HOW GREEN IS YOUR VALLEY?

Jogger on Montlake Cut Photo by MS(R)M

Well, spring is charging around the Pacific Northwest like an enraged wet bull looking for a matador with an umbrella. Heavy rains and winds gusting to 45 mph have played havoc with the power grid and forced the euthanasia of some century old evergreens. It’s a pattern of life that’s far older than even those great Douglas fir, though, and we’ve adapted.

Despite the fact that, at this writing, Washington State now has 58 probable and confirmed cases of swine flu, our schools are staying open. They’ve been scrubbed down and all concerned apprised of the precautionary measures necessary.

Like the rest of the nation, we’re grateful it isn’t as virulent a strain as other influenza viruses have been but equally aware that it could mutate. Seattle happens to be the home of some of the finest medical facilities in the nation and these interact with the various health departments throughout the state. Like the weather, we’re adjusting to this, as well.

And as the rest of the nation and the world, the Pacific Northwest continues to pursue economic recovery and checking global warming by developing a host of alternative and integrated energy sources. For those interested in what’s being done in our region, I would highly recommend Oregon Public Broadcasting’s series, The Switch.

I found it very interesting that Nissan has chosen Seattle as one of a dozen or so cities next year to sell a new electric car. Our own “emerald city” was selected because we’ve been moving in that direction for some while now. A portion of our transit system is electric and we’re providing free electrical vehicle recharging at our park and ride stations.

What’s going to be interesting is to see how these electrics do on our seven hills. I’ve lived in San Francisco and Seattle both and I’ve seen nothing in the City by the Bay which can equal our Queen Ann Hill. I’m also, however, no engineer and I suspect that before they decided to include our fair city, Nissan, et al likely took that under consideration.

If it works out, there’s an odd custom in this town which is going to make a lot more sense to me.

People in this weird place bike and jog to work and are doing that in numbers that are not increasing in proportion to the number of people still driving (and riding) combustion-engine/fossil fueled transportation on the roadways right alongside these dauntless metro green athletes.

Those dedicated metrogreenletes are in maximum aerobic mode. The heart’s pounding, the blood’s circulating, etc. But what are the lungs taking in? How about the exhaust from the vehicles right alongside? And up ahead. And when there’s a low/inversion layer over the Puget Sound, everything that belches fumes including unreconstructed cigarette smokers.

I’ve never understood why a city capable of banning smoking in bars, creating car-pool lanes and rescuing a very long floating bridge across Lake Washington has never been able to institute staggered commuting hours. I mean, isn’t that what flex time is all about?

But then again I’ve never been able to fathom why in the world a technological culture capable of putting a Rover on Mars has yet to come up with an email kissing smiley with a mustache on it.

I’ve concluded that it’s all a matter of priorities. Whose priorities? Not mine, thank you. Someone once had the audacity to ask me what would be my first act, if the Deity died and left me King of the World. My response was a single word beginning with the letter “a”.

Yep, abdicate.

I am NOT responsible for any of this. I’m only here for the free peanuts and the perspective. Me and my two monkey brothers. That works for now and as long as it does, I’m not fixing it.

Until next time, take care, stay well and thanks for the ear.

Rusty