* Apple growers going organic to stay in business
* Beaver relocation
* Local organic farms/grass-fed beef, localharvest
* superfund site
* Green Bluff Harvest festival - increase or decrease in people, green trend? local trend?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Quotes
1. "Mary is trying hard in school this semester," her father said.
2. Early in the show, Steven Wright asked, "How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?"
3. Did Steven Wright say, "If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you"?
4. "No," the taxi driver said, "I cannot get you to the airport in 15 minutes."
5. Gov. Peterson said she will support a tax increase this session.
"Without it, schools will close," she son said .
6. "My favorite line is when Jerry Seinfeld said, 'My parents didn't want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty and that's the law,'" Smitty said.
7. My French professor told me my accent is "abominable".
8. "Is Time a magazine you read regularly?" she asked.
9. When did Roosevelt say, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"?
10. "Can you believe," Dot asked me, "that it has been almost five years since we've seen each other?"
2. Early in the show, Steven Wright asked, "How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?"
3. Did Steven Wright say, "If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you"?
4. "No," the taxi driver said, "I cannot get you to the airport in 15 minutes."
5. Gov. Peterson said she will support a tax increase this session.
"Without it, schools will close," she son said .
6. "My favorite line is when Jerry Seinfeld said, 'My parents didn't want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty and that's the law,'" Smitty said.
7. My French professor told me my accent is "abominable".
8. "Is Time a magazine you read regularly?" she asked.
9. When did Roosevelt say, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"?
10. "Can you believe," Dot asked me, "that it has been almost five years since we've seen each other?"
Monday, September 28, 2009
September 29 Blog Update
Related Stories:
* Spokesman-Review, 9/28/09, Glass pile shows recycling challenge:http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/28/glass-pile-shows-recycling-challenge/ states battling to find a solution for glass that has been collected but can't be recycled because it is cheaper to make new glass, this relates to my beat because it is about an environmentally friendly process that isn't working
*Spokesman-Review 8/28/09, Transplanting Beavers: http://www.spokesman.com/video/2009/aug/28/transplanting-beavers/ A local man is transplanting beavers to restore damaged stream areas and improve the water and environmental quality of the area. This is related to my beat because it is a creative and inexpensive environmental restoration project.
Story Ideas:
*Go more in depth with the beaver story, now that they have been transplanted, how is it going? etc
*new community center in cheney, community friendly but environmentally friendly?
* Spokesman-Review, 9/28/09, Glass pile shows recycling challenge:http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/28/glass-pile-shows-recycling-challenge/ states battling to find a solution for glass that has been collected but can't be recycled because it is cheaper to make new glass, this relates to my beat because it is about an environmentally friendly process that isn't working
*Spokesman-Review 8/28/09, Transplanting Beavers: http://www.spokesman.com/video/2009/aug/28/transplanting-beavers/ A local man is transplanting beavers to restore damaged stream areas and improve the water and environmental quality of the area. This is related to my beat because it is a creative and inexpensive environmental restoration project.
Story Ideas:
*Go more in depth with the beaver story, now that they have been transplanted, how is it going? etc
*new community center in cheney, community friendly but environmentally friendly?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Political Story
OUTLINE
I. Intro: WSU PSU protest
a. Lede quote: right thing to do
II. Washington state’s project intro
III. Background
a. Sweatfree definition
b. Sweatshop abuses list
c. Why people want to go sweatfree
IV. What wsu did
a. WRC
b. FLA
c. prices
V. What state is going to do
a. Cost
b. SPC
VI. Problems
VII. Project future and how likely implementation is
ARTICLE
Two years ago, Washington State University students joined the long line of college activists to protest Cougar gear made in sweatshops. Progressive Student Union members prepared to fight, in cardboard boxes emblazoned with their battle cry – “I’d Rather Go Naked than Wear Sweatshop Clothing.”
However, the fight was not to be had. WSU officials were already considering going sweatfree and willingly signed a policy within a week, WSU Trademark Department Program Administrative Manager, Alyce Anderson said.
“I think the PSU expected more of a push back,” Anderson said. “But it’s just the right thing to do.”
Today, the state of Washington is considering a similar measure. The House of Representatives Committee on Commerce and Labor held a work session in March to discuss why the state should put together a sweatfree purchasing policy and how to do that.
Sweatfree means a product is not made under sweatshop conditions. Sweatshop conditions are any internationally recognized unsafe or unfair working conditions, said Kristen Beifus, SweatFree Washington Coordinator, at the March Commerce and Labor work session.
Sweatfree policies combat these issues by protecting workers and fighting a global economy based on exploitation and a race to create the cheapest products, said Rebecca Johnson, Washington State Labor Council Government Affairs Director, at the March meeting.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” Johnson said.
In October of 2007, WSU signed on to the Worker’s Rights Consortium and the Free Labor Association. The WRC is a watchdog organization that monitors suppliers and works with them to fix violations, Anderson said. The FLA is an organization that all suppliers must be members of in order to manufacture products with a Cougar logo, she said.
“These organizations get all people together working for solutions,” she said.
The price of Cougar gear has not increased significantly due to FLA membership, Anderson said, because many suppliers, such as Nike, were already members.
The state policy would be similar. It would join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, a group of almost 200 public institutions. The purpose is a collective effort for transparency from suppliers by pooling resources, said Dick Meyer, South Sound Clean Clothes Campaign and Founder, at the March meeting.
States in the U.S. spend $400 million per year on apparel such as uniforms for employees, Beifus said. A procurement policy will include a code of conduct for suppliers including respecting international labor standards and submitting to investigation and necessary corrective action.
The enforcement of this code is up to the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, which uses members’ $500 initial fee and $5,000 yearly member fee to monitor and improve conditions, said Bjorn Claeson, Executive Director of SweatFree Communities.
However, joining these watchdog organizations does not make sweatfree purchasing “as simple as waving a magic wand,” Anderson said.
“It’s like saying your house will never catch on fire because you have insurance,” she said. The point of the policies is to find the problems and create solutions.
The state’s sweatfree purchasing project is just beginning , Commerce and Labor Committee Chair, Steve Conway said during the work session, but he and several other committee members are very interested in working towards a policy for Washington. The committee’s goal is to produce a policy by Jan. 1.
SOURCES
Alyce Anderson, WSU Trademarks Administrative Program Manager, 509-335-2202
Alison Hellberg, Commerce and Labor Counsel and Sweatfree Purchasing Project Manager, 360-786-7152
Steve Conway, Commerce and Labor Chair, 360-786-7906
http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009031018&TYPE=V&CFID=697859&CFTOKEN=29830829&bhcp=1 , video of work session from which Beifus, Conway, Johnson, Claeson and Meyer were quoted
I. Intro: WSU PSU protest
a. Lede quote: right thing to do
II. Washington state’s project intro
III. Background
a. Sweatfree definition
b. Sweatshop abuses list
c. Why people want to go sweatfree
IV. What wsu did
a. WRC
b. FLA
c. prices
V. What state is going to do
a. Cost
b. SPC
VI. Problems
VII. Project future and how likely implementation is
ARTICLE
Two years ago, Washington State University students joined the long line of college activists to protest Cougar gear made in sweatshops. Progressive Student Union members prepared to fight, in cardboard boxes emblazoned with their battle cry – “I’d Rather Go Naked than Wear Sweatshop Clothing.”
However, the fight was not to be had. WSU officials were already considering going sweatfree and willingly signed a policy within a week, WSU Trademark Department Program Administrative Manager, Alyce Anderson said.
“I think the PSU expected more of a push back,” Anderson said. “But it’s just the right thing to do.”
Today, the state of Washington is considering a similar measure. The House of Representatives Committee on Commerce and Labor held a work session in March to discuss why the state should put together a sweatfree purchasing policy and how to do that.
Sweatfree means a product is not made under sweatshop conditions. Sweatshop conditions are any internationally recognized unsafe or unfair working conditions, said Kristen Beifus, SweatFree Washington Coordinator, at the March Commerce and Labor work session.
Sweatfree policies combat these issues by protecting workers and fighting a global economy based on exploitation and a race to create the cheapest products, said Rebecca Johnson, Washington State Labor Council Government Affairs Director, at the March meeting.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” Johnson said.
In October of 2007, WSU signed on to the Worker’s Rights Consortium and the Free Labor Association. The WRC is a watchdog organization that monitors suppliers and works with them to fix violations, Anderson said. The FLA is an organization that all suppliers must be members of in order to manufacture products with a Cougar logo, she said.
“These organizations get all people together working for solutions,” she said.
The price of Cougar gear has not increased significantly due to FLA membership, Anderson said, because many suppliers, such as Nike, were already members.
The state policy would be similar. It would join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, a group of almost 200 public institutions. The purpose is a collective effort for transparency from suppliers by pooling resources, said Dick Meyer, South Sound Clean Clothes Campaign and Founder, at the March meeting.
States in the U.S. spend $400 million per year on apparel such as uniforms for employees, Beifus said. A procurement policy will include a code of conduct for suppliers including respecting international labor standards and submitting to investigation and necessary corrective action.
The enforcement of this code is up to the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, which uses members’ $500 initial fee and $5,000 yearly member fee to monitor and improve conditions, said Bjorn Claeson, Executive Director of SweatFree Communities.
However, joining these watchdog organizations does not make sweatfree purchasing “as simple as waving a magic wand,” Anderson said.
“It’s like saying your house will never catch on fire because you have insurance,” she said. The point of the policies is to find the problems and create solutions.
The state’s sweatfree purchasing project is just beginning , Commerce and Labor Committee Chair, Steve Conway said during the work session, but he and several other committee members are very interested in working towards a policy for Washington. The committee’s goal is to produce a policy by Jan. 1.
SOURCES
Alyce Anderson, WSU Trademarks Administrative Program Manager, 509-335-2202
Alison Hellberg, Commerce and Labor Counsel and Sweatfree Purchasing Project Manager, 360-786-7152
Steve Conway, Commerce and Labor Chair, 360-786-7906
http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009031018&TYPE=V&CFID=697859&CFTOKEN=29830829&bhcp=1 , video of work session from which Beifus, Conway, Johnson, Claeson and Meyer were quoted
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tweaked Political Pitch
House Sweatfree Project with the local angle of the Bookie. How their implementation is going and is this something that could work across the state? How would this impact the Pullman Economy with Shopko and Wal-Mart? How likely is the implementation and what exactly is the plan? Prices? What other states have that we are looking at.
During the 2009 session, the House Commerce & Labor Committee held a work session to discusssweatfree purchasing policies and the multi-state Sweatfree Consortium. During the 2009 interim, theCommittee will continue to examine polices adopted in other states and begin developing a proposedpolicy for Washington.January 1, 2010NoneCompletion Date:Project Title:Staff Assigned:Number & Type of Meetings
During the 2009 session, the House Commerce & Labor Committee held a work session to discusssweatfree purchasing policies and the multi-state Sweatfree Consortium. During the 2009 interim, theCommittee will continue to examine polices adopted in other states and begin developing a proposedpolicy for Washington.January 1, 2010NoneCompletion Date:Project Title:Staff Assigned:Number & Type of Meetings
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sept 22 blog update
* 09/17/09 Under the Big Red Tent Debate: locavore's dilemma the costs and benefits of eating local food and what WSU and individuals can do and are doing
* 09/16/09 http://dailyevergreen.com/story/29405 WSU Health and Wellbeing seminar on eating local and organic to stay healthy
* Sept 2009 http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/food-for-the-soul/article160121.html an organic farm that educates young children about healthy eating, this relates to Pullman because the WSU organic garden and other local gardens are also trying to reach out to locals and work on education
Story ideas
* WSU organic farm/Mary Jane's Farm and the outreach efforts they are making
* Pullman wastewater diversion project
* 09/16/09 http://dailyevergreen.com/story/29405 WSU Health and Wellbeing seminar on eating local and organic to stay healthy
* Sept 2009 http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/food-for-the-soul/article160121.html an organic farm that educates young children about healthy eating, this relates to Pullman because the WSU organic garden and other local gardens are also trying to reach out to locals and work on education
Story ideas
* WSU organic farm/Mary Jane's Farm and the outreach efforts they are making
* Pullman wastewater diversion project
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Political Story Ideas
* HR Ecology and Parks Committee meeting on increasing recycling collection
* HR Environmental Health Committee meeting on the impacts of pesticide use on humans
* Senate Environment, Water & Energy Committee Ewaste program
* Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee update on invasive species
* Senate Stock Water Work Group - a group to provide for a supply of water for increasing stock needs, also a concern about the number of stock farms and number of stock
* Senate EW&E C project on climate change response - how would agriculture need to change to be ready for climate change?
* S NRO&R C project on land preservation - land use changes? changing farming techniques?
* HR Ag & NR C project on water policy considerations - stock watering and storm water are some of the considerations
* HR Sweatfree Purchasing project
* WSU's organic farming program and budget cuts
* HR Environmental Health Committee meeting on the impacts of pesticide use on humans
* Senate Environment, Water & Energy Committee Ewaste program
* Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee update on invasive species
* Senate Stock Water Work Group - a group to provide for a supply of water for increasing stock needs, also a concern about the number of stock farms and number of stock
* Senate EW&E C project on climate change response - how would agriculture need to change to be ready for climate change?
* S NRO&R C project on land preservation - land use changes? changing farming techniques?
* HR Ag & NR C project on water policy considerations - stock watering and storm water are some of the considerations
* HR Sweatfree Purchasing project
* WSU's organic farming program and budget cuts
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