• Buyerarchy of needs like Maslows
    Reduce,  Refuse,  Think Piece,  Zero Waste

    Just Enough

    “…..we – you and I, and our government – must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. ”  — – Dwight D. Eisenhow  One beneficial consequence that comes from things getting uncomfortable is that it forces change. That is true whether you get a cramp from sleeping in a funny position, or when the recycling market collapsed after China no longer accepted the world’s discarded plastics. As uncomfortable and distressing as it is not to be able to recycle as we did before, we are now forced to acknowledge all that stuff we bring into our homes.…

  • Abandoned Gas Pumps
    Fossil Fuels,  Publisher's Page,  Solar,  Think Piece

    Changing Direction

    “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”  — Thomas Paine, from the introduction to Common Sense.  For more than 200, years we have accepted the burning of fossil fuels as the way to power our rapidly changing modern world. For more than 100 years, we have accepted the gasoline-powered car for personal mobility. For more 70 years, we have accepted crop hybridization, chemical fertilizers and herbicides as the means to feed our exploding population. For more than 60,…

  • Crafty Wonderland logo
    EVENT

    The Crafty Wonderland Holiday Art + Craft Market!

    Saturday, Dec 14th + Sunday, Dec 15th  from 11am – 6pm  The Oregon Convention Center – Exhibit Hall D  777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. Portland, OR  Featuring art and handmade goods from over 250 amazing vendors!!  OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – FREE ADMISSION:  SPECIAL PRE-SHOW TICKETED SHOPPING EVENT:  Friday, Dec 13th from 5pm – 9pm

  • Net Zero Home Tour
    BUILDING,  Education,  ENERGY,  Energy Conservation,  EVENT,  Heating & Cooling,  Solar

    Solar Oregon Net Zero Homes Tour

    Saturday October 19, 2019  9am – 5pm  2105 N Webster Street, Portland  Join Solar Oregon, Passive House, Green Hammer and Earth Advantage to see what it’s like to live in a Zero carbon home and learn all the surprisingly simple, accessible and innovate strategies that homeowners use for getting to zero.  The Tour will feature homes in North and South East Portland and will be co-hosted by some of the leading green builders and architects in the area. Lunch will be at the new Tillamook Row Net Zero Apartments in NE Portland.  Suggested Donation – $10 Solar Oregon members, $20 for general public  For more info: https://solaroregon.org/event/net-zero-homes-tour/

  • Garden Home Sustainability Fair
    COMMUNITY,  EVENT,  Repair

    Garden Home Sustainability & Repair Fair

    Friday, October 4, 2019 5:00 pm 7:30 pm  Garden Home Recreation Center Gymnasium  7475 SW Oleson Rd, Portland  Embrace Green Living  Learn about sustainable topics from gardening to recycling to water conservation & much more all from local experts.  Repair Fair is Back  Repair your hopusehold items and small appliances. Limit two items per person.  Free Admission – All Ages Welcome  For more info: Heather Waisanen, 503-245-9932, heatherw@co.wccls.org 

  • tools
    COMMUNITY,  Community Projects,  EVENT,  Repair

    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,…

  • Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
    COMMUNITY,  Education,  EVENT

    Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum Upcoming Events

    5000 Discovery Dr  The Dalles, OR  Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum in The Dalles is the official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Open daily 9 am – 5 pm. Hiking trails, live raptor presentations, children’s activities, and exhibits from the ice age through Lewis and Clark, early explorers and 10,000 years of Indigenous cultural heritage.  CURRENT EVENT Through December 31 – Woman of Vision exhibit  For more info: www.gorgediscovery.org 

  • Sand Cranes
    COMMUNITY,  Education,  EVENT,  Nature

    20th Anniversary BirdFest & BlueGrass Celebration

    Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge & Downtown Ridgefield WA  October 4 & 5, 2019  Workshops, hikes and walks all catered to teach you how to use the Refuge. You can learn how to listen for bird species, identify plants, about the geology of the area, the peoples who came before us and still tend to the land, how to take photos of it all, paint the landscape, and much more.  Sandhill Crane Tours Bluegrass Pickers Festival Audubon Wild Birds of Prey Naturalist Led Hikes Cultural Activities Big Canoe Tours Birders Marketplace Local Food and Business Booths 20th Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 4th at Ilani BirdFest events in town include- shopping, food, and…

  • Community Readiness,  Safety

    Resilience

    “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene  “SPROING!’  That sound came to mind when I was thinking about Resilience. Resilience means being able to bounce back in the face of a challenge, being able to adapt and make changes, and even to innovate. Whether the power goes out, or your job is eliminated, or there is a glitch in the kitchen, resilience means figuring out how to adjust and reorganize in order to cope with those new conditions. Developing resilience is essential to enjoying well-being.  Figuring out a new or different way to solve a problem…