The greening of Seattle isn’t really new. People have been practicing the art of green living in our emerald city for some time. There are a range of organizations and guide books providing ideas, inspiration, and support for people exploring the various shades of green living.
Green urban living has an aesthetic all its own. Take a look at Urban eco chic by Oliver Heath which explores the everyday artistry of colors, textures, and functionality found in modern environmentally friendly products.
Though our weather be cloudy, blustery, wet, or cold; a growing community of pedal pushers are bravely biking up and down Seattle hillsides on their way to work. There were even a few of their tire tracks in the recent snows. Harry Wray’s Pedal power: the quiet rise of the bicycle in American public life discusses this upswing of bicycle enthusiasm, illustrating the trend with stories from the street. Our very own Cascade Bicycle Club is a great source for classes, events, and general information on biking in the city.
365 ways to live green by Diane McDilda emphasizes the power of little day-to-day choices to keep you mindful of living green all year round.
On many a spring and summer weekend, you will find hundreds of volunteers bush-whacking through our green-belts and overgrown urban forests. Foot by foot, they strike out yet another patch of invasive English ivy and Himalayan blackberry and other invasive species. Organizations like the Green Seattle Partnership help support these kinds of projects, connecting urban forestry volunteers with projects city-wide. Other programs like the Seattle reLeaf Program help to promote a healthy canopy of urban trees that reduce pollution and provide wildlife habitat.
Our city has some great options for locally grown organic foods. Frequenting local farmer’s markets can be a fun way to live green and support local farms. Other folks buy into the farms more directly with a subscription called a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The subscription details differ by organization, but most CSAs are set up to supply the farmer with seed money they need in the spring in return for boxes of whatever is fresh throughout the growing season.
Living urban and green doesn’t have to be too hard. As Josh Dorfman reminds us in The lazy environmentalist, the little things can add up.
~ Jay L.
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