EVENTS

Jan. 4 – Bird Walk. Meet at the trailhead to Bateman Island at 7:45am and begin birding at 8:00 sharp. Parking is at the Sacagawea Memorial because parking is closed for Wye Park. Birders of all ages and abilities are welcome. They have binoculars for you to borrow. The annual Christmas bird count continues until Jan. 5. Christmasbirdcount.org

STC will not have a monthly meeting in January. Join us in February to start planning for spring! In the meantime, there will be a lot to do during the WA state legislative session. Let me know if you would like to receive weekly action alerts. I track the priority bills of Climate Solutions, the WA League of Women Voters Climate and Energy team, and a few others. Together we can make a difference.

Jan. 22 –TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7pm. Contact Steve.

Skyline trail, looking towards Little Badger. Photo by Rick Zimmerman 1-10-24

ACTIONS FOR JANUARY

Tell the FTC: We want honesty and transparency in recycling labels. (Continued from December.)

Plastic companies claim that their plastics are recyclable, but despite recycling symbols on a huge range of plastic products, only about 5% of them actually get recycled. 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!

Lobby with the Environmental Priorities Coalition. The Washington 2025 Legislative Session will begin on January 13. Read about the Environmental Priorities Coalition 2025 priorities here. Help pass the Recycling Reform Act, protect the Climate Funds from being used in the budget shortfall, and safeguard vulnerable rules like the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, clean energy policies, and programs to lower costs by supporting energy efficiency in our homes and businesses. The EPC will coordinate Environmental Lobby Day on Feb 6. Let Sustainable TC know if you would like to receive weekly action alerts (from EPC and others), or sign up for the EPC rapid response action alerts.

WHAT WE DID in DECEMBER

• Commented on Safer Products for Washington. This Dept. of Ecology program works with the Dept. of Health to implement the Toxic Pollution Law . Learn more here.
• Wrote to protect our forests and rivers. www.wildolympics.org
• Did the 2025 BFCOG Community Economic Development Strategy SWOT Survey. Every five years, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) requires a regional plan, the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). 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 still take the brief survey to help shape the future of our community and regional economy here.

What we did in 2024 – Highlights

Monthly Sustainable Living articles in Tumbleweird magazine- by Jenni H. Included a four-page section for Earth month on what local organizations are doing: clean energy advancements, eco preservation and adventures, enviro education, active transportation, and reducing waste, including recycling.    

Climate Opportunity Action Plan working group. We attended monthly meetings to help provide opportunities and benefits to the community of climate mitigation and adaptation for all jurisdiction’s comprehensive plans per the state Growth Management act. Steve Ghan, who is leading this working group, gave a presentation at the STC April meeting.  

Lobbied during the WA Legislative Session. Wins included an increase of $1 billion to the $13.6 billion transportation budget, funding from the IRA for zero emissions school buses, a bill to transition utilities off natural gas, created an extreme weather response grant program, and more.

Education at Events- Tabled at Homeschool Night at the REACH Museum, Columbia Basin College Wellness Fair, Bike Expo, Riverfest (with our very popular fishing pond), and others.

Earth Day – planning, promoting and tabling. The STC table shared on the benefits and care of urban trees, eco-friendly landscape design (with kids coloring sheets), recycling, and active transportation.

Sustainability Showcase survey- survey to recognize the excellent work of partner organizations.

No on I-2117 campaign. Joined CCL to educate people to vote no on 2117, including at events and post card writing parties.  

Bicycle event for kids. Cub Scouts and children from around the Tri-Cities learned bicycle repair and safety practices July 13. Sustainable TC and Wheelhouse Bicycle Co-op helped Cub Scouts fulfill their bicycle merit badge requirements. STC was also promoting the new BSA Sustainability Merit Badge.

Urban Heat Resilience (UHR) working group

1. Hosted and gave presentations with the BF Health District to WSU landscape architecture students, in February.  The student’s project addressed urban heat islands in the Tri-Cities using nature-based solutions.
2. Wrote a letter to Richland city council members asking then to decrease the number of parking spots required. (see 2/20/24 City Council meeting)
3. Designed and built a landscape model for conserving water and energy in the Tri-Cities. It won BFCOG’s  summer art contest “to illustrate a solution to shared regional problems through art.”  
4. Gail T. published a letter in the TC Herald on watering trees during the heat wave.

International Day of Clean Air. Sustainable TC and BF Council of Governments (BFCOG) tabled at REI in Kennewick, providing information on air quality to protect people from wildfire smoke, and ozone.

Promoted the new TC Food Co-op and how to have eco-friendly holidays

NEWS and THINGS to READ

Boots in the Basin: a local environmental coalition. By Sara Quinn. Tumbleweird pg. 25

Building resilience. By Steve Ghan. Tumbleweird pg. 20.

Congress must act now to address energy infrastructure bottlenecks. By Steve Ghan. TC Herald. Nov. 30, 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 and Like the Face Book page.