Oregonians tell lawmakers, don’t delay, pass CEJ

Two superstar middle-school student writers and climate advocates had among the most memorable messages to lawmakers Wednesday during a marathon hearing at the Oregon State Capitol, in my own humble opinion. They spoke among:CEOs and small businesses making the economic case for passage, labor representatives voicing support for the workforce and wage standards, farmers and agriculture advocates who are ready to be part of the solution, equity

The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on T

By Kevin Kasowski  Here at OEC, we’re raising a bottle in memory of Don Waggoner, an early OEC activist, board member and OEC President who passed away suddenly this week at his home in Portland. Long before sustainability became one of Oregon’s hallmarks, back in 1971, Don was OEC’s point person for one of OEC’s first major victories – the adoption of the nickel deposit Bottle Bill – that was spread to other states nationally as well. Don, along with Rich Chambers, led

Post by Sophia Aguilera OEC and our friends made quite a splash in Oregon’s city center this week. Passers-by in cars honked approval, and those on foot stopped to ask questions. It wasn’t just the adorable babies in our crowd that caught Portland’s atten

When we flush pharmaceuticals down the toilet, some of these drugs end up in our rivers where they can harm fish, wildlife and even humans. For example, fish in the Columbia and Willamette rivers show evidence of exposure to estrogen-like chemicals from birth control pills and other sources, which causes male fish to develop female sex organs—and this could reduce fertility and threaten species’ survival. In April 2016 OPB reported on the problem of prescription meds showing up in our

Dungeness crab is huge—it’s our state’s most valuable fishery. But a massive algal bloom has flooded the coast, from California to Alaska, with high levels of domoic acid, which can be deadly to humans if consumed. As a result, commercial crab seasons in California, Oregon and Washington have been delayed. No one knows for sure what caused the algal bloom, but scientists believe warm water caused by some combination of El Nino and climate change are to blame for the most widespread, pe