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A listing on this page does not constitute an endorsement by Sustainable Burien unless we specifically say so. Sites and products are listed here because at the time we listed them they were useful, informative or interesting and contribute in some way to sustainability. Things may have changed since then. If you notice any problems please let us know. We have listing guidelines and contact options on our About Us page. We do not accept payments of any kind from anyone who is listed on this site. Organizing this page is a challenge since many things fit into more than one category. And some categories will certainly develop sub-categories over time. Currently there's a double blue line at the start of each category, and a single blue line to set off each subcategory. The newest items in each section are added at the bottom. I've tried to include enough related text for each link so that you can search (CTRL/F in most browsers) on the page for a key word and find the item you're interested in. The included text is often quoted from the other site. Except for the last one, categories are in alphabetical order. Community Some of the links on these pages lead to PDF files and you will need a PDF reader in order to view them. Adobe's Acrobat Reader is the most common viewer, but there are other options. If you prefer to try something else, Foxit Reader is free for personal use. There are four versions listed on the Foxit Download page. It can be used without an installation (the Zip package), or installed to automatically set file associations. I usually avoid toolbars that come with programs, so I can't tell you anything about that version. This doesn't really fit in any particular category, but have you ever wondered what's in that household cleaning product, or the social policies of the company that makes your toothpaste? Community
Feet First is an advocacy organization building walkable communities. We help people take simple steps to create better places to live, learn, shop, work, and play - a world that cares about health, community, and design. Puget Sound Community Change is designed to encourage loyalty to locally-focused, sustainably-minded businesses, and to support local non-profits and schools in the process. They are part of the Interra Project which is the sponsor of the Community Card programs which help communities reverse the negative impact of losing dollars to retailers that are not locally owned. Shop Locally, Share Locally! No easy access to fresh groceries in many parts of Seattle from the Seattle PI. How walkable is your neighborhood? You can check at Walkscore.com. Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities. Trail maps for King County. The site also has information about King County Parks.
Have you ever wondered what Government Agencies are doing to help with Sustainability? Take a look at ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, it's According to their website, Education
Seattle Climate Partnership is a voluntary pact among Seattle-area employers to take action to reduce their own emissions, and to work together to help meet the community-wide goal. Earth Share of Washington partners with businesses and government agencies to encourage employees to give to the environment at work through payroll giving programs, volunteer projects and involvement in our annual Day in the Park. Good mileage, safety often don't ride together from the Seattle Times. Puget Sound: One man's indictment, love poem and call to arms from the Seattle Times. The Relocalization Network is now composed of nearly 150 Local Post Carbon Groups from all over the world that are working to prepare their communities for an energy constrained future. These groups operate autonomously, while receiving guidance, educational resources, project and technical support and electronic infrastructure from Post Carbon Institute. Greenwashing is like whitewashing with a green (environmental) brush. Greenwashingindex.com EnviroStars was designed to give small businesses incentives and recognition for reducing hazardous materials and waste, in order to protect public health, municipal systems, and the environment. The maps presented on the Worldmapper.org website are equal area cartograms, otherwise known as density-equalising maps. The cartogram re-sizes each territory according to the variable being mapped. The Environmental Science Center is the only community-based, not-for-profit environmental education organization in south King County with programs for all ages. With a primary focus on K through 12, ESC offers school-day programs including classroom lessons and field trips, after school programs, summer camps, and community presentations.
Energy
Mr. Electricity has an online calculator you can use to get an approximate idea of how much energy different appliances, lights and other things in your home use. If you really want to see how much something specific [like your TV when it's off, or the refrigerator, or the desk light] use, you can buy a Kill-A-Watt for about $22 or $26 for a fancier model. They're available online or in many hardware stores. Solarwashington.org is a private not-for-profit 501(c)3 association of solar energy equipment manufacturers, system integrators, distributors, dealers, designers, consultants, students, and interested people. Be sure to see their Tips and Tricks page, which also includes links to other related sites.
Findsolar.com lists over 1,770 Solar Pros. You can look up local installers by area and find out lots of information about them. An April 18, 2008 Seattle PI Article: With utilities bills soaring, some Seattleites turning to solar power And on April 19, 2008 the PI published Solar power in Seattle? It may not boost a home's price but can cut energy bills Northwest Biodiesel Network A July 2006 article about Home Solar Power Incentives from the Seattle PI. The Seattle PI has Blogs for all sorts of things, including Green Building and Energy. As part of the Solar Washington Solar Tour I visited Johnson Braund Design Group, Inc and had a chance to look at some of the things they've done. By combining various technologies they've achieved some outstanding savings. Algae is looking like the new hot candidate for biofuel production. There are a lot of varieties that grow in different conditions [some even live on what we consider pollution, so they clean it up] and the resulting biofuels have different characteristics. See this October 5,. 2008 article by Lisa Stiffler of the Seattle PI for more details.
The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. This is where you can find out about tax incentives and exempt ions, grants, rebates, utility buy backs and more. Back to the TopFood
For suggestions and tips on how to plant different types of small garden plots in the B-Patch, your yard or anywhere else check out the plans on Gardeners.com. Food Alliance is a nonprofit organization that certifies farms and ranches and food handlers (including packers, processors and distributors) for sustainable agricultural and business practices. Sustainable farming, an article from the Seattle PI. The lowdown on topsoil: It's disappearing also from The Seattle PI. Portland's City Garden Farms program. Live Urban - Eat Local SPIN (Small Plot Intensive) Farming Portland's "Diggable City" Initiative Seattle Urban Farm Company Longfellow Creek Garden is situated on a � acre parcel of land in the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle. The Garden is organized to function as a cooperative. Local households collaborate together to grow food. Puget Sound Fresh is sponsored by King County, Sprouts in the Sidewalk is all about Urban Agriculture, including some history and information about Urban Agriculture in different cities around the US. SouthMauiSustainability.org has posted a good article by Marian Scott about the advantages of converting part of a lawn to garden space. There's also some information about supporting local farmers, and some stuff that won't work for you unless you move to Maui. Full Circle Farm is a certified organic farm based in Carnation Washington. They make weekly deliveries of custom boxes of fresh food to designated pick-up points as part of Community Supported Agriculture. It's a great way to support local farmers and get healthy food at the same time. There is a pickup location in Burien on South 128th St. They are willing to add pickup locations if someone will host it and there are enough customers who want an additional pick-up point. Details are on their pickup locations page. If you're interested you can coordinate with others through the Food Pod's Blog. Community Supported Agriculture is a growing industry where people get together to buy locally produced healthy food, which also helps support local farmers. The products can be delivered to area distribution points or picked up at the farm depending on how the farm has set it up. Some are done with subscriptions, some just let you order what you want. You can use the information provided at LocalHarvest.org to find local services and see what fit your needs. Urbangardenshare.org lists available garden space by area around Seattle, and they also have a list of people looking for garden space. See if there's anything that will work for you. As UGS says: Wiserearth.org has a list of Do you have a fruit tree or garden that produces more than you can use? Gleaning can help share the wealth.
On June 2, 2008 the Seattle PI published an article titled Urban farming sprouts in Seattle And on June 3, 2008 Growing in Seattle: Food aid from the home front.
The Library: Movies, DVDs, books and other material related to Sustainability
Movies
that have been recommended by our members.
Online News and Magazines
Miscellaneous Links
1Sky Washington is a campaign led by Climate Solutions and Washington Environmental Council working with partners across the state to pass strong policies to reduce global warming pollution, decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, and transition Washington to a clean energy economy. What does the Positive Futures Network (PFN) do? The Trust For Public Lands is sponsoring National Park(ing) Day, an opportunity to celebrate parks in cities and promote the need for more parks by creating temporary public parks in public parking spaces. National Park(ing) Day is Friday, September 19, 2008.
News Articles
A Seattle PI article with links about rebates/refunds/tax breaks. Seattle City Light information about connecting alternative energy sources to power grid. An August 4, 2008 Seattle PI article about car wash kits that prevent soapy water from going down the storm drains and into the Sound. The kits are available to charities for free. Astronomer, teacher and writer Dr. Pamela L. Gay wrote an article titled My Summer Vacation off the Grid. On August 21, 2008 the Maui Weekly published an article about the first meeting of SouthMauiSustainability.org. Back to the TopRecycling
Takeitbacknetwork.org for information on electronics recycling including fluorescent tubes and bulbs. Although they aren't currently listed on that site, Home Depot now accepts fluorescents at no charge. Expect others to start doing the same thing soon. An April 18, 2008 article by Lisa Stiffler of the Seattle PI: Concerns are raised about where junk taken to free events ends up. 1800gotjunk.com has links to articles about e-waste recycling. Please see our 2008 Burien Strawberry Festival links page for more recycling related links. There's thousands of dollars of materials in buildings that need to be torn down. Instead of knocking them down, this Seattle Times article talks about Deconstructing them. According to this September 19, 2008 Seattle PI article, as of late 2008 restaurants and businesses in Seattle are composting nearly 1,800 tons of food related waste per year. And the volume is going up rapidly. Call2Recycle is a web site with information about recycling rechargable batteries. You can enter your zip code and get a list of nearby drop off locations. New E-Cycling Regulations that go into effect On January 2, 2009. Basically, computers, laptops, monitors, and televisions can be recycled for free. This December 10, 2008 Seattle PI article has more information. The Washington State Department of Ecology's E-Cycle site has information about the new [as of January 2009] program that allows free recycling of computers, monitors, laptops and televisions. Also see our December 2008 article According to their website the Basel Action Network Total Reclaim and Re-PC are two of a number of places that accept TV's, monitors and computers for free under Washington's e-Cycle law that went into effect in January 2009. Both are certified by the Basel Action Network as responsible recyclers. Re-PC will attempt to repair/refurbish used equipment and sell it for reuse. They also sell computer parts if the whole computer can't be saved. What can't be reused will be taken to Total Reclaim. Total Reclaim does not attempt to determine if something is still functional, they simply break it down for recycling. So working or repairable items should be taken to Re-PC. InterConnection is a Seattle based non-profit that accepts used computers and provides them to underserved people and communities around the world. They reuse computers to help keep them out of landfills, those that can't be reused are recycled. InterConnection is certified by the Basel Action Network as an e-Steward for Reducing our impact [and saving our money]
Also see our section on Compostable bags and food containers. Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources. Savingwater.org a website to help conserve water at home and at work. Greenup Seattle from Seattle City Light. Saving Electricity at Home from Seattle City Light. Plastic bags are killing us from Salon.com. CO2: They Should Bottle That Stuff from Time Magazine. Chico Bags sells compact, durable reusable bags.
The Freecycle Network ™ is made up of 4,559 groups with 5,524,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Waste Management has a page full of links related to the premise that Waste Prevention Is Even Better Than Recycling! Do you do Charity Car washes? DId you know that the runoff from car washing damages our streams and Puget Sound? But there's hope. King County has information about Car Wash Kits a Car Wash Kit Lending Program for fundraising programs, and CharityCarWash.org lets you just sell tickets that can be used at participating professional car washes who properly recycle the wash water. As this July 19, 2008 Seattle Times article says, small houses can be a big win. Also see The Small House Society site. King County's Ecoconsumer page. There are potential issues with recycling rain water. The State of Washington is working on rewriting the laws to deal with the new circumstances. This November 21, 2004 Seattle Times article has tips for Building Green. This September 29, 2008 Seattle PI article about green homes shows what can be done when a developer, utilities and government agencies cooperate to reduce the impact of a new development. The Project's web site is z-home.org. Now there's an Open Source Wiki related to green infrastructure. Their page says: Paperstone Products are made from recycled paper and a proprietary non-petroleum based resin to create counter tops, partitions and more. If you're thinking about granite counter tops or something similar, you might want to check this out. The manufacturer is just up the road in Hoquiam Washington. The GE CFL FAQ has lots of information about Compact Fluorescent Lights, including some that can help you pick the right one for your needs. Some locations require special bulbs. And in some cases you're better off not using a CFL at all. You can build your own solar powered lawn mower for about $700, and it recycles an old gas mower. If you break a CFL or other fluorescent bulb you don't need to panic, but you do need to use caution. See these spill cleanup procedures from the EPA. Compostable bags and food containers
Styrofoam and plastic food containers clog our landfills, litter our environment and use up non-renewable resources during their manufacturing. The City of Seattle is banning foam containers starting in 2009 and plastic containers starting in 2010. There are no plans to do the same in Burien, but the same alternative products will be available here, and prices will be coming down. It's already possible to save money if you can buy in enough bulk, plus it can save on garbage costs. This August 21, 2008 Seattle Times article is about what the University of Washington has done, and includes advice on getting started on the conversion. The March 9, 2007 Gloucester Daily Times of North Andover, MA had an article about Replacing Styrofoam: Biodegradable plates enter the fast-food scene. And things have gotten better since then.
You know all those plastic bags that are used for garbage, yard waste, and picking up after pets? They're available as a biodegradable corn based product. This is a list of vendors in no particular order, with quotes from their sites:
Transportation
Zipcar has a car in White Center. That's as close as they've gotten to Burien. So far. Metro Transit has route information, planners, Pass sales and much more online.
The Seattle Bicycling Guide Map is available from the Seattle Department of Transportation. There are online versions or you may request a printed copy. Cascade's Summer Bike League allows you to measure your impact throughout the summer. Unlike the Group Health Commute Challenge which tracks only bike to work trips, all miles can be logged this summer, including fitness/fun rides, trips to do errands and rides to and from your office or school. The King County GIS Center has maps and flyers with information about parks, trails, bike lanes, playgrounds, and community centers in the Burien, Renton, Tukwila and SeaTac areas. This information builds on the Feet First program and maps. Free printed copies can be obtained from the cities involved or the County Parks Department. Plug In Olympia is a grassroots effort to have electric vehicle recharging stations installed around Olympia Washington. Getting there greener: Links related to events we participated in
When we participate in an event, we usually have pamphlets or some other sort of information to hand out. And for those who don't want to take a pamphlet, or want to save paper, or can't make the event, we try to put all the relevant links on the web site, with a few notes. These are the pages related to past events. Links related to the 2008 Burien Strawberry Festival. There are lots of links related to recycling, solar power, and water conservation, including yard and garden information. Links related to our first gathering in July 2008 have been incorporated into this page. We will be adding more links to this page regularly. Please check back. |
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