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Welcome!
Whether you are a gardener, an Outlander fan, a West Seattle resident, or someone tuning in for the latest episode of Sound Transit and West Seattle Bridge drama, I hope you find something useful here.
I had the great honor of making a small contribution to this remarkable book. If you are a fan, you need a copy.
Blog Posts
The Bird Housing Shortage
I bought this little birdhouse 30 years ago from a local guy who said he built these little houses specifically for certain types of birds.
Marie McKinsey
May 23, 20242 min read
Could Amazon Save Westwood Village?
Let's think outside the box. Instead of a big retail anchor at Westwood Village, why not a big tech company? Amazon has all the resources ne
Marie McKinsey
Nov 26, 20235 min read
Sound Transit Presents an Excellent Case for the No Build Alternative
As time goes by, though, it is becoming clear that ST3 does not offer any significant benefit for the environment or for West Seattle.
Marie McKinsey
Sep 4, 20237 min read
Give Your Lawn an Environmental Make-over
From an environmental point of view, what it takes to maintain a typical lawn is a nightmare.
Marie McKinsey
Nov 6, 20222 min read
Leave Those Leaves!
The biggest lesson we have to learn from climate change is that we can't keep doing things the way we always have been
Marie McKinsey
Nov 5, 20222 min read
My Comments on Sound Transit's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
I am posting my comments here for two reasons:
1) According to "the rules," comments submitted by April 28th that address specific sections
Marie McKinsey
Apr 24, 20229 min read
When It Comes To Transit, Think Small
Think Small. This simple ad, which ran in the 1960s, was part of one of the most successful campaigns of all time. It was clever.
Marie McKinsey
Feb 5, 20225 min read
Why You Should Have A Commuting Budget
A commuting budget looks at both the amount of time you allocate for going to and from work each week, and what that commute costs you.
Marie McKinsey
Dec 4, 20215 min read
Find Out by Zip Code How Much CO2 Your Neighborhood Emits
We've heard for decades that increasing population density is good for the environment. The theory is that it discourages suburban sprawl,
Marie McKinsey
Sep 24, 20212 min read
The Alki 11 Row House Project: Density Done Wrong
In 2013, a developer announced plans to replace these three beach houses with an 11-unit row house project in the Alki Beach neighborhood.
Marie McKinsey
Jun 5, 20212 min read
SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle
Did you know that trains don't run uphill? It's true. On level ground, those smooth metal wheels glide along those smooth metal rails,...
Marie McKinsey
May 18, 20214 min read
How to Calculate Storm Water Run-off from Your Property
The EPA estimates that over 770 cities in the US combine waste water and stormwater in the same pipe and send it to sewage treatment...
Marie McKinsey
Mar 6, 20212 min read
Create a Bee Friendly Garden
Without bees, we wouldn't have much to eat and we would have far fewer herbs
and flowers to enjoy.
Marie McKinsey
Jul 18, 20162 min read
The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11
I wrote this when I had become tired of pointing out the problems with this project. Our protests fell on deaf ears anyway. It was clear tha
Marie McKinsey
Jul 13, 20134 min read
Over One MILLION Gallons of Waste Water - Where's It All Going to Go?
In my last post, I explained how the Alki 11 rowhouse project on 55th Ave SW will add more than one million gallons of combined waste and st
Marie McKinsey
Jun 27, 20132 min read
Seattle Rain
My favorite book by local author, Tom Robbins, is "Still Life with Woodpecker." I have a well-worn copy that was given to me as a gift in...
Marie McKinsey
Aug 10, 20112 min read
Is This a Weed?
Horsetail and henbit and shot weed, oh my! Nettles that sting, geraniums gone wild, and "dandy" lions - these are a few of the plants referr
Marie McKinsey
Apr 22, 20113 min read
Do Trees Really Prevent Mudslides?
There was a mudslide in our neighborhood about a month ago. Seattle is a hilly city and after heavy rains, there's a good possibility that o
Marie McKinsey
Feb 22, 20104 min read
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