Energy Update #15

From: Rita Schenck [rita@iere.org]
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 2:26 PM
To: Rita Schenck
Subject: Energy Update #15

Dear Friends,

There is a first for everything, and as 2004 draws to a close, I am asking you to consider a first time financial contribution to IERE.

So much has happened since IERE moved to Vashon Island in 1999. We are nearing completion of the third phase of our Energy Independent Community Project, which began in 2000. And our anemometer tower is going up this month to measure the wind energy on the Island. We will give the community a full report of our findings next year.

Our Sustainable Agriculture program has really taken off in the Midwest. IERE’s earthsure™ ecolabel program measures the environmental impact of the production & distribution of food on the environment. We hope to have earthsure™ products in the Vashon markets by the end of 2005. The growth in this program means we will be hiring people here on the Island in the coming year! So watch for postings!

We are continuing our work on the heavy metals issue with the Island Heavy Metals Committee and plan to kick off our Sustainable Gardening Project here at the Beall in May.

Perhaps the most exciting project we will undertake is to begin developing our Research & Education Center here on the Harrington-Beall Greenhouse property. In 2002 our board decided that IERE needed a home for our demonstration projects. In essence we need a place for IERE to model how to integrate sustainable practices into the way we live. To that end, we are increasing the amount of space we are renting and developing long-term strategies for ensuring we have a permanent home at the Beall Greenhouses.

I am inviting you to invest in IERE’s Research & Education Center. It will be a place that does research, demonstrations and education about sustainable technologies. IERE’s work should be an economic powerhouse for the island and for the region. We are also committed to ensuring that the Beall is a model of sustainability itself. For example, we will use sustainably harvested lumber from Vashon-Maury Island and local labor.

The Research & Education Center will demonstrate our renewable energy and sustainable agriculture programs as well as programs in green buildings and life cycle assessment. Lots of exciting things are happening at IERE. Your financial support is important to help leverage additional funds from foundations and other funders as we move forward with our many exciting projects and in developing the Research and Education Center here at the Beall.

Your gift to IERE is an investment in a better future for all of us.

You can donate by going to www.IERE.org and click on donations or send your donation to IERE, PO Box 2449, Vashon, WA; your gift is tax-deductible (our tax identification number is 04-3378052). If you have any questions or would like to know more, please do not hesitate to call me at 463-7430.

We continue to be grateful for your support and enthusiastic interest in our work. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rita Schenck, Executive Director

Institute for Environmental Research and Education
PO Box 2449
Vashon, WA 98070 USA
Phone: 206-463-7430
Fax: 206-279-1570