By Tim Joyce, KOIN Local 6 Environmental Reporter

October is a time to reflect. It is the time of the harvest when the changing of the seasons becomes really noticeable with the shorter days and a brisk-ness in the air. The threat of frost keeps us on our toes as many of us, including myself, try to push the harvest just a little bit longer.

While this time of year does mean an ending of the summer vegetable season—it is actually a beginning of sorts. It is the beginning of our rainy season and it makes it an incredibly good time to plant certain flowers, trees and shrubs. I know I lost some blueberry bushes I planted in the spring during our summer’s hot spells. Planting in the fall has many advantages since the water is free and many things are on sale at area nurseries.

This is the calendar from the Oregon State University Extension Service about what can/should be done in the month of October. It should be noted that OSU encourages research based sustainable gardening practices. Always identify and monitor problems before acting. First consider cultural controls; then physical, biological, and chemical controls (which include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, organic and synthetic pesticides). And most paramount to this philosophy: always consider the least toxic approach first.

All recommendations in this calendar are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service.
Planning
 If needed, improve soil drainage needs of lawns before rain begins.

Maintenance and Clean Up
 Drain or blow out your irrigation system, insulate valve mechanisms, in preparation of winter.
 Recycle disease-free plant material and kitchen vegetable and fruit scraps into compost. Don’t compost diseased plants unless you are using the "hot compost" method (120° to 150°F).
 Use newspaper or cardboard covered by mulch to discourage winter and spring annual weeds or remove a lawn area for conversion to garden beds. For conversion, work in the paper and mulch as organic matter once the lawn grass has died.
 Clean and paint greenhouses and cold frames for plant storage and winter growth.
 Harvest sunflower heads; use seed for birdseed or roast for personal use.
 Dig and store potatoes; keep in darkness, moderate humidity, temperature about 40°F. Discard unused potatoes if they sprout. Don’t use as seed potatoes for next year.
 Harvest and immediately dry filberts and walnuts; dry at 95° to 100°F.
 Ripen green tomatoes indoors. Check often and discard rotting fruit.
 Harvest and store apples; keep at about 40°F, moderate humidity.
 Place mulch over roots of roses, azaleas, rhododendrons and berries for winter protection.
 Trim or stake bushy herbaceous perennials to prevent wind damage.
 To suppress future pest problems, clean up annual flower beds by removing diseased plant materials, overwintering areas for insect pests; mulch with manure or garden compost to feed the soil and suppress weeds.
 Cover asparagus and rhubarb beds with a mulch of manure or compost.
 Clean, sharpen and oil tools and equipment before storing for winter.
 Store garden supplies and fertilizers in a safe, dry place out of reach of children.
 Prune out dead fruiting canes in raspberries.
 Western Oregon: Train and prune primocanes of raspberry
 Western Oregon: Harvest squash and pumpkins; keep in dry area at 55° to 60°F.
 Western Oregon: If necessary (as indicated by soil test results) and if weather permits, spade organic material and lime into garden soil.
 Central/eastern Oregon: Prune evergreens.

Planting/Propagation
 Dig and divide rhubarb. (Should be done about every 4 years.)
 Plant garlic for harvesting next summer.
 Propagate chrysanthemums, fuchsias, geraniums by stem cuttings.
 Save seeds from the vegetable and flower garden. Dry, date, label, and store in a cool and dry location.
 Plant ground covers and shrubs.
 Dig and store geraniums, tuberous begonias, dahlias, gladiolas.
 Pot and store tulips and daffodils to force into early bloom, indoors, in December and January.

Pest Monitoring and Management
 Monitor landscape plants for problems. Don’t treat unless a problem is identified.
 Remove and dispose of windfall apples that might be harboring apple maggot or codling moth larvae.
 Rake and destroy diseased leaves (apple, cherry, rose, etc.), or hot compost diseased leaves.
 Spray apple and stone fruit trees at leaf fall to prevent various fungal and bacterial diseases. Obtain a copy of Managing Diseases and Insects in Home Orchards (EC 631) from your local Extension office.
 If moles and gophers are a problem, consider traps.
 Western Oregon: Control fall-germinating lawn weeds while they are small. Hand weeding and weeding tools are particularly effective at this stage.

Houseplants and Indoor Gardening
 Early October: Reduce water, place in cool area (50-550F) and increase time in shade or darkness (12-14 hours) to force Christmas cactus to bloom in late December.
 Place hanging pots of fuchsias where they won't freeze. Don't cut back until spring.
 Western Oregon: Check/treat houseplants for disease and insects before bringing indoors.
All recommendations in this calendar are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service.
To find the OSU extension service office nearest you, click on the following link: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/locations.php

 

Tim Joyce, KOIN Local 6 Environmental Reporter

August is the time that I try hardest to keep up with the garden. Summer heat in these dog days can wreak havoc on containers that don’t get daily watering and making sure one keeps up with taking on regular weeding and checking for fungal growth like powdery mildew can be daunting for someone like myself who still considers himself a somewhat novice gardener. Some of the harvest is already becoming clear. Some successes are already known—and many failures too for that matter. If the joy comes from being outside and in the elements—then neither should bother you too much. At my own house I’m watching the plums weigh down the branches and the peppers really starting to pop.

This is the calendar from the Oregon State University Extension Service about what can/should be done in the month of August. It should be noted that OSU encourages research based sustainable gardening practices. Always identify and monitor problems before acting. First consider cultural controls; then physical, biological, and chemical controls (which include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, organic and synthetic pesticides). And most paramount to this philosophy: always consider the least toxic approach first.

All recommendations in this calendar are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service.

• Check apple maggot traps; spray tree if needed.
• Make compost of lawn clippings and garden plants that are ready to be recycled. Do not use clippings if lawn has been treated with herbicide, including "weed-and-feed" products.
• Control yellow jackets and wasps with traps and lures as necessary. Keep in mind they are beneficial insects and help control pest insects in the home garden.
• First week: spray for walnut husk fly.
• First week: second spray of peach and prune trees for root borers.
• First week: second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm.
• Check for root weevils in ornamental shrubs and flowers; codling moth and spider mite in apple trees; scale insects in camellias, holly, maples. Treat as necessary.
• Plant winter cover crops in vacant space around the vegetable garden; plant winter kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, parsley, and Chinese cabbage.
• Dampwood termites begin flying late this month. Make sure your home is free of wet wood or places where wood and soil are in contact.
• Watch for corn earworm on early corn--treat as needed.
• Begin soil preparation for planting new lawn.
• Fertilize cucumbers, summer squash, and broccoli to maintain production while you continue harvesting.
• Clean and fertilize strawberry beds.
• Control caterpillars on leafy vegetables, as needed, with Bt., or by hand picking and removal.
• For mite control on ornamentals and most vegetables, hose off foliage, spray with miticide if necessary.
• Monitor garden irrigation closely so crops and ornamentals don't dry out.
• Use mulch to protect ornamentals and garden plants from hot weather damage.
• Camellias need deep watering to develop flower buds for next spring.
• Prune raspberries, boysenberries, and other caneberries after harvest.
• Willamette Valley: corn may need protection from earworm. Spray new silks with appropriate pesticides if necessary.
• East of Cascades: check for tomato hornworm.
• Mid-August to early September--fertilize lawn for last time this growing season.
• Western Oregon: mid-summer planting of peas; use enation-virus-resistant varieties, plant fall crops of cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli.
• Oregon coast: plant spinach.
• Western valleys, Portland, Roseburg, Medford: plant cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, turnips, and parsnips.
• Columbia and Snake River valleys, Ontario: plant Chinese cabbage, and endive.
• High elevations, central and eastern Oregon: prune away excess vegetation and new blossoms on tomatoes after mid-August. Concentrate on ripening set fruit.
• Coastal and western valleys: spray potatoes and tomatoes for early and late blight.
• Willamette Valley: allow your lawn to dry out in late summer to make it less attractive to egg-laying crane flies.

Again, all recommendations in this calendar are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service.
To find the OSU extension service office nearest you, click on the following link: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/locations.php

By Tim Joyce, KOIN Local 6

 

It’s hard to believe it now, but it was a year ago that the world was in a frenzy about oil. Yup, that black goop that is pumped out of the earth compressed and cooked organic matter from ancient sunlight eons and eons ago. Oil does more than fuel your car, it’s in plastics, fertilizers for food crops, medicines, perfumes, things like asphalt—there’s more than 4,000 uses according the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. So, what’s the big deal about oil?

 

Well, it was a year ago last week the price of a barrel of oil hit a record at $147.27 in daily trading on July 11^th, 2008. That same month, world crude oil production achieved a record 74.8 million barrels a day. For years leading up to last July, a growing number of analysts and those with decades of experience in the oil business began arguing that world oil production would max out around the year 2010 due to geographic constraints like aging oil fields that had been tapped of the good stuff underground (called light sweet crude). Many economists, and I tend to agree with them, that the staggering price of oil triggered the bursting of the housing bubble and our current recession.

 

Here’s the problem though. The world runs on oil. The recession caused the price of oil to fall. The “credit crunch” made many producers to put many investments for new oil fields on hold—an estimated 150 billion dollars worth of investment. It will take some real magic to get back to those record production numbers from 12 months ago. So, where does an oil thirsty planet do when demand goes back up again? Quite a few in the oil services industry believe that all of those stalled projects will have to be brought on line again as soon as the economy turns around to keep the price of oil from hitting the stratosphere. The talk from at least one Canadian analyst is a forecasted 200 dollars a barrel. This could crush a recovering economy. I assure you, the rollercoaster of oil boom and bust would be ugly-- and take few prisoners.

 

Part of a growing group of people from all walks of life is recognizing what’s come to be known as “Peak Oil”. Peak oil doesn’t mean we’re running out of oil, it just means that it’s a finite resource and we’ll have less and less of it as time goes on. Many communities, including Portland, have created Peak Oil Task Forces to deal with the possibilities of a world without as much oil as we’re used to using. One of the preeminent writers in this movement with a book called The Party’s Over, Richard Heinberg, suggests that we name July 11^th “Peak Oil Day”. He says it might be a stretch to say that the production peak occurred at one identifiable moment, and I agree. Heinberg says attributing it to the day oil prices reached their high-point so far could be useful in fixing the event in our minds. Heinberg and authors like James Howard Kunstler say that we’re in an entirely new economic environment whether we like it or not. They say old assumptions about the inevitability of perpetual growth are bad assumptions to make. Shrink the supply of oil (whether due to geographic or economic issues)—you raise the prices.

 

The way to shield yourself from higher energy prices: learn to use less. Europeans use much less energy than Americans do, and have a similar (if not better some argue) quality of life. So, what to do to celebrate Peak Oil Day? Practice. Practice not using as much energy- it’s actually easier than you might think. I know because I’ve done it. Go on a hike, shop for a bicycle, do a 24-hour oil fast, maybe teach yourself to make a cake with a solar cooker, or just work in your garden.

           

Down the road, the wallet you save might be your own.

 

For more information:

Richard Heinberg explains Peak Oil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uYmZmWAaxk

City of Portland: Peak Oil Task Force Final Report

http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?a=145732&c=42894

Portland Peak Oil group

http://www.portlandpeakoil.org

 

 

 

June: Garden Calendar. By Tim Joyce
KOIN Local 6 Environmental Reporter

June is a time for rejuvenation. This year, we have seen May end on an unseasonably warm note— hopefully accelerating the plants and our productivity in the garden. The month of solstice has the longest evenings we’ll see all year. Time to enjoy life and the great splendor of the outdoors. This is the calendar from the Oregon State University Extension Service about what can/should be done in the month of June. It should be noted that OSU encourages research based sustainable gardening practices. Always identify and monitor problems before acting. First consider cultural controls; then physical, biological, and chemical controls (which include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, organic and synthetic pesticides). And most paramount to this philosophy: always consider the least toxic approach first. All recommendations in this calendar are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service.

1.   First week: spray cherry trees for cherry fruit fly and brown rot if fruit is ripening.
2.   First week: spray for codling moth and scab in apple and pear trees. Continue use of pheromone traps for insect pest detection.
3.   Apples and crabapples that are susceptible to scab disease will begin dropping leaves as weather warms. Rake and destroy fallen leaves; spray with summer-strength lime sulfur, wettable sulfur, Immunox, or Captan.
4.   Plant insectory plants to attract beneficial insects to your garden. Check with local nurseries for best selections.
5.   Plant dahlias and gladioli.
6.   Learn to identify beneficial insects and plant some insectory plants (Alyssum, Phacelia, coriander, candytuft, sunflower, yarrow, dill) to attract them to your garden. Check with local nurseries for best selections.
7.   Lawn mowing: set blade at 0.75 to 1 inch for bentgrass lawns; 1.5 to 2.5 inches for bluegrasses, fine fescues, and ryegrasses.
8.   Spray with Orthene to control adult root weevils in rhododendrons, azaleas, primroses, and other ornamentals. Or, use beneficial nematodes if soil temperature is above 55°F.
9.   Remove seed pods after blooms have dropped from rhododendrons, azaleas.
10. Prune lilacs, forsythia, rhododendrons, and azaleas after blooming.
11. Fertilize vegetable garden 1 month after plants emerge by side dressing-alongside the rows.
12.  Harvest thinnings from new plantings of lettuce, onion, and chard.
13.  Construct trellises for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, and vining ornamentals.
14.  Use organic mulches to conserve soil moisture. An inch or two of sawdust, barkdust, or composted leaves will minimize loss of water through evaporation.
15.  Pick ripe strawberries regularly to avoid fruit-rotting diseases.
16.  Blossoms on squash and cucumbers begin to drop: nothing to worry about.
17.  Control garden weeds by pulling, hoeing, or mulching.
18.  Control aphids on vegetables as needed by hosing off with water or by using insecticidal soap or a registered insecticide.
19.  Watch for cabbage worms, 12-spotted beetles on beans and lettuce, flea beetles in lettuce. Remove the insect pests or treat with labeled pesticides.
20.  Spray peas as first pods form, if necessary, to control weevils.
21.  After normal fruit drop in June, consider thinning the remainder to produce a larger crop of fruit.
22.  Late this month, begin to monitor for late blight on tomatoes.
23.  Birch trees dripping means aphids are present. Control as needed.
24.  If indicated, spray cherries at weekly intervals for fruit fly.
25.  Last week: second spray for codling moth and scab in apple and pear trees.
26.  Move houseplants outside for cleaning, grooming, repotting, and summer growth.
27.  Make sure raised beds receive enough water for plants to stay free of drought stress.
28.  High elevations, central and eastern Oregon: fertilize lawns, late June to early July.
29.  Oregon coast: plant cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale.
30.  Western Oregon: plant sweet corn, other tender vegetables.
31.  Western Oregon: apply fertilizer to lawns.

All recommendations in this calendar are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service. To find the OSU extension service office nearest you, click on the following link: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/locations.php

By Tim Joyce, KOIN Local 6 Environmental Reporter

            I used to overhear my grandmother deride people who only went to church on Christmas Eve and Easter. I don’t remember the exact term, but it was something like “fair-weather Catholics”. My grandfather would retort that it’s better them be “fair-weather Catholics” than not go to church at all.

That comes to mind to me this Earth Day for some reason. It might be because I was sick and at home this week. I was bombarded in every medium from television to radio to Facebook. The shows themselves to the ads in between-- everything had a “green” hook. Some of the more appalling of them was a Sesame Street character selling kids on being green in a special DVD. It was wrapped in plastic and surrounded by a completely un-needed cardboard sleeve.

            It’s such a far cry from when Earth Day started in the late 1960s. Millions marched in rallies to get the government of the people to act to stop rampant, toxic and obvious pollution. It was a fierce grassroots effort and a political force to be reckoned with. The problems were easy to see: billowing smokestacks, rivers that caught on fire, Lake Erie declared dead, an oil spill off the Santa Barbara coast closing all the beaches in Southern California for a long spell, municipal and industrial waste that poured into waterways unchecked. I wouldn’t say it was easy to fix, as that would insult the work of so many dedicated people of the day. I will say it was the easier problem to fix. Laws were passed, the EPA created, many of the most egregious business practices changed. It was much needed work and we are better off for it. But, it means the tasks that lie before this generation are the ones that are harder to tackle.

            Now the problem is harder to fix, because it is all of us. We are all polluters. We are all the problem now. As a species: we consume too much, drive too frequently, use pesticides far too generously, eat food from too far away, use too many resources, generate too much trash, recycle too little, have too many children, waste too much energy, and we care a whole lot less.

            It’s not surprising; the second half of this environmental movement is something that’s going to be the harder half of the battle. Because it requires each of us to do things like re-tool our thinking and make actual changes in our behavior. Not just for Earth Day- forever. And it’s more than changing a few light bulbs. This is not always enjoyable. This is not always inexpensive. But, it is most certainly necessary. And the planet isn’t really what’s on the line- we are.

            Putting aside just a single to day to remind ourselves to do things “for the planet” seems ridiculously underwhelming and out of date. With all the mounting environmental problems we are facing—it seems like every day should be Earth Day—and we’ll set aside a day for conspicuous consumption.

            I’ll admit there’s a certain level of jadedness on this Earth Day which I can only fathom comes from actually paying attention to our deteriorating planetary condition. And while I’m reminded of my grandmother who chastised others privately for something less than her own level of dedication, I can hear my grandfather’s voice saying its better they’re an environmentalist for a day than not at all.

Life Without Car: One Year and Counting…

By Tim Joyce, KOIN Local 6 Environmental Reporter

 

            It’s hard to look back on my year without a personal car and think about any significant hardships or difficulties. In fact, it’s kind of hard to believe that it’s been a whole year since I sold my 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. There are several things I can attribute my positive experience to several things: smart choices, Tri-Met, ZipCar, and my scooter.

            Choices. The smart choices involved things that I decided about how I wanted to live my life. When I purchased a home in 2007, I chose a smaller home closer in to Portland’s city center. I prioritized a walkable neighborhood over things like a giant backyard and square footage. A walking neighborhood has things like a grocery store, dry cleaners, taverns, coffee shop, park, etc. (If you’d like to know how “walkable” your neighborhood is- you can check out this website: http://www.walkscore.com). Another big choice was to live close to where I work and socialize- that can make a huge impact on how much time you spend getting places. If you live where you already want to be—life can be much easier. Now, these choices don’t work for everyone—and they are not possible in many cities around the United States. But, this was another conscious choice of mine: choosing to live in Portland.

            TriMet. Just because I’m living without a car- doesn’t mean that I don’t still want to get places. The Portland metro area transit district does a great job of moving people around. When I bought my house, I researched to find out which and how many bus lines were close to my home, where they went, and how long it took to get there. I also looked up which mass transit projects were in the works for my area—and purchased near where a brand new MAX light rail line is going in within the next five years. There are two amazing features that make Tri-Met (http://www.trimet.org) very user friendly. The trip planner allows you to input addresses or landmarks to plot out a route and timing to get you where you want to go. The transit tracker actually tracks real-time arrivals of buses and trains at any stop whether it’s the one near your house or near your favorite sports bar.

            ZipCar.  I had a co-worker ask me last fall about what it’s like to live without a car. And I didn’t really get the question—because I realized that while I was living “car free”—I was never without a car. ZipCar (http://www.zipcar.com) is an international car co-operative. There are vehicles waiting to be used all over Portland. There are about three within a short walk from my home in inner Southeast Portland. Signing up for ZipCar costs about 30 bucks for the year. With my plan, I only pay for the hours that I use a car. It’s about ten bucks an hour: gas and insurance is included. Luckily, it’s more than just cars. A ZipCar pick up truck helped me haul 14,000 pounds of sand, gravel and paving stones for a patio project in my backyard.

            Scooter.  My scooter was a purchase I was reluctant to make, but I’m so glad I did. In June, I purchased a KYMCO People 150. Let’s face it. There are places that are too far, neighborhoods that are too hilly, or days when I’m just too lazy to ride my bicycle. It cost almost four thousand dollars to buy the scooter, winter, rain, and safety gear. It gets about 60-70 miles to the gallon and can go fast enough to ride on the freeway- although it’s something I avoid doing almost all the time. With relatives in Vancouver, Washington- that’s one reason I got a scooter with enough power to keep up with traffic on either of the freeway bridges over the Columbia River.  When gas was 4 dollars a gallon last summer, I could fill up with a five dollar bill and get change back.

            $$$ Savings.  One thing people ask me about was cost savings associated with getting rid of my car. Honestly, it’s something I didn’t really think of until I started writing this blog entry. No car payments meant a savings of about $3000. In part of preparing for a life without a personal car, I only filled up once a month to think about using my trips efficiently. So, I’d estimate fuel savings at about $600. Insurance savings were also significant. For my car, insurance was about 500 bucks twice a year. Scooter insurance runs about 100 for a whole year. There’s also maintenance and wear and tear issues too which do add up. So I’d estimate another 500 to 1000 dollars in that column. Given the fact that I used ZipCar to get to some weddings out of town and a weekend at the coast, I’d say I still saved about 4 or 5 thousand dollars last year.

            Pitfalls.  I’ll be the first to admit it: having a personal vehicle you can use at your whim makes life easier. Traffic can be awful and parking can be worse, but being able to go where you want to go whenever you want is a nice luxury. Portland is also a wonderful place where we live close to some pretty amazing natural wonders. It would be nice to be able to jump into a car and see Multnomah Falls or go whale watching at the Oregon Coast. But, I found that I didn’t do that all often when I had a car at my disposal—I just liked the idea of going on that hike in the Gorge whenever I felt like it.

The December snow posed some problems. Waiting for a bus for many minutes in the cold was not fun. But, being from Chicago, I’m well aware that if you dress for the frozen weather- it’s not that big of a deal. Cabs are also a nice amenity in the snow. They’ve already got chains on and any slipping and sliding accidents are their insurance headaches, not mine.

I also had gotten really good at something called “trip chaining” which is when you line up several errands to do with one well-planned out trip. It’s how UPS and FedEx do their routes—but on a personal scale. It’s harder to do on a scooter or bike—but not impossible. It does limit the amount one can carry. But, I’ve surprised myself a the amount of stuff I can carry on my scooter, including about a hundred pounds of raw Columbia River salmon that I gutted and cleaned later in the backyard. Grocery store trips are more frequent, but I’d describe them as more European for lack of a better term. Going more frequently for more fresh products and doing it on the way home from somewhere else anyhow.

The one thing that I repeatedly did miss was being able to take the dogs to their (and my) favorite dog park which is all the way across town. I also missed visiting friends who were just far out enough away from a bus or MAX line to make a trip to see them incredibly difficult.

Changing my mind.  One thing that I really became aware of was my change in mentality in the last year. There were seeds of this before, of course. I think about distance now; I think about it a lot. I think about how far a mile is: it takes 60 seconds in the car on the freeway; it takes a whole lot longer if you’re walking it along the shoulder. Hillsboro and Happy Valley seem so much farther now. The Oregon Coast seems an ocean away based on the spotty shuttle bus schedule that would get me to there (yes, there’s bus service to the Coast).  I’ve been to Seattle and Eugene via train—which is much more reliable and frequent and makes them feel closer.

And while parts of the world have gotten bigger-- what’s also funny is that my neighborhood seems to have gotten so much smaller. Things that I thought were car trips are easily done on bicycle. Things I thought were bike trips are not that much of a hassle just walking. Visiting one of my favorite wine bars in Southeast Portland, I’ve discovered is only about a 20 minute walk. Getting to work on a beautiful autumn day last year took about 40 minutes on foot. Mental barriers like the railroad tracks that mark the north end of my neighborhood or the Willamette River now don’t seem such a big barrier anymore. It’s been an interesting year without a car. I’ve learned more about myself and much more about my world around me. It’s made me really appreciate the car- and how easy it can make things. But, I also really recognize there’s a cost that being in that metal box can dull your senses to sights and sounds and surroundings.

My family was making predictions around New Year’s about things that would happen in 2009. My Uncle Terry predicted that I’ll break down and get a car this year. It was a night I braved some freezing temperatures on a very frosty scooter ride over the I-205 Bridge to get to his house in Vancouver. My facemask on my helmet was getting icy from my own breath that dark January evening. Not a pleasant trip—but not awful either. Looking back, I should have taken him up on that bet, because I honestly don’t think I’ll be buying a car this year.

So, one year and counting-- this car-free experiment continues indefinitely. -tj

By Tim Joyce KOIN Local 6 Environmental Reporter

Voting is an important part of our society. It is a way to enact change and have a voice in how the world works. Sometimes I think that people forget (or don’t realize) that we are part of a capitalist society as well. Capitalism is a type of economy; Democracy is a type of government. Every time you whip out that debit card, write a check, shell out a single dollar in a capitalist society—you’re voting. You’re voting just as surely as you do when you fill out your ballot for City Council, School Board Member or President of the United States. This major difference is that you likely spend money every day, so it seems that it is routine and almost unimportant. But, I would argue that when you spend your hard-earned cash—it’s almost more important than turning in your ballot on Election Day. Whether you know it or not-- with every dollar you spend, you’re saying something about how the world works. It can say you approve of a company when you buy their products. It can say you value your local economy. It can say you value your environment. It can say you approve of certain business practices when you use a service. Voting with your dollar can say more than you might realize.

            I was reminded about this when I stumbled across the new campaign from the Oregon Environmental Council or OEC. They’re enacting a “Fork! Pledge” drive. They have ten little things that you can do to make the world a little greener, improve your local economy, and vote with how you spend your money. Every dollar counts in tough economic times. Spending consciously and spending locally can make a huge difference, because it’s something you do every day. In Portland, it is easier than in most other locales too.

Topping the Oregon Environmental Council’s list is something that to me is the easiest thing to do: support a local farmer. This can mean something as easy as shopping at a farmer’s market, as there are many that will be popping up very soon all around Portland. Another more intense way is something I did last year, joining a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s like a farm co-op. You pay in up front and get a share of the crop that is produced. It’s a bit of money up front but it’s a steady stream of local, incredibly fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables into your kitchen all summer and most of the fall. According to the OEC, when you buy directly from a farmer your entire food dollar goes to the farmer and remains in the local economy.

You can also grow your own food with an organic herb and vegetable garden. Success breeds success. The OEC recommends you start with kitchen herbs, tomatoes (which it’s still much too cold for) or sugar snap peas. They say you can’t get more local than your back yard, container on your balcony or your community garden.

The OEC list also includes eating less meat. They say that substituting a vegetarian meal one day a week is equivalent to driving 1,000 fewer miles per year (roughly Portland to Los Angeles) when it comes to your carbon footprint and benefits your health. Vegetarian dishes are delicious and pretty easy to make. Most Italian dishes and Indian food are or can be easily made vegetarian. I’ve considered myself a “flex-itarian” now for some time, which means I lean towards vegetarian options on menus in restaurants. When I eat meat I choose fish or chicken over beef- and I make my portions more European where the cuts of meat are smaller compared to those of the vegetables or salad on the plate. 

Cooking meals from scratch is also something you can do. The OEC recommends using ingredients your great-grandmother would recognize as food. Fresh whole foods with minimal processing and packaging are energy efficient, use fewer chemicals and create less waste. All of those things are good for you and good for the planet.

These suggestions are just a few on their list. What’s important to realize you don’t have to turn your whole life around to give their suggestions a whirl. The OEC on their top ten just challenges us to just make one tweaking in your eating habits this month. I am always up for challenging myself to grow and try new things— it can and in some cases has made me a healthier, better version of myself. Some I might like, some wont work out so well—and that can be part of the fun.

But for all of us, change has a beginning. It begins with you voting with your  dollar—and I guess sometimes with your fork too.

If you’d like more information and their full list of challenges, you can check out their website: http://www.oeconline.org/fork