"It's Your Oregon" Blog
Everyday solutions, news, and musings from every corner of the Beaver state.
Everyday solutions, news, and musings from every corner of the Beaver state.
Step away from the weed & feed
Spring is coming, and so are the weeds. What's a time-strapped, eco-conscious gardener to do? Our heath director offers advice.
Why federal chemical regulation is broken: new science on BPA and low-dose exposure
The American Medical Association and the Endocrine Society have agreed that current chemical regulation and risk assessment is not adequate to protect the public from endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA).
What does chemical contamination cost health care?
A new national report echoes OEC’s findings on the hard costs to society of not dealing with chemical overload.
Safe baby bill passed in Washington
Washington state representatives just voted 95-1 to get bisphenol A (BPA) out of children’s food containers. "The House saw this vote as a no-brainer," says the Washington Toxics Coalition.
Good news for climate, clean air and clean energy
Portland General Electric announced yesterday that they will shut down their coal plant based in Boardman in 2020. This is good news for the climate since electricity generation is responsible for about one third of Oregon’s emissions.
New year, new challenges for global warming solutions
Our failure to advance statewide GHG reduction planning and targets is mirrored in the U.S. Senate's climate bill stalemate, and in the Copenhagen talks. Still, I'm disinclined to stop trying and I suspect that I'm not alone.
Show your support for environmental solutions this holiday season
The time has never been better to join our Evergreen Society where a generous donor will match all monthly gifts dollar-for-dollar by Dec 31.
From the mailbag: your 'climategate' survival guide
Here at OEC, we’ve received several emails about this issue. Some were asking for help in explaining the issue, some were, well, a little skeptical.
You shouldn't need a PhD to find a toxic-free baby bottle
We asked 30 parents to pick which three bottles in our collection contained BPA. Ten of those thirty guessed correctly after tapping the plastic and holding them to the light. Twenty others guessed wrong, stymied by the lack of labeling and the similarity of colors and shapes
Battle of the Bulbs Part 2: CFLs vs. LEDs
After our blog about the environmental and economic benefits of using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead of incandescent bulbs, we thought we really should take it one step further and talk about light emitting diodes (LEDs).
The Million Baby Crawl is coming to Portland Nov. 18
Hundreds of moms and their babies, including local dignitaries are taking part in Portland's "Crawl to Action" event as part of a national initiative called the Million Baby Crawl to encourage Congress to overhaul our nation's toxics policy.
Delicious, sustainable cranberries in the Burgerville bike-thru
Burgerville just rolled out their November seasonal menu, which features a turkey burger with cranberry jalapeno salsa with cranberries from Clearwater Cranberries.
Let's get rid of BPA in children’s products in 2010
Will you join OEC in standing up for healthy, BPA-free products, and helping to ban this toxic chemical from our children's products in 2010?
From the mailbag: vinyl and melamine
We received this last week asking a common question about vinyl and melamine. Dr. Renee breaks down the science.
Harvest time at Clearwater Cranberries
The Oregon Environmental Council worked with the Farr and McKenzie families to launch Clearwater Cranberries, a collective that grows cranberries in a way that protects salmon habitat in local rivers.
Eating low on the carbon chain
Food Works is a fantastic project that offers job opportunities for low-income youth who learn farming and business skills through planting and harvesting food on Sauvie Island.
Sightline's Getaway to Seattle Sweepstakes
Looking for another balanced, reliable source for sustainability news relevant to the Northwest?
US business industry abandoning ship on climate
Over the last few weeks an intriguing trend has emerged among some of America’s largest corporations.
OEC ranked among top 10 non-profits to work for in Oregon
OEC was ranked #9 overall in the “List of 100 Best Non-Profits to Work For in Oregon” by Oregon Business and was the only environmental organization to receive top 10 distinction in any category.
