New project at ECOSS: Carbon reduction for small businesses

Funding from the Boeing Company will support a new outreach project to help small, local businesses assess and reduce their carbon footprint. The project will incorporate ECOSS’ usual suite of services, including solid and hazardous waste management, resource conservation and stormwater pollution prevention. But the project will also identify opportunities for businesses to reduce carbon and save money.

To implement this project, ECOSS will be partnering with the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability and the Cascade Bicycle Club. The City will provide access to its carbon footprinting tool, which evaluates and estimates a business’ carbon impact by measuring areas such as energy use, materials, operations and shipping. The Cascade Bicycle Club will provide training and information to help address one of the greatest contributors to small businesses’ carbon footprint: employee commuting. Through a series of workshops designed specifically for small businesses, experts from Cascade will discuss how to incorporate employee bike commuting into business practice. Ideally, doing so will lead to a healthier workforce, a reduced carbon footprint and potential financial savings for the business and its staff.

ECOSS is excited to partner with the City and Cascade on this project, and we look forward to helping our small and medium sized business clients navigate the challenges of measuring and mitigating their carbon impact. If you have questions about the project or would like to be contacted about an onsite assessment or one of the bike commute workshops, please email Aldan Shank or call the ECOSS office at (206) 767-0432.

-Aldan

Meet the Staff – Alex Anderson

Alex Anderson – Sustainable Business Coordinator

Where are you from?: Tacoma, WA

What were you doing before you came to ECOSS?: Before joining ECOSS in 2005, I attended the University of Washington and completed a degree in Communications.

What do you do day-to-day at work?: I work with local small and medium-sized businesses to help improve their stormwater management practices and reduce the amount of pollutants reaching our local waterways. For smaller businesses with limited resources, stormwater pollution prevention is a complicated, cumbersome and persistent responsibility. My role at ECOSS is to provide necessary education, materials and resources to help businesses take on this challenge.

What has been your favorite/most rewarding project to work on at ECOSS?: So far my favorite work has been with the Port of Seattle and their tenants. It was fascinating to work with businesses dealing with stormwater issues on a much larger scale than I was accustomed to. I also was fortunate to make some new friends from the Port and also Aspect Consulting who were pivotal in my success with the program.

If you could change one thing about Seattle, what would it be?: The weather. I’ve spent the majority of my life in the Puget Sound and I still can’t adjust to the winters here. Oh, and the potholes too.

Favorite spot in South Park?: Lorreta’s. Tavern Burgers, nuff said.

What do you like to do outside the office?: I like to compose music and spend time with my wife.

Biggest goal for 2010?: I’d like to work with Todd Hunsdorfer to further expand ECOSS’s stormwater-related services and reach out to new communities. Last year we got the opportunity to join forces with the ECOSS Multicultural Outreach Team to introduce our services to local East African and Vietnamese businesses. It was a highly rewarding experience, both working with underserved communities and collaborating with other ECOSS program staffs.

Meet the Staff – Todd Hunsdorfer

Todd Hunsdorfer – Sustainable Business Coordinator

Where are you from?: I’m from the South Coast of Massachusetts, a small town called Marion.

What were you doing before you came to ECOSS?: Before I started at ECOSS I was earning a Master’s Degree From Antioch University Seattle, and working as the volunteer coordinator for Seattle’s Green Festival.

What do you do day-to-day at work?: My daily work at ECOSS involves responding to phone calls from businesses about their stormwater management. I also spend a considerable amount of time reaching out to local businesses who have recently been visited by a regulatory agency. My role is to help these places get back into environmental compliance.

What has been your favorite/most rewarding project to work on at ECOSS?: It has been really rewarding to work with other people who care as much about their jobs as I do.

If you could change one thing about Seattle, what would it be?: The temperature of the water. I can’t ever go swimming without having a heart attack!

Favorite spot in South Park?: The Softball field at the community center. I’ve been lucky enough to make some good memories out there with the South Park River Ratz.

What do you like to do outside the office?: I spend a lot of time developing an emergency food relief program for Seattle food banks. It’s called South Park Fresh Starts. I grow vegetable plant starts for food bank clients, and distribute them with educational materials on producing hyper-local, nutritious food.

Biggest goal for 2010?: I’m getting married in August!

Meet the Staff – Elise Roberts

Elise Roberts – Fund Development

Where are you from?: I’m from Edmonds, Washington. What can I say, I love the Northwest.

What were you doing before you came to ECOSS?: I ventured down to Southern California and studied theatre and dance at Chapman University before coming back to the Northwest to complete degrees in Environmental Education and Environmental Policy at Huxley College of the Environment at Western, during which I was actively involved with many local nonprofits, political campaigns, and activism. After graduating, I worked for various arts and social justice nonprofits organizing events and immediately prior, I held the position of Environmental Regulatory and Permitting Specialist at HDR Engineering.

What do you do day-to-day at work?: I make sure we’re up-to-date on all our social networks, work with our database, research giving trends, write lots of letters, articles and other updates for aforementioned social networks and other communications with donors and supporters…and depending on what time of the year it is, I also can be found running around like a crazy woman organizing our events!

What has been your favorite/most rewarding project to work on at ECOSS?: I loved seeing the response we received after our guests saw our fundraising video at the 2009 Annual Benefit at Herban Feast. I was literally sitting in the back with my jaw open, trying to decide whether to cheer or cry when I saw all those bid cards raised in support of the organization. I was inspired by the generosity of our wonderful community.

If you could change one thing about Seattle, what would it be?: I could use longer, hotter summers so I have more time to play outside.

Favorite spot in South Park?: The taco truck!

What do you like to do outside the office?: It depends on the season – I love snowboarding in the winter and camping, hiking, kayaking and gardening in the warmer months –and yoga year round! I also am learning how to play the fiddle and recently took up sewing.

Biggest goal for 2010?: Personally, I would like to strengthen my yoga practice and teach yoga on the side! I also plan on going to Brazil next winter in protest of Seattle’s weather. Professionally, I want to continue growing our social networks and organize more fun events for our supporters and the South Park community.

Meet the Staff – Aldan Shank

Aldan Shank, Sustainable Business Coordinator

Where are you from?: I grew up in southern Mississippi and moved to Seattle from Memphis.

What were you doing before you came to ECOSS?: Before starting at ECOSS I was finishing up my sustainable business degree at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. I attended a liberal arts school in Mississippi for undergrad and worked in science research for a few years after that. I moved to Seattle to attend BGI because I wanted to work in the environmental field and liked the idea of blending business and sustainability.

What do you do day-to-day at work?: I work with small and medium sized local businesses. I try to be a resource for whatever environmental or sustainability needs they might have. Sometimes that means helping a business with lighting upgrades or water conservation. Other times it’s help with starting a compost program or finding financing options for capital upgrades. Sometimes businesses just want help figuring out how to be more “green” and save money. Whatever they need, I try to help by giving them time, information and assistance.

What has been your favorite/most rewarding project to work on at ECOSS?: I really enjoyed working with Fuel Coffee, a local cafe chain that wanted to improve their energy, water and solid waste systems. I worked with the owner and managers to come up with low- and no-cost changes to their operations, including starting commercial compost service and donating used coffee grounds to local gardening organizations. The best part was how the team at Fuel was totally onboard with adopting the proposed changes. The fact that they “got it” from the start made my work really easy and enjoyable.

If you could change one thing about Seattle, what would it be?: You know, after 3 and a half years here, I don’t mind the rain and gloom so much, but every year around May I’m kind of ready for it to be done. The summers here are so beautiful and sometimes I wish they showed up a little earlier and stayed a little longer.

Favorite spot in South Park?: Inside: the ship’s hull at Loretta’s. Outside: the Ultimate field at the Community Center.

What do you like to do outside the office?: I like riding my bike. I also started climbing last year and that has been an interesting and challenging new hobby, but I’m starting to really like it. I play Ultimate with a great team called Huckin’ Easy and at least once a season I try to do some sort of outdoor trip. Sometimes I pretend I’m a snowboarder, but I think I’m giving that up, especially since my girlfriend is a skier and she thinks that snowboarding is low brow. Whatevs.

Biggest goal for 2010?: Well, I’ve got some big ones but probably shouldn’t list them all here. One goal for this year is to take a vacation out of the country. Not counting a few road trips to Vancouver, B.C., I haven’t been out of the country since I lived in Germany when I was 6 years old. I’m itching to see more of the world. Maybe Copenhagen… the bike scene out there is marvelous.