- Becky R. photographed this flower on our recent outing. Can anyone identify it for us?
Read about our latest Faith, Fitness and Friends excursion under NB Walks (click on link at lower left of this page).
By the Wayside
August 22, 2011 at 9:52 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: bellevue parks, walking
Updates
July 21, 2011 at 10:29 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: books, walking
I’ve recently posted updates to NB Reads and NB Walks (links are at the left side of this page), and would love to hear about what other people are currently reading on environmental themes, and also about favorite walks in the Greater Seattle-Bellevue area that might make good outings for the Fitness, Faith and Friends group. Just send me a comment.
Environmental Legislative Priorities for 2011
January 3, 2011 at 10:37 pm (Green Team Discussion, Uncategorized)
Tags: advocacy, Earth Ministry, environment
The Washington State Environmental Priorities Coalition (which includes Earth Ministry and a number of other organizations) recently announced this year’s legislative priorities:
1. Coal Free Future of Washington–phasing out the coal-fired power plant near Chehalis
2. Freshwater Pollution Control Act–restricting the sale of phosphorus lawn fertilizer, which is a major cause of algae blooms and other pollution. and adds millions of dollars to wastewater treatment costs.
3. 2011 Clean Water Act/Working of Clean Water–requiring major sources of toxic oil runoff to clean up after themselves, and to create jobs for Washingtonians by building clean water infrastructure
4. Maintaining key environmental protections, which are also important for maintaining the long-term economic health of our state.
To learn more about these issues, check out Earth Ministry’s blog “To Inspire and Mobilize” in the blog roll to the left of this page. Environmental Lobby Day in Olympia this year will be Feb. 15, and Interfaith Advocacy Day will be on March 17.
Environmental Priorities Recap
April 21, 2010 at 7:51 pm (Uncategorized)
The environment didn’t do too badly during the legislative session in Olympia this year. Two of the three issues supported by the Environmental Priorities Coalition passed. The Safe Baby Bottle Act, to ban the chemical bisphenol A from baby bottles and food containers, passed quickly with bi-partisan support. Most existing environmental protections, such as air quality monitoring and clean-up of toxic contamination sites, retained funding. The third priority, the clean water act, which would have placed a per barrel tax on petroleum to pay for cleanup of stormwater runoff in Puget Sound and area rivers did not pass. However, the legislature did enact a $50 million one-time allocation for waterways cleanup.
The Environmental Priorities Coalition reports that legislators received about 20,000 e-mails and calls and over 1,000 constituent visits in support of preserving the environment. You can learn more about the legislative priorities and other environment-friendly legislation at their web-site http://environmentalpriorities.org
De-Cluttering Tips
March 29, 2010 at 8:39 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: de-clutter, voluntary simplicity
Here are some de-cluttering suggestions from the adult education class on Voluntary Simplicity.
1. Hang all your hangers facing the same way; when you wear a garment, turn the hanger the opposite direction. After a couple of months, you’ll see what you’re not wearing and can give away.
2. If uncertain about an item, seal it up in a box and date it. If you haven’t needed to open the box after several months, get rid of it.
3. Donate items to the church rummage sale, Goodwill, or other charity. You’ll feel better about giving away things that you know others will enjoy.
4. When you get a magazine, immediately put any articles you want to read into a folder, and discard the rest. (Many magazines are mostly advertising anyway.)
5. Have workers come in to clean carpet, paint, etc. This forces you to put things away.
6. Focus on only one area at a time and do it thoroughly.
7. Have someone else help you make decisions about what to keep. If they laugh and say “What were you thinking?” that’s a good clue to dispose of something.
8. Know your weaknesses and avoid the temptation to acquire more clutter (i.e., stay out of bookstores, hobby shops, etc.) If you see something that attracts you, wait 24 hrs. before buying to see if you really want it.
Voluntary Simplicity Resources
March 17, 2010 at 7:28 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: voluntary simplicity
Here are some resources I’ve found useful. Please add to this list by sending me a comment:
Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity by Adam Hamilton
Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez (updated in 2008)
Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich by Duane Elgin
Sabbath Time by Tilden Edwards
Sabbath Keeping by Lynne M. Baabs
Rediscovering Values On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street: A Moral Compass for a New Economy by Jim Wallis. I’ve only read excerpts of Wallis’s newest book, but anything he writes is worthwhile.
www.storyofstuff.com (internet video on the production, marketing and disposal of “stuff” and its effects on us and the planet)
www.flylady.com (tips for household organization and decluttering)
Environmental Lobby Day
January 27, 2010 at 8:07 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: advocacy, environment, United Methodist
This year’s Environmental Lobby Day in Olympia was the second one I’ve attended, and again it was an energizing event. We received an overview of the three legislative priorities for this year (see previous post below), and then went to visit our elected officials.
First, the good news. We learned that the safe baby bottle act had just passed the House by a vote of 95-1. The Senate version is not quite so strong as the House bill, so Senators should be encouraged to support the House language.
The clean water legislation does not yet have a bill number. Basically, it would add a per barrel fee to petroleum products and other contaminants brought into our state, and this revenue would be used to clean up and prevent stormwater run-off, which is the largest cause of pollution in our waterways. After our legislative visits, some of us watched a recent “Frontline” program entitled “Poisoned Waters,” which focused on Puget Sound and the urgency of protecting the health of salmon, orcas and human beings, reinforcing the importance of the clean water act.
The third item on our agenda is not specific legislation but rather a reminder to maintain existing funding for environmental protection in the state budget. With another predicted budget short-fall of about $3 billion, cuts to human services, education and environmental care could reach unconscionable proportions. Failure to address environmental (and social) problems now will only result in much higher costs later on, and risks the health and well-being of future generations. As concerned citizens, we MUST be willing to look at increasing state revenues (i.e., increasing taxes and fees). Failure to do so will just bring us misery in the not-so-distant future.
So…the message from environmental lobby day is a mix of “joys and concerns.” About 450 of us citizen lobbyists from about 20 different organization registered for this year’s event, and it was heartening to be with such a committed group of people (including several other United Methodists!) working on behalf of care for all creation.
Walking the Walk
June 18, 2009 at 7:22 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: bellevue parks, Renton, walking
Walking is not only a healthy activity, it’s a great way to experience the environment, both natural and man-made. In a recent Clarion newsletter (see http://www.fumcbellevue.org/CurrentClarion.pdf ), I wrote about my goal of walking a mile or so several times a week. In order to keep myself honest, I’m going to keep a walking log, which you can find on a separate page, NB Walks. (You can access this using the link at the lower left of this current page.) I know there are many wonderful parks and trails in the greater Renton-Bellevue area. I hope you will send me some of your favorites.
Christian Veganism
June 17, 2009 at 9:09 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Earth Ministry, environment, food, vegan
An environmental team member recently sent me an e-newsletter from the Christian Vegetarian Association, and I’d like to pass on a couple of links of interest:
http://www.ChristianVeg.org
http://www.vegan-food.net
Maybe, like me, you’re not quite ready to go totally meat-free, but are disturbed by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and the environmental degradation they cause, not to mention their inherent cruelty. For starters, try reducing your meat consumption by 50%, and eat vegetarian or vegan once or twice a week. The vegan-food site will give you an abundance of recipe suggestions.
I’ve just finished reading a collection of essays published by Earth Ministry entitled “Food and Faith.” Agriculture in our country, and by extension globally, is about 90% controlled by just a handful of corporations. In light of what’s happened in the financial industry (i.e., bail out AIG because it’s “too big to fail”) this is quite alarming. So I fight the system as I can by eating local and organic foods and going to the farmers market. One area where doing what’s right is also fun and enjoyable.
Outbreak of Spring Fever
May 4, 2009 at 10:30 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: bellevue parks, environment
In the interest of bringing up-to-date research to this blog (OK, I confess, I succumbed to spring fever), I recently visited the new Mercer Slough Environmental Center, which opened last fall. I enjoyed exploring their attractive, green-built facilities and walking their well-maintained, calf-stretching trails. An additional tenth of a mile would have taken me to a larger trail system leading into the slough, which I have hiked on other occasions. I spotted a rufous-sided towhee, and also saw a pair of red-tail hawks circling overhead.
The environmental center offers a number of free or low-cost programs for all ages. Some recent topics have included green remodeling, bird basics, and “bugs and slugs.” To learn more, check out their web site at www.bellevuewa.gov/mseec.htm
