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jreed's comments:
on The "P" Word and Climate Change
Whatever happened to "Zero Population Growth?" This term was used during the late 60's and 70's in every discussion about preserving the planet, but I haven't heard any of our leaders use the term in years. Just as we need to look at multiple ways to generate clean power, we also need to look at multiple ways to reduce the stress we place on our planet. Zero population growth should be a serious part of that discussion. Do we avoid this discussion out of fear of offending the religous right and our consumer society advocates? Since most of the growth in population is coming from non European-based cultures, do we risk being called racist for suggesting all cultures are responsible for reducing population growth?
posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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on Up or Out?
I've lived in North Portland since 1992, and love the fact that I can walk to grocery stores, restaurants, the library, and my favorite bike shop. I can also bike downtown in minutes, to work in 30, or I can Max/bike pretty much anywhere. We have one car that sits much of the time, and I'm happy being emancipated from a motor vehicle. I get exercise each day as part of my bike commute through great neighborhoods. I imagine when my neighborhood was first built it was considered a suburb. Now we're inner city and are seeing high density growth, which I favor. At the same time, I love my single family home with its 50 x 100 foot lot. A smartly designed mix of stand-alone homes and higher density units would be my choice.
posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
I'm a 56-year-old bike commuter, and I love the freedom from driving that being able to ride to and from work gives me. Portland is so much better to bike in than it was ten years ago. I know that a portion of my property taxes go for road improvement, as does my car and gas taxes. I also know that my bicyle doesn't impact road surfaces like motor vehicles do. Bicycling also gives me daily exercise. Across the nation most major cities (NY, Chicago, LA) are doing the same as Portland, so this is a national trend. I would like to see an educational campaign to the general public about the rights of bike commuters, as well as the need for all (bikes and motore vehicles) to obey the traffic laws. Before the advent of the car, roads were filled with horses, bicycles and trolleys. We're not going away, so we all need to learn to play in the sandbox together.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Within Bounds
I've lived in Michigan, North Carolina, California, Utah and Arizona. When I travel back to these places I am shocked and dismayed by the sprawl encoutered, the endless strip malls, traffic jams and smog this type of growth generates. The UGB, while not perfect, represents a far better alternative to unbridled growth (just look at Clark County). Every choice has a trade-off, and I'll take this one. We need to continue planning for the day when oil is no longer a viable option - either because of cost, availability or our climate, and density is the best option to achieve this.
Jeff R.
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on Final Footprints
In 1996 my former partner died at Hopewell House. After he died, a good friend stayed behind to wash and prepare his body, which was cremated. We spread part of his ashes in a favorite spot of his up the gorge, and the rest of Gary stayed in a separate urn w/ me. In 2002, in a new relationship, I decided that the rest of Gary needed to rest in our backyard, which he helped landscape. So my current partner and I spread his ashes where he had done some landscaping. It felt so right for us to do this, and the plants just took off! I still look at that part of the yard with warm memories. When I go I want my body to feed and nourish the earth as it has fed and nourished me.
posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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