Eco-Portal: An Information Gateway Empowering the Movement for Environmental Sustainability
Earth News
July 11, 2008
- Mississippi Street Fair on July 12 offsets carbon footprint with wind, cows
July 12, 10AM – 7PM
Admission to the fair is free
Located on N Mississippi Avenue between Skidmore and Fremont
Fun for the entire family with Kid’s Corner activities, BBQ Rib-off competition, beer & margarita gardens, community marketplace and events sponsored by Mississippi Avenue’s eclectic array of
locally-owned businesses.
Carbon info after the jump...
Via Press Release:
As one of the first carbon neutral street fairs in Portland, the Mississippi Avenue Street Fair will encompass over 160 vendor booths and a fiery den of smoking BBQ’s in the Rib-off competition. Through the generous sponsorship of Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program and Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development Event Recycling Program the Street Fair will be
going carbon neutral.
The Renewable Energy Credits (REC) to offset the electricity used in the booths and the music stages are allocated to the Judith Gap Wind Farm in Montana. This Judith Gap Wind Farm is one of the first major wind-energy projects in Montana and the state leased land revenues help fund public schools and colleges in Montana. This illustrates how far a green dollar can go in supporting both our environment and our communities.
The carbon offsets or Verified Emission Reductions (VER) are coming from the Brookside Dairy agricultural methane project. The Brookside Dairy is located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania and is home to 775 cows. The dairy farm has been in the family for 200 years. Approximately 425 milk cows contribute to the anaerobic digester that captures methane from manure and then pipes that methane into a generator producing electricity. The biogas process reduces greenhouse gas emissions, produces power & heat and minimizes odors. This is another example of our green dollar helping the environment and our communities, by reducing waste and supporting innovative operation in this family farm.
The Office of Sustainable Development will provide recycling bins that capture not only glass, aluminum and paper but compostable food waste as well. The compostable food waste, which includes food soiled paper, will be delivered to Cedar Grove Composting. At Cedar Grove Composting, these food wastes will be processed into high quality soil amendments for natural gardening, erosion control, storm water management and agriculture.
- 6 months
source: (EcoMetro Portland) - Installed renewables reach 7,950 MW, says Iberdrola
The company promises to continue to install 2,000 MW per year until 2012. - 6 months
source: (Cleantech Group - Latest clean technology news) - London dances to beat of eco-club
The self-styled "world's first ecological nightclub" opened up in London — with cyclists and walkers getting in free and a dance floor that generates electricity when people move on it.
- 6 months
source: (msnbc.com: Environment) - EPA stalls on emission controls
The Supreme Court has told the Environmental Protection Agency it has the authority to impose regulations on emissions with the Clean Air Act. But, under White House pressure, the agency announced a different plan. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports. - 6 months
source: (Marketplace - Sustainability) - Manchester Residents Taking Part In Helping The Environment (WYMT Mountain News)
Recycling is a good way you can help the environment and the city of Manchester is doing its part. - 6 months
source: (Yahoo! News Search Results for environment) - Powering California green
The race to deliver renewable energy continues as SCE and PG&E ante up even further.
- 6 months
source: (Cleantech Group - Latest clean technology news) - Top green fashion boutique Greenloop starts annual sale
Greenloop, located at
8005 SE 13th Ave., is one of the foremost eco fashion boutiques around. Everything in the store is selected for green merits and owner Aysia Wright is up to date on fashion trends that the rest of the eco fashion world are still catching on to. This is a particularly good shop for men, who have limited eco fashion choices gathered in one place. Start with conventional cotton chemical facts if you need convincing.
For details and to view the Chinook Book coupon for Greenloop, read on...
Have a Chinook Book? Save 20% on any regularly priced purchase.
Love Greenloop? Leave your review on the merchant profile.
From Greenloop:
Greenloop's annual summer sale starts Friday, July 11th, and for 10 days, you can save up to 70% on some of the best eco-apparel and accessory brands around. Greenloop sells Stewart+Brown, Loomstate, Edun, Peligrosa, Vy & Elle, Jack & Marjorie, Toggery, Del Forte, Pi Organics, Linda Loudermilk and so many more. Checking once is not enough as new items will be added all week long. Sale runs 10 days only, so shop early for the best selection.
- 6 months
source: (EcoMetro Portland) - Storm watch issued as hurricane nears Bermuda
HAMILTON (Reuters) - A tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda on Friday as Hurricane Bertha, the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic storm season, neared the wealthy mid-Atlantic British colony, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.- 6 months
source: ( Reuters: Environment) - Storm watch issued as hurricane nears Bermuda
HAMILTON (Reuters) - A tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda on Friday as Hurricane Bertha, the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic storm season, neared the wealthy mid-Atlantic British colony, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.- 6 months
source: ( Reuters: Environment) - Vale signs agreement with environment ministry on responsible sales - Brazil (Business News Americas)
One day after mining giant Vale (NYSE: RIO) was fined US$3.1mn by Brazilian environment regulator Ibama , the company signed a commitment with the country's environment ministry to sell ore only to certified pig iron producers using legally purchased inputs in their production chain. - 6 months
source: (Yahoo! News Search Results for environment) - Binge Drinking Tied To Conditions In The College Environment (Science Daily)
Heavy alcohol use, or binge drinking, among college students in the United States is tied to conditions in the college environment. The review of a landmark 14-year study cites factors such as easy access to alcohol, low prices and special promotions, weak control policies and lax enforcement. - 6 months
source: (Yahoo! News Search Results for environment) - Bottled Water: as Terrible as We Suspected
Despite bottlers' green claims, Swiss study says that their impact is 1,000 times as great as tap. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - Bottled Water: as Terrible as We Suspected
Despite bottlers' green claims, Swiss study says that their impact is 1,000 times as great as tap. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - Bottled Water: as Terrible as We Suspected
Despite bottlers' green claims, Swiss study says that their impact is 1,000 times as great as tap. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - Making the Pitch (Money Part Deux)
Yeah, so....right. Money.
Friday was a low point for me in this business thing. I realized that my own money was fast running out and that if I keep paying my production coordinator her much deserved salary I would be near zero in a few weeks. I started wondering if I would have money to pay for dog food. I'm not kidding.
Luckily a friend called in the midst of all that and reminded me that this is par for the course. And it was Friday. I take Saturdays off. (I have to do that or else I'll be certain to kill someone come Monday morning.) By Sunday I was back in the game.
A few weeks ago I reached out to people who had started their own companies for advice and counsel and I got a really good lead on how to right a power point funding pitch. Here's the link, Seattle Alliance of Angels, it will come in handy for any of you who are reading this blog with the hopes of starting your own business.
Now the question is- how do I get this in the hands of people who have the money to support CROW? How do I negotiate with them?
We have a couple of things going for us....well, no we have A LOT of things going for us:
- We are post-launch- up and running and proven to have a good product.
- The media and eco-fashion blogs love us.
- Our sliding-scale is marking us as unique.
- The customers love our clothing.
- We got off the ground for under $15,000.
- Our team is excellent, dedicated and amazing.
- Our concept is great and people get it.
- In two months, we've filled orders from 21 states and three countries.
Just to name a few things....
So why aren't we selling like crazy?
It's really just a matter of time, publicity, and the American public getting out of a media-hyped economic funk. Consumer spending confidence is down because (in part) due to gas prices going up, but I believe it's also because the media has created a near mass hysteria about the housing market. Last week I heard a report that the housing market was rallying and that in ten cities, including Portland, prices were again on the rise. This of course didn't get nearly as much coverage as the "failing economy." I lived through our last bad recession and I can attest that when the market decides it's over, it's over. and "the market" are people- so it's really in our hands.
It is also true that, believe it or not, a recession is actually a great time to start a business. You can get people interested in your product and just waiting to buy as soon as they feel flush. When the market rallies and grows, your business benefits. It's pretty cool actually.
So I'm confident in what we've done and how we've done it.
But, I don't have wealthy friends and my family isn't the kind I can turn to and I'm too old for that anyway. So I am entering this rather intimidating world of searching for investors. I'll admit that I'm scared. Burning through your own money is one thing, putting other people's money to work is something different. Of course as an artist I've done that through grants and fellowships, so I shouldn't be wary, but those didn't insist on profits.
So how to proceed? I looked at the model I had already set up in my company- green, transparent, community oriented, fearless. That led me to upload the pitch to YouTube and our blog. CROW is a 21st century company so why not raise funds in a 21st century fashion?
Life is such an amazing experiment, isn't it?
- 6 months
source: (EcoMetro Portland) - College Board Cancels One School's AP Scores After Cheating Scandal
Students protest, worrying about their college prospects. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - College Board Cancels One School's AP Scores After Cheating Scandal
Students protest, worrying about their college prospects. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - College Board Cancels One School's AP Scores After Cheating Scandal
Students protest, worrying about their college prospects. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - NCLB May Boost Science Scores, Too, Study Says
Findings counter critics who say focus on math and reading is at the expense of other subjects. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News) - NCLB May Boost Science Scores, Too, Study Says
Findings counter critics who say focus on math and reading is at the expense of other subjects. - 6 months
source: (U.S. News)