3 results for tag: City of Portland

Tomorrow’s energy is already here

Back in the 1960s, there were 10 nuclear power plants planned in Oregon. Only two were built. So: where did Oregon find the energy it needed for a growing population? Efficiency! Oregon has become one of the most energy-efficient states the nation. But here’s the remarkable thing: there’s even more energy potential to be found in our buildings and homes. Enhabit, a Portland-area energy efficiency nonprofit, estimates that finding the highest efficiency in ten homes will save enough power to serve another three houses. And efficiency is still the cheapest way to cut global warming pollution. If you’re curious how much of Oregon’s ...

Take time for peace of mind: test for lead in water

Guest Blog by Bryce Baker You can read about lead concerns practically anywhere—from local coverage of high lead levels in water at Portland Public Schools, to national headlines of the crisis in Flint, Michigan. When it comes to lead in drinking water, everyone is worried, but parents are particularly concerned, because children are most vulnerable to the detrimental effects of lead exposure. For those who don’t know the risk, the EPA states that when it comes to children, even low levels of lead exposure have been linked to “damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, ...

Portland Addresses Climate Change through Action Plan

With the release of a new 2015 Climate Action Plan, the City of Portland and Multnomah County are giving us a chance to think globally, but act locally. And they want your input on it. The draft plan provides a roadmap for our community to achieve an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, with an interim goal of a 40 percent reduction by 2030. We know it’s possible; through enacting recommendations in their previous action plans we’ve cut carbon emissions by 14 percent since 1990, even though our population has grown by 30 percent. And, we’ve added over 75,000 more jobs during that same time. In per-person terms, that means each ...