One Night on Bainbridge

On a recent trip to the Northwest, I went to a reading and book signing by Washington Congressman Jay Inslee. Inslee, a member of the House Natural Resource Committee, just wrote a new book, Apollo’s Fire, about building a clean energy economy in the United States and I the world. After the talk, reading and questions, the conversation inevitably shifted from energy to conservation.

The crowd of 200 that packed into Bainbridge Island’s Eagle Harbor Book Company talked values and ethics as they relate to the environment. Even Inslee commented that the transition from discussions of clean energy to conservation values often occur in his public forums.

The best part: This audience was genuine, engaged and informed. I was curiously overwhelmed with a sense that all was not lost. At least this group of people on this night could make relevant connections among their personal outdoor and environmental ethics, the ethics of their community and their natural environment. It was exhilarating.

-Susy