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Visiting Portland, Oregon – A Green City

July 1, 2015 By greatgreeneditingadmin Leave a Comment

No sooner did I finish writing  “Green Travel Trends for 2015” than my husband and I took off and traveled for a few days in June.

We visited Portland, Oregon.

That may seem odd, given that we live in the “paradise” of Tampa, Florida. You know – endless sunshine, white sandy beaches, palm trees. Portland has none of that.

But we had heard good things about Portland’s commitment to being a “green city“, so we decided to check it out.

Portland really IS green

Portland is routinely named the “greenest city in America.”  In 2015, it’s #1 on Travel and Leisure’s list. What struck me was:

  • Lots of trees and parks. There’s no “concrete canyon” feel here. Portland has managed to keep a LOT of trees and parks in the heart of the city.

    Portland has lots of trees in the city.

    Portland has lots of trees in the city.

  • Great public transit. It’s easy to get around. The transit system – which includes the MAX light rail plus street cars and buses –  is clean, cheap and frequent. It’s also growing, with a new line opening in September. When your house has a walk score of 0, being able to walk out the door for a block and (1) stop at a coffee shop or (2) hop on public transit is a miracle.
  • Signs of eco-consciousness everywhere.  From the many bike riders (who can easily bring their bikes onto public transit), to the solar trash compacters on every block, to the ubiquitous recycling bins, it’s easy to be green in Portland.

That’s all anecdotal, of course, but the statistics and rankings back up my impression.

The Clean Edge guys are my “go-to” researchers for all things happening in “clean tech.” Earlier this month, they released their annual Clean Tech Leadership Index, rating all 50 states and the 50 largest metro areas on their “clean tech” activities.

According to Clean Edge, “OREGON retained its #3 rank for the third straight year, but enjoyed the highest score increase of any top 10 state, up to 72 points from 67 last year when it barely edged out Colorado. Oregon trails only California in the Technology category, with perennial strength in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, charging infrastructure, and green buildings. ”

Clean Edge also says, “Portland places #3 for the third time in four years. The Rose City leads all metros in Clean Electricity & Carbon Management, thanks to strong hydroelectric power resources, low carbon emissions from large facilities, and a strong commitment to climate protection and reporting. Portland also ranks #3 in the Green Buildings category.”

Portlanders also know how to have fun

Lest you think Portlanders spend all their free time composting their food scraps, the city offers a great many “attractions,” including:

  1. Craft Beer – There’s a “craft beer festival” in July, and more breweries than you can shake a stick at.
  2. Coffee – I visited the biggest Starbucks I have ever seen, and also sipped coffee at Peet’s and Stumptown. There are dozens of other independent coffee houses.
  3. Restaurants – Thai, Chinese, Morrocan, French, seafood, pizza, and “new American” were just some of the choices.
  4. Books – Public libraries and Powell’s books make this a book lover’s haven.
  5. Education – Portland State is minutes from the center of town.
  6. Parks –  There are over 10,000 acres of parks in the city. We spent time in Washington Park, which is 400 acres with 15 miles of trails.
  7. International Rose Test Garden – you really can “stop and smell the roses” at this 4.5 acre park.
  8. Waterfront – Portland sits on the Willamette River, and the variety of bridges crossing over to Washington state was astounding.

Portland’s economy is growing

According to Google, Portland’s unemployment rate was 4.4% in April 2015. Like most parts of the country, job growth is stronger than it’s been in years. That strength comes from:

  • Silicon Forest – which houses everything from IBM and HP to Microsoft and Intel. It’s an impressive concentration of tech companies employing upwards of 60,000 people.
  • Portland green businesses – which tend to be smaller, but are impactful in their own ways. From organic restaurants to environmental consulting firms to engineers and architects, these organizations help bring that “eco-friendly” feel to the city every day.

Keep up the good, green work, Portland!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Alison Lueders, Climate Change, Recycling, Sustainable Business, Transportation, Uncategorized

MIT’s Climate CoLab Wants You!

March 16, 2015 By greatgreeneditingadmin Leave a Comment

You’re invited to be part of the solution to climate change

logo-climate-colab

This week I’m passing along an invite to you from MIT’s Climate CoLab. The CoLab is a crowdsourcing platform where citizens work with experts and each other to create, analyze, and select detailed proposals for what to do about climate change.

On March 6, The CoLab launched some 22 new contests on everything from our energy supply to transportation options to a U.S. carbon price.

These contests are open to everyone. You can contribute to an existing proposal or create your own. Proposals can win a “popular” vote and they can be judged as winners by a panel of experts. The winner takes home a Grand Prize of $10,000 and gets the opportunity to present their proposal to experts who can help implement the idea.

Last year’s winner

In 2014, Danielle Dahan took home the Grand Prize award for a proposal to Improve Building Energy Performance: Green Job Skills Training. It addresses the shortage of qualified personnel to maintain the increasingly sophisticated heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems installed in green buildings today.

“As high performance green buildings increase in complexity,” Dahan wrote in her proposal, “we need to give building technicians the skills to maintain buildings and achieve high performance energy goals.”  The curriculum, when in full motion, is projected to save 33 trillion metric tons of carbon each year in the United States alone.

What’s neat about the Climate CoLab

  • It’s a great use of crowdsourcing.  MIT knows that, as one institution, it can’t possibly house all the potentially life-changing, climate-saving ideas within its walls. So it has thrown open the doors to the world and said, “Come help figure this out.” With more diverse ideas – and more efficient ways to vet them –  we can find and scale the solutions that work sooner.
  • It’s a hub of activity.  As of January 2015, over 270,000 people have visited the Climate CoLab, representing every country in the world, and over 30,000 have registered as members.  The CoLab community also includes over 7,000 Facebook likes and 17,000 Twitter followers. To learn more about the Climate CoLab community, click here.
  • It’s a fun way to tackle a critical issue. Because climate change is such a multi-faceted challenge, there are endless aspects to focus on. Choose the one that interests you most, and dive in!

Enter now

The new contests are open now. Peruse your choices (there are about 7 of these I’d sign up for in a heartbeat). Or add your own new idea. You must enter before Saturday, May 16, 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time.

The CoLab sponsors tell you when voting on the various proposals will occur. If history is any guide, the awards will be announced around November 2015.

So join in. You might just make the world a better place – for all of us!

Filed Under: Alison Lueders, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, Green Business, Transportation, Uncategorized

The Bikes of New York City

March 19, 2014 By greatgreeneditingadmin Leave a Comment

This past weekend I was in New York City. It’s one of the world’s great cities – and not just because I was born there.  🙂 It’s also a city striving to become much greener than it is today. And it’s fun to see the many ways that greener reality takes shape.

Some Serious Bikes Paths

Leaving my hotel on 8th Ave, I was amazed to see a bike path along this busy, major road. Not a skinny path squeezed alongside as an afterthought.  This was a wide, well-marked, well-paved section of the road reserved for cyclists. There are even traffic signals specifically for cyclists.

Cyclists in NYC have dedicated bike paths, and traffic signals.

Cyclists in NYC have dedicated bike paths, and traffic signals.

As I walked (on the sidewalk), helmeted riders whizzed by in their lane, unfazed by the sub-freezing temperatures. Some were riding bright blue Citi Bikes, which belong to the city’s bike sharing program. (No, I am not paid by Citi Bike.)  With thousands of bikes and hundreds of pick-up and drop-off bike stations throughout the city, you really can bike from point A to point B very quickly without waiting for a cab, bus or subway.

Cycling Benefits Everyone, Including Non-Cyclists

I am not a cyclist. But I celebrate this as another step towards greener cities and a greener economy. The bikes and bike paths benefit cyclists and non-cyclists alike because this transportation option:

  • Produces no greenhouse gas emissions. All New Yorkers benefit from cleaner air and no greenhouse gas emissions when a fellow citizen grabs a bike instead of driving to their destination.
  • Provides safety and speed for cyclists. The designated bike paths make biking in NYC much speedier and safer than before. Cyclists don’t risk their lives by  jockeying for position in lanes full of yellow cabs, cars and buses.
  • Offers convenience and flexibility. There are literally THOUSANDS of bikes and hundreds of bike stations throughout the city now. There’s no hunting around to  find a bike, or a place to park it at a destination.
  • Builds better health.  People who cycle regularly are rarely fat. I envy New Yorkers who can combine their commute – even on some days – with their exercise routine.  Talk about a win-win.

Remember – this year’s Earth Day focus is “Green Cities”. If you’re going to be in New York City around April 22, check out these Earth Day events.

Filed Under: Alison Lueders, Earth Day, Transportation

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