Most of us only pay attention to the national electrical grid when there is a huge blackout that covers several states, such as the one we had back in 2003 which shut down power to 8 states and 1 province. 

Al Gore and others who are thinking ahead about what we need to do tell us that there are two overarching things we need to do as quickly as possible to have any chance of combating horrendous climate change.  One is to implement a cap-and-trade program, which is what Washington State and other western states and provinces are doing with the Western Climate Initiative, due to begin being implemented in 2012.  The other is the upgrading of the national grid.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a northeastern state version of the upcoming Western Climate Initiative due in 2012, has begun quite successfully.  Six of the ten states involved held the first of their quarterly carbon allowance auctions last Thursday and sold all 12.5 million carbon allowances on auction. 

In the sealed online auction Thursday, the buyers, primarily utilities, paid $3.07 per ton of excess emissions, and all 12.5 million carbon allowances were sold, the initiative reported.

In an article in the Washington Post today, reporter Robin Shulman stated that the earnings from the auction will be split among the six participating states, based on the number of allowances they had. 

One of the biggest problems for protecting Puget Sound as well as other water sources is the contaminants found in runoff water.  As rainwater flows over polluted streets and buildings, it picks up a load of pollutants, such as oil and pesticides as it flows into drainage systems and then into a stream or lake or the Sound.

The city of Seattle, partnering with Vulcan Inc., is experimenting with what they are calling the "Swale on Yale", a 10-ft. wide stretch of natural plants and grasses that is designed to clean up about 188 gallons of water each year, according to an article in today's PI by Robert McClure.

Community to Community, one of our partner organizations, recently received a grant from the USDA Farmers' Markets Promotion Program. The purpose of the grant is to create stronger connections between the people the grow our food and consumers. The primary avenue for this program is through farmers markets, however, it is possible to work with Community Supported Agriculture programs or other direct marketing services.

Does Europe know something we don't know?  Italy has followed Germany and Slovenia in banning sales of several neonicotinoid pesticides that they blame for the collapse of bee colonies all over the world. 

The ban was reported in a press release issued by the Italian government and passed along by the Organic Consumers Association and ENN.  Here's what they said:

"The two substances are produced by the German company Bayer CropScience and generated *800 million in 2007. Imidacloprid is Bayer´s best-selling pesticide.

"Neonicotinoid pesticides are systemic chemicals that work their way through the plant and attack the nervous system of any insect it comes into contact with. The substances also get into the pollen and the nectar and can damage beneficial insects such as bees."