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As food prices shoot up, so do backyard gardens
Christian Science Monitor
05/16/2008
Gasoline and food price spikes have had what could be called a 'Miracle-Gro' effect on the backyard garden movement.
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New crop of gardeners in plush London suburbs
Christian Science Monitor
05/16/2008
Food prices and concerns about commercially grown produce are prompting a 'grow your own' culture.
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Can Housing Be Green, and Cheap?
Portland Tribune
05/15/2008
A Portland nonprofit agency that builds and sells new homes is showing how cheap, green homes can be done. HOST Development Inc. is finishing work on the first homes in its Helensview Homes development -- the first traditional single-family neighborhood project in town to receive LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) certification.
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Views: Boise Biking Best
San Francisco Bay Guardian
05/15/2008
By drawing a legal line in the sand between cars and bikes, allowing them different rules in the same environment, Idaho's bike laws ultimately foster a mutual respect between drivers and cyclists. In Boise it's common to see road signs instructing drivers and cyclists to "share the road." It may be common sense advice for cyclists, but to motorists, it's a subtle reminder that bigger shouldn't mean better.
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The Bike Issue: San Francisco Behind the Pack
San Francisco Bay Guardian
05/15/2008
San Francisco may have a higher per-capita rate of bicycle use than any major city in the United States, and that number may be steadily rising.
Yet there are still political barriers to overcome in a city where cars are the dominant transportation option. Mayor Newsom has yet to show a willingness to back his green rhetoric with policies that actually take space from cars.
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Getting in Gear for Bicycling in San Francisco
San Francisco Bay Guardian
05/15/2008
10 things Bay Area cyclists should know.
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Seattle Bicyclists Share the Road
Seattle Times
05/15/2008
Friday is Bike to Work Day, and locally, 20,000 people are expected to ride.
In Seattle, which sees itself as an ecological leader, an estimated 4,000 to 8,000 people already ride to work every day, depending on the weather. Mayor Greg Nickels has launched a 10-year plan to triple bicycle use by adding trails, signals, signs and 143 miles of bike lanes.
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San Francisco Mayor Touts Green Standards
San Francisco Chronicle
05/15/2008
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom testified before Congress on Wednesday about the city's tough new green building standards and urged lawmakers to pass similar rules nationwide.
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South Sound Bike Commuters Tout Two-Wheeling It
Tacoma News Tribune
05/15/2008
South Sound bicycle commuters tout the benefits of two-wheeling it, while advocates urge newcomers to try National Bike to Work Week It began with a two-mile ride at lunch.
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Kistap Bicyclists Bike to Work
Kitsap Sun
05/15/2008
Bicycles are expected to flood the roadways on Friday — Bike to Work Day.
Organizations throughout Puget Sound are planning events to recognize and tabulate those exchanging vehicles for bikes during their commute. In Bainbridge and Bremerton, bicyclists can get free gifts, snacks and commuting information.
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Portland State Students Write Green Guide
Portland Tribune
05/15/2008
Professor, students write online DIY guide to sustainability.
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Views: Sustainability-Fueled Profits
San Francisco Chronicle
05/14/2008
Far from being a cost to society and business, sustainability is emerging as a huge opportunity for both. The key to sustainability is innovation, and that in turn spells competitive advantage, which economists define as above-average profits.
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Views: The Class Isn't Always Greener
New York Times blog
05/14/2008
What if we looked beyond the notion of schools as institutions (like jails, banks, courthouses) and thought about them more as laboratories for creativity, exploration and innovation? Some schools are doing just that, and going green while they are at it.
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Snohomish County Proposes Eco-Development
Seattle Times
05/14/2008
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon unveiled plans Tuesday for an environmentally friendly development of businesses, housing and recreation on 600 acres of county-owned land off Cathcart Way near Highway 9.
The county envisions a job center, a transit hub, four-story condominiums and "green" businesses such as hydroponic greenhouses and solar-energy production on land once slated for a county landfill.
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Congress Must Side with Renewable Tax Credits
San Francisco Chronicle
05/14/2008
Businesses investing in renewable power are on the forefront of finding solutions to the greatest challenge of our times: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent runaway global warming.
But their entrepreneurial efforts may be stillborn if Congress fails to extend vital production and investment tax credits that have nurtured the renewable power industry as it works to implement emerging technology and achieve scale economies.
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'Bike to Work Day' in Anchorage
Anchorage Daily News
05/14/2008
Be ready for a spike in bikes come Thursday.
Anchorage has proclaimed the day "Bike to Work Day," and more than 700 people have e-mailed the city saying they plan to participate -- a tip-of-the-iceberg number, based on last year's figures.
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Pushing Carpools Instead of Transit
Vancouver Sun
05/14/2008
With ridership growing on an already crowded system, TransLink won't be launching any advertising campaigns urging people to take public transit because of soaring gas prices.
But it is encouraging people to turn to carpooling, telecommuting and bicycling.
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Green Sell: Do You Buy It?
The Tyee
05/14/2008
The evolution of green from a movement of zealots as fierce as anything politics and religion have spawned into a mainstream marketing phenomenon has been fascinating, but I've yet to decide if it is A Good Thing. Unfortunately, the EPIC trade show in Vancouver last month left me no more certain.
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Thousands Gear Up for Bike to Work Day
San Francisco Chronicle
05/14/2008
Thousands of bicyclists are expected to take to Bay Area roadways on Thursday for Bike to Work Day, an annual event organized by government officials and community activists to promote pedal power as an alternative to the private automobile.
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Columbian Gets Nod for Eco-Friendly Building
Vancouver Columbian
05/12/2008
The Columbian's headquarters on Monday became the second downtown Vancouver property to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The U.S. Green Building Council's four LEED designations recognize different levels of energy efficiency and environmentalism in building designs.
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Eugene Park-and-Ride Use Increasing
Eugene Register Guard
05/12/2008
In an era of increased transit demand amid skyrocketing gas prices, Lane Transit District officials regard the park-and-ride lots as central to their strategy for helping more people get out of their cars — at least for part of their trips — and onto the bus.
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Kids' Toys Going Non-Toxic
The Christian Science Monitor
05/12/2008
Parents who want nontoxic toys for their kids are finding more choices.
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Head Winds Buffet Oregon Wind Energy
Oregon Public Broadcasting
05/12/2008
The Skamania County prosecutor is asking a judge to throw a wind farm challenge out of court. Earlier, a citizens group filed suit against the county to stop a proposed wind farm near the Columbia Gorge.
This is the third wind project to run into opposition in the Northwest recently, despite public votes in favor of more renewable energy.
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Port of Seattle OKs Eastside Trail Deal
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
05/13/2008
The Port of Seattle signed a deal Monday to bring a 42-mile Eastside rail corridor into public ownership for development as a freight line and a hiking and biking trail that could potentially run alongside commuter transit.
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King County, Port Sign Rail Trail Deal
Seattle Times
05/13/2008
After years of talk, Port of Seattle and King County executives signed a final agreement Monday to put a 42-mile Eastside rail corridor into public ownership.
The deal paves the way for a possible combination of freight rail, commuter trains, and biking and hiking trails, but many details remain to be worked out.
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