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c3Category — Climate & Environment
Posted inNews

For a Glimpse Into Portland’s Thriving Future, Look to the River

After years of dedicated advocacy, Portland is getting on board with being a “swimmable city.”
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

“Everything exciting and imaginative that’s happening in Portland right now seems to be touching the river.”  That assessment comes from Willie Levenson, who may be biased, considering he’s spent the better part of two decades working to change Portland’s relationship with the Willamette River through his organization, Human Access Project. But his analysis rings true. […]

Posted inQueer Guide 2025

How to Find a Rainbow of Rocks in Oregon and Washington

Geology enthusiast Alison Jean Cole on where to find the geological equivalent of a hot trans man.
Avatar photo Alison Jean Cole

As simple pleasures are gay and hiking is gay, it feels easy to declare that the sport of rockhounding is also a gay activity. And the Pacific Northwest is home to the pros. For this guide, I have collected some recommendations for where you might find beautiful rocks, and eventually build your own rainbow. Let […]

Posted inFood Issue 2025

Birds of a Feather

The Güero Bird Club provides coffee and companionship in equal measure.
Avatar photo Julianne Bell

At first blush, tortas and birding might not seem like a natural pairing, but the Güero Bird Club turns that assumption on its head. As you might have guessed, the club is an offshoot of acclaimed Kerns torta shop Güero. Attendees of all ages and experience levels regularly flock to local spots like Mount Tabor, […]

Posted inFood Issue 2025

The Farm Forward Appeal of 82 Acres

The new-ish bistro takes up residence in a well-loved space on SE Clinton.
Avatar photo Andrea Damewood

Sitting on the back patio at the new 82 Acres on a lovely warm evening, I couldn’t help but think of the four delightful restaurants that tried to make it work in this very same spot on Southeast Clinton. In 2011, Block’s Café opened, then closed; followed by the beloved Tuscan ristorante, Burrasca; and most […]

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

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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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