A personal message from Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder Last week, the Portland metropolitan region’s transportation leaders put their stamp of approval on a transportation and livability blueprint for this region – a proposed list of projects and innovative policies collectively known as the Regional Transportation Plan. And today the Metro Council – in its federally recognized…

By Abby Haight, The Oregonian December 17, 2009, 6:15PM View full sizeMotoya Nakamura, The OregonianRon Carley and Jill Fuglister of the Coalition for a Livable Future, which comprises about 50 nonprofit organizations working for sustainable communities. Recently, the coalition derided the I-5 Columbia River Crossing project as well as a $20 billion plan by Metro…

By Scott Learn, The Oregonian December 04, 2009, 10:57AM ZeaChem has won a $25 million federal grant to build an advanced biofuel plant in Boardman that converts poplar trees to motor vehicle fuel. The U.S. Department of Energy grant, announced today, will help Colorado-based ZeaChem build a $73.4 million demonstration plant. The company says the…

The White House is celebrating Christmas this year with recycled ornaments, energy-saving LED tree lights  and natural materials, including dried hydrangeas that were previously used in floral arrangements. The official White House Christmas Tree, a Douglas Fir, stands 18 1/2 feet high and nearly 13 feet wide, in the Blue Room. CAPTION By Alex Wong, Getty Images…

by Mandalit del Barco December 2, 2009 Bicycling magazine called it “the road rage incident heard ’round the cycling world.” A driver in Los Angeles was recently convicted of using his car as a weapon against two cyclists. And the case is focusing attention on the often uneasy relationship between motorists and bicyclists who have…

Leah Nash for The New York Times Logs cut to thin the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, an effort to promote sustainability. By WILLIAM YARDLEY Published: November 28, 2009 SISTERS, Ore. — A patch of ponderosa pines here in the Deschutes National Forest has been carefully pruned over the last few years to demonstrate the…

Portland, OR, November 25, 2009 –(PR.com)– Portland-based alternative transportation provider ecoShuttle is proud to announce a new, promising partnership with Green Drop Garage, a local auto repair shop specializing in alternative fuel conversions. EcoShuttle currently has a fleet running on 100% biodiesel, and their mission has been clear from the beginning: To pave a car-less…

November 24th, 2009 – 11:02 am Posted by Jaclyn Abergas Tagged as: Environment Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California, top the list of the greenest cities in the US. But how is that ranking determined? Which factors are considered to be placed in the list of green cities? Air Quality Top green cities all have…

ecoShuttle is Recycle at Work Certified—meaning our business has improved its recycling practices and reduced the amount of waste it produces by implementing all of the City of Portland’s five recycling steps…

If you are interested in planning a more ethical and green wedding, but don’t want to sacrifice fabulous fashions and design, then Portland’s Eco-Elegant Wedding Show is your must-attend Fall event. Held at the newly renovated Platinum LEED certified Center for Architecture building which is located in the Pearl District, the event will showcase some…

By Christoph Seidler     Everyone knows that the ice sheet on Greenland is melting. But new research shows it is disappearing much faster than previously thought. The findings could mean that ocean levels are also rising more quickly. The dimensions of this frosty giant go way beyond human imagination. With a surface area spanning…

Region’s transportation hopes conflict with greenhouse goals By Steve Law The Portland Tribune, Nov 12, 2009 The Portland area’s $20 billion transportation wish list and its pledge to reduce greenhouse gases are on a collision course. A new Metro study shows that population growth coupled with a soon-to-be-approved Regional Transportation Plan will result in so…