zero waste energy plant.

Austin, Texas seems to be leading the way in innovative sustainability. A reality television show was produced by the City of Austin's waste management program called "Dare to Go Zero" aired on their government access channel. It lasted five weeks and the family with the highest percentage of waste reduction at the end won a $2,000 sustainable home improvement package. Their goal was to help the people of Austin learn more about recycling and reducing their waste. Another way residents can do this, coming in October, is to shop at a zero packaging grocery store. In.gredients will allow shoppers to bring their own containers and take as much or as little of different items they want. They want to help reduce waste from single use packaging of products (often sometimes double and triple wrappings) as well as processed food.

Had the concern over waste reached this extreme years ago, there wouldn't necessarily be a need for a $65 million zero-waste energy plant like the one which is being built in the Pampanga province. They have such a problem with waste that Mackay Green Energy (MGE) and Pampanga Green Management Inc. paired up to create and implement technologies which can use the province's waste to create green energy. You can read more about this innovation here.

So on July 29th Seattle will again join New Belgium Brewery and the Clips of Faith Beer and Film tour to create a zero waste event. This represents a great stride in a continued quest for sustainability in the city and will help put Seattle on the map with cities like Austin.

Save King County Metro Buses

2011-07-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

Guest post from Brock Howell of Transportation for Washington:

Did you know that King County Metro might have to cut bus service by 17 percent?

This would mean 177 bus routes will be slashed, reduced, or even eliminated! Every part of King County will be dramatically affected by these cuts. With fewer routes and fewer buses, people will walk farther and travel longer, and crowded buses will become standing room only trips.

This is the last thing we need at a time when more and more people need transit to get to work and avoid high gas prices. Cutting 600,000 transit hours will force people to drive, making already crowded highways and roads even more congested.
Right now, send a letter to the King County Council to support stop-gap funding.

Attend the next public hearing. Let us know which you can come to:
Wednesday, July 6, 6 p.m.
Kirkland City Council Chambers, 123 Fifth Ave., Kirkland
Tuesday, July 12, 6 p.m.
King County Courthouse, Council Chambers (10th Flr), 516 Third Ave., Seattle
Thursday, July 21, 6 p.m.
Burien City Council Chambers, 400 SW 152nd St., Burien
People rely entirely on King County Metro buses to get to work, school, hospital, and church. In fact, 36% of commuters in King County use the bus. These cuts will be painful for these thousands of low income people in cities and suburbs who are transit dependent.

Unfortunately, out-dates state law locks King County Metro into the local sales tax for local revenue. Because sales tax revenue is volatile and has dropped off, King County Metro has already undertaken significant measures to keep the buses running. But they are still facing a 17% budget gap.

That’s why transit and environmental groups worked hard this legislative session to give the King County Council an additional local funding option – a one-time temporary “congestion relief charge.”

But unless we can get two more supporters on the King County Council, the congestion relief charge will not pass and Metro will have to cut service.

Join with us and save King County Metro.

Send a letter to the King County Council.
Attend the next public hearing.
Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Brock Howell
Field Director
Transportation for Washington

P.S. We can’t afford to lose 17% of bus service which will affect 80% of transit commuters. The congestion relief charge is just $20 and it’s a two-year stop-gap measure until we find long-term funding solutions approved by the statewide voters. Tell the King County Council to pass the measure.

Join "Save King County Metro" on Facebook

Big turnout expected for paid sick days at City Hall -- will you be there?

2011-07-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is it - now is your chance to urge the Seattle City Council to support healthy, responsible prevention by passing a paid sick days ordinance!

What: Public hearing on proposed paid sick days ordinance

When: TODAY! Wednesday, July 6th, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Where: City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, 2nd floor

We're filling the Council Chambers with supporters -- RSVP here to make sure our crowd spills into the halls!

We need an outpouring of popular support to overcome the influence of well-heeled opponents who are lobbying against paid sick days behind the scenes.

Please turn out in support of paid sick days -- and bring your friends!

Thank you!

The Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce

P.S. Can't attend? Send your message supporting paid sick days directly to the City Council. To be most effective, be sure to customize your message to say why paid sick days are important to you and your family.

OECD Measuring Well-being

2011-07-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD) is turning 50 and they are now considering “life satisfaction” along with its existing economic measures. They have developed the “Your Better Life Index” measuring 11 domains in each of the OECD 34 member countries. OECD secretary-general Angel Gurría says, "[The Index] has extraordinary potential to help us deliver better policies for better lives."

http://happymentary.blogspot.com/2011/05/oecd-throws-its-hat-into-happiness.html

Starting tomorrow the OECD is hosting New Directions in Welfare II, a three day conference focused on discussing the economics of welfare and public policy. Economists from around Europe and the World began this discussion with part one in 2009 in Oxford.
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/welfareconomicstheory/files/ndw-conference-2011-programme.pdf

Additionally they are collaborating with Action for Happiness, an organization founded last year in Britain that is dedicated to bringing people together to create a happier society.
http://www.actionforhappiness.org/news/oecd-looks-to-compare-happiness-across-nations

Just over a month ago New Zealand published a national happiness study. The study, "Working Towards Higher Living Standards for New Zealanders," conducted over 18 months acknowledges that, “living standards are broader than income alone, and are determined by a wide range of material and non-material factors." Ross McDonald, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School, says, "We've got to get out of the mindset that sees growing economies as our ultimate purpose in life,"
http://happymentary.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-zealand-does-its-own-happiness.html

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called the movement from GDP to the measurement of happiness a “revolution.”
http://article.wn.com/view/2009/09/15/Sarkozy_wants_to_use_measure_of_happiness/

'The Pursuit of Happiness': How Do Communities Make Us Happy?

2011-06-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

In advance of the Fourth of July, a look at public efforts to promote happiness—and what our governments can learn from them

In a few days, we Americans will celebrate the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We take it for granted now, but that remarkable document was crafted by some enormously eloquent and gifted individuals, chief among them Thomas Jefferson. Nearly all of us are familiar with its language:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Today I am thinking about the concept of "happiness" as an objective of our nation. It is the only right mentioned not once but twice in that powerful opening to the founders' declaration of "the causes which impel[led] them to the separation" of the colonies from the authority of the king of Great Britain.

So the concept of happiness is embedded in our national DNA. But does "the pursuit" of this "inalienable Right" have meaning for public policy? For community? For the environment? For land use and planning?

Public efforts around happiness

The government of the Himalayan country of Bhutan seems to think so. In particular, Bhutan surveys its citizens in nine key aspects of happiness:

Psychological well-being
Physical health
Time or work-life balance
Social vitality and connection
Education
Arts and culture
Environment and nature
Good government
Material well-being

The use of a "gross national happiness" index has been a policy of Bhutan now for nearly four decades.

As a result of a more recent initiative, the government of Victoria, British Columbia has been participating in a Happiness Index Partnership comprising the Victoria Foundation, United Way, the University of Victoria, and several local and provincial government agencies to undertake a well-being survey. Among the findings:

Most residents of Greater Victoria experience relatively high level of wellbeing. These high levels of wellbeing are buoyed by strong social relations, feelings of connectedness to community, and relatively low levels of material deprivation for most members of the community. The primary factors that limit a greater sense of wellbeing across the population are time stresses and the challenges of living a more balanced life.

There are, however, significant populations who experience lower levels of wellbeing—particularly low-income earners and single parents. These groups also face substantial time stresses but are less likely to enjoy the material and social supports that help to buttress the effects of the stress on their sense of wellbeing.

While the overall findings were positive, only 26 percent of the Victoria respondents reported that they spent most or all of their time in a typical week doing things that they enjoyed, according to a summary report. About the same portion reported that "not much" of their time was spent on enjoyable activities. Only 31 percent described their lives as "not very" or "not at all" stressful.

(Some scholars see the study of happiness as a branch of economics, or at least a critical examination of traditional macroeconomics. It is way beyond the scope of this blog post to discuss the academic aspects, but among the works that discuss it in detail are Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, by noted British economist Lord Richard Layard; Economic Growth and Subjective Well-Being: Reassessing the Easterlin Paradox, by the University of Pennsylvania's Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers; and The Pursuit of Happiness: Toward an Economy of Well-Being, by Carol Graham, senior fellow in global economy and development at the Brookings Institution.)

Seattle's initiative

Here in the US, an organization called Sustainable Seattle believes that happiness is an important policy objective whose achievement can be measured. The organization believes that Seattle, and by extension the U.S., should maintain a gross national happiness index to stand alongside economic measures such as gross domestic product. They, too, are conducting a survey.

The Seattle initiative's "objective indicators" of happiness include the poverty rate, air emissions, voter turnout, graduation rates, volunteer rates, rates of domestic violence and other crime, life expectancy, commute time, work time, and others. Nearly 2,500 residents of Seattle have taken the initiative's 135-question survey, says Eldan Goldenberg of Sustainable Seattle. Those who have apparently self-report favorably with respect to social connection, psychological well-being, and material well-being. but less well in their assessment of environmental quality and "time balance."

Earlier this month the Seattle City Council unanimously endorsed the initiative, according to a report by Jake Ellison for public radio station KPIU. City Council President Richard Conlin said in a press release that "[m]easuring the subjective happiness or well-being levels of Seattle residents is an important tool that can help our council make effective policy decisions and can engage our community in conversations about what we really want from life and from our economy."

To be honest, I'm not sure many if any of these indicators really measure "happiness," as most of us use the word, or even "psychological well-being." I'm not sure that Bhutan's and Victoria's factors measure happiness, either. That does not mean, however, that I discount their relevance as conditions we should care about: the endeavor may be misnamed, but it still reveals important information that we should take note of as we evaluate public policy and the shape and direction of communities.

But is this something for government?

Patrick Rottinghaus of the department of psychology, Southern Illinois University, believes that well-being and, yes, happiness are appropriate matters of government concern. In an article written by Ann Pietrangelo for the Natural Choice Directory, he put it this way:

We have an obligation to ourselves, and more importantly, to the next generation to implement policies and engage in life enhancing strategies that yield greater happiness.... Such a quest is not easy or quickly attained; therefore, we must support policies that invest in future generations and not be too concerned about immediate results that are so often demanded by people. We need a moment to chill out and then carve out resources of time and money to build a structure for achieving happiness.

ICLEI, the international consortium of local governments for sustainability, would agree:

Municipal leaders play a direct role in human happiness because they deliver the services (water, electricity, transportation, public services) and set the framework conditions (taxes, building codes, policies, plans) of a person's everyday life.

Happiness was a theme of the organization's conference last year on the future of cities.

Implications for cities and the built environment

So what are the specific implications for communities and our built environment?

As I noted in a previous post, Swiss writer and philosophical analyst Alain de Botton believes that architecture and planning directly affect happiness. The passage that I quoted then bears repeating:

One of the great, but often unmentioned, causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kind of walls, chairs, buildings and streets we're surrounded by.

And yet a concern for architecture and design is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. The Architecture of Happiness starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be—and argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.

Whereas many architects are wary of openly discussing the word beauty, the book has at its centre the large and naïve question: 'What is a beautiful building?' It amounts to a tour through the philosophy and psychology of architecture, which aims to change the way we think about our homes, streets and ourselves.

The post in which I quoted de Botton ("Constructing a city around the concept of happiness") focused on former Bogata mayor Enrique Penalosa, who made establishing municipal resources that support quality of life (notably including the TransMilenio bus rapid transit system) the centerpiece of his term. Penalosa said, "With our limited resources, we have to invent other ways to measure success. This might mean that all kids have access to sports facilities, libraries, parks, schools, nurseries."

In another context, Penalosa "talked about his belief that we should strive to create 'Cities of Joy,'" wrote Catherine O'Brien in a conference paper reviewing the ties among transportation, children, urban planning, and happiness. She adds:

Children's view of transportation (when walking to school) reminds us that transportation is not only about 'moving people and goods'. It is about wonder, discovery, joy and happiness.

Community characteristics do matter to us. A three-year survey by Gallup of some 43,000 Americans living in 26 U.S. cities reported last year that people identify most strongly with their communities when they perceive them favorably with respect to social offerings, openness, and the aesthetic environment. The "Soul of the Community" survey, conducted for the Knight Foundation, found these factors to be more determinative of "resident attachment" to a place than others such as civic involvement, social capital, education, perception of the local economy, leadership, safety, emotional well-being, and basic services.

To bring the discussion closer to the concept of sustainability, Vancouver's Mark Holland is a founder of an organization called the Healing Cities Working Group, whose mission statement asks, in part, "how might the built form and natural spaces of the city nurture and develop its residents' holistic health—to include addressing physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual needs?" Holland answers his own question with a set of "pillars" that support a sustainable community:

A complete community
An environmentally friendly and community-oriented transportation system
Green buildings
Multi-tasked open space
Green infrastructure
A healthy food system
Community facilities and programs
Economic development

(I explain a bit more and elaborate on the concept of "healing cities" and Holland's pillars here.)

Whatever the reasons, some cities are perceived as "happier" than others. Internationally, Forbes compiled online interviews with 10,000 respondents in 20 countries, who collectively ranked the top five as Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Melbourne (ah, those jolly Aussies). In the U.S., the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index was based on interviews during 2009 that asked more than 353,000 (!) Americans to assess their jobs, finances, physical health, emotional state of mind, and communities. USA Today, in a story written by Susan Page, reported the 10 top-scoring cities (out of 162 total) as Boulder, Colorado; Holland-Grand Haven, Michigan (who knew?); Honolulu, Hawaii; Provo-Orum, Utah; Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California; Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, California; San Jose, California; the Washington, D.C. area; Ogden, Utah; and Thousand Oaks-Oxnard, California. At the very bottom? Huntington, WV/Ashland, KY.

What to do

I pretty much agree with all of the concepts put forward by Holland, Penalosa, O'Brien, the Knight study, and de Botton regarding how our physical environment can and should be shaped in order to nurture our well-being. With respect to environmental issues in particular, I see cities as a solution for environmental quality, not the problem, and everything we can do to make them more attractive, hospitable, and appealing is to the good. As I have written repeatedly and as so many of my colleagues and fellow travelers have also articulated, working toward these specific ends is good for the planet and good for our health, and we should structure as much public policy as we can to enable and support them. I hope Seattle and Victoria take note and do more than just assess these factors.

But will they also make us happy? I don't know about that part—that's a big "ask," as the increasing number of people around me who like to use verbs as if they were nouns tend to say. Right now I'm thinking a freshly drawn pint of Guinness in the company of very good friends and very good music might get me a little closer to my personal happy spot. Maybe we could even chat about Thomas Jefferson a little.

But let's work toward these goals anyway. I believe they will make our communities better, and at least establish favorable conditions for the pursuit of happiness and many other good things. Whether that pursuit actually reaches its goal or not will remain up to us and the Fates.

Printed in The Atlantic
Images (top to bottom): Ed Yourdon/flickr, laihiu/flickr, skinnylawyer/flickr, Shayne Kaye/flickr

What is the American Dream?: Dueling dualities in the American tradition

2011-06-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Throughout our history, there have been alternative, competing visions of the "good life" in America. The story of how these competing visions played out in our history is prologue to an important question: What is the American Dream and what is its future?

The issue came up in the early Republic, offspring of the ambiguity in Jefferson's declaration that we have an unalienable right to "the pursuit of happiness." Darrin McMahon in his admirable book, Happiness: A History, will be our guide here. McMahon locates the origins of the "right to happiness" in the Enlightenment. "Does not everyone have a right to happiness?' asked ... the entry on that subject in the French encyclopedia edited by Denis Diderot. Judged by the standards of the preceding millennium and a half, the question was extraordinary: a right to happiness? And yet it was posed rhetorically, in full confidence of the nodding assent of enlightened minds." It was in 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence, that Jeremy Bentham would write his famous principle of utility: "It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong."

Thus, when Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration in June of that memorable year, the words "the pursuit of happiness" came naturally to him, and the language sailed through the debates of June and July without dissent. McMahon believes this lack of controversy stemmed in part from the fact that the "pursuit of happiness" phrase brought together ambiguously two very different notions: the idea from John Locke and Jeremy Bentham that happiness was the pursuit of personal pleasure and the older Stoic idea that happiness derived from active devotion to the public good and from civic virtue, which have little to do with personal pleasure.

"The ‘pursuit of happiness,'" McMahon writes, "was launched in different, and potentially conflicting, directions from the start, with private pleasure and public welfare coexisting in the same phrase. For Jefferson, so quintessentially in this respect a man of the Enlightenment, the coexistence was not a problem." But Jefferson's formula almost immediately lost its double meaning in practice, McMahon notes, and the right of citizens to pursue their personal interests and joy won out. This victory was confirmed by waves of immigrants to America's shores, for whom America was truly the land of opportunity. "To pursue happiness in such a land was quite rightly to pursue prosperity, to pursue pleasure, to pursue wealth."

It is in this jettisoning of the civic virtue concept of happiness in favor of the self-gratification side that McMahon finds the link between the pursuit of happiness and the rise of American capitalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Happiness, he writes, "continued to entice with attractive force, providing a justification for work and sacrifice, a basis for meaning and hope that only loomed larger on the horizon of Western democracies." "If economic growth was now a secular religion," McMahon observes, "the pursuit of happiness remained its central creed, with greater opportunities than ever before to pursue pleasure in comfort and things." Max Weber saw this transformation first hand. "Material goods," he observed in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, "have gained an increasing and finally an inexorable power over the lives of men as at no previous period in history."

The story of the pursuit of happiness in America is thus a story of its close alliance with capitalism and consumerism. But in recent years, many researchers have begun to see this relationship as one of misplaced allegiance. Has the pursuit of happiness through growth in material abundance and possessions actually brought Americans happiness? That is a question more for science than for philosophy, and the good news is that social scientists have in fact recently turned abundantly to the subject. A new field, positive psychology, the study of happiness and subjective well-being, has been invented, and there is now even a professional Journal of Happiness Studies.

Imagine, if you will, two very different alternatives for affluent societies. In one, economic growth, prosperity and affluence bring steadily increasing human happiness, well-being and satisfaction. In a second, prosperity and happiness are not correlated, and, indeed, prosperity, beyond a certain point, is associated with the growth of important social pathologies. Which scenario provides a closer fit to reality?

What the social scientists in this new field are telling us is of fundamental importance. Two of the leaders in the field, Ed Diener and Martin Seligman, carried out a review of the now-voluminous literature on well-being in their 2004 article, "Beyond Money: Toward an Economy of Well-Being." In what follows, I will draw upon this article and other research.

The overall concept that is gaining acceptance among researchers is "subjective well being," i.e., a person's own opinion of his or her well being. Subjects in surveys are frequently asked, on a scale of one to 10, how satisfied are you with your life? Most well-being surveys today ask individuals how happy or satisfied they are with their lives in general, how satisfied they are in particular contexts (e.g., work, marriage), or how much they trust others, and so on.

A good place to begin is with the studies that compare levels of happiness and life satisfaction among nations at different stages of economic development. They find that the citizens of wealthier countries do report higher levels of life satisfaction, although the correlation is rather poor and is even poorer when factors such as quality of government are statistically controlled. Moreover, this positive relationship between national well-being and national per capita income virtually disappears when one looks only at countries with GDP per capita over $10,000 per year. In short, once a country achieves a moderate level of income, further growth does not significantly improve perceived well-being.

Diener and Seligman report that peoples with the highest well-being are not those in the richest countries but those who live where political institutions are effective and human rights protected, where corruption is low, and mutual trust high.

Even more challenging to the idea that well-being increases with higher incomes is extensive time series data showing that throughout almost the entire post-World War II period, as incomes skyrocketed in the United States and other advanced economies, reported life satisfaction and happiness levels stagnated or even declined slightly.

But that is not all. Diener and Seligman note that, "Even more disparity [between income and well-being] shows up when ill-being measures are considered. For instance, depression rates have increased 10-fold over the same 50-year period, and rates of anxiety are also rising ... [T]he average American child in the 1980s reported greater anxiety than the average child receiving psychiatric treatment in the 1950s. There is [also] a decreasing level of social connectedness in society, as evidenced by declining levels of trust in other people and in governmental institutions." Numerous studies also stress that nothing is more devastating to well-being than losing one's job and unemployment.

Instead of income, Diener and Seligman stress the importance of personal relationships to happiness: "The quality of people's social relationships is crucial to their well-being. People need supportive, positive relationships and social belonging to sustain well-being ... [T]he need to belong, to have close and long-term social relationships, is a fundamental human need ... People need social bonds in committed relationships, not simply interactions with strangers, to experience well-being."

In short, what the social scientists are telling us is that as of today, in Ed Diener's words, "materialism is toxic for happiness." Whether the pursuit of happiness through evermore possessions succeeded earlier in our history, it no longer does.

Norton Garfinkle traces another dueling duality in the American tradition, one reflected in the title of his helpful book, The American Dream vs. the Gospel of Wealth. Although the phrase "the American Dream" entered the language thanks to James Truslow Adams and his 1931 book, The Epic of America, Garfinkle argues that the force of the concept, if not the phrase, derives from President Lincoln. "More than any other president," Garfinkle believes, "Lincoln is the father of the American Dream that all Americans should have the opportunity through hard work to build a comfortable middle class life. For Lincoln, liberty meant above all the right of individuals to the fruits of their own labor, seen as a path to prosperity. ‘To [secure] to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or as nearly as possible,' he wrote, ‘is a most worthy object of any good government.'"

"The universal promise of opportunity," Garfinkle writes, "was for Lincoln the philosophical core of America: it was the essence of the American system. ‘Without the Constitution and the Union,' he wrote, ‘we could not have attained ... our great prosperity.' But the Constitution and the Union were not the ‘primary cause' of America, Lincoln believed. ‘There is something,' he continued, ‘back of these, entwining itself more closely about the human heart ... This is the just and generous and prosperous system which opens the way to all, gives hope to all, and consequent energy and progress and improvement of condition to all.' This was, for Lincoln, the American Dream, the raison d'être of America, and the unique contribution of America to world history."

Although Garfinkle does not bring it out, I believe James Truslow Adams' vision of the American Dream is at least as compelling as that of Lincoln. Adams used the phrase, "the American dream," to refer, not to getting rich or even especially to a secure, middle class lifestyle, though that was part of it, but primarily to something finer and more important: "It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." That American Dream is well worth carrying with us into the future.

The competing vision, the Gospel of Wealth, found its origins in the Gilded Age. In his 1889 book, The Gospel of Wealth, Andrew Carnegie espoused a widely held philosophy that drew on Social Darwinism and, though less crudely expressed, has many adherents today. To Carnegie, the depressed conditions of late 19th century American workers and the limited opportunities they faced were prices to be paid for the abundance economic progress made possible. Carnegie was brutally honest in his views: "The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it pays for cheap comforts and luxuries, is also great; but the advantages of this law are also greater still than its cost -- for it is to this law that we owe our wonderful material development, which brings improved conditions in its train. But, whether the law be benign or not, ... it is here, we cannot evade it; no substitutes for it have been found; and while the law may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it insures the survival of the fittest in every department. We accept and welcome, therefore, as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves, great inequality of environment; the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, in the hands of a few; and the law of competition between these, as being not only beneficial, but essential to the future progress of the race. Having accepted these, it follows that there must be great scope for the exercise of special ability in the merchant and in the manufacturer who has to conduct affairs upon a great scale. That this talent for organization and management is rare among men is proved by the fact that it invariably secures enormous rewards for its possessor."

Garfinkle recounts the many ways Carnegie's Gospel stood Lincoln's vision on its head: "Whereas in Lincoln's America, the underlying principle of economic life was widely shared equality of opportunity, based on the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence, in Carnegie's America the watchword was inequality and the concentration of wealth and resource in the hands of the few. Whereas in Lincoln's America, government was to take an active role in clearing the path for ordinary people to get ahead, in Carnegie's America, the government was to step aside and let the laws of economics run their course. Whereas in Lincoln's America, the laborer had a right to the fruits of his labor, in Carnegie's America the fruits went disproportionately to the business owner and investor as the fittest. Whereas in Lincoln's America, the desire was to help all Americans fulfill the dream of the self-made man, in Carnegie's America, it was the rare exception, the man of unusual talent that was to be supported."

Since the Reagan Revolution, of course, the Gospel of Wealth has returned with a vengeance. Income and wealth have been reconcentrated in the hands of the few at levels not seen since 1928, American wages have flatlined for several decades, the once-proud American middle class is fading fast, and government action to improve the prospects of average Americans is widely disparaged. Indeed, government has pursued policies leading to the dramatic decline in both union membership and good American jobs. In a sample of its 20 peer OECD countries, the United States today has the lowest social mobility, the greatest income inequality, and the most poverty.

A third historical duality in envisioning America is that between an American lifestyle that revolves around consumption and one that embraces plain and simple living. In her important book, The Consumers' Republic, Lizabeth Cohen traces the rise of mass consumption in America to policies adopted after World War II: "Americans after World War II saw their nation as the model for the world of a society committed to mass consumption and what were assumed to be its far-reaching benefits. Mass consumption did not only deliver wonderful things for purchase -- the televisions, air conditioners, and computers that have transformed American life over the last half century. It also dictated the most central dimensions of postwar society, including the political economy (the way public policy and the mass consumption economy mutually reinforced each other), as well as the political culture (how political practice and American values, attitudes, and behaviors tied to mass consumption became intertwined)."

However, Cohen also documents that, whatever its blessings, American consumerism has had profound and unintended consequences on broader issues of social justice and democracy. She notes that "the Consumers' Republic did not unfold quite as policymakers intended ... the Consumers' Republic's dependence on unregulated private markets wove inequalities deep into the fabric of prosperity, thereby allowing, intentionally or not, the search for profits and the exigencies of the market to prevail over higher goals. Often the outcome dramatically diverged from the stated objective to use mass markets to create a more egalitarian and democratic American society ... [T]he deeply entrenched convictions prevailing in the Consumers' Republic that a dynamic, private, mass consumption marketplace could float all boats and that a growing economy made reslicing the economic pie unnecessary predisposed Americans against more redistributive actions ...

"Most ironic perhaps, the confidence that a prospering mass consumption economy could foster democracy would over time contribute to a decline in the most traditional, and one could argue most critical, form of political participation -- voting -- as more commercialized political salesmanship replaced rank-and-file mobilization through parties."

The creation of the Consumers' Republic represented the triumph of one vision of American life and purpose. But there has been a competing vision, what historian David Shi calls the tradition of "plain living and high thinking," a tradition that began with the Puritans and the Quakers. In his book, The Simple Life, Shi sees in American history a "perpetual tension ... between the ideal of enlightened self-restraint and the allure of unfettered prosperity. From colonial days, the mythic image of America as a spiritual commonwealth and a republic of virtue has survived alongside the more tantalizing view of the nation as an engine of economic opportunities, a festival of unfettered individualism, and a cornucopia of consumer delights."

"The concept [of the simple life] arrived with the first settlers, and it has remained an enduring -- and elusive -- ideal ... Its primary attributes include a hostility toward luxury and a suspicion of riches, a reverence for nature and a preference for rural over urban ways of life and work, a desire for personal self-reliance through frugality and diligence, a nostalgia for the past, a commitment to conscientious rather than conspicuous consumption, a privileging of contemplation and creativity, an aesthetic preference for the plain and functional, and a sense of both religious and ecological responsibility for the just uses of the world's resources."

In the end, these three dueling dualities in the American tradition -- competing over the meaning of happiness, the path to prosperity, the centrality of consumerism -- tell much the same story: the vision of an America where the pursuit of happiness is sought in the growth of civic virtue and in devotion to the public good, where the American dream is steadily realized as the average American achieves his or her human potential and the benefits of economic activity are widely shared, and where the virtues of simple living, self-reliance and reverence for nature predominate, that vision has not prevailed and has instead been overpowered by the rise of commercialism, consumerism, and a particularly ruthless variety of winner-take-all capitalism.

These American traditions may not have prevailed to date, but they are not dead. They await us, and indeed they are today being awakened across this great land. New ways of living and working, sharing and caring are emerging across America. They beckon us with a new American Dream, one rebuilt from the best of the old, drawing on the best of who we were and are and can be.

There is an America beyond despair, and it is fueling these developments. Ask a parent, ask yourself, what America would you like for your grandchildren and their children, and the odds are good that in the reply, the outpouring of hope, a new America unfolds.

James Gustave Speth is an environmental lawyer, advocate, and author, most recently of The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability. Speth is a professor of law at the Vermont Law School. From 1999 to 2008, he was dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. From 1993 to 1999, he served as administrator of the UN Development Programme and chair of the UN Development Group. Prior to his service at the UN, he was founder and president of the World Resources Institute; professor of law at Georgetown University; chairman of the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality; and senior attorney and cofounder, Natural Resources Defense Council.

Originally published on Grist

Seattle City Council endorses Happiness Initiative

2011-06-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late blogging this, but the City Council has unanimously endorsed our Happiness Initiative. Council President Richard Conlin presented the formal proclamation to us last Monday:

The full text of the proclamation is on our website (PDF), and for me the key part is this:

The Seattle City Council encourages organizing local town meetings in libraries, community centers, and other public gathering spaces in Seattle neighborhoods, where residents discuss the survey and objective data, identify actions they are taking and want to take, and recommend action ideas for neighborhood organizations, city agencies and the City Council.

The Seattle City Council intends to consult the available happiness data and the recommendations from these town meetings as it pursues future policy options in a time of scarce resources.

Local media picked up on the story:

KING-5: City Council aims to make Seattle happy

KPLU: Seattle council wants you on the ‘happiness team’

Cams for Cops?

2011-06-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

A solution to Police Brutality? Bruce Harrel is advocating for Body Cams for Cops.

Here is the reaction from a few S2 staff:

I kind of like it, but worry they will cheat somehow and really get away with mass murder. - Laura

This could in principle be a big stride forward in police accountability, but I worry about cheating in practice - video evidence does have a distressing way of disappearing when its inconvenient to the people who control the recording.

Some time ago I was involved in some student protests, which the police were called in to break up. One of the ways they tried to intimidate us was by very prominently using "evidence-gathering units" (i.e. teams of officers with video cameras) and threatening prosecutions. However, this could also be a good way to catch any police wrongdoing, because the relevant law at the time obliged the police to release the footage to anyone who was in it. As a very clean-living but distinctive looking individual who had nothing to hide, my job was to make sure I broke no laws, but was clearly in as many officers' footage as possible, to make sure that we could have access to video evidence if necessary. In practice getting access is never as easy as it should be. Individual officers claim to be entirely unaware of the relevant law, and the bureaucracy just throws as many obstacles in the way as possible.

So, in other words: body cameras could be a great thing, *if* in reality all interested parties will have equal access to the footage. But if the police can limit others' access they're at best useless, and at worst a tool for intimidation. - Eldan

I don't think I like this. On the one hand, I like the possibility this presents in preventing officers from bending the law and not telling the whole truth to people, often leaving them ignorant of their rights. (This all assumes these cameras record audio)

On the other hand, this effort, while attempting to do the opposite in a way, undermines it. I'm conflicted, because as much as I think we need to, I am not comfortable babysitting the police. People with guns who are hired to protect and keep the public safe shouldn't need babysitting, but frankly, I understand that they do.

Eldan also makes a very good point. - Andrew

2011 Sustainability Awards

2011-06-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Sustainability Awards are now up and running! The description of awards and nomination form can be found here and at http://www.sustainableseattle.org/programs/awards. Please send nominations to awards@sustainableseattle.org!

Awards

Holistic Individual
An individual that has demonstrated advancement in sustainability in all 9 domains of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.

Holistic Organization
An organization, business, or initiative that has demonstrated advancement in sustainability in all 9 domains of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.

Individual Innovation
An individual that has created an innovative project or initiative that introduces a fresh approach to sustainability and contributes towards positive change. The project or initiative incorporates three or more domains of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.

Organization Innovation
An organization or business that has created an innovative project or initiative that introduces a fresh approach to sustainability and contributes towards positive change. The project or initiative incorporates three or more domains of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.

Individual Leadership
An individual that has demonstrated leadership through long-term commitment and positive impact on sustainability. The individual incorporates three or more domains of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.

Organization Leadership
An organization or business that has demonstrated leadership through long-term commitment and positive impact on sustainability. The organization or business incorporates three or more domains of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.

Individual Development
Happiness Initiative Surveys indicate that the three domains in which Seattle is scoring the lowest are Time Balance, Environmental Quality, and Community Engagement. This award recognizes an individual that is advancing these three domains through a project or initiative.

Organization Development
Happiness Initiative Surveys indicate that the three domains in which Seattle is scoring the lowest are Time Balance, Environmental Quality and Community Engagement. This award recognizes an organization or business that is advancing these three domains through projects or initiatives.

Nomination Form

To nominate, please cut and paste the form below and send your nomination to awards@sustainableseattle.org

Nominees Name:
Contact Information (email or phone):

Why should this individual, organization or initiative receive an award? (150 word maximum):

For which award are you nominating this individual, organization or initiative?

What sustainability goal is this helping to reach (Indicate at least two of the 9 domains within Sustainable Seattle's fifth iteration of Regional Sustainability Indicators):

Your name:
Contact Information:

What gets you fired up?

2011-06-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't always worked in sustainability, and at first glance my path to this work looks rather random. I originally moved to the U.S. to work in a specific lab, towards a PhD in biologically-based artificial intelligence. In some ways it is far enough removed from what I do today that I joke about this being "a former life", but my interests haven't changed - only my priorities.

I grew up an environmentalist - first in the narrow "we must save beautiful places" sense, and as a teenager moving to a much broader understanding that we have to take care of the environment because threats like climate change have the potential to hurt so many people so badly. I've also always felt that the world can only be understood with scientific tools, and unfortunately happened to start university (in the U.K.) just as Greenpeace was ramping up its campaign against genetically modified foods. The problem wasn't the cause itself, so much as the horrifyingly anti-science rhetoric used. Flyers that scaremongered about "alien viral DNA" had the opposite effect on me: they blinded me to the [more complicated, but nonetheless important] real issues around GM food. Overall, the shriekingly science-phobic campaign gave me such a bad feeling about the environmental movement as a whole that I ignored it for years.

What brought me back was a combination of the complex systems work I was doing on the way to a PhD, and Jared Diamond's book "Collapse". The more I learned about complex systems, the more frightening the IPCC's climate change predictions started to sound. With a proper understanding of feedbacks and tipping points, climate change went from being a vague theoretical worry to a convincingly real threat to cities and agriculture. Meanwhile, "Collapse" showed me how real the risk is that as a global society we won't manage to respond usefully to what's going on until it's far too late. The last thing I wrote on my academic blog sums up the human side: Why I found "Collapse" so depressing.

All of this made me feel that the global environmental crisis was simply too important and too urgent to ignore. I dropped out of the PhD and started looking for work in the sustainability sector. In the four years since then, I've become convinced that the real action is on the social side. The science is well enough developed that we know what needs to be done. The technology is good enough that we have the tools to do it. The problem is educating people, and changing behaviour at every level from individuals to governments. I've been looking for tools to push back the materialism and atomisation that lead to collapse, and help bring about a world in which we all understand what we really need, and look out for each other, because we need that for humans to continue to thrive.

So now I find myself running a training program, and helping out wherever my skills are relevant with the Happiness Initiative, which is all about the change in values and the public conversation that needs to happen. And now I'm experimenting with something new: working on a collaborative handbook for social change campaigns.

One of the things we need to understand to make social change campaigns effective—to make them recruit people to causes we believe in instead of driving them away—is what motivates people to care about an issue. Joe Brewer and I have plenty of ideas, but we want some personal stories. What kind of social change do you care passionately about, and what got you engaged?

Green Storage Ideas For Any Business

2011-06-11T19:46:00.001-07:00

Guest post by Kenneth McCall of Storage.com

Today's ever-changing and ever-developing world has led to the gradual depletion of its natural resources. Furthermore, many of the resources we exhaust are used for the production of packaging materials that are detrimental to the environment. However, with just a little bit of extra effort we can do our part in saving the planet, starting with our business storage strategies. Here's a look at ecofriendly substitutes for environmentally harmful storage and packaging materials.

Bioplastic
Containers made from plastic take up to thousands of years to decompose. During this time period, little chunks of plastic end up in our oceans, suffocating marine life and gradually entering our food chain to harm all living organisms. On the other hand, bioplastics are nontoxic and take a significantly shorter amount of time to biodegrade. Furthermore, by switching to bioplastics, you are reducing the need for the foreign oil used to produce plastic. Bioplastics are manufactured using local biomass materials that help conserve the amount of energy used for production. Energy is further conserved during decomposition because less energy is used for recycling bioplastics.

Sustainable wood products
Sustainable wood comes from trees that are grown faster than they are cut down in order to meet the needs of society without compromising the needs of future generations. Consider switching to storage pieces that are made from sustainable woods, such as bamboo, cane, mango, maple, and more. Avoid products that come from slow-growing trees such as oak, beech, spruce, and redwood. Research the companies in your local area that offer storage furniture and pieces in sustainable wood. To learn more about the promotion of responsible forest management, contact the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organization.

Recycled cardboard
Cardboard that has been deposited into landfills is known as old corrugated cardboard (OCC). Recycled cardboard is made from this OCC and only take 75% of the energy that it takes to make a cardboard box from harvested trees. Furthermore, there is a decreased emission of sulfur dioxide when cardboard is made from OCC. In addition to using recycled cardboard containers for your office belongings, also remember to properly recycle this cardboard after use. Research your community's local recycling program and see what you can contribute.

Rentable plastic bins
There are now many companies offering rentable plastic bins for your packaging needs. If you need to move something to or from your office space, consider renting from a local company in order to reduce the amount of packaging material waste deposited into landfills. Look up the size of the boxes the company offers and estimate how many you will need to transport your belongings. These companies will deliver empty boxes to your business and will then come back to pick them up when you are done.

Biodegradable packing peanuts
Packing peanuts are made from polystyrene, a substance that is incredibly harmful to the environment. A much more environmentally friendly alternative is cornstarch based packing peanuts. These packing peanuts can simply be dissolved in water after you are done using them. Furthermore, there is less static in these packing peanuts and can be a better choice for cushioning your electronics and other fragile items. These packing peanuts can easily be made in your own kitchen with ingredients that can be found in any local grocery store.

Kenneth McCall believes that customers seeking self storage units need better tools for finding what they need. Kenneth directs operations at storage.com which provides St. Louis self storage listings, as well as storage units in locations around the United States. In his spare time he likes to get outside, ideally with a boat and waterskis.

Why (and how) to focus on behavior change

2011-06-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last year, we hosted a workshop called How To Bring About Large-Scale Behavior Change, taught by Joe Brewer. It was our best-attended workshop of the year, and people loved it and seemed to leave it buzzing with ideas, so we're running it again, only this time we're going further.

The one complaint that many participants had last year was that in a one-day workshop (realistically 6½ hours after breaks are accounted for) with a lot of material to cover, there wasn't enough time for hands-on practice. This time round, we're breaking it into 3 half-day sessions, with a couple of weeks between each so people can mull over the material, and the final one will be devoted to practice and feedback:

On July 30, we'll start with Getting the Big Picture, covering the theoretical background from cognitive science, and examples of successful behavior change campaigns that we can learn from.
On August 13, we'll have Tools for Social Change Campaigns, in which Joe will introduce a 'designers toolkit' for social change, applying the groundwork from part 1 to practical methods for understanding and driving the process of change.
On September 10, we'll finish with a Design Lab for Your Campaign. Each participant will create an action plan for a behavior change campaign, and we'll critique each others' so we can all learn from each other.

I'm really excited about this class, but we also recognise that a lot of people who are interested won't be able to make it to three separate sessions spread out in time like that. If you're one of those people, we have an alternative for you: we're raising money to write a Designer's Manual for Large-Scale Change which will be free to download and stand alone as an introduction to the same ideas. Here's short video of Joe introducing the project:

We would of course very much appreciate your contribution; if you'd like to donate or read more, head over to:

http://rockethub.com/projects/1910

As with many of the classes we put on, I am sometimes asked why Sustainable Seattle is interested in promoting this particular topic. The environmentalist angle on this is that I firmly believe that we already have all the technology we need to deal with the environmental crises looming over us, and what we really need to do is persuade people to make the right choices. Lately we've been talking about happiness, and the links to that are are actually quite similar. Whether we look at individuals' happiness, or the ways that each of our behavior affects everybody else's happiness, we find ourselves presented with a quite well developed body of knowledge about things we could be doing to make the world, and yet most people aren't doing them. Many of these things are well-known and very easy, so clearly we need to get better at persuading people.

Whether your interest is in persuading people to give up smoking, drive less, get to know their neighbors or lobby politicians, you'll need to use the same insights about psychology and culture, and the same techniques based on those insights. Why don't you join us this summer to learn how?

http://sustainableseattle.org/training/257

Naomi Oreskes & Erik Conway: Scientists Who Obscure the Truth

2011-06-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Since researchers began examining evidence that our planet is heating up, people have been questioning data, doubting evidence, and attacking the scientists who collect and explain it. Science historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, authors of Merchants of Doubt, blame a cadre of high-level scientists and scientific advisers who clouded public interpretation of facts to advance a political and economic agenda—some of the same figures who denied studies linking smoking to lung cancer—and show how ideology and corporate interest can skew public understanding and spread confusion on many of our most important challenges.

The authors will be speaking at Town Hall on Thursday, June 30, 2011, 7:30-9:00pm
Presented as part of Seattle Science Lectures, with Pacific Science Center and University Book Store. Series sponsored by Microsoft. Series media sponsorship provided by KPLU.

An Antidote to Despair: Paul Loeb’s New Soul of a Citizen

2011-06-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

How do we keep working for change in these difficult times, and overcome political demoralization, frustration, and paralysis? With over a hundred thousand copies in print, Paul Loeb’s Soul of a Citizen has become a classic handbook for budding activists, veteran organizers, and anyone who wants to make their voices heard and actions count. It’s inspired thousands of citizens as an antidote to powerlessness and despair.

St Martin’s has now published a wholly updated new edition of Soul, addressing the challenges of our difficult and often frustrating time. It explores how ordinary citizens can act and keep on acting even when we wonder whether our actions really matter. It explores how we can get involved and get others involved in critical causes; how to get past the obstacles and help others overcome them; what we can learn from citizen movements of the past; and how to maintain our commitments for the long haul and avoid burning out in exhaustion or frustration.

Rain water tours with People for Puget Sound

2011-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

People for Puget Sound is hosting Rain Water Walking Tours throughout the Puget Sound area. These free, fun, and family friendly tours trace the entire process of what happens when a drop of water hits your roof to when that drop enters Puget Sound, and what it picks up along the way. See first hand what others are doing to minimize the impacts of the largest source of pollution for Puget Sound: polluted runoff.

Saturday June 4, 2011: Rain Water Bicycle Tour in Ballard
Time: 10am - Noon
Where: Bergen Place Park, 5420 22nd Ave. NW; Seattle
Contact: Robert Hall Ballardrainwatertour2011@gmail.com
Saturday June 11, 2011: Rain Water Walking tour in Ballard
Time: 10am - Noon
Where: Loyal Heights Elementary School Playground, 2511 Northwest 80th Street
Contact: Robert Hall Ballardrainwatertour2011@gmail.com
Saturday June 18, 2011: Tacoma Presentation & Walking Tour
Where: Tacoma Enviro House, 3510 S Mullen St.; Tacoma
Time: 10am - Noon - Presentation: Managing Rainwater Sustainably - Porous Paving: Driveways, Pathways and Patios
Noon - 12:30 - Lunch
12:30 - 2:30pm - Rain Garden How-to & Walking Tour
For information, contact: Ryan Ulsberger ulsber@u.washington.edu
Saturday June 25, 2011: Kirkland Walking Tour
Time: 10am - 1pm
Where: Everest Park - North Parking Lot, 500 8th Street S; Kirkland
Sign up and information: Lauren Currin lauren.currin@gmail.com

For more information visit: http://pugetsound.org/programs/education/runoff/tours

guest post by Lauren Currin