Today I'm going to help you drink water. I know that sounds ridiculous. But in this age of unlimited consumer choices and hidden hazards, even the simplest things can get awfully complicated.
 
When you're on the go, you need to bring water with you. Many people buy bottled water by the case, maybe at Costco where it's cheap. The problem is that single-use water bottles waste resources. In addition, all the production and transportation contribute to global warming. More...

As I rode the bus to work, counting hybrid cars after listening to downloaded video clips from the Live Earth concert, the cultural shift that has pushed environmental awareness to an all-time high couldn’t have been clearer.

We’re riding a big, green wave right now. People care about the environment. And they want to be involved in making a difference. Even so, the pollution and climate change issues confronting us can be confusing, scary and intimidating. More...

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. Henry David Thoreau More...

There are no passengers on spaceship earth.  We are all crew.-  Marshall McLuhan More...

For those of you who have not seen it, there is a tree growing under I-5 in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle. A tree would not be that significant if it was not part of an art installation in the newly constructed concrete park that completes a pedestrian trail and step pathway between the Capitol Hill and Eastlake neighborhoods.

It was installed by the artist John Roloff and supposedly hailed as the next destination spot like the Fremont Troll is to Fremont under the Aurora Bridge (on North 36th Street at Troll Ave North). I’ve visited this lonely tree overlooking Lake Union from its concrete cave. It’s really just a tree—or rather four different tree species, the most notable being a large, palm tree.

This art installation in the I-5 Colonnade Park (off Lakeview Boulevard East) includes its basic survival needs under the I-5 roof with itown “natural” rain sprinkler system, artificial sunlight, and neon blue moonlight (based on the weather pattern from the year of 1960, the year that I-5 separated these two neighborhoods). The entire project is a challenging environmental and technical restoration solution through art.

The Eastlake neighborhood hides a number of examples of art with the environment as its medium: a sculptured topiary violinist greets park visitors at the park entrance along the shoreline of Lake Union near the corner of Fairview Avenue East and East Hamlin Street. Walk a half block south and you’ll stumble upon a huge leafy frog.

Seattle has lost more than half of its tree canopy since 1970 (Seattle Times). These public art installations offer passerbys inspiring ways to think about how to convert large and small dead urban spaces into thriving green places to enjoy.

Just the other day as I was waiting for the bus in the University District, I noticed a row of red flowers growing from small, hanging pots hung on an ordinary, metal chainlink fence—a usually unadorned border between properties. From the small, decorated pot on your doorstep to an ambitious tree art installation under I-5, garden art is not restricted to your local P-patch or grassy green yard. More...

EcoManiacs, (don’t) start your engines. Get rid of them. The internal combustion engine has been chugging along since the 1800s and is in need of a makeover. More...

Seattle Tilth is a non-profit dedicated to sustainable gardening, and a great resource for classes including composting, soil improvement, and a good explanation of the Master Composter/Soil Builder Program. More...

The climate in Washington makes this an excellent place to be a gardener. With so many options for native plants, it is easy to create a beautiful garden that thrives with little watering. Lawns are the biggest water hogs, but for the grass you do grow, use a hand held or electric mower since gas mowers produce as much pollution over the course of a year as a car driven from Seattle to Phoenix. More...

Maybe you’ve got an alternative fuel car, but what about a biodiesel home heating system? If you have an oil-fired furnace or boiler, you may be able to swap your oil for biodiesel (or a biodiesel blend) with just a few changes. More...