The Obama rally at Key Arena, Seattle, Wash.

Photo: Ashley Braun

Obama waves to a packed crowd.

Photo: Ashley Braun

An impatient, excited crowd waited as Mayor Greg Nickels, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), and Gov. Christine Gregoire stepped onstage to speak before Obama’s appearance. The biggest cheers came when Gov. Gregoire, a Washington superdelegate, reannounced her endorsement of Obama from earlier this morning.

Obama entered, received a rock-star-worthy standing ovation, and then spent about 50 minutes speaking about health care, poverty, the war in Iraq, and yes, the environment. (“We are at a defining moment in our history … our planet is in peril … we cannot wait to bring an end to global warming.”) He mentioned climate change and energy about eight times throughout the speech, spending a minute or two discussing green jobs, energy efficiency, greenhouse-gas-emissions reduction, and alternative energy. There was nothing there that would be new to Gristmillers.

Obama was, as expected, an inspiring speaker — and the crowd ate it up. But he was preaching to a friendly audience, and he knew it. It’ll be interesting to see how the caucuses play out tomorrow.

Photo: Ashley Braun

It’s a case fit for wildlife CSI: 55 robins from the Mount Tabor neighborhood — all dead within a few nearby backyards.

Toxic spill?

Mystery virus?

Maybe not. The leading theory is that the birds were fatally intoxicated, said Bob Sallinger of the Audubon Society of Portland’s wildlife care center, where the birds ended up last week.

That’s right: The birds drank themselves to death.

Not from a bottle, though. The birds’ bellies were chock full of holly berries, skins and seeds. Sallinger isn’t dismissing other explanations yet, but the current thinking is that the birds ate aged and fermented berries that killed them.

…

The robins travel in flocks this time of year, so they could have gobbled the berries together last week. They may have died from ethanol poisoning directly or dropped into such a stupor they died of exposure.

“Certainly a drunk bird in the rain is pretty vulnerable,” Sallinger said.

Maybe they were just depressed.

Wondering whether the seafood entrée you are about to order at a restaurant is environmentally friendly? Pulling the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Card out of your wallet to check it out is so 2006. Enter FishPhone, a text-messaging service provided by the Blue Ocean Institute.

Text 30644 on your cell phone with the message "FISH" and the name of the fish in question, and the BOI will get back to you within seconds. The FishPhone website allows mobile web users to look up seafood choices as well, and provides a "Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood" that you can download to a handheld device.

Block to basics.

Photo: iStockphoto

Keeping up with Ken and Barbie got you down? Check out these companies invested in making eco-friendlier playthings for your little ones. (And read about one mother’s no-crap crusade.)

Dwelling

These soft, handmade toys are created by a women’s knitting collective in Kenya, under the guidance of a nonprofit that helps connect artisans to international markets. All of the items are made with natural wool and colored with vegetable-based dyes, including this zebra hand puppet ($18) and these knit penguins (starting at $18).

Where to buy: Branch

HaPe

HaPe is a Swiss toy company with global designers and operations. They recently launched the world’s first line of games made from sustainable bamboo, all finished with water-based paint. Check out the dice game with brightly colored caterpillar pieces ($29.95) and the dominoes ($11.99).

Where to buy: HaPe, Mastermind Toys

Lana Organic

Lana produces soft animal toys made of organic cotton, ranging from pigs to geese to anteaters ($24.99-$54.99).

Where to buy: Oompa Toys

Tumbleweed Woodworks

Artisans from Oregon-based Tumbleweed Woodworks handcraft a series of wooden puzzles with nontoxic materials. Underneath each dino-shaped piece of their Dinosaurs puzzle ($12.50) is the skeleton and name of the creature; the multilayer Endangered Species puzzle ($20) displays animals in their natural habitats.

Where to buy: Tumbleweed Woodworks

Under the Nile

Janice Masoud founded Under the Nile in the late 1990s when she noticed her children suffering allergic reactions to toxin-laden, manufactured clothing. The Milpitas, Calif., company is dedicated to fair-trade practices, and sells a wide variety of children’s apparel and toys (aww, stuffed monkey) made from 100 percent organic Egyptian cotton and metal-free or vegetable dyes.

Where to buy: Under the Nile

A few other resources for healthier fun:

Challenge & Fun
Harvest Moon Boutique
Holgate Toys
ImagiPlay
Maud N Lil
Melissa & Doug
Peace Toys
Peapods
Rosie Hippo’s Toys and Games
Taraluna
The Wooden Wagon

Squeaky clean and PVC-free.

Photo: iStockphoto

Bathtubs

Non-plastic baby tubs seem to be hard to find; probably the best you can do here is to use a nylon mesh sling or recyclable polypropylene Tummy Tub in your sink or regular tub. Dedicated greens can reduce waste by siphoning used bathwater out the window and into the garden — just make sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater (sorry, we had to slip that one in).

Bibs

Organic cotton bibs are safe, reusable alternatives to vinyl, and can be found at Kate Quinn Organics, Our Green House, and Taraluna. The ECO Disposable Bib from Nature Babycare is manufactured from wood pulp and non-GMO maize.

Bottles

Parents concerned about chemicals such as bisphenol A leaching from plastic can feed their tots with glass bottles from Evenflo. BornFree also sells glass bottles, as well as bottles made from BPA-free plastic.

Changing tables and pads

A bamboo, low-VOC-paint, hardware-free table from Our Green House serves double duty as a bookshelf. Top one of these with a vinyl-free changing pad from Parenting by Nature or Green Mountain Diapers, and you’re good to go.

Cribs and mattresses

Avoid plastic cribs and vinyl-encased mattresses by buying an organic cotton and latex mattress from Soaring Heart, and sustainably sourced wood cribs from Our Green House.

Diapers

Yes, even a child’s bodily functions can be handled greenly. Dress your baby in organic cotton diapers from Under the Nile and Kushtush Organics, or in bamboo-fiber nappies from Geobel Nursery Products. Squeamish parents who want to avoid washing cloth diapers can try biodegradable, flushable gDiapers. And there’s always the diaper-free method for those not faint-of-heart.

High chairs

This adjustable high chair from Our Green House is made with wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a nontoxic finish, and low-emission glues.

Sippy cups

Take a look at our advice on purchasing sippy cups, then snatch up a shiny stainless-steel cup from Klean Kanteen or an aluminum bottle made by Sigg.

Strollers

Unfortunately, there appear to be no plastic-free strollers wheeling about. The good news is that Baby Planet has a handy stroller recycling program for its customers, and also helps consumers donate usable strollers of any brand to families in need. The best plastic-free alternative may be to tote your child around in a sling, like the organic cotton Little Star Sling.

Teethers

A 100 percent organic cotton teething ring, flat cat toy, and crate of teething veggies from Under the Nile provide PVC- and phthalate-free relief for sore baby gums.

Tableware

Ceramic and enamel dishes are safe non-plastic options, or you can try these sustainably harvested (and possibly more kid-proof) bamboo bowls, and utensils from Bambu.