According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American household generates nearly 15 pounds of trash per day. Even though most people try to recycle at least some of their trash, most of that waste winds up in landfills and incinerators.
|
Become a Better Recycler, Come to Our October Meeting to Find Out How From These Experts!
Thursday, October 21, 7PM RSVP Required
|
|
|
| Meggan Uecker earned the Environmental Policy & Planning degree from Western Washington University's Huxley College on the Peninsula, focusing on solid waste systems. She worked for Clallam County Public Works since 2013, most recently as Utility Program Manager administering solid waste and wastewater utility programs. She currently serves as Solid Waste Superintendent for the City of Port Angeles. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laura Tucker has been a lifelong science educator. She works with Jefferson County Public Health in a number of educational roles including supporting our local residents to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vote!
Making sound environmental decisions at all levels of government takes committed elected officials who are environmental champions. Each election cycle, the North Olympic Group interviews local candidates seeking our endorsement and uses a rigorous process to determine who to endorse. In the face of historic heatwaves, hurricanes, and wildfires, the work of the Sierra Club is more important than ever. With environmental champions in office, we can win the bold climate solutions we need for our planet and our communities. Check out our website to find out more:
|
Local Supporters Cheer House Passage of Wild Olympics Bill as part of NDAA
The Wild Olympics Coalition cheered a major bi-partisan vote in Congress on September 23 that helped advance important public lands and rivers legislation. This vote included the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act sponsored by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), which passed with a number of other public land bills as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
The Wild Olympics legislation would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries – a total of 464 river miles – as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Find out more here: |
|
|
|
Connie Gallant Receives Prestigious Eleanor Stopps Award
And, speaking of Wild Olympics, Connie Gallant, Olympic Forest Coalition president, just received the annual Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award. Connie has been a moving force behind the success of Wild Olympics, working hard for many years to advance build the coalition needed to pass this important legislation. The award also recognizes her many efforts, over the years, promoting the protection, conservation and restoration of natural forest ecosystems on the Olympic Peninsula. The award pays tribute to Eleanor Stopps, whose vision, advocacy and determination exemplify the power and importance of community leadership. |
|
|
|
|
Port Townsend Reservoir, 2015 Drought
|
|
Who Uses Four Billion Gallons of Water a Year?
The City of Port Townsend is currently in negotiations with the Port Townsend paper mill regarding the future of Port Townsend's water supply--a century old system managed under an outdated agreement with the mill that fails to promote conservation. The paper mill's use of 11 million gallons per day of Quilcene water is unsustainable in light of climate change.
There's a lot of misunderstanding regarding the current relationship between the city and the mill. Some think the city gets it water free from the mill (it's the reverse), that the mill built the waterworks (the city did, the mill's payments for water amortized the construction bonds), or that technological solutions like desalination will save the day (it's prohibitively expensive and its operating costs would send water bills sky high).
The city has an "Engage PT" program to involve the public in this important decision. To date, public stakeholder comments overwhelmingly think improvements can be made to the existing contract.
The Port Townsend city council will shortly be deciding on a new multi-year water contract for the mill. Let the city council know that we want a new water contract
that promotes conservation, modernizes a fragile, century old system, and charges the mill a fair price for the enormous amount of water it uses each day.
|
Washington Commissioners Need to Represent All the People
Many of us use Washington's beautiful lands and waters for hiking, biking, paddling and wildlife viewing. The state's Fish and Wildlife Commission, which makes important decisions about how these resources are used, should reflect the views of all the state's residents. But the commissioners largely represent those who use natural resources for consumption, such as fishing, hunting and ranching.
The good news: Two seats on the commission are open. Gov. Jay Inslee can make a difference by rapidly filling these seats with pro-science, pro-conservation commissioners.
And, vacancies also exist on the State Parks Commission that recently allowed the Navy to inappropriately use our parks for military training. The parks affected line Puget Sound and are among the most visited, yet many of the commissioners who made this decision were from unaffected parts of the state. Had the composition of the Commission more closely reflected where people live and recreate, we would have had a different outcome.
Tell Gov. Inslee to appoint new Fish and Wildlife commissioners that represent recreational users, not just resource users. While your at it, ask him to appoint new State Parks commissioners who will reverse the decision to allow military training in our beloved state parks lining Puget Sound.
|
The North Olympic Group's website is updated to reflect current environmental issues and club events. Members are encouraged to periodically check it out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
