III. REGENERATING OUR ENVIRONMENT

​

CARBON LEADERSHIP FORUM

ANDREW HIMES

https://carbonleadershipforum.org/introducing-clf-staff-andrew-himes/ 

 

Andrew Himes is director of collective impact initiatives to reduce embodied carbon emissions in new building construction. He has been a partner in Carbon Innovations LLC, a social impact business consultancy focused on business-based solutions to climate change. Himes was the founding editor of MacTech, the leading Apple technology journal, then co-founded the Microsoft Developer Network and led the first web development project at Microsoft. In 2018, he was coordinator of Carbon Smart Building Day, a conference affiliated with the Global Climate Action Summit focused on transforming the global building industry to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Himes was founding director for the Charter for Compassion International. He is the author of “The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family.”

 

​

CLIMATE CRISES SOLUTIONS

BERIT ANDERSON Director of Programming

Strategic News Service

https://www.futureinreview.com/leaders/berit-anderson/

​

Berit Anderson is director of programs for Strategic News Service and FiRe events. Previously, she co-founded and served as the CEO of Scout.ai, a media company exploring the future of technology through analysis, science fiction, and scenario planning games.

An international keynote speaker and advisor on innovation, technology, media, and global policy, Berit has appeared at the Brussels Forum, the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Conference on World Affairs, TEDxVilnius, DevoxxBelgium, and TEQNation, among others. In 2017, her work on information warfare was featured in the New Yorker, Gizmodo, and TechCrunch, and cited by internet creator Tim Berners-Lee as one of the top three challenges facing the internet.

Berit is a member of Global Shapers, the World Economic Forum's international network of young leaders; and serves on the boards of environmental media nonprofits Yes! Magazine and InvestigateWest, www.invw.org.

 

​

CLIMATE POLICY

SARAH SEVERN

http://www.sarahsevern.com/about.html

 

Global Director of the Environmental Action Team. From 1995 to 2004 Sarah catalyzed the introduction of sustainability into Nike's operations, product design process and manufacturing supply chain. Following that she held a number of senior sustainability roles that focused on stakeholder engagement, futures, trends and scenario planning and systems level collaborative change. 

 

Sarah led the development of Nike’s climate change advocacy strategy and initiated the BICEP coalition (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy),a project of CERES and the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) business coalition.

Sarah built an extensive network of sustainability experts and advisors during her tenure at Nike and remains committed to the power of networks as a way to transform our future. Sarah has also held numerous non profit board and advisory board roles, and served for many years on the faculty of the Cambridge Program for Sustainability Leadership.

 

Since 2014 Sarah has continued corporate sustainability consulting, worked extensively on outreach and strategic planning with the Washington Business for Climate Action network,. and is currently focused on bringing business leaders to advocate for effective carbon policy through the Low Carbon Prosperity Institute.

​

Her non profit roles are increasingly directed to entities working on regenerative agriculture and system change. She serves on the US advisory board of Forum for the Future, the board of the Madrona Institute on San Juan island, and the steering committee of Transition SJI.

 

​

CLIMATE SCIENCE

Dr. RICHARD GAMMON

https://chem.washington.edu/people/richard-gammon

​

Dr. Gammon is one of THE leading experts, globally and regionally, in climate science. He is an amazing researcher and educator with a knack for “translating”  the climate science to a wide range of audiences from young to old in a way that is understandable and actionable. In this conversation, Dr. Gammon is candid about  the challenges we face if we continue on our current path but he then  shares the steps we need to take to adapt to a changed world while working to restore the  health of the Salish Sea region.  At the same time, his love of life is infectious and  that is the energy we need to transform our path moving forward.

 

Dr. Gammon is Professor (Emeritus) of Chemistry and Oceanography, and Adjunct   Professor (Emeritus) of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. Dr. Gammon received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Harvard University.  He was a co-author of the first scientific assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  As Chief of the Carbon Dioxide Program, he directed the U.S. government’s  program to globally monitor atmospheric CO2.

​

​

CLIMATE IMPACT

CLIMATE IMPACT GROUP

https://cig.uw.edu/about/

 

The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group builds climate resilience by advancing understanding of climate risks and enabling science-based action to manage those risks.

​

We are widely recognized for scientific discovery, as an experienced creator of impartial and actionable science on identifying and managing climate risks, and as a catalyst and supporter of regional efforts to build climate resilience.

​

The Climate Impacts Group is an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Washington composed of natural, physical and social scientists as well as communications and administrative professionals. We are a member organization of EarthLab and the host to two federal programs, the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative. 

​

The Climate Impacts Group helps people across the Northwest understand how the effects of climate change — including rising air temperatures, decreasing snowfall, rising sea levels and drier summers — stand to affect life in our region. We focus on co-producing knowledge that is both useful and used to help our region prepare for, and better cope with, the effects of a changing climate.

​

We support planners, natural resource managers, engineers, policymakers and community members across the region as they use science to build climate resilience. Our partners work in a variety of sectors and contexts, including government agencies, non-profit organizations and community groups.

​

Our work is supported by organizational- and project-based gifts, grants and contracts from federal, state and local sources, private philanthropy and the state of Washington.

 

We recognize that the impacts of climate change will not be distributed equally, due to unjust social, political and economic processes that have marginalized frontline communities for generations. Frontline communities – which include Black communities, Tribes and Indigenous peoples, other communities of color, those most dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods and people with lower incomes – are more likely to experience climate change impacts first and worst. They are more likely to live and work in areas at increased risk to climate stressors such as heat, flooding and fires, and are more likely to experience issues that are worsened by climate impacts such as food insecurity and health and economic disparities.

​

At the same time, frontline communities have practices and strategies for building climate resilience based on diverse knowledge and lived experience. The leadership and creativity of frontline communities is necessary for building a climate-resilient future for all people.

The Climate Impacts Group commits to prioritizing inclusion and justice for all people in our work on climate adaptation, with the aim of mitigating oppression in our organization, our field and our communities. Frontline communities are centered in climate adaptation work at the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative, one of the Climate Impacts Group’s major programs. 

 

​

FOOD SECURITY

TILTH ALLIANCE

https://tilthalliance.org/

​

Mission: To build an ecologically sound, economically viable and socially equitable food system

​

It is clear that the next decade has to be about global pivotal change — the existential challenges we face today demand that of us. The way we produce and consume food will be an important driver of that change. The choices each of us make can either decrease or enhance biodiversity, contribute to or mitigate climate change, degrade or improve water resources, and exacerbate or address historic inequities.

 

Vision

Tilth Alliance, we are working toward a better food future where:

• The food we eat is produced using organic, regenerative and sustainable practices that nurture the environment.

• Access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food is a right, not a privilege, for people in every corner of our state.

• Farmers, food growers, and producers are valued, have advocates amplifying their voice and earn living wages that 

• allow them to thrive.

• Land for growing and harvesting food is available for all.

• Soil and water health are considered a critical and shared responsibility. 

• Diverse voices are equitably represented, proactively sought out, and respected throughout the food system. 

• From the youngest age, we understand the value of food, the land, and the humans and non-humans who care for our soil, pollinate our crops, and nurture our ecosystems.

 

​

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

Dr. RICHARD FEELY

https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Richard++A.+Feely,+Ph.D.

 

Dr. Richard A. Feely is a NOAA Senior Fellow at the NOAA Pacific Marine

Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. He also holds an affiliate full  professor faculty position at the University of Washington School of Oceanography.

         

His major research areas are carbon cycling in the oceans and ocean acidification processes. He received a B.A. in chemistry from the University of St. Thomas, in  St. Paul, Minnesota in 1969. He then went onto Texas A&M University where he received both a M.S. degree in 1971 and a Ph.D. degree in 1974. Both of his post-graduate degrees were in chemical oceanography. He is a member of the U.S. CLIVAR/CO2 Repeat Hydrography Program Oversight Committee. He a member of the international Global Ocean Acidification Executive Council and is presently a member of the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification. He was also a member of the Steering Committee for the Ocean Carbon Coordination Project. He is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society.

 

Dr. Feely has authored more than 300 referred scientific research publications.  He received the Department of Commerce Gold Award in 2006 for research on ocean acidification.

​

In 2007 Dr. Feely was elected to be a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

In 2010 he was he awarded the Heinz Environmental Award for his pioneering research on ocean acidification.

In 2014 Dr. Feely received the NOAA Administrator’s Award for his work on the 2013 IPCC AR5 Climate Change Report.

Dr. Feely was elected to be a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2017.

 

​

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

BETSY PEABODY - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PUGET SOUND RESTORATION FUND 

​

Betsy is founder and executive director of the PUGET SOUND RESTORATION FUND (PSRF).  She is also President of the Pacific Shellfish Institute.  Betsy served on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification and collaborated with NOAA to establish the Kenneth K Chew Center for Shellfish Research and Restoration that PSRF operates to help restore native shellfish and living marine resources.  Betsy has a degree in English from Stanford University and a lifelong interest in the marine world.

​

betsy@restorationfund.org

206.780.6947

URL: https://restorationfund.org/

​

The Puget Sound Restoration Fund works throughout Puget Sound on diverse projects to restore iconic marine resources and a healthy ecosystem.

​

Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF) works collaboratively to restore marine habitat, water quality, and native species in Puget Sound through on-the-ground projects. We are committed to a vision of a clean and healthy Sound that is productive, full of life, and that sustains us. The populations we rebuild to achieve that vision are key to maintaining ecosystem health. Other programs we've launched are designed to spur clean water efforts and re-forge connections between people and resources.

 

PSRF projects are science-based and undertaken to restore a healthy ecosystem. Our staff of ecologists and technicians are in the lab and in the field. Our work takes place on the tideflats, in the water and at the hatchery as we rebuild breeding populations, enhance living marine habitat and incubate mitigation strategies.

 

 

REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES

PROJECT DRAWDOWN

drawdown.org

 

Our mission is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change—as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.

​

The Solutions

To reach Drawdown, we must work on all aspects of the climate equation—stopping sources and supporting sinks, as well as helping society achieve broader transformations. That is, three connected areas call for action, which we must pursue globally, simultaneously, and with determination.

1. Reduce Sources — bringing emissions to zero

2. Support Sinks — uplifting nature’s carbon cycle

3. Improve Society — fostering equality for all

 

Nested within each area of action, there are sectors and subgroups of diverse solutions—practices and technologies that can help the world stabilize and then begin to lower greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. Together, they comprise the Drawdown Framework for climate solutions.

 

 

RESTORING WILDLANDS AND WILDLIFE

CONSERVATION NORTHWEST

https://conservationnw.org/

​

We recognize that for long-term progress, conservation must go hand-in-hand with healthy, prosperous and equitable communities. 

We’re restoring wildlands and wildlife by working with diverse stakeholders. Through dialogue, we find common ground and collaborative solutions for challenging issues including habitat corridors, wilderness conservation, forest restoration and endangered species recovery across our region.

​

Conservationists, farmers, Indigenous and First Nations peoples, hikers and climbers, hunters and anglers—we all share a love for wildness, wild animals and careful stewardship of the natural legacy we leave for generations to come. We know that by working together, we’re building a stronger, wilder future in the Pacific Northwest!

 

SALISH SEA ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

MICHAEL RYLKO - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

rylko.michael@epa.gov

HEALTH OF THE SALISH SEA ECOSYSTEM REPORT

https://www.epa.gov/salish-sea

 

The Health of the Salish Sea Report is a joint initiative between the U.S. EPA and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). This report is “evergreen” and describes trends across 10 indicators that help us to identify areas of progress in environmental management and priorities for further action across the transboundary Salish Sea ecosystem, which includes the Puget Sound ecosystem, the Strait of Georgia ecosystem, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca ecosystem.

 

 

SALISH SEA MARINE HEALTH

GINNY BROADHURST, Director

SALISH SEA INSTITUTE, WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 

https://wp.wwu.edu/salishsea/

 

Given our placement on the edge of the Salish Sea, in Coast Salish territories, and near the international border, Western Washington University created the Salish Sea Institute to raise awareness and protection for the Salish Sea.

 

At the Salish Sea Institute, we work to share knowledge across

disciplines and borders.

 

We created a minor in Salish Sea Studies to teach students  about the Salish Sea’s history, ecology, culture, and management complexities.

 

We convene conferences and produce reports to share science

and management strategies among the community of people off campus who work to protect the Salish Sea.

 

The Institute works towards WWU’s goal to “advance a deeper understanding of engagement with place” that can be found in the strategic plan.  As Institute staff, we continue to learn from knowledge holders about 10,000 years of knowing and are indebted to all who help us along this path. We continue to ask questions and seek solutions to move towards a more equitable system of learning on and off campus, and collectively caring for the Salish Sea.

 

​

MARINE HEALTH

JOE GAYDOS

SEADOC SOCIETY

https://www.seadocsociety.org/

 

Joe is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most respected and well-known scientists,

Joe is the Science Director for the SeaDoc Society, a marine conservation program

of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center.

 

Joe is a bestselling author, a popular and entertaining public speaker, and a

sought-after expert voice on wildlife health issues who’s advised policymakers

from Washington State to Washington D.C.

 

As a world-traveling wildlife veterinarian, surgeon and research scientist, Joe has

studied and cared for animals ranging from bush babies to killer whales. He’s ‘

been charged by a silverback gorilla, clawed by a cheetah, and bitten by, well,

practically everything. He’s published more than 50 peer-reviewed science papers

and co-written the Nautilus Gold Award-winning The Salish Sea: Jewel of the

Pacific Northwest and Explore the Salish Sea.      

 

For the last two decades, Joe has been working on wildlife and ecosystem

conservation in the Pacific Northwest. He’s one of the world’s top wildlife vets

and an expert on diseases that impact both human and wild animal health in   

 species including seabirds, harbor seals, river otters, porpoise and killer whales.  

 

​

ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION

THE XERCES SOCIETY

https://www.xerces.org/

 

The Xerces Society is a science-based conservation organization, working with diverse partners that include scientists, land managers, educators, policymakers, farmers, and communities. By utilizing applied research, engaging in advocacy, providing educational resources, addressing policy implications, and building community, we endeavor to make meaningful long-term conservation a reality playlist:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo22nBM4mjeS0a1A2PshIQTsren_XaHYw

 

 

ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION

SIGHTLINE INSTITUTE

ALAN DURNING – FOUNDER

https://www.sightline.org/

 

Sightline Institute is an independent, nonprofit research and communications center—a think tank—founded by Alan Durning in 1993.

 

Our work

Sightline equips the Northwest’s citizens and decision-makers with the policy research and practical tools they need to advance long-term solutions to our region’s most significant challenges. Our work includes in-depth research, commentary, and analysis, delivered online, by email, and in-person to Northwest policy champions, emerging leaders, and a range of community partners.

​

We believe true sustainability exists at the intersection of environmental health and social justice. Read more about our equity commitment here.

​

Sightline has long championed sustainability solutions that benefit all our communities in the Northwest. We strive to identify injustice and work to dismantle the systems that perpetuate it. We actively seek to expand our role in advancing public policy and producing resources for Northwest leaders and community partners that tackle issues of racial and economic inequality.

​

Our mission:

Sightline Institute’s mission is to make the Northwest a global model of sustainability—strong communities, a green economy, and a healthy environment.

​

Our vision:

We envision in the Pacific Northwest an economy and way of life that are environmentally sound, economically vibrant, and socially just. We believe that if northwesterners succeed at reconciling themselves with the natural heritage of this place—the greenest part of history’s richest civilization—we can set an example for the world.

​

ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION

https://davidsuzuki.org/

 

We are interconnected with nature, and with each other. What we do to the planet and its living creatures, we do to ourselves.

This is the fundamental truth guiding our work at the David Suzuki Foundation.

​

Founded in 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation is a national, bilingual non-profit organization headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal.

 

Through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis, we work to conserve and protect the natural environment, and help create a sustainable Canada. We regularly collaborate with non-profit and community organizations, all levels of government, businesses and individuals.

​

Our mission is to protect nature’s diversity and the well-being of all life, now and for the future. Our vision is that we all act every day on the understanding that we are one with nature.