Poulsen named Legislator of the Year

OLYMPIA — The environmental group Washington Conservation Voters named Sen. Erik Poulsen (D-Seattle) Legislator of the Year for leading the effort to mandate green building in state buildings.

Poulsen chairs the Senate Water, Energy & Environment Committee. He sponsored the green building law (Senate Bill 5509), which requires new state-funded buildings to meet green design and construction standards. Poulsen also helped make laws for tougher vehicle emission standards, water and solar power incentives, and tighter energy-efficiency guidelines for appliances.

"It's a new day in Olympia," he said. "We had the best session for preserving and improving our state's air, water and overall environmental health in at least a decade."

He also won a Conservation Eagle award from the Northwest Energy Coalition, which includes environmental, civic and human service organizations such as Audubon Society, Seattle City Light and Washington Citizen Action.

UW gets $600K for environmental program

BOTHELL — The Henry Luce Foundation has given the University of Washington $600,000 for student fellowships and to support faculty in the UW's environmental management program.

The program will run for three years. For the first year, UW will work with the city of Seattle to redevelop the central waterfront and recycle organic waste.

University of Washington Bothell professor Kevin Laverty will lead the program. Laverty directs the university's environmental management graduate certificate program.

There are opportunities to create good wind industry jobs in Washington, he said. Government and business groups need to cooperate with engineers and scientists. "The university can help."