Ashland Co-Op to remove all GMO products Off of Shelves

The Ashland Co-Op (one of the best health food stores I've been to), a local health food store in Southern Oregon, has decided to remove all products that might be questionable as to whether or not it's Genetically modified. Most genetically engineered foods comes in the form of corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed products. There are estimates of up to 70% of processed foods containing GMO ingredients. More and more shoppers, especially in Oregon, are demanding that their local supermarkets order a wider variety of organic food, because by definition organic food is non-GMO.

Most people want labeling for GMO ingredients but have no way of being able to effectively avoid it. Back in 2002, a state ballot measure was created to label foods with GMO in it, but was defeated when Monsanto Corporation poured millions of dollars in advertising in the state.

Oregon consumers seem to be on top of its game in at least recognizing the problem with GMO food. People end up voting with their dollars by avoiding conventionally grown produce and eating healthier organic food.

Physicians for Social Responsibility or PSR and other groups are fighting for federal laws that mandate labeling of GMO food.

Here in Eugene, we have several health food stores including Market Of Choice, The Kiva, Capella's, and Sundance Foods that offer a wide range of organic produce and foods, as well as food that was grown or manufactured in Oregon. The Saturday Market in downtown Eugene is also a great way to connect with and support local farmers who grow organic food. Another great resource if you're new to Oregon is the Oregon Farmers market Directory

A Growing Greening Eugene

As I drive to and from work everyday I can't help but notice the trend of growth here in Eugene, Oregon. Traffic on West 11th has seen a significant increase during peak daytime hours including lunch hour. I can clearly see structures being built left and right adding to the congestion of West Eugene. Larger corporations are claiming their stake for the high volume traffic that connects West Eugene to downtown including Staples, Applebee's, and soon to be Lowe's Home Improvement.

These places ultimately hope to capitalize on a gap in what the city doesn't already offer. In just the last two years of living in Eugene, I can already see a difference in the amount of increased traffic to the area. Local politicians are already talking about what to do with the increase as well as local activists and organizers that wish to see minimal negative impacts. Talks of adding an EMX line with a dedicated lane have been discussed, as well the use of a trolley or light rail system. All in all, it is unlikely that a light rail or trolley system would be approved due to its high cost, and adding an additional lane to already crammed streets could be difficult.

With Enterprise Rent-A-Car opening a call center in downtown Eugene providing up to 200 jobs, growth does seem to be on its way. Ideas are being hashed out over what to do with the developer that is still willing to work with Eugene on its downtown development. It seems like decisions are hard to come by. Everyone has their own vision of the utopian city they envision for Eugene. All the fighting over how to handle growth has not surprisingly stopped the fact that Eugene recently landed in the top 5 Greenest Cities over 100,000 people on a report published by Popular Science Magazine.

The fact is, changes could occur with unfavorable outcomes eventually due to the city's lack of funding for essential public services. The city wants growth in a sustainable manner and even has plans for a new city hall and police department but can't seem to balance their budget or charge the right amount of taxes to Hynix. Due to the Hynix imbalance alone, the city has to come up with a hefty $7 million dollar refund in which it has to cut funding to schools and other services. How does the city plan on paying for additional projects?

My largest fear for the future of Eugene stems from the recently appointed Jon Ruiz as city manager voted in by city council. His previous experience comes from an assistant city manager position from the city of Fresno, California. As quoted from the City of Eugene's website, Jon Ruiz has experience in:

downtown development and economic development, finance and budget, outcome-focused government, regional transportation planning, and infrastructure funding and construction.

Essentially, this guy with his 2 years of experience in Fresno, CA (the epitome of suburbia) is going to run our city and arguably yields more political clout than the city council and mayor. From the quote provided by the city of Eugene above, it is clear that Mr. Ruiz's experience in those issues, which are clearly similar to issues in Eugene, could prove useful. However, his ability to run the city as manager will unfold after he takes office on April 14th. His only concern should be that this city is not like Fresno by a long shot, and the citizens that reside in this city will closely be watching his every move.

Peak Oil, and the Post Carbon Institute

Upon being a part of and attending the Green Earth, Home, and Garden show in Lane County, Oregon, I came across quite a variety of promising movements and green trends that indicate an overall shift to a greener awareness in the publics mind. As an exhibitor and a volunteer for the Oregon Toxics Alliance I was able to get a sense of the perception most people had towards the environmental movement. One most notable person I came across was Doug Black who is a part of a group that's trying to raise awareness on the issue over peak oil. If you are a local member of Lane County, please visit the Re-localize Eugene Group, and if you live anywhere else the parent site is at www.relocalize.net. The group is dedicated to re-localizing the economy in preparation for a peak oil crisis.

The development of Post Carbon Institute came out of concern for the environmental, social, political and economic ramifications of global over-reliance on cheap energy.

The Post Carbon Institute of Eugene "raises awareness of and promotes local, sustainable responses to the global crises of declining supplies of cheap, reliable energy; natural resource depletion; climate change and environmental degradation."

Some great sources for information on the peak oil issue can be found by watching the following documentaries: