We wrote last week about the Draft Action Agenda that the Washington State government-led Puget Sound Partnership developed.  This week, a private nonprofit organization, People for Puget Sound (PPS), called for people to actively make our voices heard.  "The Partnership’s Action Agenda is a golden opportunity to carry out a recovery plan that is accountable, effective, transparent and decisive with sustained funding that will restore this national treasure to health by 2020." 

They would like us all to weigh in.  It will take a few minutes but far less that a couple hours volunteering on a political campaign took last month and we were glad to do that. 

1) Read or skim through the Draft Action Agenda on the PPS Website.

2) Take a look at the PPS's thoughts about what to focus on:

The Puget Sound Partnership released a draft Action Plan last week to save Puget Sound. The Action Plan is a roadmap for protecting, restoring and cleaning up the Sound.  The report starts with an analysis of the state of the Sound now.  It's not good.  From a press release, the Partnership gives the details:

Last month, Michael Pollan, author of the book, “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto”, wrote a thoughtful letter (well, really a long article) in the New York Times to the man who would be elected President.  He talks about the issues impacting our food system.  He says food policy will wind up occupying much of the new President's time, not something that has been the case almost anytime in the past.  He says we are about to be reminded that "the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security".

Al Gore is asking us to go for 100% clean electricity within a decade.  That would mean using no coal.  Currently, 50% of US electricity comes from coal.  So, were we to eliminate coal from the energy equation, we'd have a bit of work to do as a nation (not counting fighting those who would benefit from staying with coal). 

A. Siegel, commenter at Firedoglake and a founder of "Energize America", has a plan to get us to a coal-free electrical system by 2030 - and improve the economy at the same time.  In fact, he takes us over the goal line with room to spare, using what he calls the portfolio approach.  Here's the outline of the plan with the strategy and the amount of current electricity usage it would address:

California's energy-efficient policies have generated 1.5 million jobs since 1977, according to a study released this week - and those weren't even "green jobs".  The study, conducted by David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at UC - Berkeley, found that when consumers are able to reduce the amount they spend on energy, they spend more on groceries, appliances, consumer goods, etc.  It's not rocket science but it's good to have the validation. 

An article in the New York Times reports on the study and its unique focus.  Typically, economists focus on the costs and benefits of dealing with the carbon dioxide sloughed off by the fossil-fuel economy or the cost of converting over to new energy industries.  The UC - Berkeley study adds in another dimension.  

Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of the global development program for the Gates Foundation says that "a society's prosperity is inextricably linked with its agriculture".  Burwell was a keynote speaker at the World Food Prize celebrations in Des Moines, Iowa.  She said that "no country or region has ever lifted itself out of poverty without sustainable agriculture".  That is why the Gates Foundation has added agriculture to its portfolio.

More here.