Population Health
This indicator measures population, population growth rates, projected population, infant mortality, life expectancy and average family income in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin. The indicator also describes income dependence on traditional sectors such as forestry, fishing and mining in the Georgia Basin.

What can I do?

Demonstrate 'Smart Growth' and 'Low Impact Development' Approaches and Practices to Protect Local Watersheds and Shorelines

It is important to have as many people as possible living in already urbanized areas because we need to protect both our local ecosystems and our overall quality of life. Where we do need to develop or re-develop additional land, we should seek to minimize our impact on local watersheds and natural resources by minimizing the use of pavement and other impervious surfaces and maintaining natural vegetation and forested land wherever possible.

The following links may provide helpful information and, with the exception of the US EPA, are located outside the EPA.gov domain.

• Smart Growth BC: (604) 915-5234. Make sure your local elected officials have the Smart Growth Tool Kit. Read about local communities that have adopted smart growth strategies.
• EPA Smart Growth
• Smart Growth in Washington State
• Check out local nonprofit work at Futurewise (previously 1000 Friends of Washington) or call (206) 343-0681
  

Know Your Footprint

Learn more about your own environmental footprint, and what it would take to become sustainable. On a household scale, see the Ecological Footprint Quiz. For an example of how a government agency or business can approach the problem, see the Washington State Department of Ecology's Pathways to Sustainability: A Comprehensive Strategic Planning Model for Achieving Environmental Sustainability. Sustainable Seattle provides examples of community sustainability indicators.

Live Closer to Work and Travel Smart

• Consider leasing a car through FlexCar: (206) 391-6508
• Bicycle more and work out those lungs and muscles by tapping into the Bicycle Alliance: (206) 224-9252
• Check out Better Environmentally Sound Transportation

Purchase for Your Future

For examples of how to establish an environmentally preferable purchasing program, contact the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) at (206) 352-2050. You can also join the Northeast Recycling Council listserv, which is devoted to this topic, or call (802) 254-3636. Vote with your wallet: every product you buy creates a demand and you choose whether to support products that are toxic to your kids and the local environment. See the National Institutes of Health Database on Household Products.

Live and Work in Energy Efficient Homes and Businesses

• In BC, see Green Buildings BC
• In Washington, see the Department of Natural Resources and Parks Sustainable Building Topics (contains numerous resource links)
• Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
• EPA's Energy Star program
• Lighting Design Lab: (206) 325-9711. This is also the site of Better Bricks.com.

Support Farmlands and Working Forests

• Participate in reviews of Agricultural Land Preserve applications (BC)
• Ensure Official Community Plans and Regional Growth Strategies have clear agricultural land policies
• Encourage your municipality to develop an agricultural plan
• Encourage the creation of, and participate in, agricultural advisory committees
• Buy local agricultural products
• Join the Smart Growth BC ALR Watch listserve by sending a blank email to: alrwatch-subscribe@smartgrowth.bc.ca
• Get involved in King County's Farmland Protection Program (Agricultural Protection Districts, or APDs) and Transfer of Development Rights. Property owners can sell their development rights to King County, which then restricts the property to agriculture and open space.
• See American Farmland Trust's Work in Washington
  

Invest in Progressive Companies and Technologies

Learn more about sustainability and sustainable investing at your workplace. The Northwest Earth Institute has a series of discussion courses you and co-workers can participate in once a week during lunch. Become the company people want to invest in. Explore the Green Money Journal.

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