Families for a Coal Free Washington
Green Lake Pinwheel Wind Farm, A Success!
by Kimberly Christensen.
Hundreds of pinwheels were made by children throughout the Seattle area and on April 18th the wind farm was erected! CoolMom members and families visiting the playground at Greenlake spent the better part of the day making hundreds more pinwheels with eager children. While we constructed the pinwheels and talked with the children about clean energy, volunteers from the Sierra Club spoke with their parents about the TransAlta Coal Plant. Many parents didn’t know we had a coal plant in Washington, and agreeing that it should be phased out, signed postcards to be sent to Governor Gregoire. All over the playground you could hear parents and children discussing clean energy. It was very cool, and met our goal of installing a wind farm to generate fun and education at Green Lake.
JOIN COOLMOM
SUNDAY, APRIL 18th, Noon to 3pm
Greenlake
Celebrate "Earth Week" by calling for an end to coal in Washington and a transition to clean energy and green jobs with a symbolic installation of hundreds of pinwheels around Greenlake.
Did you know that coal supplies 20% of Washington’s electricity? Did you know that the TransAlta Coal Plant is our state’s single biggest source of carbon dioxide, mercury and nitrogen oxide emissions?
If we closed it, it would be the equivalent of taking 1.8 million cars off the road.
CoolMom, in partnership with the Sierra Club, has the chance to help dramatically reduce our state’s carbon emissions by putting pressure on Governor Gregoire to close the TransAlta Coal Plant. Beyond that, we have the chance to help improve air quality, making our state a healthier place for children.
In order to do this we need to raise public awareness. On Sunday April 18th, we’ll celebrate “Earth Week” by installing hundreds of pinwheels around Greenlake, calling for an end to coal in Washington and a transition to clean energy and green jobs. These pinwheels will have been made by families throughout the city, including yours!
It’s easy to help! Please volunteer for a job, small or large, to kick coal out of Washington State.
1.Collect wooden pencils for use in pinwheels. We need hundreds of used pencils with erasers. They need to be at least 6 inches long. You can donate what you’ve got, or become a collection point at work, school, in your neighborhood, or at the second hand store. Anything will help!
2.Become a Pinwheel Captain. Take our pinwheel template to your child’s school, scout troop, etc. to help us make hundreds of pinwheels.
3.Become a Pinwheel Assembler. Some of the pinwheels will need finishing touches before the big day. You can do this job in front of the TV or with your older children.
4.Help out at Greenlake on the 18th of April. We’ll need people to place the pinwheels, remove them at the end of the day, and hang out during the afternoon to hand out info and help passers-by make pinwheels. We will have a photo op where you and your family holding an oversized pinwheel will be downloaded and printed on site to make and send a card to Governor Gregoire letting her know we want to close the TransAlta Coal plant and build clean energy.
Questions? Please contact our Coal Free Washington Liaison, Greenwood CoolMom Kimberly Christensen at kimc@speakeasy.org.
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