Archive for May 2020

By Pat Rasmusssen, Senior Hemp Tiny Homes, Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the growing of industrial hemp, US-grown hemp building materials have come on the market, offering zero carbon, carbon negative, and embedded carbon building options, perfect for home builders using Passive House, Living Building Challenge or even for traditional stick frame construction.…

The 100-kilowatt solar array will be installed atop the Hands on Children’s Museum by A&R Solar in November 2020. The project features 297 Sunpower solar panels, a 100kW Solaredge inverter, and online production monitoring.  We’re partnering with the museum to leverage the system as an educational resource for all of the museum’s visitors. Olympia Community…

By Laurel Haas, TCAT Vice-President If you are a State Employee, you can support Thurston Climate Action Team’s work for strong local climate action by providing automatic deductions from your paycheck through the Combined Fund Drive. Your contribution will help fund efforts such as our Carbon Free Thurston Campaign which advocates for local climate policies…

By Wayne Olsen Have you been dreaming about having an electric vehicle (EV), but you are undecided because of conflicting information you have heard? Here are some myth busters for you to consider:  Many EV makes/models are now price-competitive with their gas-powered counterparts With significantly fewer moving parts, EVs as a group will most likely…

By Carrie Ziegler, Community Engagement Organizer In addition to my work for TCAT, and thanks to Olympia Artspace Alliance, I recently had an opportunity to create a mural for Olympia’s “Artists on Board” project. Due to my work with The Chrysalis Project: Transforming Together, I had butterflies and transformation on my mind. I invited artist…

By Marianne Tompkins, Organic Landscape ConsultantCommercial construction and development can cause loss of habitat, and native species of wildlife and plants are facing warmer temperatures due to climate change. Some states no longer have a favorable climate for their official State tree or flower. But there is hope, and we are the solution! We ALL need to do something right now…

By Tom Crawford, TCAT Board President With so many of our normal activities on hold and reshaped by our current public health crisis, you might wonder whether work on the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP) is continuing or has been delayed.  So this is a good time for an update.  For those unfamiliar with the…