Visit the third annual Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair! Celebrate Earth Day and connect with diverse organizations across our community that are advancing sustainability.
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Fight Back Against Fossil Fuel Autocrats
One of the many downsides to our reliance on fossil fuels is that it empowers autocrats in petro-states to spread chaos at home and across the world. It’s time to Electrify & Decarbonize.
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Build an Herbal Community
In times past, herbalism was a communal practice, especially for women of any group. Traditionally, they were the keepers of the home, midwives, and family healers. Hence, community members came to them when it came to the health and vitality of their families and neighbors. Herbal knowledge was gathered, collected, and held together in circles, where there was support and encouragement to ensure the learning was maintained throughout generations. However, as those who practiced herbal healing were persecuted and separated from their herbal community, the knowledge became isolated. Those who held the knowledge were less apt to share it, so much was not passed on. In the past decade, there…
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“Barn Raising” Community Cuts the Cost of Solar
Since 2016, Give Solar has organized crowdfunding campaigns and five solar barn raisings which have added 291.4 kilowatts to the local grid. Taking a page from the Amish and Mennonites’ playbook, a Harrisonburg, Virginia non-profit adapted the community barn-raising tradition to the solar energy arena. On November 5, 2016, a group of volunteer members of the community came together to support the non-profit Vine and Fig by installing solar panels (63 kW) on the roof of the Gift & Thrift store. The store benefits the worldwide relief and development efforts of the Mennonite Central Committee. The success of this first solar barn-raising made it clear that this idea has wings.…
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Signing Up for Community Solar
My Experience Community solar just had its first birthday in Oregon. While the program was years long in the rulemaking, it has been slow to roll out, and COVID then threw a wrench in the works. The first PV projects are now steadily moving forward and will go into the ground and catch solar photons next year. Oregon is one of a handful of states which currently have policies that support community solar. Some states (in green below) have programs in the works or about to launch, while others (in blue) have live, active community solar programs you can sign up for now. Advocates see community solar as an important…
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The Electrify Everything Climate Solution
Scientists agree we need to cut our heat-trapping emissions to zero by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of climate change – and we need to make big progress in the next decade. Waste reduction and energy efficiency measures alone can not get us all the way to net zero. Nearly All Emissions Come from Fossil Fuels Extracting and burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, transport goods, and people, and heat our homes, offices, and buildings – creates the vast majority of carbon emissions. In the U.S. and other industrialized nations, this accounts for over 75% of annual emissions. It will not be possible to prevent a climate crisis until…
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Argyle Gardens:
A HOME FOR THE HOMELESS The Kenton neighborhood of Portland now hosts Argyle Gardens, the first buildout of a Low Income Single Adult Housing model (LISAH). It is located on an oddly-shaped, city-owned, industrial site close to the MAX light rail line, bus lines, and commercial shopping areas. Argyle Gardens consists of four buildings containing 72 housing units oriented around a central outdoor space. The largest building contains thirty-five 220 square foot studio apartments. A large community room, laundry facilities, and support service offices serve as a central hub and communal gathering space for all residents. The three co-housing buildings each feature two six-bedroom units with two shared bathrooms and…
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Sustainability Symposium *Online* in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Friday, April 17, 2020, 12 pm to 2:30 pm Virtual via Zoom register here: https://portlandcc.zoom.us/meeting/register/uZcudeuqrTwoypFr4GWtiHD7OuFo0Prc8Q “A Call for Action” The Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network (GPSEN) and co-host Portland Community College are hosting their third annual, Sustainability Symposium. Open to the public, they are calling all change agents, leaders, teachers, scholars, students, and community members for a day full of discovery and connections. Highlighting local and global issues, cutting-edge academic and community research, and sustainability projects and solutions, participants will focus on collaboration, diversity, innovative problem-solving, and reflections on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Keynote speaker is Mak Porotesano, PCC Sylvania’s Multicultural Center Coordinator. Experience a day full of community,…
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Repair Cafes
Repair Cafes are free community events where participants can bring broken or damaged common household items and have them fixed for free by skilled volunteers! Volunteers fix bicycles, small appliances, small electronics, jewelry, sharpen tools/knives, and do sewing repairs. Portland Area Repair Cafes Sat, September 21, 10am – 1pm Robinwood Station Community Center 3706 Cedar Oak Dr, West Linn, OR Fri, October 4, 5:00pm – 7:30pm Garden Home Recreation Center 7475 SW Oleson Rd, Portland, OR Sat, October 28, 10am – 12:30pm Multnomah County Library – Gresham 385 NW Miller Ave, Gresham, OR Vancouver Area Repair Cafes Sat. September 14, 12pm- 2pm Clark County Habitat for Humanity Store 10811 SE 2nd St,…
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Community
“We come to value what we share as much as what we own, what keeps us alive as much as what we exchange.” - Frances Moore Lappé
