Portland’s PGE and PacifiCorp ranked as the second- and third-largest sellers of renewable energy among U.S. utilities in 2009, according to the latest annual survey by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Austin Energy of Texas is the only utility in ...

On May 4, NorthernStar Natural Gas suspended development of Bradwood Landing, its controversial liquefied natural gas terminal planned on the Columbia River. The next day, the Houston-based company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The development doesn’t end the long and multipronged ...

Soon after Lori Mason’s first daughter was born, she realized she had a problem. Not with her perfect baby girl – far from it. The trouble was that Mason couldn’t stop buying baby clothes, from tiny sundresses to spendy organic onesies. Buying a complete wardrobe for someone who ...

Portland bicyclist Tim Davis is so jazzed about the Tonquin Trail that he’ll consider moving to the ’burbs once it’s completed – just so he can pedal to work on it. The 12-to-18-mile bike and footpath proposed by Metro will provide a scenic new way to travel between ...

Nancy Bond is a green gumshoe of sorts. As Portland Public Schools resource conservation director, Bond sniffs out waste – in classrooms, gardens and utility bills. Last fall, she did a little investigative work to see how many refrigerators were being used in five school buildings. What ...

Of the 500 it examined on the market this year, it can recommend only 8 percent. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html

This is the second annual ReUse Week but the organizations involved wanted to commit to something more permanent so they created ReUse PDX, a coalition to support "each other and the values of reuse, sustainability, and community-building here in Portland," says Sonia Schmanski, policy coordinator in Commissioner Nick Fish's office, which is helping to coordinate ReUse Week. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html

Green Drop Garage in Southeast Portland didn't loan him a car while it serviced his Toyota, but instead offered him a bike. Quach pedaled to the park, read a book and took a nap. When Green Drop called to say his car was ready, Quach pedaled back. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry want to help better protect the public from harmful chemical exposures. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html

Mike Houck, Portland urban naturalist and executive director of the Urban Greenspaces Institute, has been honored with the Frances K. Hutchinson Medal from the Garden Club of America. The medal was presented in early May at the club’s annual meeting in New Jersey. Houck joins William ...

But our kids are out of the habit of playing outdoors. The average American child age 8-18 spends more than 7 hours daily in front of screens -- television, video games and cell phones, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html

The Stories From Our Watershed is offering a total of $3,500 in prize money for two categories of filmmakers: 21-and-over and 20-and-under. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. July 19. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html

When you can, avoid canned foods because most cans lining contains the chemical bisphenol A. Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/carriesturrock/index.html