Burien Residents Can Recycle Used Cooking Oil This Holiday Season

Waste Management will be recycling used cooking oil this holiday season, with the intent on turning it into “clean, green biodiesel.” According to a flier: For residents of Burien, the solution... [Read more]

FOUND: Green Parrot Outside Realty West Properties Burien Office

Our good friend Manuela Horn (aka Burien’s “Yodeling Dominatrix”) alerts us to the fact that her mother-in-law, Susie Watkins, found a small green parrot in the garden outside her office,... [Read more]

OPINION: Is Burien Really Worthy Of Being A “Tree City”?

An Editorial by Jim Branson

On Arbor Day, the City of Burien called our attention to the beauty and value of trees by planting a dogwood in Dottie Harper Park.

This is commendable, and if it inspires people to plant appropriate trees in their own yards, it could have some long-term benefit.

We might also benefit by paying attention to the trees we’ve lost. In recent years, Burien has lost hundreds of trees, a few here, one there, a dozen more over here. These trees fall silently, when we don’t pay attention, and one might not even be aware of the gradual loss of canopy if no one takes the time to notice the missing trees. Ideally, the City of Burien should have an inventory of its trees, with notes on their health, so we can know if we are successful in being a Tree City U. S. A., as we were designated 7 years ago. This would take a coordinated effort involving arborists, but we can start by cataloguing the trees we have lost recently…

Welcome Our Latest Advertiser: Clean Air Lawn Care!

The B-Town Blog gives a big green “Thumbs Up” to Clean Air Lawn Care, our latest Advertiser!

Do you know that 5-10% of the Nation’s Air pollution is attributed to small engines like the ones used in gas powered lawn care equipment – mowers, blowers, edgers and trimmers?

Or that gas lawn mowers consume some 580 million gallons of gasoline annually of which 25-35% escapes unburned – that’s on top of the 17 million gallons that are spilled annually by people filling up gas mowers?

Clean Air Lawn Care of West Seattle is “Changing the Way America Mows the Lawn” by using only battery and electric operated equipment powered by renewable energy sources. The solar panels on their trucks are used to harvest the solar energy and recharge their equipment throughout the day.

Adam Werner, Owner of Clean Air Lawn Care, has been a Seattle resident since 1995 and a West Seattle resident in the Riverview Neighborhood since 2004. He has been involved with his Riverview Neighborhood group to help save the Sound Ways property from private development. He is also a member of the Highland Park Improvement Committee and a new member of Sustainable West Seattle.

In 2008, Clean Air Lawn Care was able to reduce air pollutants by 2289 pounds or the equivalent of 70,158 vehicle miles driven. According to the EPA, in 1 hour, 1 gas mower:

1. Pollutes the same as 40 late model cars.
2. Emits the amount of hydrocarbons as a SUV driven 23,600 miles.
3. Contributes 93 times more smog-forming emissions than 2006 cars.

Another huge advantage of the electric equipment is the lack of noise – it’s 50-70% quieter than traditional lawn equipment. So not only do you not have to smell the gas burning, you don’t have to hear it either. This is great for working from home, napping children, and not disturbing your neighbors on a nice sunny afternoon.

Adam says that their equipment is so quiet, “We’ve had several customers tell them that they did not even know we were at their house!”

Adam and his crew are knowledgeable, professional and courteous. They provide all of Burien, White Center, Des Moines (and beyond) spring and fall clean ups, mowing, blowing, edging, trimming, weeding, mulching, hedge trimming (up to 7 ft) and other hourly work as required.

Outside of the electricity generated by the solar panels, Clean Air participates in the Seattle Green Up program and all additional electricity used is purchased from a renewable energy broker. The windpower they purchase is used to power the lawn equipment and offices, qualifying the entire organization as carbon neutral.

Be sure to stop Adam, Josh, or Chelsea when you see them in your neighborhood to get a look at the truck with the solar panels (see photo above). Josh would love to talk you about his passion for photography – his work can be seen at www.joshuakenneymiller.com/Abstract.html.

Chelsea would be more than happy to show you some of the jewelry she makes or even teach your kids to play the piano. Check out her work at www.seatemple.etsy.com.

Help your neighborhood become clean and quieter and help Clean Air Lawn Care “Change the Way America Mows the Lawn” – please click on their Ad, check out their website, or contact Adam directly at 206-941-4180!

VIDEO: Hired Goats Are Eating Up Burien’s Mathison Park

The City of Burien has contracted with GoatTrimmers.com to bring in around 100 hungry goats to Mathison Park, where they have been eating up blackberry bushes, ivy and other invasive plants since last... [Read more]

BTB Advertiser Burien Honda Goes “Green” With New Paint

by Josh Hart Car companies and auto dealers have never been known as the most environmentally-conscious businesses around, but times are changing. Many car dealerships and auto body shops are now using... [Read more]

Energy Festival & Prosperity Project Coming Sept. 27th

The Moontown Foundation, in association with the White Center Community Development Association and the Got Green Project are having a day of conservation, service, fun and action that’s being called... [Read more]