SAN JUAN COUNTY SOLID WASTE

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Good Newz Issue #2

Debut of Good Newz

Third Issue of GOOD NEWZ

GOOD NEWZ #3 is an online newsletter produced by San Juan County Washington's Solid Waste Division, in line with its "Trash to Treasures" project goals. The hope and purpose of "Good Newz" and the growing "Sustainable San Juans" effort is to spark enthusiasm in the concept of sustainability; its aim is to encourage community-building by providing a format for the collection and dissemination of new ideas, practices, and products that promote sustainability in the San Juan Islands.

We also hope to acknowledge existing efforts by local individuals, organizations, agencies, and businesses that support sustainability concepts. Here are a few definitions of SUSTAINABILITY:

• "A sustainable society satisfies its needs without diminishing the prospects of future generations." Lester R. Brown, Founder and President, Worldwatch Institute
  
  
• Sustainability is when functions and processes of an ecosystem are maintained for the common good.
  
  
• Sustainability requires a shift from consumption- to conservation-based ethics and economics.

"Good Newz" carries reports on global, national, and local efforts. We welcome your input... your comments and suggestions for improving the newsletter. Items you share on sustainable individual, group, and business efforts will be posted in the newsletter. To subscribe, contact helenv@rockisland.com.

SUSTAINABLE SAN JUANS: CONCEPT OF THE MONTH = "DECONSTRUCTION"

The careful disassembly of buildings and other structures to maximize reuse and recycling of materials. The nonprofit Institute for Local Self Reliance (www.ilsr.org) reports that the deconstruction business is booming; a trained deconstruction crew can recover as much as 85% of a single-family house. Examples of reused building items can be seen at the 10-yr old ReStore in Bellingham (www.re-sources.org/restore); a ReStore crew deconstructed Friday Harbor High School during its latest remodel.

THE WORLD COMMUNITY:

Nepal: The Chiwong Monastery, built in 1923 in the shadow of Mt. Everest, has been providing its own lighting (including rechargeable flashlight batteries) since 1999 after a solar array system with battery bank and chargers was installed by Renewable Energy Development International (an educational nonprofit). This photovoltaic (PV) innovation has increased the student monks' ability to see and to read and it has reduced the need and cost of burning many liters of kerosene (as well as the associated hydrocarbon pollution, eyestrain and respiratory ailments).The PV system was carefully designed to be unobtrusive in every way and takes into account user ease of operation. Some monks are trained to do battery maintenance. The project was 95'% privately sponsored, but the community donates to a maintenance fund that accrues interest until it is needed. www.homepower.com

The United Nations Environment Program reports that, since only 5% of the general population (all in the northern hemisphere) is presently embracing sustainability, a Sustainability Conservation Program, Life Cycle Initiative is studying how better to promote sustainable lifestyle and consumption choices.

GOOD ALL-AMERICAN EFFORTS:

Washington, D.C: Solar panels were installed at the White House producing 26.25 KWH/day of energy to supply some electricity and hot water needs; project was funded by the Nat'l Parks Service www.nps.gov).

Charlottesville, VA: Dave Matthews Band, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is sponsoring the planting of 900 trees at the Conservancy's 155-acre property near the band's hometown. The trees, absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen, will offset greenhouse gas emissions from the band's 21 vehicles, plane trips, 67 concert venues, and hotel stays associated with last year's tour.

Harmony, Florida: This new 11,000 acre neighborhood community has become the national model for ecology-minded development. Sustainability design elements include 70% pristine undeveloped open space, 100% Dark Sky-compliant public lighting (improved stargazing, star navigation for birds, higher real estate value), 100% Energy Star homes, 100% gas-free watercraft on lakes, , reclaimed water for lawns, resident stewardship education, more trees planted than removed, pet parks, pocket parks, and a championship public golf course designed to protect its natural wild setting. www.harmonyfl.com

Sustainable Seattle: APRIL 22nd, EARTH DAY CONVERSATION CAFE at Elliott Bay Books, featuring Steve Nicholas, Director of Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment, in a rap session on "strategies for a livable future." Info 206-781-5700.

Mark Your Calendar:

Orcas Exchange 20th anniversary

EARTH DAY, 2003:
The Orcas Exchange, located at the county's solid waste facility on Orcas Island, will be celebrating its 20th year of providing education on waste reduction and reuse, while it diverting tons of useful materials that are made available for sale at low cost. Events will include a call to artists to create art out of reusable materials from the Exchange; display of same on Earth Day, April 22nd, at the Exchange; and a community dance on April 26th. The theme of the celebration is "Come together, be the change." Contact George at geopost@fidalgo.net for details.

Low Impact Development Conference

MAY 17, 2003:
The recently-organized Low Impact Development (LID) group of builders, county and town planners, the SJ Conservation District, Friends of the San Juans, and others will be sponsoring a day-long LID Conference in Friday Harbor with guest speakers and audience participation in the areas of cost effective renewable energy; healthy, earth-friendly building/landscaping design and materials selection; resource-conscious waste management, etc. Watch for more on the conference in future newsletters.

San Juan County Fair

AUGUST 13-16 , 2003:
The theme of this year's County Fair is "Bringing in the Harvest," which includes the harvesting of our community's ideas that support the concept of resource and economic sustainability in the San Juan Islands. A large exhibit, sponsored by the County Solid Waste Division, the Fair Board, Spring Street School, and the 1420 Foundation for Sustainability Education, will focus on recognizing efforts already happening in the islands; on promotion of local businesses, individuals, and agencies that use sustainable practices or produce/retail sustainability products and services; and on offering on-site education and fairgoer participation. Included will be an auction of select items being gathered by the county's Trash to Treasures "deconstruction" and reusable building materials project. This promises to be an exciting opportunity for community-building.

Sustainability Conference

SEPTEMBER 13-14, 2003:
Spring Street School and the 1420 Foundation for Sustainability Education will sponsor a sustainability conference, "The Salish Sea --This Place, These People, This Time," to be held on San Juan Island, as a follow-up to the Fair exhibit. Plans include guest speakers, workshops, exhibitors, and demonstration of state-of-the-art distance learning video conferencing technology. The latter will connect students from Spring Street School and other island schools with students in Brazil, Appalachia, and possibly Kenya...live, during the conference. The entire event will be videotaped for later use and the event planners hope to create a multi-media conference model that can be replicated for use by other communities interested in sustainabiity. A dance party will follow on Saturday night to celebrate our community.

SUSTAINABLE SAN JUANS:

• Greetings, I have recently started collecting and fixing up quality used bicycles to be available for sale in the $50-$200 range...Specialized, Sekia, Scott, Gary Fisher, etc. I enjoy stripping down the bike, repainting the frame and fork, putting new or almost new parts on it, and then afixing a "Re Cycle" sticker. I have an ever-expanding selection and trade-ins are welcome. Call Miguel at 376-7034. (Eastsound)
  
  
• Watch for your invitation in the mail soon to the May 17th "San Juan County Low Impact Development Conference: Sustaining Community, Environment, Economy." Check out the new webpage: www.sanjuanlid.org .
  
  Plan to attend to explore options for cost effective renewable energy applications, healthy, environmentally intelligent building/landscaping practices and materials selection, resource-conscious waste management, etc. Organic lunch with locally-produced foods will be catered. Call 378-2319 to register or be a sponsor.
  
  
• Have you noticed the solar panel at OPALCO's Friday Harbor office? Martha Warachowski reports that it's one of four parts of an educational project OPALCO funded with the help of a grant from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. An interactive kiosk beside the panel explains how photovoltaic works....GO TAKE A LOOK! There's also a pole mount panel at the Westsound Marina dock, a ground-mounted installation at Lopez Community Center and a roof integrated installation on the Windermere Building in Eastsound...all with an installed capacity of 900 watts each. Very enlightening, OPALCO.
  
  
• EARTH DAY, 2003: "Come together, be the change" is the theme of the 20th year anniversary celebration of The Orcas Exchange on April 22nd...you can view island "Appropriate Recycling Technology" (ART), created out of reused materials from the Exchange. George Post reminds us that we own our waste and can utilize local creativity to create ART; he says the ultimate in sustainable economic development is to sell ART back to tourists. Take a trip to the Exchange to see ART, including George's wonderful "Trilobyte" sculpture made of copper scrap....hope some lucky tourist hasn't already bought it! Earth Day dance on April 26th.
  
  
• April 26th: The San Juan Island Soroptomists and Spring Street School will co-sponsor an EARTH DAY public forum on environmental issues to be held at the school from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m....very interetsing topics will be discussed by local experts; all are invited to participate. Community celebration will follow. Numerous EARTH DAY events on Lopez Island are reported in detail in the Islands' Weekly. See www. earthday .net for schedule of Earth Day events over the whole U.S.,, eco-games, quizzes, etc. Also see www.yesworld.org for youth activities. Honor the day: try using less electricity, less gasoline, less food.

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