There’s nothing here about the energy balance, which is worrisome when you read the details of the process. But, presuming that is OK, then this might be attractive. Like all petro-alternatives, the problem is scale—most people have no feel for the sorts of immense quantities of oil we blow through every day and, therefore, no [...]

In one sense, a rather quiet month. Mostly looking over the shoulder at recent events while waiting for the big event in Antarctica, where it is only the equivalent of the northern May. And for the report of thousands of climate scientist on the ice down there trying to figure out what’s going on. The [...]

One place where Oregon is lagging behind other states is in implementing soft technologies for energy conservation, tools that help people know when it’s most helpful to minimize energy use. Chicago and now Maryland (see story excerpt below) have let people get “time of day” power rates so that they are rewarded for using power [...]

BlueOregon has a post about the latest attempt to throw tax dollars at the wrong people working on the wrong part of the wrong problem statement. Meanwhile, we still have a few remaining shards of a once-proud (and widely envied) rail system that haven’t completely decayed — oops, wait, there goes another piece in SW [...]

The EV-1 was the first battery-powered electric car made by General Motors, in production from 1996 through 1999, although only available in California and Arizona under a lease program. Despite positive feedback from customers, the EV-1 program was cancelled in 2003 under somewhat mysterious circumstances, documented in the 2006 film “Who Killed the Electric Car?“. [...]

Someone with Oregon Environmental Council sent out this great item letting you know how YOU can help bring a most important improvement (pay-as-you-drive insurance) into being. Even better, right now it’s leading the race for funding. So please click the second link below and do your bit to help reverse the perverse incentive that makes [...]

 This is what “sustainable biofuels” look like — the rape of the rain forest, the extinction of the orang-utan, and the conversion of billions of tons of carbon trapped in peat into atmospheric greenhouse gas — all subsidized in the name of “green fuels.”

“Come gather round people, wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown, and accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth saving, then you better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’…” Bob Dylan

Today, the AP reported on our Gov’s status regarding LNG terminals, storage facilities and pipelines (see below). To learn more about this item, please see our action alert. Governor open to liquefied natural gas plants Kulongoski says Oregon could benefit from them The Associated Press November 30, 2007 ASTORIA — Gov. Ted Kulongoski is open [...]

Coming to Portland recently was the easiest move I’ve made in a…well, let’s say it’s been my easiest move ever. It’s a friendly big city, which is rare. People reach out and encourage new ideas, helping out with advice when asked, jump at the chance to collaborate over coffee.  Also, I’m finding that Portland lives up [...]