Sustainability Speaker Series Want to learn more about sustainability? Our presentations are designed to be read online or to be presented by our staff at your event or group meeting. Contact sustainability@cityoftacoma.org or call (253) 591-5172 to book!
Office of Environmental Policy & Sustainability How does Tacoma go Green?
Our Mission The City of Tacoma s Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability develops, promotes, and implements sustainable practices through: Policies Research Public education & outreach Programs Performance management
Our Staff Jim Parvey Division Manager Mike Carey Urban Forester Emily Campbell Events, Communication and Outreach Specialist Patrick Babbitt Healthy Homes, Healthy Neighborhoods John Inch EnviroChallenger Janda Volkmer EnviroHouse Coordinator Kristin Lynett Sustainability Officer Jeanne Walter Sustainability Management Analyst Sarah Low Sustainability Management Analyst Jetta Antonakos Solid Waste Specialist Jacqueline Fuller EnviroChallenger AmeriCorps Volunteers, High School Interns & College Interns
Where we Work
Education & Outreach
Addressing big challenges on a small scale, one neighborhood at a time. Through door-to-door conversations and neighborhood events, this program connects Tacoma residents with local resources that help make their homes and communities healthier and more eco-friendly while reducing everyday household costs. Tacoma Neighborhoods: Wapato (2012-2013) Dometop (2014-2015) Hilltop (2015-2016) Lincoln (2015-2017) South Tacoma (2017-2018)
This is the only permanent model home in Tacoma that showcases and host workshops on green building and natural landscape ideas, materials and techniques to create a healthy home and planet. Located at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center. Regular Hours: Wednesday Friday 10 am 3 pm Saturday & Sunday 11 am 5 pm cityoftacoma.org/workshops
Our EnviroChallenger staff offer hands-on environmental education to elementary and middle school students. cityoftacoma.org/envirochallenger Teachers can chose from a variety of activities: Clean Go Bingo Down the Storm Drain: Where Does the Flow Go? Saving Our Salmon: Is Something Fishy Going On? Talking Trash: Is It Really Garbage? Toxic Toilets and Sick Sinks: What s In Your Sewer? Water, Water Everywhere: How Can You Keep It Clean? 2-5-Tree: Why Plant a Tree?
The Green Living Guide and Map are frequently updated so that you can connect to Tacoma s sustainable living resources. This map includes where to find locally grown food, electric vehicle charging stations, bike paths, parks, and more!
The annual Sustainability Expo offers opportunities to connect with local businesses, community groups, and others to learn about sustainability programs, products and services in Tacoma and South Puget Sound. This free event is held at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center.
We want to help our community learn more about sustainability. Our presentations are designed be read online or to be presented by our staff at your event or group meeting. Call or email to schedule your presentation today! sustainability@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5172
Policies
Municipal Green Buildings In 2010 the Tacoma City Council passed an ordinance requiring all new or renovated City facilities to strive for LEED Gold. City Green Buildings include: Police Headquarters Fleet Warehouse Solid Waste Division Admin Building Solid Waste Transfer Station Center for Urban Waters Pacific Plaza
Greenroads Community The City of Tacoma is committed to sustainable design, construction and maintenance. All new road construction must be Greenroads certified. Certification is awarded as bronze, silver and gold status. Cheney Stadium - Silver Clay Huntington Way - Silver Asotin Court - Bronze Alaska Street - Silver Wapato Lake Drive - Silver
Urban Chickens The Tacoma City Council passed the Bring Your Own Bag ordinance to encourage shoppers to reduce their use of disposable plastic and paper checkout bags, and to instead choose reusable bags when shopping. The City s backyard chicken policy was created in response to residents increased interest in urban agriculture. cityoftacoma.org/shoppingbags The 2011 ordinance outlines: Limit of 6 chickens (no roosters) Chickens must be kept in cages Cages should be 12+ feet from any building
City Leading By Example Working with other departments to reduce resource consumption and save money Fleet and employee fuel reduction policy Monitoring building energy consumption Sustainable Purchasing Policy Implemented an Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS) for the City s Central Wastewater Treatment Plant. Four significant goals were set: Air Emissions Convert 40% of biogas emissions to fuel Electricity Usage Reduce energy use 15% Groundwater Depletion Reduce groundwater use 50% Resource Consumption Reduce impacts of purchases 10%
Tacoma Environmental Action Plan Roadmap for the City of Tacoma to meet its environmental goals, with targets and actions in the following categories: Natural Systems Transportation Air and Food Materials Buildings and Energy Climate Resilience 24 five-year targets 69 high priority actions Serving Our Community & Leading By Example
Climate Resilience A Climate Risk Assessment completed in 2015 detailed the resiliency of: Buildings & Infrastructure Natural Systems Social Systems The City is working with state partners through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant to dive deeper into sea level rise threats in Commencement Bay.
How has our Climate Changed? 1.3ºF increase in average annual temperature (1895-2011) Longer frost-free season More frequent nighttime heat waves in Western WA 27% reduction in Mt. Rainier s glaciers (1913-1994) ~25% reduction in spring snowpack since mid-century, with natural year-to-year variability No clear change in annual precipitation, but some evidence of increasing extreme precipitation Earlier peak spring streamflow in many rivers 7.8 inch increase in sea level over the last century
What Future Changes are Expected? Warming in all seasons, especially summer +4ºF to +5.3ºF, on average, by the 2050s More intense heat waves Wetter winters and drier summers, with heavier and more frequent extreme rainfall events Greater flood risk in the Puyallup watershed Potential for more landslides Sea level rise of up to 19 inches by 2050, and up to 56 inches by 2100, compared to 2000
Community Programs
Green Events Electric Vehicles Community events are encouraged to be Green Events through this City program. Strategies include better waste management, encouraging sustainable travel, using recycled content paper for printed materials, and more. Tacoma has some of the cleanest and cheapest electricity in the county let s use it to fuel our vehicles! The City has 10 electric fleet vehicles The City installed 12 public EV charging stations around Tacoma Working on EV public education, outreach and encouragement
Urban Forestry Managing our urban forest is critical to the health of our city. There are significant tree canopy deserts in underserved areas of Tacoma. The City s goal is 30% canopy by 2030, which is addressed through: Updating the City s Urban Forest Management Plan Improving policy and processes to incentivize healthy urban forests Depave and community planting projects Community involvement and education/outreach
Preventing Wasted Food Wasted food means wasted water, land, energy, labor, fuel and money. Know the difference to make a difference in your kitchen: Wasted Food is avoidable this includes uneaten leftovers and expired or moldy food Food Waste is unavoidable - this includes shells, stems and other inedible parts Join the Food: Too Good To Waste Challenge! Take the 4-week at-home challenge and see how much edible food goes to waste in your own home. With some easy planning and light changes, the Challenge will help save time, money and resources by keeping good food out of the trash (or compost). Sign up at cityoftacoma.org/preventingwastedfood
Be assured that our individual actions, collectively, make a huge difference. ~ Jane Goodall
Sustainability Speaker Series Want to learn more about sustainability? Our presentations are designed to be read online or to be presented by our staff at your event or group meeting. Contact sustainability@cityoftacoma.org or call (253) 591-5172 to book!