Came across a great post on Seattlest about Saltaire’s use of a goat clearing crew from “Rent-a-Ruminant” on Vashon Island for a quarter acre building lot at a very busy intersection, Dearborn and Rainier. Goats are more eco-friendly because they’re an alternative to using heavy equipment. Saltaire Homes is one of the green builders at The High Point in West Seattle.

Read Goats! Goats in the Central District

Read the Q&A; session here.

Last night I attended the inaugaural meeting of a newly formed group, Sustainable West Seattle. Nearly 40 people were in attendance and we nearly overflowed the meeting room at the High Point Library on 35th and Raymond. We were visited by one of the founding members of Sustainable Ballard, who was able to share some of her experiences and give some advice about trying to start a group like this.

Hot topics discussed included
· Eating Locally
· Energy Efficiency
· Local Transportation Solutions
· Green Building
· Green Space Protection and Advocacy
· Sustainable Landscaping and Gardening
· Water Conservation

But the number one topic discussed was Transportation – using public transportation to, from, in, and around West Seattle can be very challenging and takes a lot of time due to Metro’s inefficiency. There are a lot of people interested in working on and improving transportation!

One of my personal interests is local food, as evidenced by my three years serving as Secretary on the Board of P-Patch Trust. My term ends on Wednesday, freeing me for other projects or organizations. My plan was to focus on more animal-related efforts, but with our move to High Point this summer and the new direction of my real estate business (I will be a Built Green “special agent” soon!), I expect to be busy with HOAs (for my local condo community and also the Master Community of High Point) – and now Sustainable West Seattle.

Sustainable West Seattle is just getting off the ground and trying to figure out what members’ interests are and what skills and experience volunteers can bring to the organization. The group plans to meet on the 3rd Monday of every month – and smaller groups of volunteers may meet more often if working on a project. The location may move around, so be sure to check the web site for the most current information!

Great article in today’s Seattle Times. Read First-time buyers find ray of hope in condos

Wow, this is too cool. A whole web site and series of 7 global music concerts in support of greening the Earth and reducing global warming. It’s an MSN channel that “melds music and movement”. Live Earth, as MSN editorial director Mark Pawlosky points out in his inaugural column, “is a user-friendly, green-tinged site wrapped around one of the most ambitious music events of all time”.

The date to remember? 07/07/07
In fact, you can even click on a link to automatically add the appointment to your Outlook Calendar – or your MSN Calendar, Google Calendar, Yahoo Calendar, Apple iCal – or get “Windows Live” alerts.

I signed up for the newsletter.

Luckily it’s a Saturday or else I would have to take the day off work to watch!

Put it on your calendar! Visit Live Earth and the Alliance for Climate Pretection, the beneficiary of this fundraising effort.

There is even a section on the web site called Green – that gives you tons of tips on how to live green, reduce your footprint, and your contribution to the global warming problem.

Where does Seattle fit into all this?

Seattle is listed as one of the 10 greenest cities in the United States according to the Live Earth web site.

Read how Seattle’s current Mayor Greg Nickels has led us in meeting the emissions reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol, and challenged every mayor in the U.S. to do the same.

Wow, this article is so cool! I want to see if I can implement something like this in my own neighborhood. Need to find some like-minded neighbors!

Read Neighborhoods battle global warming on a small scale

May is National Home Remodeling Month and all the talk is about going green! Here in the Pacific Northwest we have the guidance of BuiltGreen. But, there was an interesting article on MSNBC.com about the lack of National Standards. Read Green home remodeling still a gray area

I don’t want to contribute to global warming any more than you do, but have you ever kicked around a couple of CFLs for 6 months while waiting for a trip to the transfer station? CFLs can not be disposed in the regular trash because they contain mercury. So they last for years, but when they finally do burn out, getting rid of them is a pain.

LEDs may be an option! I want to hear more about this and will be paying attention as this technology progresses. Read Light bulb may be on its way out

From the Master Builders Association web site:

New Comcast ON DEMAND builder show

After working closely with the Master Builders Association, Comcast Cable will be premiering a new channel in their ON DEMAND line up. Northwest Living is an ON DEMAND network dedicated to local builders, contractors, professional services and home and garden-related retailers.

A special feature on this channel is a program called “Home In On It.” This segment will offer tips and information useful to Seattle area homeowners while providing our members with a chance to showcase their services. Other associations have had great success with similar programs in several markets across the nation.

The Master Builders Association has committed its support by becoming the presenting sponsor for “Home In On It,” an original, locally produced program. A launch lunch for the first program is being held at the MBA, Tuesday, May 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Seating is limited so R.S.V.P. to the Events department at events@mbaks.com or (425) 451-7920.