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Cold Weather Energy Update

The process to upgrade our home for more comfortable, efficient winter living has been many years in development and will continue to develop as we refine the systems and our use of these systems. It has required a good deal of time and financial investment (which we'll be paying for some time), but the efforts have been well worth meeting our goals: Use local, clean energy and far less of it; Increase the comfort of our home...

Featured Articles

How do I carry my kids by bike?

...transporting children by bike is a transitional process... a family bike is something you buy for the short term, as your children will grow and subsequently grow into cycling options better suited to your and their needs at different stages of life...

Making Room for Mundo

It's been just over one year since the first Yuba Mundo long-tail cargo bike hit the streets here in Portland... Without a doubt, the Mundo is the most capable long-tail bike you can buy...

Milk for the Masses

Back in the summer of 2005 we moved to a new home in NE Portland. Almost immediately after moving in I took note of a unique weekly visit to our neighbor’s home by a lanky, gray-haired man driving an enormous unmarked truck, which obscured my view of his activities across the street. This fascinated and [...]

News & Asides

• This is it, kids, the last week to scoop up a full pallet of Bear Bricks from Coastal Farm & Ranch Supply for $199. That's one full pallet (972 total bricks) of the standard two-pound Bear Bricks --equal to about a cord of mixed (soft and hard), well-seasoned firewood. The deal runs through the end of January, so get to your closest Coastal Supply this week! #
• Great news from the folks at Bear Mountain Forest Products. They have been testing a new, larger Bear Brick that will be introduced soon to their dealers for immediate sale. The new brick is just over three pounds, versus the standard brick, which weighs just under two pounds. All the same performance characteristics apply to the new brick, though when comparing two small bricks to one large brick, the reduction in burnable surface area will likely mean that you'll get a slower burn, which should translate into fewer loads. I certainly look forward to the opportunity of trying out these new bricks. The new bricks will also be available in flay trays, as well as pallets. The trays will be the same size as the standard-size Bear Brick. Currently, there are 81 12-pack trays of Bear Bricks per pallet. A pallet of the new three-pound bricks will have 80 eight-packs trays. Since the eight-pack tray weighs 24 pounds (compared to the 12-pack tray weighing 22 pounds), the total volume of solid fuel is nearly identical to the standard brick. The pricing will be the same, per pallet, currently anywhere from $199 to $250. #
• When gas spiked above $4 per gallon in Portland last summer, the city's already bustling bicycle boulevards clogged with new riders, creating unprecedented bicycle traffic issues. As reported in the Oregonian, it appears the same basic problem has hit the power grid, with Eastern Oregon's new wind turbines butting up against an antiquated power grid. There's plenty of new electricity, but the transmission lines simply aren't up to the task of handling the influx of fresh wind power. What's more, the addition of new power lines means clear cutting valuable forest land. Is it worth the trade-off? #
• The Oregonian's Nikole Hannah-Jones recently published an article outlining Multnomah County's new 15-year food initiative. The county seeks to design a program that will enable the region to locally grow a significant amount of the food that county residents eat. Organizers hope to make this food more affordable and accessible, helping residents move away from processed foods. Organizers have pulled together people from several sources, including the city of Portland, Metro, Portland Public Schools, Portland State University, Kaiser Permanente, Ecotrust, Growing Gardens, New Seasons Market and Burgerville to serve on a steering committee. They will meet for this first time this month and host a food summit early next year. #