November 2012 

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article1'Blue House' provides tips on energy conservation around Seattle 

The mobile artwork There's No Place Like Home, also known as the Blue House, is traveling around Seattle. You can find it at Gas Works Park on Nov. 11, Seattle Center's Winterfest on Nov. 24 and the Greenlake Festival of Lights on Dec. 8.

 

Created by Lucia Neare's Theatrical Wonders, the nearly 14-foot-tall Victorian house is accompanied by singing bears and gnomes delivering messages of energy conservation and sustainability. All performances are free. Dates, times and locations can be found at www.bluehouseseattle.org. Follow the Blue House's adventures on Facebook and Twitter.

Neare, recipient of a 2012 Mayor's Arts Award for her large-scale, whimsical performances, created the mobile installation to celebrate home stewardship through energy in recognition of Seattle City Light (SCL) and Community Power Works (CPW), the city of Seattle's energy upgrade program.

 

CPW helps homeowners and businesses save energy, often with specialized rebates, incentives and financing. CPW runs until June 2013, and businesses and homeowners must sign up in the next few months to take advantage of the program.

 

The Blue House project is funded by SCL 1% for Art funds and is administered by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.

Read more about the Blue House here.

article2Help Prevent Flooding and Water Pollution 

In a city known for rain, it's ironic that stormwater causes so many problems. Now that the rainy season is upon us, here are a few things you can do to help manage Seattle stormwater:

  • Keep storm drains in the street clear of leaves and other debris.
  • Collect fallen leaves and deposit them in your food and yard waste container or compost them.
  • Keep your car in good working order to keep oils and metals from getting into the roadway and being carried by stormwater runoff into nearby waterways.
  • Consider building a rain garden on your property to manage the runoff from your roof. In many parts of the city, rebates are available that can pay for the entire project. For more information, go to rainwise.seattle.gov.
article3Community Project Highlight: I Bike SEA

 

This year the Bicycle Alliance of Washington launched an outreach, education, and encouragement program to get more women out biking. The program, called I Bike SEA, received support from Climate Action Now.

 

Currently only 27 percent of bike commuters in Seattle are women. However, women are far more likely to participate in and benefit from cycling outreach and training programs than men. I Bike SEA sought to address this critical need.

 

In September, the Bicycle Alliance coordinated events over two weeks to demonstrate that cycling is safe, convenient, fun, and feminine. A kick-off celebration during Pioneer Square's First Thursday included free bike check-ups, drinks, assistance for how to get around, as well as bike pools home.  Other events included coffee meet-ups with safety tips, local bike pools, and a celebratory wrap-up happy hour.

 

Over 80 people participated in the two-week program. I Bike SEA also spread the word through both social media and traditional media that bicycling is fun and accessible. Coverage included KOMO-TV, the SDOT blog, downtown Seattle business commute trip reduction newsletters, the Seattle Bicycle Blog, local businesses, as well as the Bicycle Alliance of Washington blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

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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].