Must see: in just a few minutes of Flash video, Annie Leonard breaks down our consumer society into its various parts. She makes it all fun and easy to follow, while at the same time creating a powerful indictment of the modern American lifestyle. Watch it and tell your friends and family: www.StoryofStuff.com

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 [...]

Rob Zako of OTRAN sends this important announcement: How is ODOT addressing climate change? a presentation by Damon Fordham ODOT Sustainability Manager Tuesday, November 13, 6:30 pm Lawrence Hall, Room 206 University of Oregon campus, Eugene

So the Salem Statesman-Journal (a Gannett paper) runs this editorial in its on-line forum: Going to college more crucial now than ever Families must find a way to support youths’ educations November 6, 2007 If you’re the parent of a young student and you can’t imagine how you’ll afford college for him or her, please [...]

Short answer: because biofuels are about taking money from people who are going to be extremely hard-pressed and giving it to corporations in the guise of a futile attempt to preserve the fantasy that we can maintain an auto-based life. There’s the direct problem with the policy, but even more that that is the problem [...]

As you may be aware, the green lifestyle encompasses many different forms and philosophies, to the extent that the movement has become somewhat fragmented. What it loses in focus it makes up for in the diversity of the approaches that are evolving to heal our environment. In this blog I’ve attempted to gather this information [...]

If you look around the area at many homes under construction, you’ll note that builders are abandoning plans for upscale amenities and instead simply focusing on getting a house to market as quickly and cheaply as possible.  Some of these compromises are impacting builders of eco-friendly housing as the market now prioritizes price over energy efficiency.  Against [...]

The right to dry.  On a clothesline.

This past week, the local grassroots “Bus Project” organization held another in a series of debates about issues relevant to our community.  The topic du jour happened to be the impact of gentrification on the city of Portland.  Use of the term, gentrification, is itself contentious, having evolved to absorb hints of racism mixed into [...]