CLIMATE * Northwest orgs. receive national recognition for creative clean air projects http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d96f984dfb3ff7718525735900400c29/4c8ee531b9040cc7852575b5007f7491!OpenDocument A gardening tool that runs on propane, a climate education program that engages students and teachers in strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions at school, and a Tribe's smoke management program are just three of the winners of EPA's Clean Air Excellence Awards. For the ninth year, EPA is honoring 15 recipients from across the United States for their environmental achievements in community action, education, and science and technology. These innovative air quality programs provide environmental benefits and create green products and jobs... The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in Seattle, Wash., Renaissance Fireplaces of Bellevue, Wash., and the Nez Perce Tribe in Meridian, Idaho are winners of EPA's Clean Air Excellence Award for air quality improvement programs. Nationwide 15 entities received the award. * EPA administrator Lisa Jackson on The Daily Show http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-15-lisa-jackson-daily-show Jon Stewart interviewed EPA administrator Lisa Jackson GOODS MOVEMENT * As trucking goes, so goes the economy http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009216169_aptruckingrecession.html Trucks carry almost all the manufactured and retail goods in the country - from refrigerators to lumber, detergents to toys. Many economists gauge how fast assembly lines are running, and how much consumers are buying, by the volume of goods hauled by trucks. But the most recent earnings reports show trucks are not carrying enough yet to indicate recovery is near... Truckers have financing troubles as well, Clowdis said. Banks are still reluctant to hand out big loans to companies that might be hard-pressed to repay debt, so some truckers find it hard to secure credit lines to buy property or equipment. * Puget Sound truckers downshift by cutting prices, carrying different loads http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/05/18/story9.html Trucking companies in Washington state and the rest of the nation are struggling because the recession has diminished the movement of domestic and international cargo. The downturn has reduced consumer spending as well as factory orders. Research firm Stifel Nicolaus reported that 3,000 trucking companies failed in 2008, with as many as 140,000 trucks removed from service... The volume of imported cargo containers is down 28 percent from last year at the Port of Seattle, according to the most recent statistics... Another problem facing some trucking companies is that many of them bought large numbers of new trucks in 2006. They were trying to get ahead of more stringent emission regulations in 2007 models that added thousands of extra dollars to the cost of each truck. While that made 2006 a boom year for Bellevue-based truck builder Paccar Inc., local trucking companies are now left with excess capacity, especially among older-model trucks. TRANSPORTATION * Street-level light rail in Bellevue is front-runner in study http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009221654_webbelletunnel14m.html A street-level light-rail route across downtown Bellevue will be the front-runner in Sound Transit's environmental studies for the $2.8 billion East Link project, the agency's governing board decided today. * Get on your bike, ride; Friday is Bike to Work Day http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009222062_biking15m.html Friday is Bike to Work Day, but the fact is, even in a proudly green city like Seattle, only 2.3 percent of adult workers use a bicycle to commute to work, compared with the 65 percent who drive and the 18 percent who take the bus. Meet three cyclists who tell their stories, hoping that you, too, will jump on that bike. VEHICLE CHOICES * World Electric Vehicle Association recognizes Seattle for sustainability efforts http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/05/14/world-electric-vehicle-association-recognizes-seattle-for-sustai/ The city of Seattle has made a lot of progress toward encouraging sustainable transportation in the Pacific Northwest. In recognition of these efforts, the World Electric Vehicle Association will be presenting its E-Visionary award to Seattle mayor Greg Nickels on Friday. The Osaka prefecture in Japan and the city of London are being similarly recognized this year. * Better Place's Automated Electric Car Battery Swap Station http://minurl.org/SAu3 Better Place Tuesday achieved a milestone in accelerating the mass-market adoption of electric vehicles by demonstrating the world's first battery switch technology along with electric car charging spots. * Gas guzzler bill stalls in Senate http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090514/BIZ/705149894/1005#Gas.guzzler.bill.stalls.in.Senate Legislation that would give car buyers a government voucher up to $4,500 when they trade in gas guzzlers stalled in the Senate amid concerns that a compromise between the White House and House Democrats doesn't go far enough to protect the environment. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Wednesday that she can't support a compromise announced last week. "Essentially what it means is that perfectly good vehicles would be scrapped, so that vehicles with below average fuel economy could be purchased," Feinstein said. GREEN BUSINESS * Richlite now green, growing http://www.thenewstribune.com/1031/story/739980.html Despite the beginning of a painful recession last year, more consumers purchased green products in 2008 than in any previous year, according to a survey report issued in January by Boston Consulting Group. That consumer demand - combined with government green policy initiatives - has fueled growth in the green building supply chain. Two of Richlite's products use 100 percent recycled paper. And the company opened a second production line that funnels heat from burning and capturing of resin emissions back into its paper dryer. The move cut heating costs by 80 percent... Elaine Ott, Richlite's general manager, chaired Tacoma's Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force. * Go Local movement is growing -- Tacoma shopping: Some retailers report an increase in business after joining nationwide effort http://www.thenewstribune.com/1031/story/741312.html The walls of Bill Evans' Pacific Northwest Shop in the Proctor District are brimming with the best of the Northwest, from best-selling smoked salmon to Almond Roca. And each item comes with a story from Evans - of the farmers, small businesses and nearby towns the purchase will benefit... The more than 50 alliances nationwide report that 68 cents of every dollar spent locally stays in the local economy, compared with 48 cents of dollars spent at national chains... Going local "is a pretty profound concept. Without it, you would just be a consumer society. You are consuming when you go local, but you have another dimension," Evans said. Bill Smith Senior Environmental Specialist City of Tacoma Solid Waste Management 3510 S. Mullen Street Tacoma, WA 98409 253-593-7719 Phone 253-591-5547 Fax