Seattle's double-tall brew of advocacy and action

Sometimes I expect Seattle to implode on its own self-satisfied smugness. So maybe I owe the city — or the caricature I carry in my head — a teensy bit of an apology.

Seattle and surrounding Puget Sound communities are quite obviously respected as a place of ideas, strong passions and ... let's call it capacity. The past couple of weeks drew people from around the nation and the world who wanted to be associated with smart, caring audiences and a robust civic brand.

Educated, open minds willing to explore new things.

The region is a little weak on humility, but nevermind. And maybe cohesion and coherence, but ... oops, sorry.

Brookings Institution scholar Bruce Katz was in town Wednesday to promote a blueprint for prosperity that builds on the strengths and talents of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas.

He envisions a new federal framework that conveys the means and authority to where the potential for innovation and productive, inclusive growth resides — closest to home. The impetus for change will move upward from the hinterlands, not downward from Washington, D.C.

Concerns about the environment go hand in hand with the urgency for a stronger national economy and a trained, internationally competitive work force. Seattle is a key enlistee, and Katz is obviously pleased Mayor Greg Nickels is interested. Nickels and the community are on the national radar screen for environmental leadership and local initiatives to combat global warming.

The 14th Dalai Lama — the leader of the world's Tibetan Buddhists — and South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu accepted invitations to sow the seeds of compassion for our neighbors and the natural world around us.

Applying the same methodology of a Billy Graham revival, the two luminaries got more than 140,000 people into the hall. After five celebrity-filled days, it falls to local groups to convert the residual spiritual buzz into action.

This past weekend, a giant eco-friendly consumer event called The Green Festival was at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. The showcase for sustainable living featured more than 150 speakers and 300 local and national green businesses and dozens of community groups.

I admire and applaud the gilded pragmatism of doing well by doing good.

Last fall, the Greater Seattle Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an inspired regional conference about the business of climate change, and the opportunities to lead. The practical themes were all about cutting operating costs, helping to save the planet and sharing those efforts with customers. To be clear, I mean a little wholly appropriate corporate bragging. Perfect.

All these people found receptive audiences and a launchpad for ideas because they recognized a community link between good intentions and follow-through: a bias for action.

As the bike valet scrambled at the convention center, and rocker Dave Matthews stammered a welcome to the Dalai Lama, a multifaith campaign on climate change was launched at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Bellevue.

The Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori invited the national organizations of Christians, Jews and Muslims to commit to reducing the carbon footprint of their religious facilities by 50 percent in 10 years — every house of worship, office, hospital and school.

Schori, an oceanographer before she was ordained in 1994, is a compelling guide to lead an exploration of environmental topics and faith.

The inspiration for the "Genesis Covenant" came in a sermon a year ago by Bishop Steven Charleston at Seattle's St. Mark's Cathedral at an inter-faith conference. He is a president and dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass.

Charleston's challenge Saturday was basic and entirely oriented to action: "If people of faith do not take the leadership, who else will do the job?"

There is no more time, the bishop said, simply to say we love baby seals and trees. The conversion of good intentions to action will be supported by education, advocacy, communication and spiritual guidance, Charleston said, but responsibility for accomplishing the goal and how it gets done falls to individuals.

None of these visitors would have come to Seattle with grand ideas if they did not expect results. The expectations are as strong as Seattle's coffee.

Lance Dickie's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is ldickie@seattletimes.com; for a podcast Q&A with the author, go to Opinion at seattletimes.com