You don’t have to live in a strawbale house and drink rainwater to live sustainably. There are lots of ways to do it, from the food you eat to the businesses you support to the kind of lightbulbs by which you read. We’ve spoken to some eco-experts and put together a list of simple things you can do to make the world a greener place.
If the extent of your downtown Portland shopping is picking up your family’s pharmaceuticals at the drugstore nearest your office, duck into some of Portland’s most unique shops during your next long lunch. From Native American artifacts to Belgian linens to skull buttons from Germany, you’ll find great stuff from around the world without ever leaving the city.
All the pretty dresses, treats for taste buds and some of that Amsterdam vibe that everybody loves. Also, places to stay fueled to keep up your energy level while cruising around downtown.
The downtown stroll continues with an Ace of Place, a cigar & magazine lovers idea of heaven, Masters’ Pieces, and Fresh + Sophisticated = MKID!
Last year, during the annual INTEL-SOLV CLEAN AND GREEN PROJECT, thousands of volunteers removed more than 75,000 pounds of trash and invasive, non-native plants from neighborhoods and natural areas. They also planted more than 12,000 trees, shrubs, flowers and bulbs in parks, wetlands and public spaces.
The “TIGHT ENVELOPE TECHNOLOGY” green seminar will explore the components of a high-performance house envelope
such as Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), Structural Insulated Panels (SIP), advanced framing, insulation and windows. Paolo Design Group sponsors the seminar.
During the “HARNESSING THE SUN AND WATER” green seminar, Paolo Scardina of the Paolo Design Group will reveal tips on
passive solar design; Jonathan Cohen of Imagine Energy will explain solar-power options; and Brad Crowley of Harvest The Sky will describe rainwater catchment systems.
Calling all Craigslist scrollers and yard salers: Start saving a little mad money to spend at the Catlin Gabel School’s 64th ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE. One of the largest fundraising sales in the world, the four-day event fills 100,000 square feet of the Portland Expo Center with donated items for sale. Look for antiques, furniture, clothes, toys, electronics, computers, music, videos and DVDs, jewelry and sporting goods. This year’s motherlode includes Tiffany jewelry, oriental carpets, antique furniture and fine art. A first-time online presale will take place in October (go to catlin.edu/newrummages//index.php). Proceeds from the sale benefit the student financial aid program at Catlin Gabel School.
During the Oregon Remodelers Association’s 2008 REMODELERS HOME TOUR, you can visit 19 remodeled homes, meet the remodelers and discuss your own remodeling project. Homes on the tour include kitchen and bath remodels, complete remodels and additions.
The 7th ANNUAL COLUMBIA GORGE ENVIRO-HOUSE TOUR, a self-guided tour in the mid-Columbia Gorge region of Oregon and Washington, will showcase seven spectacular homes featuring passive and active solar, water harvesting and efficiency techniques, the latest in green products and methods, and the best in natural building with strawbale and earthen structures. On the Friday before the tour, you can hear a keynote speaker and representatives from local sustainable organizations and businesses. On the Saturday after the tour, you can enjoy a harvest and brew celebration. The Columbia Gorge Earth Center, a nonprofit based in Hood River, sponsors the tour.
