Sustainable West Seattle (SWS) held their Annual Summer Potluck at Lincoln Park on Monday Aug. 16 and it was about camaraderie, fun and of course sustainability.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

Alki Kayak/Mountain 2 Sound provided kayaks and longboards and Alki Bike & Board brought 3 electric bikes to demonstrate their function and let people ride them. People attending were able to borrow one of the electric bikes and ride up to Lowman Beach Park and catch a longboard ride back on the Sound.

SWS was started 5 years ago with the simple mission of making the area known as West Seattle a self sufficient neighborhood. Through grass roots action they hope to change the way sustainability is viewed by being involved in the planning and decision making at the local level.

By being involved in local area councils like the Citywide Neighborhood Council and the SW District Council SWS hopes to influence policy initiatives concerning the use and distribution of energy resources. SWS is interested in Seattle's Carbon Neutrality Project, which SWS believes to be the crisis of our time.

Brian Allen, President and co founder of Sustainable West Seattle, pointed out the isolation of the West Seattle area (which he believes includes the White Center area east to South Park) by recalling how long it took to regain power in the area during the last snow storm. "We were the last part of Seattle to have our power reconnected," he said.

"We have to find ways by which we can have some sort of independence when it comes to our resources. Be it solar, geothermal, or wind power, and we can do this by educating the public...that is our mission, getting people involved in making policy changes."

Allen is also Membership and Operations Director for Solar Washington.

Many of their other members are on chairs and boards that represent many neighborhood action committees across Puget Sound.