 This autumn, the City will host a free three-part series detailing Tacoma’s climate risks and what we can do as a nation, state and city to reduce our climate pollution and improve our local environment while preparing for change. The series will bring regional experts together with local residents and decision-makers to discuss potential responses to the changing climate. The meetings coincide with the scheduled release of two new City documents: a Climate Change Risk Assessment and a 5-year Environmental Action Plan. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/climateconversations.
1. Climate Change Risks: Global to Local. With UW Climate Impacts Group. Oct. 19, 6:30-8 p.m. at UWT.
2. Climate Policy and Pricing: Global to Local. With Sightline Institute, Climate Solutions, Carbon WA, and the Governor’s Office. Nov. 16, 6:30-8 p.m. at UPS.
3. Climate Policy and Environmental Action in Tacoma. With OEPS. Dec. 7, 6-7:30 p.m. at Evergreen-Tacoma.
 The City is supporting the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the Tacoma
Pierce County Health Department’s effort to clean up our air due to wintertime
wood smoke. As of October 1, old, high-polluting wood stoves are now illegal in
Tacoma and Pierce County. State and federal grants are available to residents
to change out their uncertified woodstoves to cleaner heating devices. To learn
more and to get on the waiting list, check out www.airsafepiercecounty.org.
|
Around 1,500 people
participated in the 3rd-annual Downtown to Defiance event in September. Participants
walked, biked, and rolled along more than 6 miles of waterfront streets without
vehicle traffic, stopping along the way to enjoy live music, food trucks, and
other fun activities. Thanks to Metro Parks Tacoma and all the partners and
volunteers who helped to make this event possible! Visit www.Facebook.com/mobility253 to
see more photos from the day.
|
 This
fall, the Hilltop In Motion campaign will help residents of Tacoma's Hilltop
neighborhood connect with resources that make it easier to choose to walk, bike,
and bus. Designed to improve local air quality by reducing motor vehicle use,
programs like this one have other positive community benefits including
increasing community engagement and boosting the local economy. Be sure to join
the Slow Social Bike Ride to the Ice Cream Social on October 24 at 2:00 PM at
People’s Park. The ride is family-friendly and all participants will get a
free ice cream cone. Visit www.cityoftacoma.org/hilltopinmotion
for more information.
|
Beginning this month, the Healthy Homes, Healthy
Neighborhoods program will engage with the Hilltop and Lincoln neighborhoods on
behalf of the City and its partners. Program staff will meet with community
groups and approach about 2,500 doors
for individual knock-and-talk conversations with residents about household and
community needs. Building on previous success in the Wapato Lake and Dometop
neighborhoods, the program will connect residents to local resources that offer
eco-friendly cost-savings and plan springtime events and workshops that address
community priorities and environmental health issues like water quality,
community walkability, and healthy food access. For more information, visit
www.cityoftacoma.org/healthyhomes or call (253) 208-9046.
The EnviroChallenger
teachers travel throughout Tacoma teaching our future land stewards about
the need to reduce the amount of trash going into the landfill, how to reduce
the amount of toxins making their way into the environment, the need to
increase recycling efforts and how to protect water quality and endangered
salmon. If you’re a teacher within the City limits of Tacoma please go to www.envirochallenger.com to learn more
about the program and use our on-line booking calendar to book your FREE
lessons for the 15/16 school year. If you are a teacher within Pierce County
but outside City limits please visit http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/index.aspx?NID=1560
|
 Will you help us to increase
Tacoma’s tree canopy cover? From October 1, 2015 through April 1,
2015, Pierce County residents are eligible for a $15 discount on up to 5 trees
at participating retailers. To find out more and request your free coupon, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/treecoupon.
|
 There are three workshops remaining this fall at the City of Tacoma EnviroHouse (located at the Transfer and Recovery Center, 3510 S. Mullen St.). You can learn about tree and shrub pruning, rain barrels, and residential lighting. Workshops are free, but advance registration is required. (Note: If a workshop is full, please register for the waiting list.) For more information on workshops, resources, and planning your visit, view this brochure or the EnviroHouse website.
Workshop Schedule
October 17 Pruning Landscape Trees & Shrubs
October 18 Rain Barrels: How to Make & Maintain
October 24 Bright Ideas, Smart Lighting: LEDs at Home
November 14 Curious about Electric Vehicles?
For a
limited time, Tacoma Surface Water Management is sponsoring a free one year
subscription to the new Chinook Book phone app in support of Puget Sound.
Visit the Tacoma First Office, EnviroHouse, or Center for Urban Waters to fill
out a pledge to do your part to protect Puget Sound and pick up your FREE app
activation code to access coupons and savings to more than 55 local and
500 regional sustainable businesses. (Limit one per household.
Must live within Tacoma city limits.) To learn more, visit the City’s Prevent Water Pollution page.
http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=3084.
|
OEPS welcomes two new AmeriCorps members to our staff this fall, Emily Watts and Phillip Brenfleck. Emily is working as the Sustainability and Active Transportation Assistant, while Phillip is coordinating Healthy Homes, Healthy Neighborhoods: Hilltop. |
|
 |
|
|
Emily
comes from McCleary, Washington, by way of The Evergreen State College where
she focused on business, economics, and environmental studies. She is
interested in natural resource management and city planning. Emily loves sci-fi
movies and her family’s annual weeklong backpacking trips in the Olympic
Mountains with their llamas. |
Phillip grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and came to Tacoma to
study at the University of Puget Sound. His degree is in Chinese language and
culture with a minor in environmental policy and decision-making. His interests
lie in environmental history and the politics of space, and he is excited to be
part of a place-based community initiative like Healthy Homes. His guilty
pleasures are Star Wars video games and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
|
|
