I’ve had a revelation as of recent, as it relates to energy consumption. I believe that part of the reason that people have a tendency to be less energy conscious than they may be otherwise is that we are sometimes insulated from the levels of our consumption. Yes, we get a bill from our utility companies each month, but dollars alone seem to not be enough to help people understand how much energy they’re using. 

PGE’s bill tells you how many kilowatts you’ve used, and even provides a graph to see how your use has fluctuated not only from month-to-month, but also year-to-year monthly comparisons. This is valuable, as is the billed dollar amount, but at the end of the day you can’t put a kilowatt into a bucket, bag or Hello Kitty lunch-box. 

The same can be said for Northwest Natural Gas. While I don’t use natural gas to heat my home, cook my food or heat my water, I know that NWNG bills based on how many therms you use. But really, what the hell is a therm? Again, show me how to put it into said bucket, bag or Hello Kitty lunch-box. 

I believe that the sheer intangibility of household energy has led us to be less critical of our use of said energy. In automobiles we have a nice gauge that outlines the total volume of gasoline/diesel available in the vehicle’s fuel tank. And I think many of us know exactly what a gallon of gas looks like –you know, kind of like a gallon of milk, just far more stinky and far less desirable as part of a latte. Because of this, we’re painfully aware of how much energy we’re using and we can take immediate steps to reduce the amount. I believe we as a society would use less energy if we simply had a better grasp of what this energy looked like! (more…)

I saw on the news a bit ago that Coca-Cola is kicking around a plan to bottle and sell water from the Willamette River. All together now: Eww!

Granted, the plant will be well away from Portland, but the water all mixes together, and um, have you ever looked at the river? Aren’t portions of it still a Superfund site? Anyone notice the sewage overflow warnings, or the signs telling you to thoroughly cook your fish? (Three eyes and all.)

I almost jumped into the Willamette in 1979, one hot summer day when everyone else was doing it. But when I saw the slime attached to one of the swimmers, I decided it’d have to be an accident or emergency to get me in there. Haven’t contemplated it since, unless I’m trying to suppress hunger.

Which is another reason to sing the praises of Bull Run water. It comes out of your tap, costs about a quarter-cent a gallon and is delicious! (No plastic aftertaste, clear, sparkly.) I can’t speak for Milwaukie, but every home I’ve occupied in Portland and Sandy have had the best drinking water, right out of the tap.

Want to be green-friendly? Go get a glass of water from the kitchen sink. In these tight economic times, a drink for a tenth of a cent is quite a bargain.

I recently started a new job (recently being… oh… Monday) with an Energy company here in PDX. It’s really more of a consulting company who works in the Energy field. Anyway, we share a floor with 2 other energy companies here in Downtown and we all live rather happily.

I’m not sure if this is because of the companies I work for and with, but there are a lot of practices that are in place here that I get a kick out of and that makes me wonder “Are other places doing this too?”

First off, the recycling program here is great with bins for everything, including batteries and old cell phones! The office has a dishwasher and provides mugs, plates and silverware for use. There’s also a bin for reusable food storage that one can use if one is going out to the carts; simply use, wash and put back for someone else! There are clearly marked bins near every trashcan and at every printing station and so many other things that, really, I feel like Jack the Pumpkin King in Christmas Town!

I’ve also noticed that (well there is a sign) the lights in the restroom are kept off as well as those in the offices with windows. Most of the people with these offices generally have their lights off when necessary. Some people with offices on the inside use smaller lights than using the main lights, placing little lamps that use a lower watt on their desk or just around the office.

Really, all in all, these differences make it feel more like home than an office.

Is it just that I’ve not worked in an office for more than 6 years or is it just the companies who are looking for answers to our use of energy, water, etc. who are more conscious of our resources? It’s all so simple! Have I just been away too long from the office-type job and is it mainly in our fine little city? How many other places do this?

If this is a PDX thing, Wow, color me impressed!

I’ve been told that a chain (literally and metaphorically) is only as strong as its weakest link. I remember hiring an engineer to assess the cross beams in a commercial space I was renting to determine how much weight I could hang from the ceiling. The engineer pointed out that the cross supports were 12 inches tall, but the ends of each beam had been notched out two inches, essentially making the entire span no stronger than if the supports were 10 inches tall. Appearances can be deceiving.

This lesson popped into my head as I read this piece in the Oregonian last week, highlighting the new issues encountered by recycling centers since the city unveiled the new recycling roll carts this past summer. Seems as if recycling rates have skyrocketed thanks to the new carts. The problem is that the carts have unintentionally encouraged the masses to recycle in a far less disciplined manner. In fact, some people now believe that almost anything can go into a recycling bin regardless of the clear directives printed on the lid.

Apparently Portlanders believe that if something is made of plastic, it qualifies for deposit into the cart. No questions asked. While it’s humorous that we can go from a somewhat disciplined community of recyclers to a pack of rabid recycling cretins in such a short time, what’s not humorous is the result: more waste and broken machinery. (more…)

Most people I meet around town are above average when it comes to being aware of the environment, how we impact it, and how we can lessen our “footprint” through recycling, reusing containers and bags, using public transportation/walking/biking, and so on.

Maybe you’re now in the habit of taking reusable bags with you to shop, but you want to do more and aren’t sure where to start. Like Betsy is doing in her quest to become a locavore, it’s all about baby steps! For example, if you’re just using the reusable bags to carry groceries, expand that to using them at other places you shop. I’ve used my own bags at Kitchen Kaboodle and Walgreen’s, for example, to cart home goods.

Want to lean more? Well, here’s an opportunity to do so. From October 21-23, the Art Institute of Portland will mark Environmental Awareness Week by hosting lectures, film screenings and an eco-fair.

• Tuesday, October 21: Janelle Hansen and Bill Siebold will discuss the topic of global warming, from how it’s affecting the planet today to how we can each make a contribution to a more sustainable society.
• Wednesday, October 22: AiP will host an eco-fair featuring local agencies, non-profits, and businesses who are invested in improving the environment. In addition to the informational booths, there will be reusable shopping bags given out to the first 400 people at the fair in addition to opportunities to win raffle prizes.
• Thursday, October 23: “A Passion for Sustainability” and “A Crude Awakening – The Oil Crash” will be screened.

All of these events are free and you can take the bus (#20 to W Burnside & NW 12th) or streetcar (NW 11th & NW Couch) to the AiP.

My next step in becoming more “green”? Composting…it’s seems daunting, but I want to try!