We are getting close to opening comments at the Built Green Conference in downtown Seattle. We are on the very top floor of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. To my right is a contractor from Kettle Falls, WA, an hour and a half of north of Spokane. He just told me an amazing story – the wildlife they have there is abundant. On my left is a student from the UW who is working on her thesis. Her speciality is essentially where the land meets the water.
Morning announcements – beginning at noon you can sign up for the after party at the new LEED certified Hyatt hotel – the party is at the Olive 8. Free drinks!
Industry comments – BG props consistently carry higher value, retain value, and sell faster than non-green products. Quality, value and message are what sets BG props apart.
The WA state Director of Department of Ecology is now speaking. He is referring to a modeling workshop that was done here a couple of weeks ago. I saw this in a newsletter I received at the office this week and will come back to this later. He says the modeling predicts negative impacts in the future. He knows the future definitely holds change based on the number of people here at today’s conference.
He is basically now speaking of where I live- a Built Green home in a Built Green community, where you walk everywhere and know your neighbors. (I live in High Point in West Seattle). He proposes by reducing our petroleum usage by $16B a year, we can put that money towards building more communities (and emission free cars are a part of this scenario, and he does not mean golf carts). He suggests in the future you will be working in a LEED certified building that will produce more energy than it uses.
He is introducing Mayor Greg Nickels.
Mayor Nickels is recapping current economic times, but assures us that we will all get thru this. This afternoon he will be breaking ground for the 2nd light rail line, out to the UW. You will be able to get to the airport from downtown Seattle in 19 minutes. UW to downtown in 7 minutes. This is a great step forward. It will employ 2,900 workers onsite, so local jobs too! He thanks the voters who approved final funding for this project this last fall.
Seattle has a reputation as a green city. He speaks of the Kyoto protocol 2/16/2005. He and the Mayor of Tacoma stood up at a press conference and urged people to shower together to save water, and even for Seattle that is a radical thought. The snow melt that year was so drastic. He stood up on that day and said Seattle would reduce its carbon emissions even further than what the Kyoto protocol called for – 7%. He said last week even Detroit signed on to the Kyoto protocol, and that’s no easy feat for that city.
He now introduces our keynote speaker, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a frequent visitor to Seattle. He says during the last 8 years RFKJ has been a loud voice speaking up for the protection of our climate, to protect it for future generations.