It’s well and good to learn from a lecture. But rarely is a lecture life-changing.

Washington is called the evergreen state. We love our trees, the great outdoors and our planet. We are a hardy people. And we have two universities (colleges) that are in the top 10 for sustainable practices and learning.

The University of Washington is ranked number 1 in the country. Every building completed since 2006 has earned LEED Gold. All appliances bought are Energy Star rated. And the hydro-powered campus runs 3 farms, an extensive recycling program, and the conservation-research hotbed Pack Forest. The university is located on a fresh water lake in Seattle that had problems with algae bloom from residential sewage run-off.  The city of Seattle, like many cities with overburdened treatment centers, encouraged the University to reduce water use on campus. As an incentive, the city offered a rebate of $120 per water fixture that the university replace with new water saving equipment. So they retrofitted their plumbing to save water, conserve energy and be “green.”

Forty percent of UW’s food budget is spent on local items, according to the green report card. They use mostly cage free eggs and natural milk. The school composts their food waste, which keeps it out of the landfills. The Bothell campus uses goats to control weeds on their grounds.

All campus community members participating in the U-PASS program receive unlimited public transit passes and discounts on carpool permits and the car-sharing program. Student government runs a nonprofit bike repair shop, and 88 percent of students and 62 percent of employees commute via environmentally preferable means.

The Evergreen State College is ranked number 9 nationally. This non-traditional college breaks the mold in so many ways. Our middle son attended this college to obtain his Bachelor of Science degree and he received graduate level education with exceptional professors.

The Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Washington, aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2020. Though it’s campus is currently one-third coal powered, students pay a self-imposed fee of $1 each academic quarter to buy renewable energy credits to offset the college’s electricity consumption.

Evergreen’s Organic Farm is located on a 5 acre section of campus. The plot includes the farmhouse, Demeter’s Gardens, Community Gardens, the Biodiesel facility, the compost facility, the workroom, tool shed, greenhouses and the 38,000 square foot production area of the Organic Farm.  The Organic Farm crew works all year round to plan, plant, maintain and harvest the various crops grown.  The Compost Facility is used to turn farm waste into compost for fertilizing the production area of the farm.  During the growing season the Organic Farm’s produce is sold at the Organic Farm Stand on Red Square at Evergreen, at The Organic Farm during business hours and through our Community Supported Agriculture Program.  Excess produce and plant starts are donated to the Thurston County Food Bank.

The school has an extensive composting project as well as a comprehensive recycling program.

According to The Evergreen State Paper Policy, it  is committed to using environmentally benign products and technologies whenever possible.

Ride Share and alternative forms of transportation are part of Evergreen’s sustainability. Student fees pay for and allow all students at Evergreen to ride the bus in and around Olympia and Thurston County an unlimited number of times each quarter by showing their student ID. By registering in a database of Evergreen commuters, the ride share program allows students, faculty and staff to match their schedules with people who live close by and facilitates contact to set up new carpools.

Ban the Bottle is a campus-wide initiative to raise awareness in The Evergreen State College community about the negative impacts of plastic bottles on social, environmental and economical health as well as alternative, safer options for drinking water. The long-term goal of this initiative is to discontinue the purchase of plastic bottled water on campus and provide re-useable water canteens and to install bottle fill stations across campus.  Evergreen has switched all of their disposable ware to compostable products. They have also eliminated trays, saving countless gallons of water. The school supports local farmers and producers, using organic whenever possible.

Students can opt to live in the sustainability house,  made up of a community of students committed to a living an environmentally conscious, socially just, and sustainable lifestyle. Residents of the Sustainability House complete 5 hours of sustainability-related service each month to the campus and house community.

The lessons students learn from these sustainable practices will be carried throughout their lives and potentially impact the world.

Seattle Area Real Estate

I love Fall. The cooler weather feels so refreshing and everything is so green here in the Pacific Northwest. But it means that the wet, cold winter is not far behind. There is much to do around our homes and gardens to prepare for Winter, and this year is suppose to be colder and wetter than normal.

Here are some tips for this month to get ready:

In The Garden:

• Clean up and winterize
• Prune fruit trees
• Divide and add new perennials and prune back existing ones
• Plant ground covers, shrubs and trees
• Choose and plant crocus, daffodil, and tulip bulbs
• Transplant from now through March
• Rake leaves. If the leaves are clean and free of disease like powdery mildew, they can be used as mulch around plants like roses and tender perennials.

Fruits and Veggies:

• Compost garden wastes as you tidy for Winter
• Sow a green manure crop such as crimson clover, vetch, or field peas, in empty spaces. When plowed under next Spring, it will suppress weeds and add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil.

For The Lawn:

• Thatch, aerate and install sod.
• If your lawn was planted with very little organic matter, top-dress with a light layer of compost.
• Turn off irrigation system.

Around The House:

• Winterize fountains and water features.
•  Bring in the indoor plants that have summered outside. Groom and check for unwanted pests. Stop fertilizing for the coming winter months.
• Sharpen shovels and tools. It’s a great planting month!
• Start decorating for Halloween. Boo! Carve those pumpkins.
• Warm up your home with cozy throws, glowing candles, and other autumn decor.
• Mix up a pot of your favorite chili or soup and invite friends or family over for an impromptu dinner.
• Keep an extra Soggy Dog towel on the back step to wipe those wet paws.

Click here for additional gardening tips from Washington State University Cooperative Extension publication “The Gardener”.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Wow! Where did the summer (oh, did we have one) go? It’s mid August and a new school year is just around the corner. Stores are full of back to school supplies and clothes. Times are tough – budgets are stretched thin. It’s easy to want to grab the most inexpensive supplies. Here are some ideas to make your child’s school year healthier for them and the planet.

Classroom Supplies:

• Buy cardboard or canvas binders, which are biodegradable, instead of plastic ones.

• Get your kids recycled pencils and paper. There’s even paper made out of elephant poop!

• Opt for crayons instead of markers, and white glue instead of epoxy.

• Teach kids to reuse scrap paper for drafting homework and working out math problems.

• When the teacher asks for classroom contributions, send in all-natural non-toxic items, such as antibacterial hand sanitizer, natural cleaning supplies and recycled paper tissues.

• Lobby for the school to become a paper-free school, with all information passed along via email.

Getting to and from School:

Many parents drive their kids to school and pick them up. While quick, convenient and often necessary, cars also pollute the environment. But there are ways to minimize the effects and save a few dollars in the process.

• Instead of idling in front of the school, emitting fumes and wasting gas, shut off the engine.

• Get together with friends and your kids’ classmates and carpool.

• Leave the car in the driveway and walk or bike the kids to school.

School Lunches:

• Avoid sandwich bags and plastic wrap that will end up in landfills. Put food in reusable tupperware whenever possible.

• Steer clear of packaged food that comes in individual servings. Buy items like yogurt or crackers in bulk and transport them to school in serving-size containers.

• Although straws are small, they can add up in landfills. Stainless steel straws are a little-known alternative, and are available online and in eco-friendly stores.

• When possible, use leftovers for lunches. This is a great way to avoid wasting food that may end up spoiling in your fridge.

• Pack lunches with organic and local foods and foods without added preservatives and hormones whenever possible. These foods travel shorter distances to get to you and contain fewer unhealthy additives.

• Encourage others to only use recyclable containers. Help create waste-free lunch days at school.

• Invest in a reusable water bottle to avoid packaged beverages and the waste they produce.

Clothes and Bags:

• Avoid backpacks made of nylon or new plastics, especially PVC (vinyl), and look instead for bags made from recycled materials or natural materials, such as hemp.
• Green clothing is also getting easier and easier to find, and while pricing used to make green clothing options out of the reach of most families, organic, sustainable and recycled clothing options are now often priced the same as conventional clothing. Major retailers including Wal-Mart and Target sell organic cotton clothing.
• Organic cotton makes a big difference by reducing reliance on pesticides and insecticides. Conventional cotton is grown on just 2.4 percent of land suitable for farming worldwide, but it consumes about 25 percent of all insecticides and 10 percent of pesticides used annually. Recycled cotton and polyester clothing is also cropping up in stores, and it’s a great way to maximize the use of materials and divert waste from landfills.
• Swaps and second-hand shops are also a great place to stock up on essentials, such as t-shirts, jeans, and more. Buying second-hand will help you save money, swaps let you trade up from the clothing your kids have outgrown, and both options help divert clothing from landfills and reduce demand for new clothing. Check out Buffalo Exchange in Seattle.

Check out the Sustainable Schools Coalition  in Seattle. They are working hard to put into action practices that will help the environment while saving money for Seattle Public schools.

And finally, when our tax dollars are paying for building new schools throughout our region, make your voice heard. Make sure the building is being done with sustainability in mind. A perfect example is the new Finn Hill Junior High in Kirkland. When students rush into the new Finn Hill Junior High in Kirkland, Wash., on the first day of school this fall, they will be greeted by the “Finn Hill Family,” a collection of glass figurines designed by a local artist. LEDs inside each sculpture will be wired to controls that measure the electricity, heat and water use of a particular classroom cluster.  The more energy and water students conserve, the brighter their figurines will shine. This spring, builders are installing a ventilation system that recaptures waste heat as well as tightly sealed walls of insulated panels and a rooftop photovoltaic array. Architects at the Seattle firm Mahlum designed the project to be 65 percent more energy efficient than typical schools in the area, making the case to taxpayers that investments made now will save in operating costs over the building’s 40-to 50-year lifetime.

Finn Hill Junior High sits at the vanguard of a green schools building boom driven by federal stimulus spending, local school bonds and education leaders looking to slash energy costs. As the recession-racked construction industry continues to suffer the burst of the housing bubble, green school projects offer a bright spot for builders and designers. Data research company McGraw-Hill Construction estimates that such projects totaled $16 billion last year – up from $9 billion in 2008. That’s more than a third of all school construction activity.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Even if you don’t have time or room to have your own full time garden, with so many alternative ways to grow some of your own food, few have an excuse not to participate around the greater Seattle region.

The P-Patch Community Gardening Program, in conjunction with P-Patch Trust, a nonprofit organization, oversees 75 P-Patches distributed throughout the city, equaling approximately 23 acres, serving 4,400 gardeners. Gardeners throughout the city contributed 17,000 hours maintaining the common areas of the garden in 2010.

What is a community garden?
A community garden is a space where neighbors come together to grow community and steward – plan, plant, and maintain –a piece of open space.  Community gardens are gathering places that strengthen networks through cooperative ventures; a source of pride among residents; a visible product of land stewardship and a healthier urban environment.  Traditionally, they involve individual gardening plots which community members pay an annual fee for while all shared spaces throughout the garden are cared for together.

What is a P-Patch?
P-Patch is the name given to community gardens that are managed by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Community Gardening Program.  The name, P-Patch, originated from its first community garden, Picardo Farm. Gardens come in many shapes, sizes, and ownerships (For more Facts about P-Patch Community Gardens: Fact Sheet

For the past 37 years, P-Patch community gardeners have been:

• Growing community
• Nurturing civic engagement
• Practicing organic gardening techniques
• Fostering an environmental ethic and connecting nature to peoples’ lives
• Improving access to local, organic, and culturally appropriate food
• Transforming the appearance and revitalizing the spirit of their neighborhoods
• Developing self-reliance and improving nutrition through education and hands-on experience
• Feeding the hungry
• Preserving heirloom flowers, herbs, and vegetables
• Budding understanding between generations and cultures through gardening and cooking

In 2010 alone, P-Patch gardeners donated 20,889 pounds of fresh produce. Incredible!

To find a P-Patch close to you, click here.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Way to go Seahawks and Sounders! Solar on the event center. The solar installation will cover about 80% of the event center’s roof.

The project will consist of 3,750 individual solar panels manufactured in the United States by Solyndra—which produces a unique thin-film technology that captures both direct and reflected sunlight across a unique 360-degree cylinder-type surface. The panels will take advantage of the facility’s new white “cool roof” which conserves energy by reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the roof surface and lowering the need for building cooling.

The panels are projected to generate over 830,000 kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of powering 95 Seattle area homes for a year. The system is expected to be fully operational in late summer 2011.

The Event Center solar array is the latest in a series of “green” investments in professional sports venues made by Seattle Seahawks chairman Paul G. Allen.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Researchers Eli Beracha and Ken Johnson made that conclusion after analyzing data for 23 different Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).

The study used an eight-year holding period for comparative purposes and factored in costs associated with homeownership, tax benefits and home price appreciation, and considered returns on similar risk portfolios. The net result is that home price gains would need to average only 3.25% annually to beat renting, according to Beracha and Johnson.

After crunching the numbers, Beracha and Johnson concluded buying a home may beat renting for the first time in several years.

Two key factors prompted their conclusion. First, rents are expected to rise, perhaps as much as 7 percent in each of the next two years. Second, home prices have dropped enough — about 32 percent from their 2006 peak – to create a buying opportunity.

In corroborating the analysis, CNNMoney compared 10 metro areas and determined it makes sense to buy in half of them: Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburg and Seattle. In the other five cities, Boston, Dallas, Honolulu, Houston, and New York, it is more advantageous to rent. (See chart.)

Authors of the CNNMoney analysis noted Seattle’s home prices have grown quickly over past 25 years, but since the late stages of the boom during the 2000s, “prices have fallen 26% from its peak, according to Fiserv, making purchases more attractive.” Research shows by early 2011, prices had fallen to about 26 times the annual rents.

“Seattle’s price rises have been robust historically and for someone looking for a home today, gains would only have to near the metro area’s normal growth rate for buyers to come out richer than renters in eight years,” stated the CNNMoney report.

Of the 23 cities Beracha and Johnson looked at, Seattle is the best place to buy right now. When renters invest in portfolios that include stocks, the appreciation rate required over the next eight years there is 4.84 percent and the area’s historical average is 6.06 percent.

Seattle Area Real Estate

I feel so blessed to live in the Pacific Northwest, where we are surrounded by snow-capped mountains and shimmering waters. We love the outdoors here and it shows. After a study took a look at where and how often people around America exercise, Seattle came out on top as the “Most Active City in America,” according to research by Experian Marketing Services.

The study also examined the percentage of households that watch more than 15 hours of cable a week and buy more than 11 video games a year, with research done by Mediamark Research.

With the obesity rates increasing, this is good news. Fitness is addicting. We like to do what others do and being fit is no exception. With so much to do in such a diverse region, none of us have any excuses (including rain) to prevent fitness. It’s a great habit for our health and happiness and it sets an example for our children that may become a lifelong choice.

So, get out there and MOVE.

Here are some of the most unusual ways to get your fix around the greater Seattle region:

1. Bird-Watching :
Gear required Binoculars, pencil and paper, and rain gear.
Vanity value Prove to yourself there’s more to Seattle’s bird population than crows.

Ease your way toward toned calf muscles and develop the oxygen-pumping lungs of a bird by strolling along with the Seattle Audubon Society on its weekly field trips. Experienced group leaders will have you crisscrossing some of the best birding locales in the country in search of common Steller’s jays and bald eagles one month and migratory water birds and Seattle-loving barred owls the next.
Seattle Audubon Society, 8050 35th Ave NE, Wedgwood, 206-545-2197; seattleaudubon.org

2. WhirlyBall:
Gear required None.
Vanity value Show that you play well with others.

WhirlyBall is for anyone looking to play a little basketball, a little hockey, and a little lacrosse—all from the comfort of their very own WhirlyBug (better known as an electric bumper car). Two teams of five face off armed with plastic scoops for passing and shooting a whiffle ball across the court. While there is a strict “no bumping” policy, keep an eye out for crazy drivers—even a few taps can mean serious postmatch back pain.
WhirlyBall, 23401 Hwy 99, Edmonds, 425-672-3332; whirlyball.net

3. Walking Club:
Gear required Sturdy walking shoes, map.
Vanity value Card-carrying Volkssport members get instant international street cred.

Walking Seattle’s hills is a great way to get in shape without trainers, treadmills, or gym dues. Set your own pace on the Emerald City Wanderers’ five-and-a-half mile, self-guided walk around Lake Union for a workout that features lake views, houseboats, and all the South Lake Union district has to offer. Word to the wise: Gas Works Park is home to the walk’s only public restroom. Register to earn award points with the American Volkssport Association, which offers self—guided walks all over the country.
Emerald City Wanderers, 425-576-0380; walkingwithecw.org

4. Shoreline Work Parties:
Gear required “Get dirty” clothes.
Vanity value Beautify the beach while working your bod.

You can’t tell by looking, but the shorelines along Lake Washington and Puget Sound are starved for healthy-beach essentials like sediment to hold down sand and trees planted near the water line. Fortunately, Seattle Parks and Recreation organizes volunteers into restorative work parties where they dig holes, push gravel-filled wheelbarrows, and rip out invasive vines. There are also less strenuous tasks, like spreading mulch, so bring along family and friends of all strengths and sizes.
Seattle Parks and Recreation, 206-615-0961; seattle.gov

5. Geocaching :
Gear required Computer with Internet access, GPS device, sturdy shoes or hiking boots.
Vanity value Earn bragging rights with tech lovers and tree huggers alike.

A game of high-tech hide-and-seek may not sound like a fitness challenge: Plug coordinates from Geocaching.com into your GPS device and then go find the cache that’s been hidden there. Return home, hop online, and log your success. Piece of cake—unless the cache is tucked away at 10,000 feet near Mount Rainier’s Camp Muir. Many cache owners craft strenuous routes (check the site for difficulty ratings) and, with over 11,000 caches in Washington alone, a geocache hike promises nature, scenery, and a tailor-made workout.
Geocaching, geocaching.com

6. Hula-Hoop Aerobics:
Gear required Comfy clothing (instructor provides hoops).
Vanity value Hula moves are surprisingly sexy.

Susan Chace, owner of HoopDelite, reminds you how much fun resides in a sparkly plastic circle. Seattle’s only instructor certified in the “HoopGirl” method leads giggling students through moves like the Wild West (twirling the hoop, lasso style, above the head) and Limbo (leaning back while spinning the hoop around the waist to create a vertical loop). Sign up online for a six-week session (held at Denali Fitness in Interbay and Sonny Newman’s Dance Center in Greenwood). Your inner child—and your waistline—will thank you.
HoopDelite, 206-697-5339; hoopdelite.com

7. Double Dutch :
Gear required Tennis shoes, comfortable clothing.
Vanity value Be the coolest kid on the playground—again.

The adult double dutch class taught by professional performer and Northwest Double Dutch founder Andrea Gardner involves moves that go way beyond your typical playground jumping. Held at Community Fitness in Ravenna, the class teaches tricks with an individual rope and lets students try to jump double dutch with a big group. Adult jumpers can drop in any time, and kids can sign up for a 10-class series.
Community Fitness, 2113 NE 65th St, Ravenna, 206-523-1534; communityfitness.com

8. Ultimate Frisbee :
Gear required Frisbee, loose-fitting clothing.
Vanity value Take yourself (and your figure) back to your college days.
This isn’t a forgotten intramural sport embraced by the tree-
hugging stoners you knew in college. It’s a game of skill, strength, and speed sure to test your lungs, legs, and throwing shoulder. Hop onto Northwest Ultimate -Association’s DiscNW.org for leagues or pickup games in which teams of seven pass the disc until they either score or suffer a turnover. Sound easy? Keep in mind that players often run the equivalent of a 5k over the course of a match.
Northwest Ultimate Association, discnw.org

9. Street Scramble:
Gear required Comfortable shoes.
Vanity value Barhopping is a blast, but scrambles are a calorie-free way to learn Seattle nabes.

In Street Scrambles—outdoor urban orienteering events—teams race against the clock to find as many as 30 locations scattered on a map. Parents with kids can work on the easier targets, while adventurous families and athletes in training—runners, adventure racers—cover as much terrain as possible. There are 10 events staged across the Puget Sound region, and many orienteers use them to prepare for the ultimate Scramble event: the Night and Day Challenge, a 16-hour test of stamina and skill held every summer in Seattle and San Francisco.
Street Scrambles, streetscramble.com

10. Functional Training:
Gear required Cross-trainers, loose-fitting clothing.
Vanity value Compare your workouts to the likes of 
Brett Favre.

Star athletes from Mia Hamm to Adrian Peterson, Brady Quinn to Curt Schilling rely on functional training as a key element of their workouts. Focusing on stability, mobility, and flexibility, functional training preaches a total-body approach to increase efficiency and eliminate wasted movements. Weekend warriors can now train like elite athletes at Redmond’s Pro Sports Club, where classes and cutting-edge fitness machines (including vibration platforms and resistance training equipment) combine with instruction from personal trainers. Unfortunately, they can’t teach you to throw a perfect spiral.
Pro Sports Club, 9911 Willows Rd, Bldg D, Redmond, 425-869-4760; proclub.com

11. Acrobatics and Gymnastics:
Gear required Comfortable clothing.
Vanity value Offers a snappy comeback the next time you’re told you look like a
circus freak.

Finding time to exercise can be a delicate balancing act, but the infectious atmosphere at the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts is as irresistible as cotton candy under the big top. Try the teen and adult circus class for an introduction to acrobatics, tumbling, tightrope walking, juggling, and more—just watch out for cofounder Chuck Johnson’s notoriously bad jokes (every class needs a clown, this time it’s the instructor). As you balance on a wire or learn how to backflip, you can revel in the school’s community-focused nonprofit status too.
School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts, 674 S Orcas St, Georgetown, 206-652-4433; astort.com

12. Parkour :
Gear required Low-tread, grippy shoes, loose-fitting clothing.
Vanity value Baffled pedestrians will think you’re a ninja.

Parkour is a fun, free, full-body activity for anyone who is physically fit and not faint of heart. Enthusiasts vault over walls, slide through railings, and leap across stairs to get from one place to another via the quickest, most efficient route. Though participants should be in shape, parkour doesn’t require pro-athlete cardiovascular fitness and upper-body strength to get started, and it delivers surprising dividends in physical agility, balance, and self-awareness. Join up with the Washington Parkour Association for introductory classes and easygoing, playful weekly group jams where you can learn new skills safely.
Washington Parkour Association, washingtonparkour.com

Greening Seattle

World Water Day is today! What a great day to become more aware of how important it is to be a conservationist with one of our most precious resources.

We all do it. We take it for granted in our country. We leave the water running while we brush our teeth. We leave the hose on when we wash our cars. We take longer showers than needed. We run half empty dishwashers and washing machines. We ignore dripping faucets and leaks. But we all can make a difference with small steps and knowledge.

Here are some interesting facts and tips:

• According to the EPA, water leaks in U.S. homes account for more than 1 trillion wasted gallons per year. To find out whether your home has a leak, check your water meter. Then wait two hours without using any water. Then check the meter again. If the reading changes, you’ve got a leak. American Water’s leak-detection kit (PDF) provides other useful ideas for detecting sources of wasted water.
• The next time you need to replace a water-using appliance — whether a toilet, a faucet, or a showerhead — remember to look for the WaterSense label. Fixtures with that seal of approval have been tested and certified to save at least 20% more water than a non-certified counterpart; here’s a complete list of WaterSense products.
• According to the EPA, a typical single-family suburban home uses 30 percent of their waters outdoors on irrigation, and in many cases, more than 50 percent of that water is being wasted due to evaporation and runoff caused by overwatering. Drip irrigation systems use far less water than conventional sprinklers and are far more efficient. Additionally, it may be time to reconsider your landscaping, and make sure you are embracing the native climate rather than clashing with your surrounding environment. While using water for an edible garden makes sense in more ways than one, that lush green lawn doesn’t exactly fit when you live in the middle of a desert. Consider xeriscaping for a drought-resistant, low-maintenance yard.
• It’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many of us forget to turn off the faucet when brushing our teeth. According to the EPA’s WaterSense program, the average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. In other words, a single person can save an average of 8 gallons of water each day by simply turning off the faucet when they brush their teeth. That’s nearly 3,000 gallons a year you could be pouring down the sink while you brush your teeth — so time to turn that faucet off!
• Most pipes and water heaters are not insulated. Doing so will not only cut your water usage (as it won’t take as long for your water to heat up), but will reduce your energy bill too.
• These days, toilets are made that use less than 1.28 gallons per flush. That’s 60 percent better than their old counterparts, which before 1992 used at least 3.5 gallons. If you’re still holding on to that old toilet, you could literally be flushing your money down it.
• A full bath can take 70 gallons to fill, according to the EPA, while a 5-minute shower will only wash away anywhere from 10 to 25 gallons. Clearly, the better choice is apparent.
• Around the Seattle region, we have enough rain fall that we should all be capturing and using it. There are so many great ways and ideas for capturing rain water.
• According to the EPA, the average washing machine uses about 41 gallons per load. Be sure you are only running full loads so that water isn’t unnecessarily being wasted, and better yet — upgrade to a high-efficiency machine that uses less than 28 gallons per load. And of course, you can always try to be more judicious with your laundry schedule: Are those pants really dirty, or can they go another round before needing a good clean?
• This is the first time in human history that most of the world’s population live in cities: 3.3 billion people …and the urban landscape continues to grow.
• World Water Day is aimed at raising awareness around water sanitation issues, which are rather prevalent on a planet where people are more likely to have cellphones than toilets.
• While it may not be the most talked about issue, Water.org estimates that diarrhea kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

Here’s  the question: What can you do on World Water Day 2011?

• Donate your voice.
  Stand up with millions this year in the name of clean water. Donate your status on Facebook or Twitter! When you donate your status, we will automatically issue one tweet or Facebook post through your account each day from
  March 21 – 26. Let’s make this crisis history!
  Donate your voice today!
• Master the Four Minute Shower Time yourself. The average American shower is ~8 minutes and uses ~20 gallons of water, four times as much water as someone in the developing world uses all day. Take Nature’s Gate Shower Challenge and they’ll donate $1 to WaterAid and give you 50% off an online order.
• Start or continue to practice water conservation and teach your children how valuable this precious resource is.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Saint Patrick’s Day is almost here. It’s a great holiday to sample some great green beer, eat traditional Irish foods and wear green to avoid being pinched.

But did you know that you can also be green? Here are a few fun ideas:

Tip #1: Bike to the Bar

The Irish, more than any other national group, have managed to get their bars into nearly every city on Earth. When you head out for the pub this year, join the growing movement of bike only commuters and cycle there instead of driving to slash your greenhouse-gas emissions. However, remember to  limit your intake; a BUI can be serious business. If your regular bar is too far to bike, try someplace new: Use your smartphone to locate the closest bar with Guinness on tap. Cheers!

Tip #2: Buy organic, local corned beef.

Although not traditional Irish cuisine, corned beef has become a St. Patrick’s Day staple for North Americans. If you plan to serve it up — with cabbage, of course — buy your beef from an organic producer who practices sustainable ranching methods. You can also visit your local farmers’ market to find beef raised in your area; often, eating local is even eco-friendlier than eating organic.

Tip #3: Wear Green Clothes

Rather than contribute to conspicuous consumption, consider dying one of your less favorite (natural fabric) items from your closet an appropriate hue of green for the day.  Green vegetable dyes can be extracted by boiling, pulverizing then straining dark, leafy greens (such as kale orchard).  You’ll need a pretty intense pigment, so start with a couple of bunches of greens.  Put your togs into the hot liquid and let soak (at least a few hours and preferably overnight).  Air-dry and enjoy!

Seattle Area Real Estate

What – you say. Round-up is a nasty weed killer so why would you think it could get into my corn flakes? Warning: This is scary.

Although genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been with us since the early 1990s, it is only fairly recently that mainstream consumers have begun hearing about them. There is a very good reason for this: the companies that develop them, along with numerous government agencies, insist that there are no differences between genetically modified crops and their non-GMO counterparts. The public is told there is no danger to health or contamination of non-GMO products, and that genetic engineering is highly beneficial, will help feed the world, will save natural resources such as water, and will result in less use of pesticides.

While the FDA has not required that GMOs be tested for adverse health effects, there are individuals and laboratories that have proceeded with testing anyway. Plentiful results can be found on the Institute for Responsible Technology website.

The term “genetically modified organism,” or GMO, refers to a living organism whose genes have been altered by inserting gene from an unrelated species.  This type of technology is called “transgenic” technology and has been used in over 40 species of plants for food and fibers.  In crops, the technology has generally been used to incorporate genes that enhance resistance to insecticides, herbicides or pesticides, enhance drought tolerance, encourage higher yields or promote the ability to plant more in a smaller area.

The most popular herbicide-tolerant GMOs are Monsanto’s Roundup Ready® crops, which are engineered to be resistant to the company’s own broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup (Glyphosate). This enables growers to use large quantities of Roundup on their fields, and the herbicide will kill everything except the GM crop.

“If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it.” – Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

“Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA’s job.” – Phil Angell, Monsanto’s director of corporate communications, quoted in the New York Times, October 25, 1998

There are eight GM food crops. The five major varieties—soy, corn, canola, cotton, and sugar beets—have bacterial genes inserted, which allow the plants to survive an otherwise deadly dose of weed killer. Farmers use considerably more herbicides on these GM crops and so the food has higher herbicide residues. About 68% of GM crops are herbicide tolerant.

The second GM trait is a built-in pesticide, found in GM corn and cotton. A gene from the soil bacterium called Bt (for Bacillus thuringiensis) is inserted into the plant’s DNA, where it secretes the insect-killing Bt-toxin in every cell. About 19% of GM crops produce their own pesticide. Another 13% produce a pesticide and are herbicide tolerant.

There is also Hawaiian papaya and a small amount of zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, which are engineered to resist a plant virus.

Today, over 80% of US corn, soybean and cotton crops are genetically modified. GM sugar beets were introduced in 2008, and already in the first year, 90% of the sugar beets grown in the U.S. are genetically modified.

There have been many arguments justifying the incorporation of GMOs into the food supply.   However, there is  evidence that GM foods have an increased risk of causing allergic reactions, and uncontrollable cross-pollination depletes crop diversity which has resulted in resistant “super-weeds” and “super-pests.” It’s clear that the primary benefits of GM seeds are to the seed and pesticide companies, not to growers or consumers. And many risks are as of yet unknown.

In the 1980s, a contaminated brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan killed about 100 Americans and caused sickness and disability in another 5,000-10,000 people. The source of contaminants was almost certainly the genetic engineering process used in its production. The disease took years to find and was almost overlooked. It was only identified because the symptoms were unique, acute, and fast-acting. If all three characteristics were not in place, the deadly GM supplement might never have been identified or removed.

If GM foods on the market are causing common diseases or if their effects appear only after long-term exposure, we may not be able to identify the source of the problem for decades, if at all. There is no monitoring of GMO-related illnesses and no long-term animal studies. Heavily invested biotech corporations are gambling with the health of our nation for their profit.

Help end the genetic engineering of our food supply

When the tipping point of consumer concern about GMOs was achieved in Europe in 1999, within a single week virtually all major food manufacturers committed to remove GM ingredients. The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to reach a similar tipping point in the US soon.

Start buying non-GMO today. Help  stop the genetic engineering of our food supply.

Download your free Non-GMO Shopping Guide or ShopNoGMO iPhone App

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