Sustainable Tri-Cities December Newsletter
EVENTS
Dec. 5 – Energy and Future Tri-Cities Initiatives, 2 pm – 5:30 pm. WSU-TC East Auditorium.
Speakers: Rick Dunn, Diahann Howard, and Yonas Demissie.
Topics: Regional Electricity Supply & Demand, Energy Challenges & Opportunities, the Port of Benton’s Clean Energy Hub Vision, WSU-TC’s Institute for NW Energy Futures, and the Pacific NW Hydrogen Hub.
Dec. 7 – Alternative Gift Fair Noon to 4 pm. Charitable giving to local, national, and international organizations, including Citizens’ Climate Education and Friends of Badger Mt. Donations can be made in-person, by mail, and online, and make cool gifts to give those who have everything. Community Unitarian Universalist Church, 2819, W. Sylvester St., Pasco. More info here.
Dec. 7 – Citizens’ Climate Lobby national conference online. Register here.
Dec. 20 – STC monthly meeting at noon on ZOOM.
Dec. 17 –TC Chapter CCL monthly meeting. 7pm. Speak up for clean energy permitting reform and to keep the IRA funding coming, and more ways to be involved. Contact Steve.
Dec. 18 – Strong Towns MC meeting. Working on urban planning changes in Richland, including parking requirements. See their FB page.
ACTIONS FOR DECEMBER
Tell the FTC: We want honesty and transparency in recycling labels. Plastic companies claim that their plastics are recyclable. But that’s not accurate. Despite recycling symbols on a huge range of plastic products, only about 5% of them actually get recycled. For plastic producers, the less we know about how much plastic goes to waste, the better. Environmental Action says “Let’s demand the truth: If it’s not being recycled, plastic companies shouldn’t be allowed to call it recyclable.” Act!
Tomato on every Porch. A project by Alice A., long time WSU Extension Master Gardener, to help Head Start and inspire families to grow their own food. Donate seed money Here. Questions: 509-528-1954.
2025 BFCOG Community Economic Development Strategy SWOT Survey. Help shape the future of our community and regional economy. Every five years, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) requires a regional plan, the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The CEDS document serves as a framework for creating economic goals from a regional perspective. It is strategy-driven, collaboratively developed, and locally implemented. The information provided within the CEDS assists local decision makers in obtaining Federal funding for projects, setting investment priorities, and aligns public and private investment goals. You can take the brief survey here.
Here are two ways to protect forests with WA Wild. Deadlines are at the end of the year, but it is best to act ASAP:
We need to pass Wild Olympics which would permanently protect more than 126,000 acres of Olympic National Forest as Wilderness, along with 19 rivers and their major tributaries, as Wild & Scenic Rivers. Urge our Senators Here. Public comments deadline 3/17/25.
Eight proposed Trust Land Transfer (TLT) projects would protect over 12,000 acres of state forest lands. by going HERE.
Safer Products for Washington. Public comment period Nov. 1, 2024, 12 am – Dec. 31, 2024, 11:59 pm.
Safer Products for Washington establishes a process where they designate priority chemicals, identify products that contain those chemicals, determine needed regulatory actions, and adopt rules to implement regulatory actions. Read more and comment HERE.
Watch: Join or Die A film about why you should join a club, and why the fate of America depends on it. “Join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it?” There may be a watch party.
WHAT WE DID in NOVEMBER
- Voted No on I-2117! Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out to save the CCA!
- Took a break from the election and a busy spring through fall season.
- Attended the Mid-Columbia Forestry Council Tree Care workshop Nov. 13. The updated list of trees to plant in the MC is on their website.
- Shopped local for Thanksgiving at the Food Co-op. (You did, didn’t you?).
NEWS and THINGS to READ
What Can You Do? By Steven Ghan. Nov. 6 Tri City Herald. Read it HERE.
Congress must address energy infrastructure bottlenecks. By Steven Ghan. Nov. 27. Tri City Herald.
What the 2024 election means for Climate Change. By Steven Ghan. DecemberTumbleweird pg. 17.
Beyond Plastics: 6 Steps to a Plastic-Free Holiday Dinner. Consider these suggestions for the upcoming holiday parties and feasts. Read
Cleanup crews working quickly to address recent groundwater contamination from Pasco Landfill. Nov. 25, 2024.
Your gateway to grants and incentives: FundHubWA connects you to climate and clean energy funding opportunities.
For more news and events, see the Sustainable Tri-Cities website www.alsctc.org/events
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