September 2012 
In this issue:

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websiteOSE is Updating Our Website - Please Share Your Thoughts

OSE's website will soon have a new look with new content. Please help us create a website that does an excellent job in meeting your needs. We are asking for your participation in a short survey - that should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. Click here to take the survey. We are asking for responses by Friday, September 7. 

We know that people visit our website for a variety of different reasons and getting a better sense of those reasons will help us better serve the entire Seattle community. Thank you! 
PARKPARK(ing) Day is September 21!

Create your own park this September 21 from 9AM to 3PM! PARK(ing) Day happens every third Friday in September and is an opportunity for artists, activists, and community members to temporarily make parking spaces into parks. The event raises awareness about important issues like creating a walkable, livable, healthy city. Partnering with Seattle Department of Transportation saves you the permit fee. PARK(ing) day site plans are due today, however if you mention you learned about the event through GreenSpace (OSE's newsletter), you can turn your plans in as late as close of business Thursday, September 6. Contact Dawn Schellenberg for more information. 

FoodWasteGet a Free Kitchen Scale and Help Reduce Food Waste

Nobody likes throwing food away - but it happens frequently in the U.S. and as a result the average American throws away between $28-43 in the form of about 20 pounds of food each month. That translates to $2,275 a year for a family of four. Nationally that's $165 billion worth of food! Aside from the loss of dollars, there's a big environmental impact, since growing food uses "10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, 50 percent of U.S. land, and swallows 80 percent of all freshwater consumed in the United States." (NRDC) Learn more about how to prevent food loss at the  National Resource Defense Council's site.      

 

Seattle Public Utilities is launching a program to learn more about what kinds of food people are disposing, and in what quantities.  If you are willing to weigh and categorize your food waste for 3 months (January - March, 2013), Seattle Public Utilities will give you a free electronic kitchen scale. 100 kitchen scales are available for participants in this study! Call 206-233-7198 and leave your name, phone number and e-mail address. Selected participants will be notified by November 15.

BlogFrom OSE's Blog..

 

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you informed about the City's environment and sustainability programs, partners, and initiatives. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future issues at [email protected].