“Taming Bigfoot” in Seattle — join a Sustainable Ballard Team!

When it comes to Climate Change and reducing carbon output, have you ever asked yourself:

  • what can / should I do?
  • how do I know it will make a difference?

Taming Bigfoot may help you answer your questions!  Taming Bigfoot is a joint project of Faith Action Climate Team and 1 Sustainable Planet.  Sustainable Ballard has signed on as a sponsor, and we invite you to join us in a grassroots project for climate change awareness and mitigation, coming to Seattle in early 2018!

We’re planning to put together a team or two — will you join us?

Taming Bigfoot Seattle is a carbon-reduction contest developed by Dr. Robert Bindschadler, chief climate scientist at NASA,  who retired to the Pacific Northwest a few years ago.  (Bigfoot refers to our carbon footprint).  The contest is designed to educate and engage the public in climate change issues through a friendly competition wherein teams of people see who can lower their carbon footprint the most over a two-month period, with an initial month of measuring to set a baseline.  The contest ran in the Port Townsend area last year, with great success, and contests are now being organized in Edmonds and Seattle, to run in early 2018.  A phone app is in development, so that carbon emissions tracking can be done through the app.

We hope the contest can act as a invitation to people who are not already involved in acting on climate, or if you have always been wanting to make these changes and could use the support to finally do it.  Many people are concerned about climate change but are at a loss as to what to do, and wonder if their actions will make a difference; the contest is a friendly, community-based way to help answer those questions.  Participants in the initial contest enjoyed it; they appreciated being able to share and discuss their efforts with their teammates; and they learned a great deal, especially about the relative size of emissions for various activities that they engage in.

You can participate in the following ways:

  1. Participate!  Form a team and take part in the contest.  You can sign up on the website tamingbigfootseattle.org.
  2. Let your community group, company or faith organization know about Taming Bigfoot: direct them to the website; put an announcement in their newsletter.  The organizing committee can also provide a speaker to make a brief presentation to your board, environmental committee, or general membership; to arrange for a speaker, please contact Keith Ervin keithervin@msn.comor Elizabeth Burton elburton@uw.edu.

To join a Sustainable Ballard Team, contact Margaret.  Each team of seven must include someone who is:

  • under 21 years of age
  • age 21 to 35
  • over 35 years of age, but not retired
  • retired
  • living a green lifestyle
  • aspiring to a green lifestyle
  • a community leader

It’s okay for team members to fit into one or more of the categories, but all seven categories must be represented.  Let’s see if we can put together a couple of Sustainable Ballard Teams!  If you’re interested in joining, please contact margaret@sustainableballard.org and let her know the categories you fall into.

More information: tamingbigfootseattle.org, or contact Keith Ervin keithervin@msn.com or Elizabeth Burton elburton@uw.edu.