15 results for tag: sustainability

Watch your waste this holiday

Oops. In 2015, Oregonians generated slightly more waste and recycled slightly less than in years past, according to DEQ. We created 2,553 pounds of waste per person, or about 7 pounds a day—and we recovered slightly less than half of that for recycling, energy or compost. That's not good news for our state's goal, also adopted in 2015, to recover 55% of our waste. But holiday season is a great time to make a real difference. Americans spend $228 billion every year on Christmas gifts and celebrations, and half of the paper we consume each year goes to wrapping and decorating consumer products. By sticking to a tight budget for trash, we ...

Greywater: The Secret to Gardening During Drought

Guest Article by Molly Danielsson It’s gardening season, time to water home-grown cucumbers and melons. Despite a cool July, much of Oregon is experiencing drought. Several streams are approaching record lows for this time of year. What’s a conscientious gardener to do? Rain barrels can collect rainwater from roofs for the garden (and EMSWCD can help hook you up), but here in Oregon rain is often lacking when we need it the most. Luckily there’s already a consistent source of water available in your house: greywater. Greywater is the used water from sinks, showers, or washing machines. It never includes waste from toilets—that’s ...

From Paris, France to Prineville, OR: Collaboration Matters

This weekend, nearly all the nations in the world agreed to actions to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change. We in Oregon believe we should do our fair share to reduce emissions. That's why we've had an historic agreement to work with neighboring states to amp up our clean energy economy, create a clean fuels corridor, and limit and price climate pollution. We want Oregon to be the early bird that catches the worm--acting quickly helps us set the curve and reap enormous benefits--cleaner air, more economic opportunities for Oregon workers and businesses, and a stable climate for our natural resource-based state. We've worked with ...

It’s Your Oregon member profile: Ken Bailey

This member spotlight is on Ken Bailey. Ken is a third generation cherry farmer in The Dalles, OR, who is committed to sustainable practices.

Saving Water in Your Home

Water is a limited resource, and even in our wet corner of the world supplies can be depleted. Rivers across the state provide drinking water for our communities and up to 30% of Oregonians draw on wells that are linked to nearby rivers. The more water we use, the less we leave for fish, wildlife and irrigating farms, and the more we end up paying. Like it or not, the population of the Pacific Northwest is expected to grow drastically over during our lifetime, so even more demands will be placed on our water resources. The good news is that conserving water is easy. Here are a few ways to get started: Water in the morning or evening, not in ...