Purpose: Create partnerships between Sustainable Vashon and key schools and organizations to reduce the island's carbon footprint and promote energy conservation by setting up model small-scale solar installations and using them to educate and motivate the community-at-large.

These installations will do more than generate electricity. The solar panels will introduce students and community members to renewable energy technology and provide them with an opportunity to explore local and global energy issues in an interactive, hands-on way, and thereby set the stage for larger, more extensive projects in the future.
Sustainable Vashon's role: Serve as umbrella (501c3) organization for funding; provide fundraising assistance, design and installation expertise, curriculum development, and publicity.

Partners' role: Provide a location, enthusiastic endorsement, and additional fundraising as needed in return for a state-of-the-art solar system.

Project Details: Install a 1K-2K photovoltaic (PV) array, which costs between $10,000-$15,000 installed and consists of 5-10 solar panels which will generate between 1100 and 2200kWh of electricity per year.
Site analysis for solar potential will include an energy audit and recommendations to make the building more energy efficient. Suggested improvements might include changing out light bulbs or adding insulation. The costs of the energy audit and building improvements will be incorporated into our fundraising plan.

Potential Funding Sources: Bonneville Environmental Foundation: http://www.greentagsusa.org/grants and Puget Sound Energy Foundation: http://www.psefoundation.org/

Project Coordinators:
Janie Starr - starrboogie@earthlink.net    Jennifer Williams - jwfarm@centurytel.net

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By Janie Starr
- 12/12/2007
After giving our final climate crisis presentation, to an audience hosted by Audubon, Meg Gluckman and I met at Cafe Luna to celebrate our efforts and reflect on what we have learned.

Not only had we become climate colleagues but close friends as we pursued our goal to convert as many people as possible into climate advocates. Meg recently moved off-Island to attend the Bainbridge Graduate Institute's MBA program, so I figure this might be my last chance to capture her thoughts on paper and share them with Beachcomber readers. We talked for hours, and I tried to capture the essence.

Read the Whole Article here

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A Low Carbon Diet Training session was held on October 16th at Cafe Luna. Karen Biondo and others provided homemade soup and bread for our future trainers while they were learning to host an actionoriented 4-session EcoTeam with their neighbors, coworkers, or pals focused on practical ways to reduce energy consumption at home, work, and their community.

A second training session is being planned for sometime soon.

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by Janie Starr
What can you do about climate change? Quite a bit, actually.

Many of us start our day on autopilot to some extent. We wake up to an alarm's insistent scream, turn on the lights and switch on the radio or TV. We nod off in the shower or space out while brushing our teeth, leaving the water running while the toothpaste foams. We make coffee, zap something in the microwave and slam out of the driveway ý late for the ferry, again.

It might be interesting to do an at-home experiment for a full 24-hour period to track your (and your family's) energy use and conservation measures. Once you've done the inventory, you can begin to pick and choose. Do you really want to listen to the latest bad news before you're even fully awake? Do you need to turn on so many lights? Are you willing to take a shorter shower? Forgo the bacon or prepackaged muffin? Take the bus, use the Park & Ride, carpool with a neighbor? At a climate change presentation at Vashon College, one person expressed her hope that she could decrease her carbon footprint without being inconvenienced too much. I applauded her honesty because she articulated what many of us are seeking. While I think we're all likely to be inconvenienced a fair amount if we're going to put the brakes on climate change, I believe the sooner we get cracking, the more prepared we will be, and the more personal changes we make now, the more motivated we'll be to make critical shifts as a community.

Folks keep asking Meg and me for specific action steps, so we thought we'd offer a short and simple to-do list as a place to start. It's an easy season to decrease energy consumption with so many hours of daylight and a plethora of locally grown taste treats. If you're already walking the walk in reducing your carbon footprint, as so many Islanders are, encourage others to participate with you.

If you're adverse to lists, here's one action you can take that will incorporate the rest: Get a copy of the Low Carbon Diet (Books by the Way or the trunk of my car) and join thousands who've moved from idea to action, then from making individual changes to becoming citizen-activists. (See the accompanying box for a list of other things you can do.) We have a choice about the way we approach climate change ý as a big burden or as an opportunity to redesign the way we live. We're the ones who get to change the world, so that those who follow will have a world that is habitable and hopeful. To quote global warming activist Laurie David, "If everyone does one thing, they are likely to do two things, then three things. Then they are likely to influence friends and family, and that's how you build a movement." So enjoy those vine-ripened tomatoes and sun-dried clothes and join the revolution.

- Janie Starr is working with Meg Gluckman to raise awareness on the Island about climate change. Both women attended Al Gore's Climate Project workshop last year.

Read more articles by Janie that previously appeared in the Vashon Beacomber by clicking here

To print out a copy of the "fridge notes" above, click here.

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The Green Seed Grant is a unique program designed to encourage community members, using their personal and collective interest and creativity, to implement small-scale projects that help to carry out the mission of Sustainable Vashon - to educate, model and advocate for the economic, environmental and social sustainability of Vashon Island. These actions are intended to ignite imagination, build community, and make a positive difference. Grants are available for up to $500. See Green Seed Grant page for more information. Ben Fulton with his cob studio project (see photo), was the first Green Seed Grant recipient. For more information on Ben's cob studio see the Green Housing page.

To download a copy of the Green Seed Grant Application form, click here.

The Septic Solutions Committee of the Vashon Maury Island Community Council has proposed an in-depth exploration of local organization options to handle the septic challenges on the island. Reasons for this effort are:

• Scientific data for the island shows an on going pattern of septic failures, leading to sewage pollution of our nearshore environment. This pattern has continued for at least two decades, and shows no signs of abating.
• Existing regulatory systems have been unable to correct the situation. In the few places where solutions have been tried, they have proved too expensive and time consuming for the residents. Delays and expenses in the permitting processes are daunting, and permits are often evaded or not sought. Enforcement of regulations is intermittent and inconsistent.
• Regulations are being expanded, with strongly increased enforcement expected. These regulations apply to regions with sole source aquifers as well as those with shoreline problems. This implies that all septics on Vashon will be subject to the new regulations.
• There are ongoing concerns about groundwater pollution in addition to the shoreline problems. While there is no direct evidence of serious groundwater pollution from septics as yet, increased levels of nitrogen are a concern, and there are almost a thousand private exempt wells on Vashon, many of which are less than fifty feet from the surface and most of which are not systematically tested for pollution.
• Conversations with experts and responsible officials lead us to believe that a local organization could reduce costs and improve service to Vashon homeowners by
  • Speeding permitting and design approval processes
  • Providing more options to homeowners
  • Developing standardized off-the-shelf solutions to cut design costs
  • Developing customized low-cost solutions suited to Vashon conditions
  • Obtaining grants and low-cost loans for Vashon
  • Providing Operation and Maintenance services at lower cost using local vendors
  • Monitoring groundwater and shoreline resources to detect problems early and address them effectively.

Contact: Steve Graham at sngraham@centurytel.net