www.greenlivingpdx.com 2 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Contents A room in Stevenson, W ing st ta w ne r ou sit Vi
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Publisher’s Page Everything I Needed to Know About Health Care I Learned from a Cheerios Box . ..................................4 Local Notes . .........................................................................6 Business - EcoBiz Landscape Certification . ........... 10 Building - Straw Bale-A Love Story ........................... 11 Transportation Car Sharing Instead of Car Ownership.................. 14 Electric Vehicle News Oregon Electrifies First Leg of Electric Hwy ....... 15 Electric Motocross Track Opens.............................. 16 Eco-Fashion Nau: Sustainable Urban and Outdoor Clothing Company ......................................................................... 16 Odor-Fighting Biotech................................................. 16 RE-World Re-Art - Meticulous Miniature Motorcycles........ 17 Recycling - The Recycling Symbol........................... 17 Recycling - Tap into Greywater................................. 18 Recycling - Greywater in Oregon............................. 19 Gardening - Small Space Gardening ...................... 20 Food - Farm Restaurants All the Rage....................... 23 Education It’s Not Your Grandpa’s Custodial Job..................... 25 Study of Roofing Materials ....................................... 28 Book Review . ................................................................... 30 Events................................................................................... 30 Classifieds . ........................................................................ 31 64% of readers enjoy reading magazine ads. 55% of U.S. readers state that magazine advertising helps them learn about new things
Source: Magazine Media Factb.ook
Our Advertisers Provide You With Sustainable Options
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Green Living Journal P. O. Box 677, Cascade Locks, OR 97014 Publisher: Columbia River Press LLC PDX Editorial Team: Katie Cordrey, Gary Munkhoff Susan Place 541.374.5454 gary@greenlivingjournal.com Advertising: Susan Place 541.374.5454 crads@greenlivingjournal.com Prepress/Graphics/Ad Production: Katie Cordrey iByte Company info@ibytecompany.com 509.493.1250 National Editor: Stephen Morris ed@greenlivingjournal.com Webmaster: Michael Potts Michael@thepublicpress.com Distribution : Ambling Bear, Portland Pedal Power Cover Photos: Pots-Janet Horton; Drain-iStock; House-Ruth Olin Printed: with soy-based inks on recycled paper by Signature Graphics.
The Green Living Journal is published quarterly and 20,000 copies are distributed free of charge throughout the Portland-Vancouver metro area.
We encourage our readers to patronize our advertisers, but we are not responsible for any advertising claims. Subscriptions $9.95 per year. Copyright © 2012 Columbia River Press LLC The Green Living Journal Family is Proud to be a Member
Publisher’s Page Everything I Really Needed to Know About Health Care I Learned from a Cheerios Box One morning, six years ago, I woke up with an itchy red rash that eventually spread over most of my body. After five years of shuttling between one doctor and another I was diagnosed as being allergic to gluten, eggs, bananas, peanuts, pears, mushrooms, and brewer’s yeast. With so many common foods no longer on my menu I quickly got in the habit of reading the list of ingredients on all packages, wrappers and bags just to be sure that they did not contain any of the no-nos.
Publisher’s Page continued So I dutifully read the label on my Cheerios box and to my amazement, wheat starch was listed. I couldn’t believe it when I read that label. How could the cereal that had been my favorite breakfast for over 65 years be off limits? This is a whole oat cereal, so what gives with the wheat? And has it always been there? Google here I come, and after 20 minutes or so, I find a picture of a Cheerios box from 1945. I zoom in on the ingredients and guess what? No wheat! Just oat flour, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin. Now back to the 2012 Cheerios, and I read: Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats (includes the oat bran), Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Wheat Starch, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate),B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3. Good grief, what a concoction. So because of the wheat germ, the Cheerios get replaced with oatmeal. Sometimes organic from Azure Standard and sometimes just regular Quaker Oats from the local grocery store. Either way the list of ingredients is reduced to just one item: whole grain rolled oats. The dietary changes are working, but while the rash subsides, the word “ingredients” gets stuck in my head like an old tune. They might be called “ingredients”, but they are actually chemical compounds or at best, chemically altered natural ingredients, and as we see from the Cheerios label, the number of them is increasing. Sure, the FDA supposedly monitors these “ingredients” and assures us that they are safe for human consumption. Maybe so, and then again maybe not. Just because testing shows that a particular ingredient is, by itself safe, is anyone monitoring the long term effect of the inter-reaction between this growing accumulation of chemical”ingredients” and the physiology of the human body? Sure the modified corn starch in Cheerios is harmless by itself, but now combine it with the hormones in the milk, a daily dose of high blood pressure medicine, chlorine from our water, a little fluoride from the toothpaste (whitener?) and an occasional Advil or antacid. Ah, but that’s not the half of it. To all of these chemical ingredients in our food, add the increasing number of chemical compounds that we ingest in the form of prescription drugs and over the counter remedies, and now
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Publisher’s Page continued
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what have we got? A cocktail of chemicals that is interacting with our normal body chemistry in ways that can never be measured or understood. Is it not reasonable to assume that they just might, over years of time, have some harmful effect on our body’s chemistry? But there’s still more. We can’t overlook all of the other chemical compounds that we breathe in through our lungs or absorb through our skin. There are now thousands and thousands of chemicals in our lives that did not exist 65 years ago, and so the cocktail gets nastier and its effect on our bodies becomes far more complex. Not to be an alarmist or anything, but considering the growing rates of allergies, asthma, obesity, diabetes, autism, COPD, cancer, and many other chronic diseases, maybe there is a connection. Could there be such a thing as an Accumulation of Chemical Compounds Disorder (ACCD)? Maybe there is and maybe there isn’t, but this itchy rash is all I need to convince me to pay attention to the ingredients in my food. Everyone should read the labels, and opt for fewer chemical ingredients. Better yet, buy organic, grow your own, and get to know the folks that raise your food. You are your best health care provider.
Meadows Group Inc. Realtors Cell: 503-260-6231 Licensed in the State of Oregon
Office: 503-238-1700 ext. 635 • Fax: 503-296-5540 www.meadowsgroup.com • www.portlandhomesguide.net
1902 SE Morrison Street • Portland, Oregon 97214 Email: celialyon@aol.com • www.celialyon.com Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Local Notes
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Organic Brewers Festival The 8th annual North American Organic Brewers Festival is June 29th - July 1st, 2012 at Overlook Park (N Fremont St & Interstate Ave. Two of Portland’s beloved industries - organic beer and sustainability - come together in an annual celebration designed to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living. Sample organic beers and ciders from around the world, accompanied by live music, organic food, sustainability-oriented vendors, non-profits and a children’s area - all in a beautiful tree lined setting that overlooks downtown Portland. Admission into the event is free. The purchase of a reusable, compostable cornstarch glass is required for tasting beer, as are tokens. A full glass of beer costs four tokens (more for select beers), and a four-ounce taste costs one token. Patrons receive a discount toward the tasting glass with a validated MAX ticket, a ticket from the onsite bike corral, or three cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank. Children are allowed all hours when accompanied by a parent. Animals are not allowed on the festival site with the exception of ADA animals. http://www.naobf.org/
AlienBox Rents Earth Friendly Moving Boxes and Supplies If you are planning a local move AlienBox, LLC offers a unique moving concept of renting, delivering, and picking up reusable plastic moving boxes and other moving supplies for Portland-area households, or commercial business moves. AlienBoxes are green in color, eco-friendly, durable, and easy to use. Made of recyclable plastic with convenient carrying handles and interlocking lids, AlienBoxes are designed to stack and move easily. Their products are made from recycled materials, and are in turn recyclable. AlienBox picks up all packing materials
at their customers’ convenience and ensures all materials are recycled or sanitized and reused. Moving box rental fees range from 15-cents to 25-cents per day with bulk package discounts available for both residential and business customers. Free delivery and pick up within the greater Portland area is included. Business owners John Harris and David Fleischman founded the company with the mission of offering a moving supply solution that saves time, money, and helps the environment. “We think people will love not only the convenience of having these eco-friendly boxes delivered but also the cost and time savings when compared with buying or running around gathering cardboard boxes,” said Fleischman. “Portlanders appreciate sustainable alternatives and we believe that this is the perfect place for the AlienBox mission.” http://alienbox.com or 503-919-1022
PCC Offers Professional Herbalism Course Herbal medicine is gaining in popularity every year. Consumer demand for more information and qualified practitioners in the field is growing at a very rapid pace. In response to this demand PCC’s CLIMB for Health Professionals is offering a Professional Herbalism course in the fall of 2012. This three module series provides in-depth training for a career in herbal medicine. It draws from the wisdom and experience of traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and European and Native American herbal traditions. The instructor, K.P. Khalsa, is the national president of the American Herbalists Guild (the national association of herbal practitioners), so this program offers the very best in herbalism education. The hours may be used toward the Registered Herbalist credential granted by the American Herbalists Guild. Classes will be taught in an interactive, online environment, and can be taken from anywhere in the world. With the addition of these professional level herbal medicine classes to its already popular Nutritional Therapy Program, CLIMB for Health Professionals aims to be the standard in holistic health education for the upcoming generation of practitioners. To preview the Herbalism and Nutritional Therapy courses PCC is offering a free Info Session on June 20th from 5:30-7p. climbhealth@pcc.edu or 971-722-6633
6 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Local Notes continued 7th Annual Garlic & Tomato Festival
northwestorganicfarms.com 360-608-1483
http://bit.ly/IDGEqU
PCC Researches Electric Car Repair Portland Community College’s Automotive Service Technology Program at its Sylvania Campus (12000 S.W. 49th Ave.) is developing curriculum out of hybrid and electric car battery research to create a template for industry techs on how to service them more affordably. According to PCC Auto Service instructors, they see the need because the industry is reporting more battery wear-and-tear stemming from the original hybrids that are more than a decade old. When trouble strikes, technicians typically just replace the battery pack, which costs the consumer roughly $2,000, rather than trouble-shooting the cause. “Our research is letting us figure out how to test these by seeing what we can and can’t rebuild and what we can or can’t replace in it,” explained Kim Kittinger, Automotive Service Technology instructor. “Hopefully, we’ll have a good answer on how long we can expect these to work after we rebuild them.” The aim is to massage this research into its curriculum to share with students, local technicians, fellow community colleges and businesses across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The program, which is developing a 30-credit hybridtraining certificate, has partnered with two local repair shops, Hawthorne Auto Clinic in Southeast Portland and Todd’s Import Automotive in Lake Grove, to look at how they can provide better and more affordable repair work for Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Northwest Organic Farms in Ridgefield, WA will hold its annual Garlic and Tomato Festival on September 15th. Washington State University (WSU) Master Gardeners will be on hand to showcase 20 different varieties of tomatoes and 10 different varieties of garlic, all for the tasting. The Garlic Festival is an all day event that features live bluegrass music, tomato and garlic tasting, fresh fruits and vegetables, craft and art vendors, activities for the kids, and a whole lot of fun. FREE! Saturday, September, 15th.10 AM to 6 PM
hybrid and electric cars. In particular, Hawthorne technicians are using PCC tools and equipment as well as the research in the auto shop’s lab to make repairs on their customer’s vehicles to test out the developments. In return, the shop and its customers give feedback to PCC on how well the cars are responding to the work. Jim Houser, co-owner of Hawthorne Auto Clinic, said his company has had a longstanding relationship with PCC. The college has invested approximately $350,000 in hybrid and electric equipment such as the purchase of 10 hybrid cars plus tools; built a hybrid mock-up for students to learn on (2006 Toyota Prius); offered continuing education training to fleet and industry techs; and integrated findings into the curriculum.
Local Notes continued
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Cracked Pots Art Show
At the 13th Annual Cracked Pots Art Show more than 90 artists will show and sell the fabulous work that they weave, weld and carve from waste materials and cast-offs. When: Tuesday & Wednesday, July 24 &25 10 am – 8 pm. Where: McMenamins Edgefield 2126 SW Halsey St.Troutdale, OR Free admission. http://www.crackedpots.org/
Electric Vehicle Celebration Day
The Oregon Electric Vehicle Association (OEVA) will hold its annual Electric Vehicle (EV) Celebration Day on Saturday July 14, 2012 at Pioneer Courthouse Square from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. This is your chance to check out all types of electric vehicles and talk with the folks that own and drive them every day. Some of these EV owners have been driving without gasoline for more than 10 years, and are eager to share their experience and knowledge. Learn about tax credits, charging stations, makes and models available, converting your gas car to electric, and much more. http://www.oeva.org/
3rd Annual John Day or Bust Run Drive your electric vehicle to John Day, OR. This a call to action for all electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts. Join in and support the vision of replacing the internal combustion en-
Goldendale, Klickitat County, WA
Discover... Stay... Live Simply
EVENTS: • Farmers Market, 5/12 – 10/27 • Fiddlin’ Under the Stars Bluegrass Festival, 6/15 & 16 • Community Days, 7/7 • S.O.V.R.E.N. Maryhill Hill Climb, 10/7
goldendalechamber.org
509.773.3400
8 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Local Notes cont. They finally found a shop and warehouse at 2615 SE Schiller, two blocks south of Holgate, next to Far West Recycling, and only about a mile from People’s! They’re all moved in and open for business. http://naomisorganic.blogspot.com/ or (503) 517-8551
Local Notes cont. www.greenlivingpdx.com
gines that are now powering America’s fleet of personal vehicles with electric drive systems. It’s the quickest and cheapest path to breaking our addiction to oil, cleaning up our air and stopping the flow of our dollars to OPEC. This adventure will coincide with the SolWest Fair that takes place July 27, 28, & 29, 2012. The goal is to promote the widespread adoption of the EV as a vehicle of utility and adventure as well as being good for the environment. This event is a collaboration between the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association, the SolWest Renewable Energy Fair, and the Green Living Journal. email Ray Blackburn oeva_treas@yahoo.com
New Home for Naomi’s Organic Farm Supply Last year Naomi’s Organic Farm Supply was forced to vacate their Sellwood location. They quickly found a warehouse space outside of town and went mobile to keep customers supplied, while continuing their search for a new building, Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Business
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EcoBiz Landscape Certification
Landscaping practices can have positive or negative impacts on the environment, regardless of whether your property is in the hills or adjacent to a stream. Landscapes that use fertilizers and pesticides have the potential to leach these chemicals into runoff that leaves the site. Bare soils can erode, and leaf and other debris can get into drainage systems and take oxygen out of local waterways. Virtually all products and materials used in your yard can be carried by runoff into streams where they can harm fish and wildlife. The way a landscape is designed and maintained can significantly reduce its need for water and chemicals. As consumers of all stripes begin to ask for “greener” landscaping, the EcoBiz Landscape Certification is a great way for landscape contractors to learn how to deliver on that expectation, and for consumers to find a contractor that can deliver “greener” services. EcoBiz, which is short for Eco-Logical Business, is a certification program recognizing businesses that reach high standards in environmental protection. The completely free and voluntary program is designed to prevent and minimize solid waste, air and water pollution. It is the first program nationally to certify landscape firms’ actual business practices. The program covers activities that impact all aspects of the environment: air, water, soil, toxics, solid waste, and energy. The Oregon Landscape Contractors Association (OLCA) serves as technical advisor to the program. The Pollution Prevention Outreach Team (P2OT) (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Metro; cities of Portland, Gresham, and Tualatin; Clackamas and Washington counties; and Clean Water Services) developed the program as a follow up to the successful EcoBiz Automotive Certification. Landscape businesses become certified by adopting the
program checklist of environmental “best business practices”. Certified businesses can market themselves as an “EcoBiz” company to green-minded consumers that appreciate a meaningful third-party certification. Some certified firms have used their EcoBiz certification to promote particular aspects of their business, such as water conservation methods. Other companies develop specialized “eco-landscaping” options or simply advertise eco-practices as part of their standard business. EcoBiz certification can be advantageous in bids for contracts with Home Owners Associations (HOAs), and both commercial and residential customers. “There is a growing segment of the marketplace that insists on services provided by those with a verifiable commitment to advancing sustainability. EcoBiz is increasingly recognized as THE landscape industry certification, assuring the public of a company’s environmental leadership,” emphasizes Randy McManus, President of Willamette Landscape Services. EcoBiz representatives are technical assistance staff and not regulators. In some cases a firm is able to learn about a potential violation during an assessment. This can be a real advantage, since the assessment will provide that information without the risk of being reported. Businesses learn something about state-of-the-art “best management practices”, how their firm is doing, and then can opt to move forward to become certified—or not. Items on the Checklist include basic recycling, materials handling, planting practices, erosion control, chemical application, integrated pest management, purchase of environmentally preferable products, and more. Landscape firms can be certified as full service firms or for specific areas of focus if they are not full service. Since there are over 1,000 landscape firms in Oregon, landscapers are in a great position to make a positive impact on the environment through their practices. More info: Debra Taevs at 503-336-1256 or dtaevs@pprc.org
Herman Creek Building Available for Lease
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Commercial Property/Industrial Land AVAILABLE 541-374-8619 portofcascadelocks.org 10 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
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Building Straw Bale – a Love Story By Ruth Olin
Ruth’s House
Over the next four years, we both worked diligently on our homes and got to know them – and each other. Bill is a solar engineer so he tracks his house performance with more digital readout devices than I do, but I can tell you what’s it’s like to live in my straw bale house – and I love it! Straw is highly insulating – about R-40, rapidly reIssue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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A storm moved over the campground. He offered me his coat. Lightning struck, sparks flew, and the rest is straw bale history. We met at the SolWest Energy Fair in 2004 in John Day, Oregon. I’m an architect and was at last realizing the dream of building my house. After a long and blistering hot day of workshops and lectures, the evening’s solar-powered blender drink party was a welcome treat. A friend introduced me to Bill, “I know a guy you’ve got to meet – he’s building a straw bale house too”. Bill and I proceeded to compare notes on the challenges of creating our owner-built straw bale homes.
newable (very much so as compared to wood), quickly compostable, and non-toxic – and it’s considered a waste product. These are all qualities that make a building material ”sustainable”. Both our homes are in Washington State and both locations have fairly moderate climates with large day to night temperature swings. The thermal flywheel effect of the massive walls and floor hold the temperature inside long after it has changed outside. The beauty of the system is that, in summer, the insulating walls retain the evening cool air that is collected during the night. It is stored in the mass to be released during the day. In winter, daytime passive solar gain warms the mass to be released slowly in the night. Both homes use straw bales as infill with wood structural elements, and are built to meet the local building code. Bill’s house is built with stud & plywood “bucks” the width of the bales. The combination of welded wire fabric immersed in cement stucco is used to resist wind and shear stress. He squared off everything to make the building process more efficient. The desert climate where Bill’s house is located, east of the Cascade Mountains, is quite dry making the cement stucco with its inherent strength a good choice.
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Building continued get closed to keep the heat in for the night. A little active My house is post-and-beam with notched bales and participation can reduce the energy use and costs a lot! lots of curves. While that system is more labor intensive The deep, south overhangs keep the high summer sun to build, it has more flexibility for creating the organic from baking the house, protect the bale walls, and provide shapes that I enjoy. Diagonal metal strapping is used to rea dry and shady sist wind and area that is a shear stresses. useful outdoor The exterior extension of the plaster is lime house. The plasplaster on tered bales may adobe, three be hot to touch coats total, all outside, but inhand applied. doors, the temThis plaster perature stays a combination comfortable 75 wicks moisdegrees F even ture away with outdoors from bales and temperatures in holds it while the 100s. A ceilit dries. The Bill’s House ing fan is set to climate here, turn on remotely at 77 degrees, to mix west of the Cascade Mountains, has wet winters. We are blessed with dry summers however, so the indoor air and keep it from stratifying at the ceiling. My house also stays cool in summer by using night everything has a chance to dry out. It is traditional to have flushing; taking advantage of temperature drops on summer work parties for straw bale homes, and I want to thank nights. All it takes is a ceiling fan to distribute the air so the the many friends that donated their Saturdays to bale and loft never gets too hot. I have west-facing shutters used on plaster parties. Both types of plasters are fire resistant, warm summer afternoons to keep out the low west setting provide good thermal mass, and are pest resistant. Another note about my house is that almost everything sun. The eastern sun is not too hot in summer, as it is difis recycled including the lumber, which came from the old fused by trees, and sends delightful rainbows into the room in winter. The south windows are clear glazed to maximize dilapidated house that was deconstructed on the site. Evpassive heating in winter with overhangs sized to keep sun ery material that was on the site already was reused or recycled. For example, the old foundation walls were broken out in summer. The north windows use glass with a high U-value. When the sun shines in winter, the (recycled) cast up to become new pavers or retaining walls. Everything iron radiators rarely go on. I am strict about passive solar else – doors, hardware, furnishings, etc. – came from resince some of the sun falls on my dining table, but enough use stores and our local Gorge Rebuild-it Center. falls on the mass of the dark red adobe floor to keep things There is a saying “passive solar requires active inhabitwarmed up quite nicely. ants”. On summer evenings when the temperature outside The best way to save energy and resources is not to use drops below the temperature inside, Bill opens the winthem! Both houses are small – less than 1000 square feet of dows to begin the daily ritual known as night flushing. living space. In my house the 2-foot thick bale walls comEvery morning he checks his indoor and outdoor temperprise 200 square feet of the footprint. I’m more than willing ature sensors so that he can close the windows before the to give up the square footage because it’s what makes the outdoor temperature reaches the indoor temperature. house work. Even though electric power where Bill lives has one of Bill’s 1-kilowatt solar system allows him to take adthe least expensive rates in the country (due to hydro-powvantage of Washington’s solar incentive and covers all his er), conservation is a lifestyle choice for this savvy solar energy needs in the summer. The panels are mounted on guy. The desert climate provides plenty of sun in the clear dry winters. His south facing windows suck up the sun and a tracker that follows the sun’s movement during the day. After a hard day at work one of our favorite summer rituals he makes sure furniture is placed to maximize the direct is to relax with a cool drink at sundown and watch the solar gain on the concrete floor. Nighttime blinds and curtains 12 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Building continued tracker come around to its “sleep” position for the night. I was so impressed with his lifestyle and ability to walk the walk, not just the talk the talk, that I married him. (And they lived happily ever after!) Ruth Olin, Down to Earth Design, LEED AP, White Salmon, WA Bill Hoffer, Sunergy Engineering Services, PLLC, East Wenatchee, WA In the United States, building or construction waste accounts for almost one third of all landfill space
www.greenlivingpdx.com
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Henderson Turf & Wear Inc 5120 SE Johnson Creek Blvd Milwaukie, Or 97222 503-777-8611 www.htwinc.com Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Transportation Car Sharing Instead of Car Ownership By Gary Munkhoff If you have ever rented a car, taken a taxi, or car-pooled then you have participated in car sharing and you know that this is not a new idea. However the idea of sharing cars is evolving and there are now several interesting businesses in Portland that offer slightly different ways to join in. Each one offers you the convenience of driving an automobile when you want one without the cost and inconvenience of owning one when you don’t need one. Here’s a quick look at three of them:
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Zipcar
Zipcar has been in operation for several years. You have probably seen their plainly marked cars parked at various locations in the Portland area. They have hundreds of vehicles with a wide variety of makes and models available. Anyone who is 21 or older and has a valid drivers license can apply by completing the online Photo courtesy Flickr user born1945 application (94% are approved in under 24 hours). There is an application fee, either an annual fee or a monthly fee, and an hourly rental rate. The hourly rate includes fuel and insurance. As a member, you can reserve your car online or over the phone for a couple of hours or the entire day. Choose the car you want, the time slot you want and the location you want. Reserve minutes in advance or months. Once you have reserved a car, you walk up to it, hold your card to the windshield, and the doors will unlock. The key is already inside. Your Zipcard will only open the car you’ve reserved during the time you’ve reserved it (which means no one else can open your Zipcar during that time). When you are through with the car, you return it to the same location, lock the doors with the Zipcard, and leave. Within hours the details of your trip are available online.
Car2go
Registering with Car2go is done via the internet. Simply go to their website, click “Join now”, and follow the registration prompts. As soon as your registration is approved, you will receive your Member Card in the mail. This card opens the car and then you enter your PIN to start the car. When you are through with the car simply leave it in any legal street parking space within the Car2go Home Area (clearly shown on their website). They provide a Photo courtesy Car2go simple price structure of just 35 cents per minute, $12.99 per hour or $65.95 per 24-hour day, so the more you drive, the cheaper per minute it becomes. The rate covers the cost of fuel, parking, service, insurance, and maintenance. There is an additional mileage charge if you drive more than 150 miles. There are no security deposits, monthly fees or reservation charges.
Getaround
Getaround is nother new service, but this one differs from the other two in that the company does not own any of the cars that are for rent. Anyone can put their vehicle in the system as a rental. and both drivers and vehicles are screened to ensure that they meet eligibility requirements. This is a true peer-to-peer car sharing experience. Reserve and access a rental car directly using your iPhone, without the hassles of lines and paperwork. In the simplest exPhoto courtesy of Getaround ample you rent your neighbor’s car or you rent your car to your neighbor. However, you can rent from anyone in the system. After every rental you rate the other party and leave feedback describing your experience. Car owners can make money by renting out their cars to others while making a positive impact on the environment. Renters can select their vehicle based on make, model, hourly rate, and location The car owner sets the hourly rate for their car ($3 minimum), which does not include fuel. Insurance is provided by Getaround and there are no membership fees for either the car owner or the renter.
The Car2go service just launched this year, and, again, you’ve probably seen their distinctive blue and white Smart fortwo cars scattered all around the core metro area (200 of them). No choices here though, as the Smart fortwo is the only car available, and they are all blue and white. 14 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Electric Vehicle News Oregon Electrifies First Leg of Electric Highway
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Coast state capitals: Olympia, Washington; Salem, Oregon; and Sacramento, California. AeroVironment DC Fast Chargers (DCFC) and Level 2 charging stations were installed in eight Southern Oregon By Patrick Connor cities. These stations allow an EV to travel the 180 miles from Eugene to the Oregon-California border with the assurance that there are charging stations approximately every 25 miles. This project is reminiscent of the Transcontinental Railroad. Just as that effort opened up large portions of the country to train travel, this project allows EVs to travel far from their home base, and Oregon has just laid the first major section of tracks. During his ribbon-cutting remarks, Art James from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said, “Enjoy the day, but tomorrow it is time to get back to work.” James continued, “We have funding for 35 more DC Fast Chargers to be installed around the state before the summer ends.” The eight Southern Oregon cities that received DC Fast On March 16th, Oregon officials held a ribbon-cutting Chargers are Cottage Grove, Rice Hill, Roseburg, Canyonceremony for the first major leg of the ambitious West ville, Wolf Creek, Grants Pass, Central Point, and Ashland. Coast Electric Highway project linking Vancouver, British For Oregon, I-5 is just the first step. Columbia to Tijuana, Mexico. Changing Times The state has plans to electrify the Oregon Today, electric vehicles are great city 100 years ago when gas station were coast, the Columbia Gorge, and multiple cars. They can meet commuting and erfew and far between, the AAA would routes over the Cascade range to central rand needs that dominate the majority mark their locations on the maps that Oregon. of our daily driving. However, for travel they passed out to those early day moPortland currently has three DC Fast between cities, you often need to be an torists. Chargers by various manufacturers, adventurous and patient guerrilla-charger Today their trip maps show the lobringing the state’s current total to 11. with maps to EV-friendly RV parks or cations of charging stations for electric When added to the hundreds of Level 2 other locations where you can juice up vehicles. Very handy for those hardy stations already installed throughout the your EV’s battery. The West Coast Electric pioneers that have sworn off petroleum. Highway plans to simplify travel between Maps available on their website or as an state, Oregon is easily one of the most EVapp for your mobile device. friendly places in the country. many West Coast cities. The city of Halsey, Oregon has broken The West Coast Electric Highway is a ground on its DCFC installation and expects to power it on project that will electrify all 1400 miles of Interstate 5. I-5 is later this month. This station will link Salem to Eugene. the main interstate of the West Coast. It runs parallel to the Pacific coastline through Washington state, Oregon, and California. On I-5, you can drive from Vancouver, British Columbia to Tijuana, Mexico. And when the West Coast Electric Highway project is complete, you’ll be able to make the “BC to Baja” drive in an EV with fast chargers along the entire route. “The 5”, as it’s referred to by some locals, serves some of the largest West Coast cities including Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego. It also links the three West
EV News continued
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Oregon is living up to her pioneering roots and daring to blaze a trail into the future - a future where you have a choice in how you fuel your interstate travel. Pat is the social media director of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association (OEVA). You can follow the OEVA on facebook or twitter from oeva.org. He also writes about renewable energy and EVs at celticsolar.blogspot.com. Pat has been driving EVs since 2007 and currently drives a Nissan LEAF.
Eco-Fashion Nau: Sustainable Urban
and Outdoor Clothing Company By Katie Cordrey
Known for accessible and wearable fashion that performs well in the outdoors, Portland-based Nau (pronounced, “now,”) creates clothing using environmentally friendly and
More info: www.nau.com
Editor’s Note: Here is a partial list of websites that give the locations of public charging stations: http://carstations.com/ http://www.plugshare.com/ http://openchargemap.org/ http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ fuels/electricity_locations.html
Odor-Fighting Biotech By Katie Cordrey
Electric Motocross Track Opens Dark Green Motorsports has opened the first electric motor cross track in the country in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Their 1,400 meter “electricross” track has all the thrills veteran racers crave. But the easy-to-use, easy-to-maneuver Zero Motorcycles used at the track guarantee an unforgettable time for all types of people, whether you’re a newbie or an expert. They claim that riding their Zero Motorcycles really is as easy as…well, riding a bike! There is no clutch, transmission, gears, or foot brake. And best of all, the bikes run on no fuel and are virtually silent, so you’re able to take in nature while not destroying it. Sounds like a great business idea for for some entrepreneurial green spirit here in the Northwest.
ated. They’ve also made clothing using polylactic acid. Polylactic acid is a malleable substance created from corn sugar that can be turned into wicking fabrics and industrially composted after disposal. In addition to developing and using new materials, Nau is incorporating new color and surface treatments to enliven their collection. While substance trumps style for many of Nau’s customers, it’s heartening to know that the company is concerned with both.
Behind the Scenes - Photo courtesy of Tyson Wipper
socially responsible practices. Sustainable dyes, natural and renewable fibers, recycled materials, and recycled packaging in shipping are all part of the company’s unique fashion blend Nau has recently added Concona to its eco-textiles mix. Concona is a fabric that contains active carbon made from recycled coconut shells. The active carbon addition delivers both sun protection and odor resistance. Materials innovation isn’t new ground for Nau. Founded in 2005, it was the first in the industry to use three-layer breathable waterproof recycled polyester - a material they cre-
Brian Condon and his colleagues at the USDA Southern Research Center in New Orleans recently set out to find inexpensive ways to use silver nanoparticles to control odor-causing bacteria in cotton. In the course of their research, the team discovered that polyethylene glycol and water worked just as well as toxic agents to generate the right nano-sized silver particles required for the task. What’s more exciting is that the scientists persuaded the silver particles to form directly on the cotton fibers. This is good news because direct formation does away with the need to handle or store the antimicrobial particles before they are applied. Silver nanoparticles are used as antimicrobial agents in products including clothes, plastic food containers, and medical textiles. Producing them, however, has relied on the use of toxic agents and organic solvents. Nontoxic, environmentally safe production will make for a more sustainable process and better-smelling world. Source: http://1.usa.gov/McbvQX
16 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Re-Art Meticulous Miniature Motorcycles By Katie Cordrey Canadian artist Dan Tanenbaum, a compulsive watchcollector with a nagging need to create, uses spare watch bits and cast-off parts to create motorcycle sculptures. Intrigued by some he saw online and was unable to buy, he decided to make his own. He was hooked after making just one.
The Recycling Symbol
“What I like most about building these pieces,” he says, “is that there really isn’t a wrong way of building them. With so many custom bikes out there, I have the freedom to think outside the box.” Dan accepts custom orders for his watch parts motorcycles so long as folks are willing to wait. “Each bike takes around a week for me to build,” he says. “The bikes have proven to be an amazing outlet for my creative side. I continue to enjoy the meditation that goes along with building these unique pieces.”
Sources: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Wikipedia
Photo courtesy of Dan Tanenbaum
You can learn more about these meticulous miniature motorcycles on Dan’s Watch Parts Motorcycles page on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/watchpartsmotorcycles Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Photo courtesy of Dan Tanenbaum
In 1970 the Container Corporation of America, as a means to promote the benefits of the recycled content of its paper products, decided to sponsor a contest as a special event for the original Earth Day. The point of the contest was to design a symbol that would represent paper recycling and was open to art and design students at high schools and colleges all across America. Gary Anderson, a 5-year architecture student at the University of Southern California at Los Angels, submitted the winning design that was composed of three mutually chasing arrows that formed a triangle standing on its tip - upside down to the common symbol of today. It was William J. Lloyd, the manager of graphic design at the Container Corporation of America, that rotated Anderson’s design so that the symbol rested on its base and created the present day image. The original design formed a Möbius strip with one halftwist by having two of the arrows fold over each other, and one fold under. However, most variants of the symbol used today have all the arrows folding over themselves, producing a Möbius strip with three half-twists.
Re-Cycle
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Tap Into Greywater
internal pump pushes the water outside through the tubing, so these systems can work without any additional pumps by Laura Allen and Cleo Woelfle-Erskine on flat or downward-sloping sites. These greywater systems In the United States, the average person uses about 40 typically cost $75 to $200 if you do the work yourself, or up gallons of water per day to bathe, wash dishes and clean to $2,000 if you hire a professional. They work best for irclothes. Unfortunately, this water almost always goes rigating trees, bushes, and large annuals or perennials. straight down the drain. But this “greywater” could be put Before using greywater in your yard, there are a few preto good use to irrigate fruit trees and other plants. Greycautions to be aware of. One is that when you use greywawater refers to all used household water except water from ter, you’ll want to choose natural soaps that break down in toilets, which is called “blackwater.” the environment and won’t harm plants. Stay away from any Greywater use cleaners with bleach lowers your water bill, or other toxic ingreand diverting greywadients. Avoid sodium ter from overloaded and boron, which are or failing septic sysfine for us, but bad for tems can extend their plants and soil. life. Reusing water It’s also a good saves energy: greywaidea to avoid direct ter irrigation replaces contact with greywater that would water — wash water otherwise be treated often contains small to drinking water amounts of bacteria This simple greywater system diverts water from your washing machine and quality, and it isn’t that come from your directs it to mulch basins around plants. Drawing courtesy Elayne Sears treated at the sewage clothes or body. Altreatment plant, saving even more energy. ways follow these rules when using greywater at home: Perhaps most importantly, more efficient water use • You can use greywater on edible plants, but only fruit reduces pressure on scarce water resources — especially in trees or crops such as corn or raspberries, where the edible the drier parts of the country, where farmers, individual part is off the ground. Don’t use it to water root vegetables. households and wildlife all face the problem of limited • Never store greywater for longer than 24 hours. water supplies. • If you reroute your plumbing, install a diverter valve so The simplest type of greywater use is to collect water in a you can choose when to send water to the greywater system dishpan as you handwash dishes, and then toss it over your and when it should go into the sewer or septic system. flowerbeds or fruit trees. This is a wonderfully simple, inex• Don’t allow greywater to pool up or run off — make pensive way to tap into greywater, but with just a little more sure it can soak into the ground. effort and expense, you can capture much more water. Finally, bear in mind that even simple systems will One of the easiest and most popular greywater systems require some engagement from you, your family and your is a landscape-direct system that diverts greywater from guests. Label pipes and valves so others know how to operyour washing machine and routes it to mulch basins around ate the system, and be sure others know what kinds of soaps trees or bushes. This “laundry-to-landscape” system capcan be used. tures greywater from the drain hose of the washing maFor more info: oasisdesign.net, www.greywateraction.org, chine and sends it out to your plants through 1-inch tubing, or look for the book Create an Oasis With Greywater by Art without the need to alter existing plumbing. You can expect Ludwig. to harvest 10 to 25 gallons of water per load for a horizontal-axis machine, or about 40 gallons per load for a vertical Excerpted from Mother Earth News, the Original Guide axis machine. to Living Wisely. To read more articles from Mother Earth According to Art Ludwig, author of Create an Oasis News, please visit www.MotherEarthNews.com. Copyright With Greywater, the laundry-to-landscape system is the 2011 by Ogden Publications Inc. “simplest, least expensive, lowest effort way to get the most greywater out onto the landscape.” The washing machine’s 18 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Greywater in Oregon
September 20th-22nd, 2012
solaroregon.org/solar-now
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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality administers a new program that permits the reuse of greywater through a greywater reuse and disposal system. The 2009 Oregon Legislature, with the passage of House Bill 2080, authorized development and adoption of rules to create the greywater permitting program. Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission approved the rules on Aug. 25, 2011. DEQ began accepting greywater permit applications in April 2012. Under Oregon law, greywater includes shower and bath wastewater, bathroom sink water, kitchen sink wastewater and laundry wastewater. Greywater does not include toilet or garbage wastes, or wastewater contaminated by soiled diapers. Greywater can be contaminated with organic matter, suspended solids or potentially pathogenic microorganisms. However, if appropriately collected and handled, greywater can be safely reused for flushing toilets and urinals as well as irrigating certain trees and plants. Reuse of greywater reduces the demand on other sources of water, such as potable water, surface water and groundwater.
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Oregon recognizes three types of greywater: Type 1: Untreated or has passed through a physical process to remove solids, fats, oils and grease. Type 2: Has passed through some type of chemical or biological process, such as a wetland, to further reduce solids and organic matter. Type 3: Type 2 greywater that is also disinfected. How to get a greywater permit: A person seeking to reuse greywater must first obtain a permit from DEQ. Three different permits for greywater reuse and disposal systems are available. A Tier 1 general permit (2401) is available for singlefamily residences and duplexes with four bedrooms or fewer that generate less than 300 gallons per day of Type 1 greywater and use it solely for subsurface irrigation of landscape plants or compost. A person requesting coverage under the 2401 general permit must: • Submit a new permit application • Pay $90 ($50 new-permit application fee and $40 annual fee) • Agree to follow the permit’s conditions If the permit application and fees are complete, DEQ will notify the permit applicant by email or postal mail that coverage under the permit has been granted. A guide to reusing greywater in the landscape is available for Oregon homeowners eligible for coverage under the 2401 general permit.
Source: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/reuse/greywater.htm# Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Gardening Small-Space Gardening by Roger Doiron Whether your garden consists of a window box in the city or an acre in the country, you can benefit from applying these techniques of small-space gardening.
Soil Is No Small Matter
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All successful gardening endeavors, big or small, start with fertile soil. If you have a large plot, you can get away with having less-fertile soil by planting more and spacing out your crops. In a small space, however, that approach simply doesn’t work. No matter which type soil you have, you can improve both your soil’s structure and fertility by working compost into the top layer each year. Those with really limited space can take heart in knowing there are effective composting options suitable for even the smallest of spaces.
Get Intense
Fertile soil that retains nutrients and water is one of the keys to success with “intensive planting,” which is a fancy way of saying planting a lot in a little area. America’s intensive-growing tradition has two fathers: John Jeavons and Mel Bartholomew. Instead of rows, Jeavons and Bartholomew suggest planting in tightly spaced geometric patterns that will allow the crops to create a “living mulch” of foliage as they mature. This living mulch performs two of the main tasks that regular old dead mulch does: keeping the soil moist and suppressing weeds.
In square-foot gardening, you create a grid and plant crops in 1-by-1-foot squares. Photo Courtesy David Liebman
In order to create this effect, however, you need to know how much space to give each plant. Mel Bartholomew’s brilliantly simple tactic is to set a 1-by-1-foot grid onto a garden space and plant crops into the grid. Large crops such 20 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
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Gardening continued vertical space plants can occupy. The first rule of vertical growing is knowing the heights of plants and situating the tallest ones in the northern part of your garden so as not to shade out the pipsqueaks. A more advanced lesson is learning the vertical space a crop is willing to occupy if coaxed and supported. While sunflowers shoot skyward without any cheerleading, crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and even melons are willing to grow upward if trellised and shown the way. Understanding these three dimensions of gardening will allow you to harvest more from each precious square foot of soil.
Go Vertical, Baby
One cool technique for increasing your choices and your harvests in a small-space garden is vertical growing, which some people refer to as cubed-foot gardening. As you can guess, it’s about understanding and fully exploiting the
If a deck or balcony is the only space where you can grow, go crazy with containers. Photo courtesy Janet Horton
Don’t Settle for a Short Season
Don’t let limited growing space stop you from creating a bountiful garden. Photo courtesy Sarah Cuttle
Another way to get more out of your small space is so cool that it’s ice-cold: season-extension. Putting seasonextension to work will allow you to start gardening before your neighbors have even cracked their seed catalogs and finish long after they’ve stopped growing for the year. If you’re just starting a small-space garden, work a seasonextension option into your design. For example, rather than building a typical raised-bed box, you may be better off with a sloping cold frame design. Other season-extension options
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as broccoli, peppers and cabbage require a whole square, whereas small ones such as carrots and radishes can be planted 16 to a square. One thing to keep in mind about an intensively planted, geometric layout versus a row layout is that you won’t walk between your crops but rather will reach into them. So, unless you happen to have the arm span of an orangutan, your beds shouldn’t be wider than 3 or 4 feet. The length depends on the space you have and the amount of food you want to grow. Mel Bartholomew recommends building wooden boxes for your beds, but you can get the same benefits by forming and planting into boxless, level mounds.
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Gardening continued for small-space gardens include low tunnels and cloches.
Success in Succession
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After you have a season-extension plan in place, you’ll discover that your growing season has increased by several weeks, which is critical for implementing the small-space gardener’s most important technique of all: succession planting. Small-space gardening is not just a voyage in space, but also time. Just as you should avoid unproductive gaps in your planting layout, you should also avoid holes in your planting calendar. Succession planting is about turning unproductive spaces into productive ones by removing a crop that has stopped producing and replacing it with a new one. Here the challenge isn’t simply understanding how tall or wide a crop grows, but how long it takes to mature. Succession planting requires that we toss the traditional notion of “getting your garden in Memorial Day weekend” onto the compost pile of outdated ideas and replace it with a new approach in which the garden is never really “in” but always in the process of being planted. When we do this, we transform gardening from an isolated activity that we try to fit into our busy lives into a holistic lifestyle that can bring health and happiness. 22 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Gardening continued Excerpted from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, the Original Guide to Living Wisely. To read more articles from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, please visit www.MotherEarthNews.com. Copyright 2011 by Ogden Publications Inc. Roger Doiron is founder and director of Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI), a Maine-based nonprofit network of over 20,000 individuals from 100 countries who are taking a (dirty) hands-on approach to relocalizing the food supply. http://kgi.org
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Food Farm Restaurants All The Rage by Sarah Miller
Arizona farm grills fun and fame
Farmer Joe Johnston was faced with a dilemma. He could either sell out to urban sprawl or preserve part of his family farm and share it with the growing community of Gilbert, Arizona. Johnston chose the latter, and that decision has served him well.
Diners flock to Joe’s Farm Grill in Gilbert, Arizona, for fast-food favorites made with local, natural or organic ingredients. Photo courtesy Joe Johnston
The restaurant opened in 2006 and sits on 16 acres of urban farmland. Citrus, olives, lettuce, apricots, tomatoes, herbs, medjool dates and more are produced for Johnston’s farm restaurant. “The tighter you can integrate the farm-to-fork concept, the more people are interested,” Johnston says.
Slice of heaven in rural Indiana
More than a dozen cars line the grass, creating a makeshift parking lot on the J.L. Hawkins Family Farm. Diners drive from miles around to savor a slice of heaven in eastern Indiana. A farmer and ordained Lutheran pastor, Jeff Hawkins, 23 Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Old MacDonald had a farm, and on his farm he had a… restaurant? That’s right: Farm restaurants are sprouting across the nation. This dining trend makes sense as more consumers insist on fresh, local food. “Hyper-local” (for example, restaurant gardens, do your own butchering) was listed as one of the Top 5 trends in 2011 by The National Restaurant Association. “Locally sourced meats and locally grown produce” also made the Top 5. Colleges and universities are responding to the growing interest in farm-to-fork dining by offering fieldwork for culinary students. Colorado’s Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, for example, now offers a five-week offcampus externship that takes students to work on farms and ranches, as well as in wineries and restaurants. For small family and hobby farmers, operating restaurants supplements unpredictable incomes and connects farmers to the community. Farmers not only find it fiscally wise, but many find reward in sharing their bounty and educating people about farming. In fact, farm tours are often part of the dining experience. While many farm restaurants share a commitment to fresh, sustainable philosophies, the types of restaurants vary widely. Across the country, meals range from rustic, down-home cooking to elegant, gourmet destinations, and the restaurants from alfresco-seasonal to year-round dining establishments. Here are a few examples.
Joe’s Farm Grill serves more than 1,400 burgers a week and has received rave reviews on the Food Network’s show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Johnston converted his 1960s boyhood home into a fun, trendy grill that serves ribs, pizza and the signature “Cheeseburger Built for Two.” Arizona beef burgers are topped with crisp Johnston farm vegetables. “For preserving urban agriculture, the high-volume restaurant business allows us to keep the farming tradition,” Johnston says.
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Food continued Hawkins loves seeing families come together to enjoy along with his family, serves up to 100 savory, wood-fired piztheir pizza. “It’s great to see kids who normally don’t get to zas on Friday nights from May to mid-September to benefit experience a farm.” HOPE CSA Inc., a nonprofit clergy education program. The Neapolitan-inspired pizzas burst with flavorful, As the evening sun casts a soft, hazy halo around the emerfresh ingredients like pepperoni, ald fields and relaxed diners, it’s evident sausage, chicken, tomato and basil Oregon’s Farm Restaurants that Hawkins serves a slice of heaven. straight off Hawkins’ farm. The only Summer Jo’s Farm, Garden, and New York farm goes gourmet items not sourced there are the cheese Restaurant Tucked away in the Finger Lakes and flour that come from neighboring 2315 Upper River Road Loop, on the region of New York, the Restaurant at Indiana farms. outskirts of Grants Pass Elderberry Pond sits in the middle of the The Hawkins family and volunteers http://summerjos.com/ Lego family’s 100-acre farm. Lunch and have been running the carryout pizza dinner patrons view orchards, vineyards The Gathering Together Farm restaurant for three years. and gardens while feasting on roasted 25159 Grange Hall Road “Serving pizzas on the farm seemed organic free-range chicken, freshly Philomath, OR 97370 natural since we are such a food famhttp://www.gatheringtogetherfarm.com/ dug organic potatoes, and just-picked ily,” says Hawkins. vegetables of the day. The aromas of Hawkins’ son, Zach, a baker, crecrisp apple pies and sun-drenched, raspberry-filled tarts float ated the crowd-pleasing dough recipe that uses a touch of through the dining room. farm produced honey. To bake the pizzas, the family con“We have a passion for sharing fresh, local foods from structed a wood-fire oven using old bricks from a nearby our farm,” says farmer Lou Lego, who opened the restaurant farmhouse. in 2004. “We started a food store in a small stone building “A lot of people hold up Naples, Italy, as the best pizza. and sold prepared soups and coleslaw made with farm ingredients. People told us, ‘We love your food, and you really need to open a restaurant so we can eat on the farm.’” Making the leap from farmer to restaurateur was natural, Lego says. His wife is a nutritionist and his son, Chris, attended the Culinary Institute and worked as a chef in Atlanta. Now Chris works as Elderberry Pond’s executive chef, and he can be found marinating pork from Mulefoot heritage pigs or creating sublime apple desserts from some of the farm’s 100 apple varieties. “The trick is to create a menu that matches what’s in season,” Lego says. Vegetables appear on plates just hours after being picked. A father and son order a pizza from the takeout window at the J.L. Hawkins Lego’s restaurant is evidence that the farm restaurant farm – customers can watch the pizzas being assembled and baked in a woodtrend is strong. fire oven. Photo courtesy Sarah Miller We try to learn from that and use as many local ingredients as possible. We’ve taken Italian cooking and moved it to our little corner of Indiana,” Zach says. Diners are invited to dine alfresco on the beautiful 99acre farm near North Manchester. A high tunnel allows patrons to dine rain or shine. Picnic tables under ample shade trees provide views of grazing cattle and clucking chickens. “I love finding places like this,” says local resident Maxwell Mattern. “Knowing there’s a local farm that serves pizza with fresh ingredients makes me feel my community’s taking steps towards a greener tomorrow.” 24 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Food continued “We’re starting to get a lot of culinary students who are interested in doing internships here,” Lego says, “Not just for the restaurant. They want the farm restaurant experience.” As crowds gather for these unique experiences, it’s clear the farm restaurant concept is here to stay. Excerpted from GRIT, Celebrating Rural America Since 1882. To read more articles from GRIT, please visit www.Grit.com. Copyright 2011 by Ogden Publications Inc.
Education
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It’s Not Your Grandpa’s Custodial Job: Modern Building Operator Training Leverages Facilities Cost Savings and Long Term Sustainability By Erik Westerholm Unlike facilities of the past, today’s commercial buildings are complex super-structures that rely on a series of systems and sub-systems that control and coordinate a myriad of energy-consuming and energysaving features and components. Both the financial and environmental costs can be reduced when buildings are effectively accessed, tuned, and monitored for optimal operation. Efficient operation also increases occupant comfort and results in increased productivity on the human resource scale. Oregon’s “Cool Schools” initiative, signed into law by Governor John Kitzhaber in June 2011, provides grants and loans to school districts for energy efficient building improvements. The funds also produce energy audits and data collection that documents energy consumption pat-
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photo courtesy Flickr user NatalieMaynor
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Education continued Two training tracks available in Oregon are specifically terns. The collected data is a foundation for identifying and designed to prepare Facility Managers and Building Opimplementing energy conservation measures. erators to collect and make use of data to reduce building In order to be successful, the arsenal of energy-reducing tactics must be continually applied, monitored and adjusted. energy consumption: Energy Management Certification (EMC) is an inThis is just one of many new public and private programs tensive two-week that require a Commercial Buildhistorically high ing Energy Boot level of building Camp. Classroom operations knowinstruction by how in order to industry experts is control costs and interspersed with lower negative observing, auditenvironmental ing, and analyzing impact. To meet the the energy patneed for qualified terns of an active personnel with University campus. Northwest Energy Education Institute BOC Training - Photo courtesy of NEEI this type of manageParticipants comment expertise, Lane Community College has partnered plete the Boot Camp and are sent back to their respective with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) facilities where they are responsible for identifying energy to deliver training and Building Operator Certification in conservation measures of their own. Northwest Energy Education Institute (NWEEI) provides support in the form locations across the State. of data logging and measurement equipment. Boot Camp participants measure energy consumption, implement conservation measures, and verify energy savings over the course of a year. Certification is given after participants present their findings, including documented, measureable energy savings, to the next year’s EMC class. Building Operator Certification (BOC) requires 56-hours of energy efficiency training. Curriculum has been updated across the board for 2012. New modules have been introduced to offer classes that closely match the needs of a more educated workforce. New modConway’s 10-month master’s ules include O & M (Operation and program applies regenerative and Management) for Sustainable Buildwhole systems thinking to design ings, and How to Conduct a Building projects at multiple scales. Energy Scoping. BOC classes are deNow accepting applications for signed to increase operators’ familiarity the 2012-2013 academic year. with the concepts and tools of efficienLearn more at www.csld.edu. cy so that buildings can be warm, dry and well-lit without needlessly wasting energy. Building operators enrolled in the BOC training, will implement their PO Box 179, Conway, MA 01341
Real world. Real results.
26 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Education continued knowledge and start harvesting energy savings even before the training is complete. The BOC Bulletin (http://www.theboc.info/n-bulletin. html), details what BOC graduates are doing to reduce facility energy consumption, improve the environment and the bottom line while increasing occupant comfort.
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Oregon Schools Facility Management Association (OSFMA) members receive special pricing, and in rural areas, funding may be available to offset training costs specifically for K-12 participants. Contact Erik Westerholm for further details @ 541-463-5798 or westerholme@lanecc.edu .
Erik Westerholm photo courtesy of NEEI
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HVAC and lighting systems are part of BOC training. Photo courtesy of Flickr user JDB Photos
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Erik Westerholm is a Program Specialist with the NW Energy Education Institute at Lane Community College. NEEI has been a national provider of high quality energy efficiency training since 1980.
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Building Operations Account for: • 71% of electricity consumption • 65% of waste output • 39% of CO2 emissions • 12% of water use Source: http://www.amerigreen.com Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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Education continued A Study of Roofing Materials and How They Affect Inside Temperatures By Rosie Parker
the excellent insulating qualities of the hollow fur of the polar bear fur by using clear drinking straws and white clay. Very clever. She understands biomimicry and how to apply its ideas in a simple, practical, and effective way. She also is
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Simulated Polar Bear Fur Roof
Editor’s Note: Rosie Parker, a 6th grader at St. Pius X Catholic School in Portland, has always been interested in the environment. Recently she conducted an experiment to gauge the relative effectiveness of various different roofing materials at insulating interior spaces from heat. Her efforts won her the top prize in her category in the Intel Northwest Science Expo, and she received a commendation from the US Navy! It’s been a long time since I was in the sixth grade, but I do remember that the important issues in my life at that time revolved around baseball and the New York Yankees, tree houses, my Schwinn bicycle, and going swimming. I’m not sure that “environment” was even a word back in the 1950s and if so, it was certainly not in my vocabulary. So when I first read Rosie’s study on Solar Oregon’s website , I was quite impressed with her concern for the environment and rather tickled with her spunk and ingenuity. There are several features that make her experiment and report worthy of the awards that she received. To start with, this was an ambitious undertaking that required her to design and build a mini-house with four different roofs before she could begin. Then she chose to include a green roof with living plants, soil, waterproof membrane, and an aluminum pan. This required a considerable amount of research to design and then more time and effort to construct. Another feature that really makes her project stand out is her simulated polar bear fur roof. Using the basic principles of biomimicry as set out by Jenine Benyus, Rosie reproduced
following the advice of Albert Eisntein when he said,” “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” An A+ for Rosie, and kudos to her parents and teacher for supporting her and encouraging her to not only think, but to think out of the box. Unfortunately we do not have room to print her entire report, but this shortened version will give you a general idea of what she did. You can read her full report, complete with photos, drawings, charts, and graphs, on Solar Oregon’s website. http://solaroregon.org/news/insulation-for-inspiration.
Abstract/Summary
Four different types of roofing materials, simulated polar bear fur, white shingles, black shingles, and green roof were tested under a heat lamp to test the insulation of each. Each roof was placed on a roofless box. One thermometer was in the box, one was on top, and one was in a different spot in the room as a control thermometer. From looking at the temperature differences, the green roof has the best insulation and the black shingles has the worst.
Introduction
Question: Which roofing material, out of green roof, simulated polar bear fur, white shingles, and black shingles provides the best protection from heat? Hypothesis: Out of different roofing materials that are exposed to a heat lamp, a green roof will have the best insulation. Explanation of why I did this project: I did this project because I am very interested in the environment. I like to help out the environment too. With this experiment, I can see which roofing material has the best insulation so people won’t have to use as much air conditioning or heaters. This will save a lot of energy. I chose the white and black shingles because many houses have them and I can prove which is 28 A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournalpdx.com d Summer 2012
Education continued better for the environment. I tested simulated polar bear fur because I learned that it is actually clear hollow tubes, and I thought they might trap heat and that it would be interesting to find out. I made a green roof because some buildings have green roofs and they are supposedly better for the environment, so I wanted to test that and find out if they really are.
of the four types of roofs, tables of temperature data collected, graphs of the data, and graphs of the summarized data. -Editor
Experiment
Overall, the green roof did the best, the simulated polar bear fur came next, the white shingles were after the simulated polar bear fur, and the black shingles were the worst.
Introduction to my experiment: In my experiment, I will have four different types of roofing material: green roof, simulated polar bear fur, white shingles, and black shingles. I will make a mini roof out of each one. I will then, one at a time, put the roofing materials on a roofless wooden box with a heat lamp over it. For each material, I’ll measure the heat inside the box and outside the box every 15 minutes for 2 hours. This will tell me which material best protects the interior from heat.
Procedure
Results
This section of the report contains drawings of the make up of each
This section of the report details why things happened for each of the different roofs. -Editor
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
The following people or organizations helped me with my project: My mom and dad, because they kept me on task and helped me with all my papers, my poster, and my project; Mrs. Sebert, because she gave me the opportunity to do this and helped me with my papers; My brother, Owen, because he helped by showing me kind of how I was supposed to do things because he’s done a science fair before; Cascadia Region Green Building Council, for giving me information about the different kind of green roofs there are; Todd Schwartz of Willamette Roofing for providing me with black shingles, white shingles, and waterproof roof membrane.
References
A detailed list of references was included Omitted here in order to save space. -Editor
Issue 17 c GreenLivingJournal d Summer 2012
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In the full report Rosie describes in detail the equipment and materials that she procured for her experiment, the steps she went through to construct the mini-house and four roofs needed, and the process for taking and recording temperature measurements. -Editor
Discussion
Book Review Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient Packed Greens by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson Review by Jim Stanglewicz Having grown up with a family garden in the Midwest and having gardened for almost 40 years in the Northwest, I am always excited to see new gardening books. I hope to extract one or two new ideas about extending the growing season or learn about new plant varieties or growing techniques. One gardening book has completely knocked my socks off and radically changed both my view of gardening and nutritional eating habits. It is Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient Packed Greens by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson. Microgreens details techniques that will, in as little as two weeks and every day thereafter, allow you to enjoy the ultimate in healthy, nutrient-rich greens produced with minimal space and resources. The book beautifully illustrates the planetary implications of empowering yourself through simple, local, personal food production. Taking control and meeting part of your own food needs in this way is the most exciting and new idea I have seen in recent times. What hooked me were the China Rose radish greens. They were the first of my initial eight experimental seed trays to mature. Anxious to begin my microgreen trial, I had one bowl of China Rose radish greens with sunflower seeds and a bit of balsamic vinaigrette. I knew there was no turning back. According to the book, space on your patio will work from May until October. The rest of the year, an indoor grow light, garden window, outside cold frame or hoop house will do the trick. The book has step by step illustrations and in depth details on over 30 microgreen varieties. There is also an amazing recipe section. Thanks to Microgreens, I am now enjoying nutrient rich beet, broccoli, cabbage, chard, pac choi, sunflower, and kale greens and will be trying many more. Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient Packed Greens by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson is available from my business, Bear Naked Gardening. We’re at the Milwaukie Farmers’ Market, Sundays from May until October, and Monday through Friday all year ‘round at Majestic Building Supply 13241 SE Holgate Portland. Come see our garden displays!
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- Jim Stanglewicz
· Events · Events · Vois Business Alliance 3rd Thursday Networking Happy Hour http://voisalliance.org/calendar Driving on Sunshine June 19, 7pm Mission Theater $5 suggested www.omsi.edu/node/3021 8th Annual North American Organic Brewers Festival June 29 - July 1 Overlook Park www.naobforg The Oregon Green Expo June 30 - July 1 Central Point, OR http://www.theoregongreenexpo.com 7th Annual Recycled Arts Festival 2012 June 23-24 Ester Short Park Vancouver http://recycledartsfestival.org North Sunday Parkways June 24 11am - 4pm http://bit.ly/KknMNl Day Break Co-Housing Tour July 1, 1:30-3:30 pm www.daybreakcohousing.org Electric Vehicle Celebration Day Sat, July 14 Pioneer Courthouse Sq. www.oeva.org SW Sunday Parkways July 22 http://bit.ly/KdvMxP Crackedpots Garden Art Show July 24 & 25 Mc Menamins Edgefield, Troutdale www.crackedpots.org SolWest Renewable Energy Fair July 27, 28 & 29 Grant County Fair Grounds, John Day www.solwest.org Creative Recycling & Green Craft Workshop Aug. 17 The Warehouse all ages $5 http://bit.ly/IWK3AI 7th Annual Garlic Festival Saturday Sept. 15, 10am-6pm http://northwestorganicfarms.com Portland VegFest 2012 Sept. 22 & 23 www.portlandvegfest.org 2012 Build It Green! Home Tour + Info Fair Sept. 22 , 11am-5pm http://bit.ly/KdHdS East Sunday Parkways September 30 http://bit.ly/Kdz3gB
A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment c GreenLivingJournal.com d Summer 2012
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EXHIBIT at the 4th Annual 2012 Oregon Green Expo JUNE 30th - JULY 1st Powered by forward thinking businesses like yours, this year's Oregon Green Expo will feature Sustainable Local Living by showcasing green/sustainable products and services.
Apply Online at: www.TheOregonGreenExpo.com
Central Point, OR • Jackson County Exposition-Compton Arena • 541-773-8200