Cascadia Scorecard News
September 2005

Linda Moulder and Jerry White of Cheney, in eastern Washington, have been fans of Sightline Institute since the very beginning. "We were long-time members of Worldwatch Institute, so when Alan Durning began Sightline we immediately joined." Not long after, they received their copy of This Place on Earth, Alan Durning's book about his personal journey from world wanderer to founder of Sightline Institute, published in 1996. "We were very moved," they said. And they've been members ever since.

The sense of place that forms the theme of the book really resonated with both Linda and Jerry. "The Pacific Northwest is home," Linda affirms. "We have lived in both New Zealand and Rhode Island," Jerry explains. "The East was very crowded and it made me miss the open spaces of the West. In New Zealand the lack of diversity and habitat made me long for home."

Another motif from This Place on Earth also caught their eye: "We agree that if there is any hope for sustainability, the Pacific Northwest is probably the place it will occur."

Jerry and Linda know of what they speak. Trained as biologists, they both understand ecological limits and the impacts of large populations, especially when they exceed carrying capacity. And they've put this knowledge rigorously to the test.

Linda began practicing sustainable living back in the 1970s. "My first husband and I, along with another couple, bought 30 acres of land," she explains. "We had no commercial electricity for five years and learned to do without all the popular electrical appliances. Our well was very poor and we learned to live with very little water," which is why they established the first approved composting toilet in Spokane County, back in 1976.

"We had little money and built our buildings out of recycled materials and even made rammed earth blocks with soil from our property for our barn and chicken house. We grew most of our own food," Linda reflects."This experience has colored my entire adult life. I learned I don't have to 'consume' to be happy."

But Linda's passion wasn't restricted to the farm. She taught a class in bioethics at Eastern Washington University for 10 years. "Sustainability was a critical part of that course," she adds. She's also trained as a permaculturist and serves as president of the local land trust.

Jerry's been busy, too. "I built an energy-efficient house where our electric bill is less than our phone bill," he explains with evident pleasure. "We use wood to heat the house, hot water, and hot tub." Jerry set up and operates the composting program at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane. And he's always doing something for the cause. "In the past week we did volunteer work establishing salmon habitat in Mt. Hood National Forest," Jerry reports. He also organized a terrifically successful speaking engagement for Alan Durning in Spokane last March.

Last year, Linda and Jerry became founding members of the Cascadia Stewards Council. "We appreciate the research and education efforts of Sightline," they explain. "Sightline is an organization that works on issues that affect Pacific Northwesterners directly. They are a professional organization that carefully researches issues before taking a position."

Knowing them a little better now, we can easily to see what Jerry and Linda value in Sightline and why they have been such dedicated supporters for more than a decade. And for that we are forever grateful.