By Sarah Titcomb
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Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY
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By Sarah Titcomb
(Photo Source: SMacAfee)Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT -
By Matt Chadsey
Anyone who lives in the Central Puget Sound Region can recognize that the open space around us has value. The mountains -- even just the views of them -- rivers, parks, and working lands provide benefits. However, quantifying those benefits is hard. What is the value of a rushing river, or the shade provided by a street tree on a sunny day, or a salt marsh, or wetland during a storm?
Filed under: AIR, DISASTER MITIGATION, HEALTH, WATERRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Matt Chadsey, Project Leader, Earth Economics
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
The term biophilia, coined by Edward O. Wilson, describes what he thinks is our innate connection to the natural world. Wilson and other like-minded scholars have taken this concept further to suggest that, in fact, humans cannot thrive in the absence of this connection to nature (mentally, physically or spiritually). Given this vital connection, it’s no surprise that social scientists and economist, in particular, have been developing credible techniques for estimating the monetary value of the benefits humans receive from nature or other compelling metrics.
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH -
We highly recommend you read this thoughtful – and visually stunning – article about the impact of climate change on our beloved Mt. Rainier. From glacier melt to habitat shifts, the challenges of data prediction to the tension between human intervention, policy and practice, this article reveals the complexity of a changing climate on an iconic landscape.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE -
Have you seen this inspiring video from Green Duwamish/Central Puget Sound's Salmon Conservation and Restoration efforts? Watch "Green the Green" and be prepared to tap some deep local pride in this incredible green landscape we call home. A celebration of our open space benefits and a beautiful, compelling call to action, this 3 minute video reminds us of the important efforts we must invest in to clean and protect our watershed to maintain our rich cultural and natural heritage.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
We are delighted to share the great efforts of the Mountains to Sound Greenway, Stewardship Partners and their Snoqualmie Valley partners for their visionary planning in the watershed. This beautiful "report card" reflects the thoughtful work they are doing to create a robust watershed plan to protect and enhance their forests, farms and rural lands that make up 96% of their land and provide essential ecosystem services for the entire Puget Sound region.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, FOOD, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Did you fly Alaska Airlines recently? If you did, you might have seen the great article on the University of Washington’s Green Futures Research and Design Lab, where the ROSS project is housed. The GFL’s innovative Green Wall project is prototyping and monitoring growing food vertically as well as providing habitat for native birds, reducing heat island effect and reducing heating and cooling costs for adjacent buildings.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN HEALTH -
Our region, the Central Puget Sound, is in the midst of a highly progressive and innovative regional planning effort to conserve and enhance the open space systems that provide direct inputs to the ecological, economic, social, recreational and aesthetic vitality of our region.
Regional Challenges: -
Trees have a special place in our hearts and a productive place in our community. In urban areas, trees help us filter the air, manage heat island effects, and they are correlated with improved roadway safety and human health. Seattle ranks among those cities with a high percentage of urban tree canopy, but keys in on where there are major differences between neighborhoods. As we look at the link between open space and key regional challenges, the ROSS will investigate how different communities benefit from our natural system and how to address these disparities.
Regional Challenges: SOCIAL EQUITY -
It has been a busy summer for us here at the ROSS. Not only have we been hard at work on our open space services work and entering into an agreement with King County and the City of Seattle for the Green-Duwamish WOSS you may have read about earlier this month, we’ve also been developing a new website.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, ENERGY, FOOD, HEALTH, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WASTE, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Monday, September 9, marked a seminal moment in open space planning, as King County and the City of Seattle, in the presence of community groups, natural resource agencies and local news media, announced plans to develop a Green/Duwamish Watershed Strategy.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, ENERGY, FOOD, HEALTH, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WASTE, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY