The Gardener on the Roof

An innovative idea for energy conservation appeared in the op-ed pages of yesterday’s Seattle Times. Seattle City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck makes the case for "green roofs" on Seattle’s buildings. Roofs covered by a thin layer of growing plants have a natural insulation that reduces energy costs (to the tune of nearly $150,000 per year at the new Justice Center, which sports a green cap). They also filter pollution and reduce noise. And they’re pretty to boot.

Eric de Place

Eric de Place, director of Thin Green Line, spearheads Sightline’s work on energy policy. Known as a leading expert on coal, oil, and gas export plans in the Pacific Northwest, he is considered an authority on a range of issues connected to fossil fuel transport, including carbon emissions, local pollution, transportation system impacts, rail policy, and economics. He has researched and published more than four hundred articles, reports, and analyses on these proposals, and his work on fossil fuel transport has been cited by regional and national news media outlets more than a thousand times. His expertise makes him a highly sought-after expert in the field providing him with the opportunity to support allied groups, as well as educate media, elected officials, and the broader public on critical issues affecting our region. Eric is a talented speaker, presenter, and media spokesperson. In his increasingly scarce free time, he enjoys climbing the Northwest’s peaks, tidepooling beaches with his kid, and solving the rest of the world’s problems over a pint. Before coming to Sightline, he worked with the Northwest Area Foundation, developing strategies to alleviate poverty in rural communities. He has a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. Find his latest research here, email him at eric [at] sightline [dot] org.