AUGUST EVENTS

Aug. 2 – STC monthly meeting Please join us on Zoom at noon. We will be showing the landscape model that the Urban Heat Resilience working group is making to teach landowners how to save water, energy, and be firesafe in the Tri-Cities. We will also make plans for Riverfest on October 5.

Aug. 3 – Saturdays are for Smart Cycling! By Wheelhouse Bike Community. Columbia Basin College, Pasco.  Duration: 3 hours. For adults who would like to improve their skills for riding on the road, whether your goal is commuting, running errands, riding for pleasure, or competing. The curriculum is part classroom, part on-bike skills. More info HERE.  

Aug. 6 – Bike to School Bootcamp. Three consecutive days covering basic bike maintenance, safety, biking laws, and navigating an urban environment. For middle school students.  Registration is required. Richland Public library, 10am – 1pm.

Aug. 9 – BFCOG at the Richland Farmer’s Market. 9am – 1pm. See the Benton Franklin Council of Governments table to learn about their current surveys, projects, and their summer art contest. Other dates for their table HERE.

Aug. 16.  BFCOG Monthly Board Meeting 10am – 12pm. In-person and online.

Aug. 22 – Urban Heat Resilience (UHR) meeting, 4pm on Zoom. A new grant opportunity. Contact Gail. 

Aug. TBD -TC Chapter CCL monthly meeting. Contact Steve.

WHAT WE DID IN JULY:

Bicycle event for kids. Cub Scouts and children from around the Tri-Cities gathered for a fantastic “healthy” event focused on learning bicycle repair and safety practices. The event, held July 13, featured multiple bicycle courses where kids could practice their skills.  A special thank you to Heather Nicholson and her team for inviting the Benton County Health Department to participate in this wonderful event. STC was there with the Wheelhouse Bicycle Co-op to help Cub Scouts (note: now includes boys and girls) fulfill their bicycle merit badge requirements by fixing tires and tightening brakes. STC was also promoting the new BSA Sustainability Merit Badge. It was surprising to hear many children confess they were 10-12 years old and only just learning to ride bikes.

STC Website Articles: there is a new section on the website for articles of current and local interest. Please send contributions and ideas. The first one is about No on I-2117, and this newsletter will be the second one. The newsletters will be posted there [here] each month.

STC as “Community Connector” on the WA Climate Action Plan. WA Depts of Commerce & Ecology are developing a statewide Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. They invited Sustainable Tri-Cities to participate as a funded “Community Connector” to work directly with them and state agency partners to design a scope of work to engage our community to help shape the CCAP.  Bill B. applied for this great opportunity. Bill is also on the local Climate Opportunity Action Plan.

ACTIONS FOR AUGUST

Opposing I-2117. Join the TC CCL chapter in sending postcards to help save the Climate Commitment Act. https://ecology.wa.gov/air-climate/climate-commitment-act  Aug. 6, 5pm -7pm, Richland library.  And pledge to vote no at https://no2117.com/

STC Sustainability Showcase 2024. Select the organizations you think most deserve recognition for their work by taking our Sustainability Showcase Survey, available through September.

Electricity Markets Rulemaking.  Ecology is hosting online public hearings on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 1pm and Thursday, Aug. 8 at 9am. The hearings will begin with a short presentation and question & answer session, followed by the opportunity to provide formal comments. Written Public Comment Period is June 27- August 20, 2024. To align with the requirements of the Climate Commitment act, this rulemaking will adopt amendments: Reporting of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Climate Commitment Act Program Rule. Learn more HERE.

Proposed Changes to the Tri-Party Agreement (TP) and Consent Decree On Hanford Site Tank Waste  Public comment period May 30 – Sept. 1, 2024. The U.S. Dept. of Energy, WA State Dept. of Ecology, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have signed a settlement agreement and are proposing new and revised cleanup deadlines in the TPA and Washington v. Energy consent decree. Read more HERE.

NEWS and THINGS TO READ

August Tumblewierd Magazine : A Bipartisan Pathway for Pricing Carbon In 2025 – by Steve Ghan

Tri City Herald Letter to the Editor – July 14, 2024 : Water Trees More During the Heat Wave – by Gail Taff [Let your lawn die, instead].

Department of Ecology News Release – July 25, 2024 : Ecology upgrades Washington air quality map in time for wildfire smoke season.

Commerce News, Press Release : Up to 675K WA households will see electricity bills reduced by $200 thanks to state Climate Commitment Act. July 29, 2024.