Some Good Environmental News for 2010 Holiday Season!

Top 10 Reasons for Holiday Cheer for 

Our Environment at End of 2010
So "Of Paramount Importance" is happy to report a few pieces of good news and progress this year, even though there is never any shortage of things to be concerned and appalled about the in state of our environment.  Let's look at the bright side this Christmas Eve!

• 1 - Good News on Climate and Clean Air from Environmental Defense Fund

• 2 - US Senate Approves START Treaty

• 3 - WA State Regulates Copper Brake Pads - Good News for Salmon and Streams 

• 4 - Food Safety Bill Passes Congress 

• 5 - Electric Cars Are on the Market and Cities are Creating Electric Plug in Networks

• 6 - Bureau of Land (BLM) Management Announces  New 'Wild Lands' policy protects BLM potential wilderness!

• 7 - Safe Baby Bottle Act Signed by Governor Gregoire - Bisphenol A banned in WA State! 

• 8 -  Shoreline Begins Installation of Largest "Silva Cell" Tree Project in State on Aurora Phase II Project

• 9 -  Shoreline's Backyard Wildlife Project Achieves SUCCESS!

• 10 - City of Shoreline Requires Mitigation on Aurora Rents project to include signage to commemorate Shoreline Pioneer Judge JT Ronald and meaning of Ronald Place!

Entry Path to Paramount Park
at 12th NE, November 2010
photo creek - Janet Way
Good News on Climate and Clean Air from 
Environmental Defense Fund -
Environmental Protection Agencyended years of delay and announced it would commit to a schedule for establishing legal limits on global warming pollution from new and existing coal-fired and other fossil fuel power plants.

The EPA will issue draft emission standards by July 2011and then a final rule by May of 2012.

The announcement comes as a response to a 2006 lawsuit filed by EDF along with numerous states,Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club.

Polar Bears on Ice Flow -
photo credit- EDF

#2 - US Senate Approves START Treaty - Story from NPR 
and certainly a small step for peace in this time of seemingly endless wars!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/12/22/132262684/senate-ratifies-start?sc=nl&cc=brk-20101222-1504

US Senate Speech from Sen Robert Byrd a few years ago

#3 - WA State Regulates Copper Brake Pads - Good News for Salmon and Streams 

Story from Stormwater - Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals

Adopt-A-Stream Logo

#4 - Food Safety Bill Passes Congress - 

Story from ABC News 

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/12/back-from-the-dead-food-safety-bill-passes-senate-in-unexpected-last-minute-move.html

Back from the Dead: Food Safety Bill Passes Senate in 

Unexpected Last-Minute Move

While it may not be perfect, most experts believe that the passage of this food safety bill is a big improvement over the alternative, which was doing nothing.

Lake City Farmers Market - Billy's Produce Stand
photo credit-Janet Way

#5 -  Electric Cars Are on the Market and Cities are Creating Electric Plug-in Networks -

Well it's taken a long time, but finally there are choices available on Electric Vehicles! 

Leading the Pack is the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt.  - Story from  Hybrid Cars 

Electric Cars: A Definitive Guide

Some other offerings which are coming on the market in near future are: BMW Megacity, 

BYD E6 (from CHINA!), CODA Electric Sedan, Ford Focus, Mercedes BlueZero, 

MINI E (from Mini Cooper), Mitsubishi iMiEV and many more.

Shoreline has joined this network via the new City Hall Parking Garage and its policies to comply with WA State legislation (WAC). The garage hook-ups are ready, but need to be made more available to actual electric vehicles to charge. 


#6 - Bureau of Land (BLM) Management Announces 
New 'Wild Lands' policy protects BLM potential wilderness!

In a press conference yesterday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a new federal policy that requires the Bureau of Land Management to take a fresh look at lands with wilderness characteristics, and set them aside as 'Wild Lands' to protect those characteristics. The Biodiversity Conservation Alliance works on public lands protection issues in the Wyoming area and their efforts have been beneficial to wilderness protection advocates nationwide.

#7 - Safe Baby Bottle Act Signed by Governor Gregoire - Bisphenol A is banned in WA State! 
WA Toxics Coaliton Blog has the story - 
http://watoxics.org/toxicswatch/breaking-news-victory-on-bpa

Surrounded by supporters, Gov. Chris Gregoire returned home Monday to sign key legislation into law.

Robert Whale/Reporter
Buy Photo Reprints
Governor Signs Bill To Ban BPA In Children's Dishware and Sports Bottles

# 8 - Shoreline Begins Installation of Largest "Silva Cell" Tree Project in State on Aurora Phase II Project

Silva Cell elements installed on Shoreline's Aurora Phase II
to provide part of the "natural drainage systems"
required by project as approved by City Council
in 2007

see Of Parmount Importance article from 5/10/10 http://ofparamount.blogspot.com/2010/05/silva-cells-aurora-phase-ii-is-top.html

# 9 - Shoreline's Backyard Wildlife Project Achieves SUCCESS! Shoreline is a Certified Backyard Wildlife City! 

Congratulations to Sustainable Shoreline, WOWTA, SCWHP and all the partners who achieved this goal! WELL DONE!

# 10 -  City of Shoreline Requires Mitigation on Aurora Rents project to include signage to commemorate Shoreline Pioneer Judge JT Ronald and meaning of Ronald Place!

Shoreline's Ronald Place (Red Brick Road) eligible
for listing by National Trust for Historic Places

See article from Preserving Shoreline Blog.

http://preserveshoreline.blogspot.com/2010/12/shorelines-ronald-place-aka-red-brick.html

Some might ask why we've included this in our "Top Ten" list.  The reason is that it is significant for Shoreline to recognize it's history in conjunction with a development process.  The history of the Ronald Place is vital to our development of our new Town Center, which will also be significant to our local economy. Sustainable development must recognize historical elements. In fact the SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) requires this recognition in it's SEPA Checklist. 


For the City of Shoreline to make this point, requiring a plaque marking a vital piece of our history is very important.