Thank you for joining BALLE's hometown community of Bellingham, Washington for the 9th Annual BALLE Business Conference! 
Our conference venue was Western Washington University
located in Bellingham, Washington.
We are honored to have co-hosted this event with our local BALLE network,
Sustainable Connections, one of our
BALLE Hub Networks and co-creator of the forthcoming
How to Build a BALLE Network guide. Watch
this inspiring video about the local living economy in Bellingham and the innovative work of Sustainable Connections.
See how the small city of Bellingham has developed into one of the most sustainable communities in the US. Learn how Sustainable Connections has introduced
programs that reshape the way Bellingham conducts business, building an economic model based on local living economy practices. Visit the
City of Bellingham's website and discover this area and the awards it has received over the past ten years for protecting its resources, encouraging healthy lifestyles and promoting small business. Or visit
Bellingham and Whatcom County's Visitor's Bureau!
Aerial views of Bellingham, Washington and Western Washington University
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Western Washington University:
A Leader in Sustainability
Western, as the university is known, is a wonderful conference facility that hosts thousands of people throughout the summer months. An innovator in sustainability education and in the implementation of sustainable practices, Western will prove to be an ideal venue for the 2011 BALLE conference.
In 1971 Western became one of the first universities in the US to have a campus recycling program. Today, the student-run A.S. Recycle Center collects 3,800 pounds of recyclables from Western's campus every day, reducing Western's waste stream and lightening their burden on the environment.
Western currently purchases 100% renewable energy by supporting a wind energy plant, thereby offsetting fossil fuel driven plants. The Viking Student Union has solar panels that generate between 1,900 and 2,300 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, depending on the amount of sunlight.
Thanks to a student-led initiative, Western is the recipient of a Green Power Leadership Award presented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions.
Thank you conference attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers and staff
for joining us in Bellingham!
