Eugene Fire Department Burns old Home for Practice

On my way to work this morning I saw the Eugene Fire Department sectioning off this house out in West Eugene right by Hynix. I wondered what they were doing, but soon realized that they were about to burn down one of those ratty little houses on the corner of Willow Creek and West 11th.

So I ran out of my work and took some shots of the smoke that billowed away as they set the house ablaze and subsequently put out the fire. I couldn't help but choke on the smoke filled air as shown in the photos taken.

I approached two firemen at the scene to inquire about the situation. They told me that they had just set the house on fire as a training exercise to put it out. The property most likely was given up by the owner so as to not have to pay for demolishing expenses. While I am sure the Eugene Fire Department needs "practice", I can only say that perhaps they should have let nearby businesses and residents know of what they were doing. I am working a couple buildings over and the smoke is very irritating for my lungs and for others too. I probably shouldn't have gone as close to the fire as I did, but I really wanted to get some good shots of the smoke and the flame.

My only real concern was that the house must have been over 50 years old, and who knows if any asbestos or lead paint or other toxic hazards could have just been released into the local air. In my point of view, the fire department was a little irresponsible in taking into consideration the health effects of this planned burn.

Any comments?

Oregon Chosen for Peak Sun Solar Facility

Oregon seems to be a viable spot for solar companies to settle in. Is it because Oregon is so much more cheaper than say California? Peak Sun, a silicon photovoltaic manufacturing company, will choose Millersburg with an $18 million dollar investment.

The project will start out with hiring 50 workers, but will eventually expand to 500 workers and an additional $700 million in investment by 2011 (phase 2). According to Ted Kulongoski, Oregon is on track to be North America's largest photovoltaic producing state by 2009.

News like this is extremely good for the Oregon state economy. It puts Oregon at an especially high rank among other states for having so much renewable energy investments including it's 7 tidal wave energy projects.

Peak Sun Silicon produces granular, electronic-grade polysilicon for photovoltaic system manufacturers. Photovoltaic silicon cells are used to make solar energy panels.

Phase one of the projected is expected to be operational in the fall of 2008.

HumanCar: A Human Powered Hybrid to be built in Central Oregon

HumanCar, a Seattle based company will be featured on "Invention Nation" on the Science Channel on Monday November 26th. The company wants to build a factory in Bend, Oregon where they hope to manufacture and sell 3,000 human powered hybrids a year.

The human powered hybrid cars are zero emission vehicles that utilize a push pull hand mechanism and regenerative braking to provide power to batteries that would drive the vehicles dual electric motors. Whoa! This is a first, and the company is happy to market the vehicle right here in Oregon where the market is hot.

The car only weighs 400 pounds as it is made of aluminum and carbon fiber. It can seat four people and the cost is estimated to be around $15,000. The one draw back is that the vehicle is only legal to drive in city streets with a speed limit of 35mph or less. It would be perfect for any small Oregon city or downtown area like Eugene, Springfield, or Corvallis.

Chuck Greenwood, the company’s Bend-based marketing executive said that he is hoping to generate a buzz from the publicity on the Science Channel. If 100 pre-orders are filled, then the company will pursue financing to build the factory in Bend which could create 100 jobs.

The market for sustainability is definitly in Oregon, and its quite exciting to see projects like these take off. Who knows what will come in the next ten years with all the innovation emerging in this new "eco-market".

Eugene Field Burning Town Hall Attracts Mayor Kitty Piercy

The field burning town hall meeting that took place Wednesday, November 14th during the evening at St. Peters Catholic Church was a hit. As even Mayor Kitty Piercy and Eugene City Councilor from Ward 5 Mike Clark made it out to the event. A classroom full of concerned citizens, activists, and local politicians filled the room in regards to the issue. Can you guess what the topic was about? Well the hour and a half meeting featured a formal presentation covering some basics on the issue. Lisa Arkin, executive director for the Oregon Toxics Alliance lead the town hall with an opening speech and then proceeded to show a short documentary on the ill health effects of field burning to residents in the Willamette Valley. The documentary showed a lot of people suffering from asthma and other respiratory ailments whose suffering worsened during "burn days" this past summer.

A lawyer from WELC or Western Environmental Law Center, Charlie Tebbutt, gave an impressive speech explaining to everyone that exhaustive measures have been taken utilizing two branches of government. He explained that a bill was not given due diligence to ban field burning last year through the legislative branch. He also explained how repeated attempts to sway the governor of Oregon to ban field burning have failed (executive branch), and now the only viable option left is the judicial branch(litigation). Support from Lane County and the city of Eugene would be needed as a plaintiff to sue the grass seed industry. The lawsuit would cost the city and county some serious money to go through with...anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000. Due to its high cost, it would take an awful lot of convincing for field burning to have a real chance at getting banned with the backing of the county.

The rest of the evening was from Lane County Residents who poured their hearts out and told their stories of how field burning has effected their lives and their health. Middle and old aged residents with COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease which is a term to refer to two lung diseases: chronic bronchitis and emphysema, had stood up and in their raspy and out of breath voices told their horror stories of not being able to breath on days that field burning occurred in the valley. The stories themselves were heartbreaking yet passionate and endearing.

Looking at the response of Mayor Kitty Piercy and Eugene City Councilor Mike Clark to the stories of people who were directly unnecessarily effected by particulate matter from field burning was quite frankly...priceless. I really wondered what was going through their heads while all those people told their stories. In the end, they both stayed after the meeting was over to express their concerns. I hope something positive came from this meeting.

Living in Eugene Oregon

Living in Eugene Oregon over the past couple years has been quite interesting to say the least. I was initially fascinated in the differences that there are between Oregonians and Californians. Growing up in San Francisco has given me this very narrow point of view about the world, and moving to Eugene opened that view so much more. It's all the little things about Eugene that I love, the people are extremely nice, literally everywhere you go people are willing to acknowledge your existence and even perhaps throw in a smile or hello. Someone thats on the go in California would never give you the time of day so much as to even roll their eyeballs to look at you.

I am amazed at the beauty of Eugene's trees with endless leaves of various colors. People actually have to rake their leaves, I mean this is something that is so foreign to me. Their are no trees in San Francisco...trees are some long lost species that are put in museums and special parks for amusement and wonder. The San Francisco Bay Area is just one giant cement country with freeways and bridges. Eugene has culture and has not been taken over entirely by corporations that only care about profits. Living in downtown Eugene is so wonderfully easy and fun. Everything I could possibly want or need is all in walking distance. The bars and clubs are pretty decent and the restaurants are top notch. I actually turned vegetarian by living here. There is no way I could even think about being vegetarian in California, there aren't enough options. I love the hippies and hipsters, the intellectuals, the non-profits, the activists, the local politics...literally everything about Eugene is great. If you're thinking about moving to Eugene, give it a visit. It is also not just Eugene that is so great, but the whole state. Oregon has such a beautiful backyard that I would have never experienced if I did not move here. Well thats just my two cents on Eugene anywho... :P

Eugene 2nd Largest City in Oregon

According to new estimates released by Portland State University, as of July 1st, 2007 Eugene took back the title of being Oregon's second largest city. Last year Eugene's population according to the population study conducted by PSU located in Excel format here, Salem held a population of 149,305 people which was slightly higher than Eugene's 148,595. But the new preliminary results for the populations of the two cities now show that Eugene has grown to 153,690 while Salem slugged behind with 151,895. The new 2007 results can be viewed here and are provided by PSU.


Oregon's population continues to grow, with the most growth being seen in central Oregon. From the perspective of living in Eugene, I can see within the past year that Eugene is starting to feel the growth. I can tell that traffic is getting worse, and new buildings and businesses are growing all over town. It's exciting to watch the city grow, but I would like for proper planning. A couple of issues I would like the city to solve with urgency is to come up with a solution to all the traffic jams in West Eugene, and to fill the pits in downtown with something more useful. So 20-134 didn't pass like the mayor wanted to, but now is the time to move on and figure out more reasonable financing options for downtown re-development.

As always, the local politics are exciting and amusing, I can't wait to see how this city turns out in ten years from now.

Toxics Found in Oregon Residents

For the first time ever, Oregonians have been tested for toxic chemicals. Similar studies have been conducted in Washington and other states, however, the latest results from the Oregon Environmental Council. They tested blood and urine for 30 toxic chemicals and found that each person tested had at least nine chemicals in there body. Now the sample size was very small, so there is no way that this study can seriously reflect the population of Oregon. It does show that even though someone may not live in a very industrialized area, that toxics are everywhere.

The Oregon Environmental Council says that sometimes people think that they would only get these kinds of chemicals from living next to smokestack. However, the truth is that it is more likely to get these toxics from the food you eat and the consumer products you use such as shampoo. Still, the levels found in the blood and urine from the Oregonians is well within the federal standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

— Phthalates, a class of 25 chemicals used in consumer products to soften plastics, carry fragrances and act as solvents and fixatives. Animal studies have shown reproductive toxicity, but human health data at low-level exposure are limited

— Perfluorinated compounds, often used in protective coatings on cooking pans, and water and grease repellents for clothing and furniture. There are few studies regarding health effects in people, but animals studies show these chemicals damage organs.

— Bisphenol A: The building block of polycarbonate plastic for some baby bottles, reusable water bottles, plastic utensils, compact discs and coatings that line food containers. In animal studies, they have caused reduced sperm count and impaired immune system functioning.

Source: The Seattle Times

Last Saturday Market of the Season for Eugene

Saturday Market in Eugene is always a welcoming environment that brings a sense of community to the city while it embraces its local culture. It's a chance for local residents to come out and help support the local economy as well as enjoy Eugene's diverseness. I admit that the last Saturday market of the season is always a bit saddening, but my hopes are set on the new holiday market at the county fairgrounds.

Hopefully, as Eugene seemingly grows into a larger city that it will not forget its social connectivity and its array of prideful citizens that all seem to share in Eugene's uniqueness. While the city measure 20-134 didn't pass (hurray), I think the city can finally look forward to making the progress downtown needs with sensible development.

Field Burning Townhall in Eugene

Although the field burning season is over in the Willamette Valley, many residents are still concerned over the short and long term effects of the issue. So in response to valley residents concern, Oregon Toxics Alliance will be hosting a town hall meeting about the issue. There will be speakers, health professionals, and public representatives to answer any questions the public may have. One way you can help out is by signing our petition to pressure the state government to ban field burning statewide. Sign here.

WHAT:

Field Burning Community Town Hall

DATE:

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

TIME:

7:00-8:30 PM
7:00–7:20 – Welcome and focus on health concerns
7:20–8:10 – Stories by those with health impacts
8:10–8:30 – Response from elected officials and Q & A

WHERE:

St. Peter’s Catholic Church Parish Hall,
1150 Maxwell Rd,
Eugene, OR 97404

Klamath Falls Levee Breached Raw Video

The Nature Conservancy used carefully placed explosives to breach more than 50 year old levees and flood about 2,500 acres. The purpose of this is to restore wetlands in the Klamath Basin. This raw footage taken shows how the lake's water will give way to open area that is suppose to help fish. Particularly two species of fish which are only found in the Klamath basin are protected by the endangered species act, and this is suppose to help revive them. The Lost River and the the Shortnose Sucker once thrived in the 50's, however, as levees were constructed for farmland, there numbers diminished. Check out the video...

Mercury drift From China's Coal Plants in Oregon Rivers

Cheap coal is the world's most widely used energy source due to its abundance and availability. The cheap power source has fueled economic growth in booming economies like China and India. It has literally lifted millions of people out of poverty.

China's use of the power source is creating a major problem pollution wise, not only in China but in surrounding countries and even as far as the United States. It is estimated, that it takes between five and ten days for the pollution from China to drift to Oregon. China is in fact home to 20 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world. Oregon has thus been subjugated to the negative impacts of China's pollution.

According to the Associated Press and the Department of Environmental Quality in Oregon, twenty percent of the mercury levels in the Willamette River are from China. How can we ever attack the mercury issue in our fish and water if countries from the east aren't trying to cut back on their greenhouse emitting ways.

China is making some progress, by claiming that it will retire 50 gigawatt's of energy (8 percent of its total grid) from inefficient power plants by 2010. The Chinese government has also mandated that ten percent of its energy come from renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro-electric by 2010. However, China hasn't kept up with all of its environmental promises in the past so it's hard to say whether China can keep its new mandates.

As an Oregon resident that lives very near the Willamette River, I am very concerned about the present and future health of Oregon rivers. It is unacceptable to have to deal with other countries bad habits. I can only hope that new technologies in biology or perhaps nanotechnology will be able to tackle the dangerous mercury problem we all try to avoid.

No on 20-134 in Eugene

I plan on submitting my ballot November 6th, as I still need time to convince my friends to vote. We also need to have a healthy discussion on the various measures we're voting for and against. I am a young voter in Eugene and my decision on 20-134 to increase spending by $40 million on the urban renewable plan was still undecided a couple days ago. The campaign manager that is against the measure, David Monk, managed to sway my vote to his side. I spent a half day with him at a tabling event at HP for the Oregon Toxics Alliance and gained the perspective I needed to vote on the measure.

He helped me realize what I think a lot of young voters tend to overlook. My thoughts on the extra money made me feel that if it were to pass that downtown would get that rapid transformation we all envision. I think that a lot of young voters welcome the presence of corporations as well, due to what they have to offer them...more things to do. However, living in Eugene for a little over a year now, I have come to enjoy profoundly the local businesses which seem to flourish along with the type of people that live here. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area has blinded me to what local businesses even were, due to the fact that every business is a corporate business. Thats all there was, just copies and copies of the same businesses from city to city. I think the people of Eugene owe it to themselves to preserve their diverse local businesses by protecting them with a no vote on 20-134. Even as a young social drinker, places that I love to go to such as John Henry's, The HorseHead, and Jameson's would go away which would be a huge disappointment.

If 20-134 doesn't pass, then it doesn't mean that we will not still get some of the things we would all like to see come to downtown. It would just prevent the city from spending money it doesn't have to protect the interests of the corporate developer which demands a set profit. Why should we bow down to the corporations now when Eugene is such an anti-corporation type of city. Even in the last year, I can tell that Eugene has grown, and more and more businesses that choose to do their own re-modeling and re-vitalization can bring downtown Eugene to life. It really would be sad to see the local businesses I've come to adore go out of business because of some corporation that has setup shop.

I, for one, still have a lot of convincing I am sure, but there is this great resource located at http://www.sensibledowntowndevelopment.org/ with some great ideas and sensible downtown development plans. People should really give this a thorough look before going out and voting on this important city measure. Eugene will one day be a great city home to nearly a quarter million people in about 10 years. The planning that goes into the city right now is crucial to Eugene's future. Please vote responsibly.

Vote NO on 20-134