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Environment
Posted inNews

At This Cully Church, an Unwanted Parking Lot Is Now a Garden Refuge

Portland nonprofit Depave led the effort to transform a slab of blacktop behind a church into a thriving green space. The city’s zoning code didn’t make it easy. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church had a pavement problem. The church, located in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood, was surrounded with space for car parking—well beyond what congregants needed or wanted. And the excess blacktop had consequences.  In the summer, the unused parking lot on the south side of the church trapped and radiated heat into […]

Posted inNews

After Manufacturer Backlash, DEQ Delays Clean Truck Rule

Enforcement of the Advanced Clean Truck rule, intended to reduce diesel emissions in Oregon, has been delayed until 2027. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Oregon’s attempts to curtail diesel emissions are in jeopardy following a state decision to delay enforcement of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule until 2027.  The ACT rule, which was approved by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Commission in 2021, seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from high-polluting diesel engines by requiring truck […]

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Councilor Mitch Green Suggests Borrowing Money from PCEF to Fund Parks

Green’s proposal comes as Mayor Keith Wilson floats deep cuts to Portland Parks & Recreation to fill a budget shortfall. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

As Portland leaders grapple with a major citywide budget shortfall, some have sought potential relief from one of the city’s most prosperous initiatives—the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). The fund, which collects a 1 percent tax on local sales at large retailers to pay for carbon reduction projects, has found major financial success […]

Posted inMusic

Fans of PDX’s Upgrade, Mass Timber, and Sustainability Just Got a New Anthem!

DJ Avelanche’s fire video for “PDX (Wooden Roof)” is a fun who’s who of Portland hip-hop 
Avatar photo Jenni Moore

It’s no secret that Portlanders are really really proud of Portland International Airport, to the point that the city has become synonymous with PDX (our airport’s code). And let’s be honest, the obsession is warranted. In fact, I challenge anyone to show me a cooler, prettier, or more pleasant airport in the United States of […]

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City Council to Overturn Hearings Officer’s Approval of PGE Forest Park Plan

All 12 members of the council indicated they would reject the plan at an appellate hearing last week. Their decision underscores the broader implications of the utility project to people on both sides of the issue. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland General Electric’s proposed utility project in Forest Park, which would require removing nearly 400 trees in order to make way for transmission upgrades, has been a source of controversy in the city since it was announced last year. A recent City Council move to reject the plan marks the latest snag for PGE’s project—and […]

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Fueling Portland’s Future: Renewable Fuels Come Under the Microscope at City Hall

New Portland leaders are pushing back on the city’s narrative around alternative fuels and their climate benefits. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Biofuels, created from organic matter like crops, garbage, vegetable oils, and human and animal waste, are often heralded as an ideal form of renewable energy. These energy sources have been touted by industry groups, scientists, and government bodies as a cleaner-burning alternative to fossil fuels, with advantages for air quality and carbon emissions.  Here in […]

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Portland Hearings Officer Signs Off on PGE’s Forest Park Utility Plan

The city sided with the utility company over a controversial plan to cut down 400 trees in Portland’s biggest park.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland General Electric (PGE) has the green light from a city hearings officer to go ahead with a plan to build a new utility project in Forest Park. The decision puts Portland’s Hearings Office at odds with several of the city’s bureaus, which strongly opposed the plan because of its environmental impact on a five-acre […]

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Oregon Senate Bill Aims to Address Greenwashing

The bill has been criticized as overly broad and difficult to enforce, but environmental advocates say truthful marketing is crucial to addressing the climate crisis.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

As the effects of the climate crisis become increasingly clear, the market for “eco-friendly” products has become more and more lucrative, and politically significant. From household cleaner brands to gas utility companies, many businesses have found success by advertising their products as greener than the alternatives. The problem? Those claims aren’t always true.  It’s not […]

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Climate Advocates Will Appeal the City’s Zenith Decision

A coalition of climate organizations and Portland residents plan to challenge Zenith’s land use approval with the state Land Use Board of Appeals, citing a lack of public process. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The city of Portland may be required to defend its decision to grant Zenith Energy a key land use credential to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), following a legal challenge from a coalition of climate organizations and residents.  The group of petitioners, which includes climate advocacy groups 350 PDX, the Northwest Environmental […]

Posted inNews

New Council Committee Grapples With Portland’s Slipping Climate Goals

Councilors hope the new Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee can help the city reduce carbon emissions and advance environmental justice.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The climate crisis presents unique challenges for local policymakers, trying to make a dent in a global emergency from their desks in Portland. The complexity and scale of the climate crisis was on full display during the first meeting of Portland City Council’s new Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee on February 13.    Councilor […]

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Proposed Legislation Threatens Oregon’s Plan to Reduce Diesel Truck Emissions

Some truck manufacturers say they can’t meet requirements under the state’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule and need more time. Climate advocates say the regulation is feasible and important. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

When Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission approved the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule in 2021, many people celebrated the move as an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.  Emissions from diesel trucks make up a significant chunk of national and statewide greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to diesel particulate matter is […]

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Facing Public and Council Opposition, Portland Grants Zenith Key Approval

City staff issued Zenith the land use credential shortly after two city councilors called for an investigation into the company. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The city of Portland issued Zenith Energy a new Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) on Monday morning, enabling the company to continue its local oil storage and transport operations in compliance with the state. The decision was met with immediate backlash from advocates who are critical of Zenith and the city’s oversight of it, which […]

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