Archive for January, 2008

LAREé FELTONJanuary 7, 2008

Is your favorite restaurant keeping up with current trends?

Consumers are beginning to think twice about supporting a business that does little to nothing to alleviate the impact that its processes have on the environment. This is especially true if the company produces luxury goods or if the consumer has abundant substitutes to choose from.

To date, most media attention focuses on huge companies in polluting industries — or the inverse, huge environmentally friendly companies. Many of the latter have found “green” advertising to be a marketing tool to use to their advantage. Indeed, consumer awareness of environmental issues has fostered a newly emerged, market-driven demand for products that are produced in a sustainable manner.

Marriott International recently gained media attention with its “green” initiatives, and a new Hilton hotel in the Vancouver, Wash., Esther Short Park generated publicity awards for green-building standards. Burgerville has made strides toward sustainability with efforts to use local ingredients and wind power energy, and Hot Lips Pizza was recognized by HBO and Fortune Magazine in its effort to reduce the effects of global warming.

The majority of restaurants have not picked up on sustainable business practices. They are guilty of:

# Little or no recycling of glass bottles, containers, plastic, paper or cardboard, much of which becomes garbage.

# Excessive waste of food items, from veggies to noodles to dressings that are pre-portioned in plastic containers and bags.

# Packing garbage cans in the kitchen with Styrofoam portioning bowls, lids and plastic bags.

# Limited or no conservation policies or training.

Some, usually smaller restaurants, do make sustain-ability a priority. Carafe, a neighbor-hood French bistro in downtown Portland, is leaps and bounds ahead of the industry.

“We just believe it’s the right thing to do — we have children and we want to hand them the earth in a good state,”owner Pascal Sauton said. “It’s actually really easy to do.”

Carafe recycles practically everything. Food waste is turned into compost through a program in their building, and cooking oil is turned into bio-diesel.

Finding local and sustainable suppliers is of utmost importance to Sauton. He has implemented a policy of attaching food-miles to products using the distance from the source to the restaurant. Miles are then kept at a minimum.

“We want to be a model for others to jump on the bandwagon,” he said.

Sauton has been actively involved in local chapters of Ecotrust and the Chef’s Collaborative, which promote sustainability practices in the restaurant industry. Significant growth in these organizations suggests a more optimistic outlook for the future.

“The city of Portland is making it easier by providing programs and information for businesses. There are still a lot of bigger places that see it as a hassle, so they just never look into it. But there is increasing pressure to be responsible. I do see the future as very positive.”

If management begins working toward sustainability initiatives now, restaurants can save on future costs of dramatic restructuring as well as negative publicity. Management also may consider the benefit of positive publicity that would come with pioneering “green” restaurant initiatives. These are small steps management can take to lessen the environmental footprint, not only for the future viability of the business, but to minimize the impact of restaurants, and all businesses, on the earth.

According to the Oregon Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry employs one in 14 payroll workers in Oregon. It is second only to local government in number of workers employed.

With a growing consciousness of environmental issues in society today, it is only a matter of time before the restaurant industry’s dirty little secret becomes a greater topic of interest.

LaReé Felton of Vancouver, Wash., is a joint-degree student in business and law at Willamette University. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Washington State University in 2003. She wrote this article for Atkinson Management Today, which is available at www.willamette.edu/agsm/amt.

Well, it’s a new year, and EcoShuttle has high hopes for 2008! As we’re still a young and budding company, we look forward to spending a lot of our time, energy and focus on the ECO Program. The first couple days of the new year are in itself proof that we’re not only making progress, but we’re ready to enhance the landscape of commuting within Portland and surrounding areas, and this can be a viable program for most companies.

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Where: The Buchan Reception Room
1st Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Avenue

What: Free! Come share your ideas on how we can work in partnership to support an economic system that values caring for humans and the earth. You are already changing the world and your ideas are important! Help support what is silently emerging… help make the invisible visible! The Real Wealth of Portland!

On October 26, 2007, Dr. Eisler and a panel of Portlanders spoke to a wonderful crowd — more than 350 people — who are inspired by the idea of partnerism. The panelists were:

• Jennifer Allen, Associate Director of the Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices at Portland State University
• Scott Nine, Executive Director at the Village Free School
• Leslie Pohl Kosbau of Portland Community Gardens
• Alan Rosenblith, producer of “The Money Fix” and advocate for a local credit system

How: Ride with EcoShuttle

Where: Discovery Center

What:  South Waterfront Community Relations welcomes the Friends of Ross Island to the Discovery Center for a presentation about the Ross Island vision and the process moving forward. While at the presentation guests can sample Salmon Safe certified wines from Argyle Winery, Lange Winery and Ponzi Vineyards, as well as try sustainable food from Phresh catering.

How:   The earth-friendly EcoShuttle will take you to the nearest bridge to our home office to discuss the vision and give you a taste of what a wine tour feels like.  Reserve your seats now!

Please RSVP to jeremy@southwaterfront.com or call 503.222.7788

What: Monthly meeting held by the Multnommah Food Policy Council

Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council

Where: Multnomah County Building
501 S.E. Hawthorne
Room 625

How:  EcoShuttle

What: Solar Now! Basics of Going Solar Workshop

Learn the steps for going solar at your home or business — from selecting a contractor, deciding on the appropriate system for your home or business to cash incentives and tax rebates.

Where: 721 NW 9th Avenue, Portland, OR (Ecotrust Building)

How:  Use sustainable transportation to get there and back.  Reserve your seats now on the EcoShuttle!

RSVP is requested. Please visit Solar Oregon for more information and to register.

45.5117, -122.684

What: Transportation Seminar – Bicycling in London: Innovations, Outreach and Progress.  Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies Winter 2008 Transportation Seminar Series.

Speaker: Steve Durrant, Alta Planning and Design.

Where: PSU Urban Center Building, SW 6th and Mill, Room 204

How:  Ride your bike onto the EcoShuttle.  Reserve your seats now!

What:  This year the Portland Japanese Garden will celebrate O-Shogatsu (New Year’s) with a special Family Day on Sunday, January 13 from Noon-3pm. The event will be held in the Garden’s Pavilion and will include tea, sweets, traditional New Year’s activities for kids, and calligraphy writing. 
Where:  Japanese Garden: 611 S.W. Kingston Ave.
Portland, OR 97201

How:  EcoShuttle will take you there!

Original Link: http://www.iberkshires.com/story/25573/Greenhouse-Gas-Progam-Passed-by-Senate.html

- January 03, 2008

BOSTON – A New England-wide initiative to reduce greenhouse gases got the OK from the state Senate on Wednesday; it now heads to the House.

Passage by both chambers will secure the state’s current and future participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

“This bill provides actionable measures for directing industry towards more sustainable practices,” said Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield. “The passage of this legislation will be a clear sign of the commonwealth’s commitment to preserving and repairing our environment. I am glad to count myself among the supporters of this bill.”

Gov. Deval Patrick signed the agreement last January, entering Massachusetts into a nine-state coalition plan starting in 2009 to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from larger power plants in the New England and mid-Atlantic region. Seven governors have signed the agreement.

Under RGGI, participating states will stabilize carbon-dioxide emissions at current levels from 2009 to 2015, and then proceed with a 10 percent reduction by 2019.

The agreement establishes a carbon dioxide “cap and trade” program that sets limits on total emissions permitted from certain power plants in an effort to reduce emissions. It also requires power plants to hold “allowances,” or a right to release one ton of carbon dioxide, to cover their emissions.

Emissions allowed under the cap will be divided into individual permits and allocated by each state to the power plants. This is the nation’s first regional cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions and has been heralded as a model for other states and the development of national climate-change policy.

Power plants without sufficient allowances to cover emissions can either reduce their greenhouse gases or purchase allowances from other power plants that have successfully reduced their emissions without maxing out their allotted allowances.

All sales will be completed through a regional market auction. Proceeds will be deposited into the RGGI Auction Trust Fund. Allowance auctions will be conducted by an independent entity assigned by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

The auction fund will be used to protect municipalities whose property tax receipts might be reduced because of RGGI. It will also be used to promote energy efficiency and conservation, and also to promote renewable energy technologies.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney had opted out of the agreement in 2005; making the initiative law would remove its implementation from the governor’s office.

The measure now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

What: The Portland Bridal Show returns! The Bridal Show is an excellent way for soon to be Brides to meet Bridal Photographers, Bridal Cake Designers, Gowns, Florists and much much more! It is the must see event for all future Brides! Get your tickets now!

Where: Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard
Portland, OR 97232

How:  Gear up for wedding season and get a preview of sustainable transportation for your guests!  Reserve NOW!