Where we stand on Nooksack River adjudication
July 13, 2021
Agriculture is an essential element of Whatcom County’s heritage and economy. The waters of the…
We’re working towards a better future: a Salish Sea nourished by healthy rivers and bordered by thriving communities that cherish the air, waters, and lands that sustain them.
Accordion Two Title: Our Vision
Our vision is that together we can recover endangered populations of fish, whales, and other wildlife, and maintain shellfish beds clean enough for regular harvest. We can restore and protect our rivers, lakes, beaches, and the Salish Sea so there is enough clean water for all who need it. We can accelerate a just transition to renewable energy, moderate consumerism and wastefulness, and build up resilient communities who can work together and care for one another despite differences. If we really work hard, we can have a stable climate that sustains abundant life.
Accordion Three Title: Our History
In the early 1980s, a small group of local citizens got together around a kitchen table one evening to discuss their shared frustration with the lack of neighborhood recycling services. In those days, one had to load up one’s recyclables and take them to a drop-off site at Western Washington University. This meant that very few county residents were recycling.
These kitchen-table recyclers soon learned that other towns around the country had begun to offer curbside pick-up of recyclables, and so they tried to convince the City of Bellingham to offer a similar service. Their initial efforts failed, but that didn’t stop them. Instead, they offered curbside pickup themselves. Three target neighborhoods were identified, and flyers were distributed. Although many people were skeptical and thought the fledgling citizen-led program would never get off the ground, it did. In fact, by 1985, Bellingham Community Recycling (BCR) had expanded its operations to cover ten neighborhoods, owned its own truck and employed a paid crew. Moreover, BCR had begun to conduct programs in the schools designed to teach students the ABC’s of recycling.
In 1989, after the citizens proved it could be done, the City of Bellingham began offering curbside recycling to all city residents. Shortly thereafter, in 1991, Whatcom County followed suit, making it the first County in the State to offer curbside recycling—an impressive feat given the program’s informal and modest start. Even today, some 22 years later, the unwavering commitment and dedication of that small group of citizen volunteers continues to infuse the work of the present-day RE Sources.
Accordion Three Title: Our Approach
We make it our job to understand the complex public processes and policies that can be harnessed to protect our environment. We then distill it into clear information, work collaboratively regionally and across sectors, and channel community concerns into real action that makes an environmental difference now.
We empower the people who live here to do all they can to protect our home. Our organization provides individuals with the tools they need to safeguard our marine and fresh waters and air. Our staff oversee a number of programs that help reduce air and water pollution and encourage waste reduction and recycling.
Accordion four Title: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Movements across the U.S. to protect water, land, and the climate have historically left out marginalized people. Even the people that many organizations profess they are fighting for are often excluded. To make matters worse, indigenous communities, people of color, low income families, and people with disabilities are disproportionately more likely to be harmed by pollution and climate change. Study after study shows that we need to do better when it comes to including and protecting the people most impacted.
A 2014 study found that 85% of staff at environmentally focused nonprofits — and a staggering 95% of Board of Directors members — are white. The composition of RE Sources staff is similar. In recognition of this, RE Sources staff and board formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force in 2019 where staff and board members are examining our internal practices, our outreach, and our individual work, so we can work towards becoming more representative of the community we serve.