Green Options » Oregon http://greenoptions.com/tag/oregon Posts tagged 'Oregon' Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:27:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Wave Energy Looking for Breakthrough — Using Aerospace Design http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/21/wave-energy-looking-for-breakthrough-aerospace-design/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/21/wave-energy-looking-for-breakthrough-aerospace-design/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:27:49 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/21/wave-energy-looking-for-breakthrough-aerospace-design/
The oceans seem like a great potential source for clean energy. The force of the waves, the constancy, the size of the oceans — it all seems like something that could produce energy for humans without much harm. (I still have some concerns, though it seems like one of the best options these days). Some of the major problems with utilizing the force of the oceans, however, have been how to survive storms, the need to be anchored to the see floor, and efficiency.

Researchers from the US Air Force Academy have a new, outside-the-box idea for dealing with these problems — use an aerospace approach.

This is yet to be developed to full-scale and tested in that form, but early computer and model-scale tests are showing higher efficiencies than wind turbines, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF).

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/21/wave-energy-looking-for-breakthrough-aerospace-design/feed/ #3 Portland, Oregon (USA): Great Bicycle City Photo Tour http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/19/3-portland-oregon-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/19/3-portland-oregon-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:53:01 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/19/3-portland-oregon-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/

With bike weddings, bike parades, hundreds of naked bicyclists, bike fashion shows, popular & interesting cargo bikes, and travelling bike pubs, Portland is #3 on this great bicycle city photo tours list.

Portland has great bicycle facilities (colored bike lanes, bike boxes at intersections, great bike signs, off-road bicycle paths, etc.), a large number of people using the bicycle for transportation, and a bike culture that brings the fun of bicycling to another level.

As a result of these factors and more, Portland was the first large city in the US to achieve the Platinum level Bike Friendly award from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) — the Platinum level being the highest level possible (above Gold, Silver and Bronze). It is truly a world-class bicycle city now, and the amazing photos in this photo tour help to show that.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/19/3-portland-oregon-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/feed/ Oregon Man Sentenced (Again) For Killing Bears, Selling Gallbladders http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/20/oregon-man-sentenced-again-for-killing-bears-selling-gallbladders/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/20/oregon-man-sentenced-again-for-killing-bears-selling-gallbladders/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:41:38 +0000 Rhishja Larson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/20/oregon-man-sentenced-again-for-killing-bears-selling-gallbladders/ Black bear image for article about Raymond Edward Hillsman poaching bears and selling their gallbladders

For the second time, a convicted poacher from Linn County, Oregon, is going to prison for killing bears and selling their gallbladders.

Convicted poacher Raymond Edward Hillsman will be serving his second jail sentence for leading a team that hunted bears in five western Oregon counties in order to harvest and sell the bears’ gallbladders.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/20/oregon-man-sentenced-again-for-killing-bears-selling-gallbladders/feed/ Report: Nissan Expects 20,000 Pre-Orders for LEAF Electric Car http://gas2.org/2009/09/29/report-nissan-expects-20000-pre-orders-for-leaf-electric-car/ http://gas2.org/2009/09/29/report-nissan-expects-20000-pre-orders-for-leaf-electric-car/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:59:57 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2009/09/29/report-nissan-expects-20000-pre-orders-for-leaf-electric-car/ Nissan Leaf

At a breakfast meeting for Nashville business executives, Carlos Tavares, Chairman of Nissan America, said he fully expects the company to have 20,000 reservations for the Nissan LEAF by the time the car goes on sale late next year.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/09/29/report-nissan-expects-20000-pre-orders-for-leaf-electric-car/feed/ The Greening of Paint http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/08/the-greening-of-paint/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/08/the-greening-of-paint/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:43:09 +0000 Dave Dempsey http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/08/the-greening-of-paint/

Oregon this summer became the first state to enact in law a product stewardship law for the collection of leftover consumer paint.  The pilot program, which expires in 2014, involves a consumer fee that a nonprofit organization established by paint producers uses to pay for the collection and proper disposal or reuse of the leftover paint.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/08/the-greening-of-paint/feed/ Wildlife Authorities Kill Pair of Wolves in Oregon http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/wildlife-authorities-kill-pair-of-wolves-in-oregon/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/wildlife-authorities-kill-pair-of-wolves-in-oregon/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:50:59 +0000 Rhishja Larson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/wildlife-authorities-kill-pair-of-wolves-in-oregon/ Wolf image for wolf pair killed in Oregon article

One of only three wolf pairs in Oregon was killed by U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services with approval from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Center for Biological Diversity announced today that Oregon’s wolf recovery program suffered a serious setback when a pair of wolves residing in the Eagle Cap Wilderness in eastern Oregon were killed over the weekend by wildlife authorities.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/wildlife-authorities-kill-pair-of-wolves-in-oregon/feed/ A Greener Cash for Clunkers: Trade Your Car for a Bike http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/21/cash-for-clunkers-car-bike/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/21/cash-for-clunkers-car-bike/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:53:38 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/21/cash-for-clunkers-car-bike/ cargo bikesIf you’ve kept an eye on the federal government’s “Cash for Clunkers” program (which will end on Monday), you know that it’s been a huge success on a number of fronts: hundreds of thousands of people have traded in older, less fuel-efficient vehicles for new models with better gas mileage, and some auto manufacturers are even rehiring. Of course, the program’s had its downsides, also: dealers have complained about slow reimbursements, and some environmentalists have worried that the fuel economy requirements weren’t quite stringent enough.

Portland, Oregon-based businessman Joe Doebele has another complaint about the program: there’s nothing in it to get commuters to shift from four wheels to two. Rather than just throw stones, though, Doeble decided to do something about this shortcoming: he’s started his own “cash for clunkers” program at his cargo bike shop Joe Bike.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/21/cash-for-clunkers-car-bike/feed/ Bailey’s Taproom - A Bastion of Local Beers in Portland, Oregon http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/15/baileys-taproom-a-bastion-of-local-beers-in-portland-oregon/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/15/baileys-taproom-a-bastion-of-local-beers-in-portland-oregon/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:26:36 +0000 John Chappell http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/15/baileys-taproom-a-bastion-of-local-beers-in-portland-oregon/

Portland, Oregon is a beautiful city, known for its roses, organic food, environmentally conscious citizens, and its beer.  It has truly become a destination for Oregonians and travelers alike searching for locally made micro brews and craft beers.

It’s hard to walk two blocks in Portland without encountering a brew pub, ale house, or beer bar, but there’s one that stands out as being truly exceptional.  Located in downtown Portland, Bailey’s Taproom is a cozy, modern facility that specializes in Pacific Northwest microbrews and craft brews.  They serve up everything in every imaginable style from a “brutally hoppy IPA, a clean lager, a sour Belgian, a thick stout, or a boozy barleywine”.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/15/baileys-taproom-a-bastion-of-local-beers-in-portland-oregon/feed/ PGE to Participate in Largest Electric Vehicle Project in U.S. History http://gas2.org/2009/08/07/pge-to-participate-in-largest-electric-vehicle-project-in-us-history/ http://gas2.org/2009/08/07/pge-to-participate-in-largest-electric-vehicle-project-in-us-history/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:09:48 +0000 Elaina Medina http://gas2.org/2009/08/07/pge-to-participate-in-largest-electric-vehicle-project-in-us-history/

Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Elaina Medina of Portland General Electric.

This week Portland General Electric welcomed news it was named a strategic participant and Oregon was named one of five test markets for the largest rollout of EVs and an associated charging station network in U.S. history.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/08/07/pge-to-participate-in-largest-electric-vehicle-project-in-us-history/feed/ Creating the Infrastructure of Innovation http://gas2.org/2009/08/06/creating-the-infrastructure-of-innovation/ http://gas2.org/2009/08/06/creating-the-infrastructure-of-innovation/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:57:02 +0000 Nathan Isaacs http://gas2.org/2009/08/06/creating-the-infrastructure-of-innovation/

August is hotter than ever for those of us who envision a future where the streets are populated with plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles and powered by renewable energies.

The month began with the unveiling of Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicle. On Wednesday, President Obama and the Department of Energy announced $2.4 billion in grants to fuel the development of the electric vehicle industry and reduce our nation’s dependence on oil.

Next week opens with the second annual Plug-In 2009 in Long Beach, Calif.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/08/06/creating-the-infrastructure-of-innovation/feed/ Portland Lands Major Upgrade to Electric Vehicle Infrastructure http://gas2.org/2009/08/05/portland-lands-major-upgrade-to-electric-vehicle-infrastructure/ http://gas2.org/2009/08/05/portland-lands-major-upgrade-to-electric-vehicle-infrastructure/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:47:10 +0000 Sam Adams http://gas2.org/2009/08/05/portland-lands-major-upgrade-to-electric-vehicle-infrastructure/

For a city with so many amazing trees, Portland is getting ready to add a bunch of new LEAFs to our streets.

No, that’s not a typo. I’m talking about the LEAF, Nissan’s just-unveiled electric vehicle, which is set to hit dealerships in the fall of 2010. In our quest to be the nation’s leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, usage and development, the Portland region took a big step forward today with the announcement that Nissan and eTec selected Oregon as one of five test markets for the largest deployment of EV’s and the associated charging station network in American history.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/08/05/portland-lands-major-upgrade-to-electric-vehicle-infrastructure/feed/ 2,000 Gallons of Low-Cost Ethanol Per Acre Made From Wood http://gas2.org/2009/07/24/2000-gallons-of-ethanol-per-acre-for-15-cents-per-gallon-%e2%80%94-made-from-wood/ http://gas2.org/2009/07/24/2000-gallons-of-ethanol-per-acre-for-15-cents-per-gallon-%e2%80%94-made-from-wood/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:11:19 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2009/07/24/2000-gallons-of-ethanol-per-acre-for-15-cents-per-gallon-%e2%80%94-made-from-wood/

ZeaChem — a company launched in 1998 by “two guys in a pickup” and ranked by Biofuels Digest as the 11th hottest company in bioenergy last year — claims that their process for making advanced, next-generation ethanol from fast growing woody crops such as poplars will result in a yield of 2,000 gallons of ethanol per acre.

In case you’re wondering if that number is good, compare it to the current yield obtained by the best managed corn ethanol plants of about 450 gallons per acre. A 2,000 gallon per acre yield is on par with the amount of fuel algae outfits claim they can produce with technology that doesn’t really yet exist. ZeaChem’s process already functions using available technology.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/07/24/2000-gallons-of-ethanol-per-acre-for-15-cents-per-gallon-%e2%80%94-made-from-wood/feed/ Battle of the States Begins: Arizona Wants Solar Business http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/17/battle-of-the-states-begins-arizona-wants-solar-business/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/17/battle-of-the-states-begins-arizona-wants-solar-business/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:23:54 +0000 Jennifer Kho http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/17/battle-of-the-states-begins-arizona-wants-solar-business/

Arizona wants to be the “solar-energy hub of the world,” Kristin Mays, chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities in the state, said at the Intersolar North America conference in San Francisco this week.

The state last week enacted a law that offers new incentives, including a tax credit of up to 10 percent, for solar companies that set up shop there.

At the Intersolar North America conference in San Francisco this week, some state rivalry became apparent as Arizona leaders argued the state’s advantages compared to California. “We know the Mojave desert’s off limits. Well, the desert in Arizona is open for business,” said Barry Broome, CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, to laughter from the audience.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/17/battle-of-the-states-begins-arizona-wants-solar-business/feed/ PGE Jump-Starts Electric Vehicle Movement in Oregon http://gas2.org/2009/07/08/pge-jump-starts-electric-vehicle-movement-in-oregon/ http://gas2.org/2009/07/08/pge-jump-starts-electric-vehicle-movement-in-oregon/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:24:20 +0000 Elaina Medina http://gas2.org/2009/07/08/pge-jump-starts-electric-vehicle-movement-in-oregon/ Portland General Electric Charging Station

Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Elaina Medina of Portland General Electric.

We are anticipating a large turnout at this year’s “EV Awareness Day” on Saturday, July 11, at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Ore. Portland General Electric is proud to sponsor this annual event hosted by the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association.

The PGE team will be on hand to show off its new PGE plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and talk to attendees about our network of more than a dozen charging stations we are installing across the Portland-metro area and Salem.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/07/08/pge-jump-starts-electric-vehicle-movement-in-oregon/feed/ The EV Infrastructure chicken-and-egg problem: Resolution http://gas2.org/2009/07/07/the-ev-infrastructure-chicken-and-egg-problem-resolution/ http://gas2.org/2009/07/07/the-ev-infrastructure-chicken-and-egg-problem-resolution/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:11:49 +0000 Richard Lowenthal http://gas2.org/2009/07/07/the-ev-infrastructure-chicken-and-egg-problem-resolution/ Coulomb Technologies

Coulomb Technologies was founded in 2007 with the mission to ensure that anyone who is considering the choice to buy an electric vehicle will have adequate access to fuel for the cars.

In the US there are 247 million cars but only 53 million home garages, meaning that a lot of electric vehicles will need to be fueled outside the home garage. Exacerbating the situation, according to studies at UC Davis, 80% of owners of electric vehicles will want to charge more than once a day.

It comes to this: we need charging opportunities where our cars are parked when we sleep and when we work. Since Coulomb’s founding, much as been written regarding the “chicken and egg problem” with infrastructure and vehicles. Will people buy electric vehicles if they don’t have a place to charge them, and conversely, will anyone buy infrastructure if they don’t see cars?

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/07/07/the-ev-infrastructure-chicken-and-egg-problem-resolution/feed/ Hillsboro, Oregon Going, Going, Gone Electric http://gas2.org/2009/07/01/hillsboro-oregon-going-going-gone-electric/ http://gas2.org/2009/07/01/hillsboro-oregon-going-going-gone-electric/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:07:38 +0000 Joanna Schroeder http://gas2.org/2009/07/01/hillsboro-oregon-going-going-gone-electric/ “Our city is progressive and aggressive in implementing sustainable solutions to environmental and economic challenges.”

–David Robinson, director of Facilities and Fleet, City of Hillsboro, Oregon

Hillsboro, Oregon, the 5th largest city in the state and known as “Silicon Forest” is joining the growing electric community with the announcement that it will be the first in the state to install public ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for both plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles. The city will install 16 charging stations downtown, one as part of its “green” intermodal transit facility due to be constructed this year.

It’s not surprising that this announcement comes from the environmentally progressive Northwest. Robinson noted that the community has a, “large forward-thinking population ready to embrace electric vehicle technology,” and that the City is committed to providing the facilities that its community needs.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/07/01/hillsboro-oregon-going-going-gone-electric/feed/ ‘Wild Girl’ Forages for Food in Urban Portland http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/27/wild-girl-forages-for-food-in-urban-portland/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/27/wild-girl-forages-for-food-in-urban-portland/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 18:00:15 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/27/wild-girl-forages-for-food-in-urban-portland/ Culture Change)You could call Becky Lerner Oregon’s answer to “Survivorman” … only she’s not a man, and she hasn’t been left stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but her wits and a pocketknife to help her survive.

Nope. This “Wild Girl,” as she calls herself, is in the middle of a week-long adventure in which she’s eating only food she can forage or catch on the wild streets of Portland. She’s blogging about her experience at Culture Change.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/27/wild-girl-forages-for-food-in-urban-portland/feed/ First Wolf Radio Collared in Oregon http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/19/first-wolf-radio-collared-in-oregon/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/19/first-wolf-radio-collared-in-oregon/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 16:32:28 +0000 Jake Richardson http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/19/first-wolf-radio-collared-in-oregon/ first wolf collared

A gray wolf was captured alive, fitted with a radio collar and ear tags, and then released in  May in Baker County (Eastern Oregon).

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/05/19/first-wolf-radio-collared-in-oregon/feed/ Beyond Subsidized Solar Power: The Path to Grid Parity http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 16:15:31 +0000 Angiolo Laviziano http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/ Solar Panels

Editor’s Note: The is a guest contribution by Angiolo Laviziano, President and CEO of REC Solar Inc. This is the third post in a series from the CEO’s of major solar companies. The first post was by the SolarCity CEO, Lyndon Rive, and the second was by groSolar CEO Jeff Wolfe. You can follow the complete series here.

Two phrases that are often repeated in the solar industry are “Grid Parity” and “Cost Roadmap”. Grid parity is generally considered to be a key goal of the solar industry. Grid parity will be achieved in the U.S. when customers are motivated to buy solar because the investment has a sufficient return WITHOUT any subsidies from the federal or state government.  At present, most people consider PV to be a financially acceptable investment only if federal, state and rebate incentives are applied.

Currently, the rebates and tax credits offered by the government improve the financial return of a solar project together with other factors, such as the solar electric system cost (lower is better for the return), sun exposure on site (higher is better) and the cost of electricity that the solar system is substituting (higher is better).

The cost of electricity is of particular importance: solar substitutes for electricity demand on the customer’s side of the meter, where it competes with the retail price of electricity. This is in contrast to wind power, which is generated on the utility side of the meter, and therefore competes with the much lower wholesale rate of electricity.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/feed/ Portland Will Continue as Sustainability Leader and Hub for the Electric Car Industry http://gas2.org/2009/04/29/portland-will-continue-as-sustainability-leader-and-hub-for-the-electric-car-industry/ http://gas2.org/2009/04/29/portland-will-continue-as-sustainability-leader-and-hub-for-the-electric-car-industry/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:35:19 +0000 Sam Adams http://gas2.org/2009/04/29/portland-will-continue-as-sustainability-leader-and-hub-for-the-electric-car-industry/ Mayor Adams EV

“…few opportunities blend economy and sustainability like the electric vehicle does.” 

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Editor’s Note: This is Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ first post for Gas 2.0. It’s a direct response to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who posted for us earlier today and said the race to electric vehicle infrastructure “symbolizes what is best about our region and our country.” Mayor Adams will be holding a press conference today at 1:30 PST about this issue. UPDATE: Added video of the event above.

Portland is a great place to live, and it’s a great place to innovate. It could be Oregon’s natural beauty that inspired our long-established commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation, the Beta version of what we now call sustainability.

Couple that innate sense of stewardship with a culture of design, planning, discourse and collaboration and you get Portland — a City ranked by SustainLane (based in San Francisco, no less!) as America’s most sustainable city two years in a row!

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