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Your Congregation | Colleagues | Puget Sound-area Resources
Puget Sound-area
Greening Resources
Seattle Climate
Action Now
Transportation Choices
Food Choices
Energy Conservation
Recycling & Composting
Water Conservation & Care
Landscaping & Grounds Care
Green Building
Financial Stewardship
Hands-on Conservation
Advocacy for Creation
Community Education
Eco-justice Efforts
Broader Religious Outreach
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Earth Ministry is founding partners with Seattle Climate Action Now (Seattle CAN), which has great ideas and opportunities for yourself and your church.
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Interested in decreasing your carbon footprint? Zerofootprint Seattle has an action planner that enables you to figure out your carbon footprint, develop your own climate action plan, and join with others in the community. Go to Zerofootprint's webpage to calculate your carbon footprint and find out what you can do to decrease your impact.
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What can you do today? Seattle CAN has provided fifteen simple actions you can take now to reduce your energy bills and help save the planet. One of those actions is to replace at least five of your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. Seattle City Light has teamed up with area retailers to offer compact fluorescent bulbs at deeply discounted prices. Seattle City Light's Twist and Save program allows you to take action today to reduce your carbon footprint and save money!
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More ideas and resources are available on Seattle CAN's website.
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The “Transportation Connections” web site serves as a “transportation information clearing site that promotes the use of existing mass transportation options and provides a forum for casual usage rideshare matches” (from their web site). Their site connects you with ridesharing listings, transit links, and other information useful in the Pacific Northwest.
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Transportation Choices Coalition is a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations working to promote alternatives to “driving alone.”
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For useful bicycling information (e.g., area bike routes and maps, riding with children, etc.), go to Cascade Bike Club’s web site or call the state’s Bicycle Hotline at (360) 765-7277.
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For a free Park & Ride regional guide, call (360) 705-7916.
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Washington Tilth Producer's Washington Tilth Directory: A Guide to Organic and Sustainable Growers, Food & Farm Suppliers, and Resources is a very helpful and comprehensive resource for those who want to support sustainable agriculture. Updated annually, it lists farmers markets, community supported agriculture programs, and much more.
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If you shop in a conventional grocery store, look for local “eco-labels” that identify foods that are organic, locally grown, etc. For example, you can look for the “Puget Sound Fresh” label that identifies a wide variety of local produce grown in the Puget Sound region.
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For concerns about pesticides and information on organic agriculture, contact Washington Toxics Coalition.
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Earth Ministry is a member of the Northwest Shade-grown Coffee Campaign. Like the organizations mentioned above (Equal Exchange and TransFair) the Campaign has information on the benefits of purchasing sustainably-grown coffee and also where to purchase such coffee locally. To learn more, go to Seattle Audubon's web site.
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In partnership with Seattle’s P-Patch program, Earth Ministry co-sponsors a Community Supported Agriculture project that provides “subscribers” with fresh organic produce and gardeners (who are recent immigrants) with needed income. To learn more, contact us at (206) 632-2426 or emoffice@earthministry.org.
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Climate Solutions works to foster awareness of global warming in the Pacific Northwest as well as positive lifestyle, consumer, and policy choices. Their publications (e.g., In Hot Water: A Snapshot of the Northwest’s Changing Climate) are useful educational tools. They also provide information on affordable, energy efficient technologies that may be used in congregations, and on opportunities for political advocacy. You can visit their Sustainable Energy Center (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) for demonstrations and technical assistance at 610 E. 4th Ave., Olympia, WA 98501.
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Today, individuals and congregations have increasing opportunities to purchase/subsidize “green power.” For example, by the time you read this handbook, most Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, and Tacoma Power customers (including congregations) will have the option of paying slightly more to help subsidize energy derived from wind, solar, and other less ecologically-impactful sources. Also, through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, individuals and congregations can also invest in “Green Tags,” which also subsidize green power.
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Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide is free and comprehensive. It includes an important list of contact numbers (e.g., the Recycling Hotline [800]-RECYCLE [732-9253], and numbers for local government agencies and nonprofits) to address your recycling questions. It also contains recycling statistics, helpful waste reduction information, and much more. For a copy call (206) 343-5171.
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For information on composting and the Master Composters program, call Seattle Tilth at (206) 633-0451.
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You can visit King County’s web site for recycling (e.g., appliances, construction debris, and curbside pickup) and composting. Or you can visit similar web sites for Pierce and Snohomish Counties.
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The City of Seattle’s composting web site provides a quick overview of the benefits of composting and many helpful contacts and links.
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King County's web site can help you find out more about your local watershed. This site offers detailed history, current information, and volunteer opportunities in your watershed.
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To learn more about a variety of toxic-free alternatives to chemical cleaners and detergents, lawn and garden products, and more, visit Washington Toxics Coalition's web site or call (206) 632-1545.
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King County's web site can also help you to learn how to properly dispose of hazardous wastes (e.g., paints, automotive products, cleaners) so that they don’t contaminate local waterways.
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Washington Water Weeks is a statewide series of water-related educational and hands-on activities that takes place each fall (over a series of weeks). Each Water Weeks provides over 100 activities designed to help people of all ages experience, appreciate, and take action to protect our state’s rivers, lakes, watersheds, groundwater, ocean waters, and habitats (from web site).
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King County Water and Land Resources and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU; web site offers several water care resources for people in the Seattle area:
- To protect local streams, lakes, and rivers during car wash fundraisers call (206) 322-9296 to learn about free car wash kits. You can also call this number for information on free storm drain stencil kits (with words like “dump no waste, drains to stream”) that also help to protect water from polluting agents.
- For Seattle residents, SPU’s “Water Efficient Irrigation” program offers site assessments, workshops and financial assistance, and other resources to improve water efficiency. Call SPU at (206) 684-5879 for more information.
- To learn more about “WaterWise Gardening” (an SPU program), visit the Soundscape Lawn & Garden Demonstration site at the Center for Urban Horticulture at 3501 NE 41st St., in Seattle. Call (206) 684-5855 for more information.
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Washington Toxics Coalition has a wide variety of resources to help homeowners and congregations eliminate their need for toxic lawn and garden chemicals. Their web site lists publications such as: “Weed Management for Lawn and Garden,” “Lawn Care,” and a variety of “pest”-specific publications (e.g., crane flies and aphids). You can also call their hotline for help, (206) 632-1545, or email info@watoxics.org.
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To learn about the “Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary” program in Washington state, visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) web site. In Eastern Washington, write to the Sanctuary Program, N. 8702 Division St., Spokane, WA 99218.
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The WDFW, in cooperation with the University of Washington, has produced a book, Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.
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The City of Seattle’s “Natural Lawn Care Program” web site includes a natural lawn care resource guide, a list of Natural Lawn Care books in public libraries, and many other resources. You can also call (888) 860-LAWN (5296).
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The King County Hazardous Waste Management Program also produces a brochure called “How to Choose a Landscape Company: for a healthy landscape and healthy environment.” It provides a check-list and guide for selecting ecologically sensitive companies. It is also a helpful resource for congregations who do not contract with lawncare companies. To request a copy, call (206) 263-3050.
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For a list of (and information on) local native plants, ask for the publication “Going Native” from King County’s Department of Natural Resources, 700 Fifth Ave., Suite 2200, Seattle, WA 98104. To contact the Washington Native Plant Society call (206) 723-8115.
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The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is an association of builders, designers, homeowners, trades people, manufacturers, suppliers and others interested in ecologically sustainable building. The Guild functions as an educational forum to facilitate building practices that protect human health, encourage sustainable resource usage, and foster long-term economic vitality. They publish an annual “Green Pages” directory that you can obtain through their web site or by calling (206) 575-2222. This directory lists environmentally friendly services and products for the residential and light commercial building industry. Examples of listings include: education and lectures; consultants; builders and general contractors; demolition, salvage, and recycling; painting/supplies; remodeling; renewable energy; and more.
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The Evergreen Builder’s Guide was prepared for the City of Issaquah but may be appropriate to builders, congregations, and homeowners throughout the Puget Sound region. “The Guide helps the builder by identifying new environmentally friendly-materials, practices, and principles that provide economic benefits to the homeowner over a longer time-frame . . . this document is a tool to help in choosing from a variety of building options … matched to the specific project and budget.” (From the introduction.) The Guide contains five sections that help to assess and improve environmental and economic performance in the following areas: community enhancement, environmental quality, energy conservation, resource management, and water quality and conservation. To order, contact The Pomegranate Center at (425) 557-6412.
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The Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment is a “regional collaborative venture of faith-based institutions committed to using their power as investors to shape a more just world. Membership is open to all groups or organizations that share this commitment. Members use their rights as shareholders to dialogue with the companies whose shares are held in their portfolios.” (From their brochure.) They have also produced two excellent resources: Chlorine and Toxic Chemical packets and Sweatshops: If a Label Could Talk. For more information, contact the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, 1216 NE 65th St., Seattle, WA 98115, phone: (206) 223-1138.
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The Northwest Corporate Accountability Project helps individuals and groups concerned that their stock investments support socially and ecologically beneficial practices. In particular, their web site can help you to better understand corporate accountability, how to create shareholder resolutions, and how to research the environmental records of major corporations in the Northwest. To learn more, go to their web site or contact David Ortman (from Seattle Mennonite Church) at Wise Use Movement, P.O. Box 17804 Seattle, WA 98107 or deom@JPS.NET.
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Purchasing Recycled Products: King County’s Consumer Guide is a free, local directory that helps consumers “use your dollars to vote for your environment.” For a copy, call (206) 343-5171. For a more extensive list of environmental purchasing opportunities, visit their web site.
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To request a current copy of King County’s Green Business Directory call (206) 296-8800. In a similar vein, the Natural Choice Directory of Puget Sound is “an index of environmentally friendly products and services” in this region. To order, call (206) 722-4288 or look for a copy in local natural foods stores. Both directories are free.
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Earth Ministry collaborates with organizations such as People for Puget Sound and Friends of Cedar River Watershed to engage in periodic, salmon habitat restoration events. During these restoration events, we have times of prayer and reflection. In addition to these events, local congregations can inquire about ongoing, monitoring and stewardship opportunities. You may also call us to ask about restoration opportunities in your own backyard – we’ll help you “network” with other groups. Contact Earth Ministry for further information, emoffice@earthministry.org or (206) 632-2426.
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The Salmon Information Center offers many contacts for those who wish to engage in hands-on restoration activities. Their web site has links to organizations working on a variety of restoration projects (e.g., those through the Nature Conservancy and various Audubon Societies).
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Earth Ministry Colleagues (congregational organizers) receive a bimonthly newsletter, Earth Notes, which contains a current “Action Alert” in each issue. Each Alert gives a brief description of a creation-related concern and easy-to-use contact information for advocacy. Many Colleagues include these Alerts in congregational bulletins, newsletters, or on bulletin boards. To learn more about Earth Notes and our Colleague Support Program, contact Earth Ministry, (206) 632-2426 or emoffice@earthministry.org.
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For information on environmentally responsible voting and candidates’ environmental voting records in Washington state, visit Washington Conservation Voters’ web site or call (206) 374-0760. In Eastern WA, call (509) 838-1965.
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If you have specific questions on an issue or piece of state legislation, contact the Lutheran Public Policy Office at (206) 694-5772.
If you decide to hold a creation-awareness/care event
at your congregation in the form of a forum, lecture, gathering, or meal
with discussion, consider inviting someone from Earth Ministry’s
Speaker’s Network. For a
brochure, contact us at (206) 632-2426 or emoffice@earthministry.org.
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Earth Ministry supports the P-Patch/Seattle Housing Authority’s Cultivating Communities Project. This project assists recent immigrant gardeners through an organic, Community Supported Agriculture venture (subscription farm) in which the gardeners, the urban soils they cultivate, and the subscribers all benefit. Some congregational members jointly support this effort and contribute their fresh, organic produce to emergency food programs. For more information, contact Earth Ministry at (206) 632-2426 or emoffice@earthministry.org.
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We also co-sponsor a variety of occasional, educational events that highlight links between social and ecological justice. To be informed of these events, contact us for our “Monthly Update” using the information in the previous paragraph.
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Other local groups involved with ecological justice and environmental racism include:
- Washington Toxics Coalition: (206) 632-1545.
- Community Coalition for Environmental Justice: (206) 720-0285.
- The Church Council of Greater Seattle, Economic Justice Working Group: (206) 525-1213.
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Earth Ministry is aware of several area-specific, ecumenical groups that support creation awareness and care. Contact us for more information at (206) 632-2426 or emoffice@earthministry.org.
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The Washington Association of Churches’ environmental and racial justice program works with a broad base of congregations on creation-care issues that especially impact people with lower incomes in Washington state.