Clackson Newsletter
April 2010
April Unit Meetings
WHAT IS A CARBON FOOTPRINT
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(Calculate Your Personal Carbon Footprint)
The term is used to describe a measure of the direct effect our activities have on the environment around us. It allows us to assess our impact on various global issues such as climate change. It is essentially the amount of “greenhouse gas” (Carbon Dioxide) produced as a result of our everyday lives. We produce greenhouse gases when we burn any kind of fossil fuel, and we burn fossil fuels whenever we use electricity, heating, and transportation, etc.
The term was coined as the measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce as a household or as a business and is measured in metric tons or kilograms of carbon-dioxide equivalent.
An accurate impact assessment is made up of two parts, direct and indirect.
The direct footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of Carbon Dioxide green house gases from the burning of fossil fuels, including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).
The indirect footprint is a measure of the indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the whole life cycle of products we use – for example the energy used to create a plastic bottle, deliver it to a store, recycle it and so on. You will hear people say that you can decrease your carbon footprint by reducing and re-using – this is because the less we buy, the less emission will be caused on our behalf. (Borrowed from the LWV of Portland)
COMPLETE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WORKSHEET ON PAGE 5 OF THIS NEWSLETTER AND BRING IT WITH YOU TO UNITS.
NOTE: THE APRIL SATURDAY UNIT WILL BE REPLACED BY LUNCH AND LEARN.
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
MEMBERSHIP ACTION NEEDED
Lorie James, Executive Committee Member
Springtime is revered as a season for renewal and a surge of energy so we are requesting your active participation for April and May of this League year.
First, for April units fill out the carbon footprint questionnaire in this bulletin and come to units prepared to discuss practical sustainability ideas. Remember that we have two groups of our members who have participated in several months worth of readings and discussions on this topic.
Second, when you receive your mailed copy of the LWVOR Voters Guide, please use it and pass it on to other interested voters. In addition, please take the time to fill out the enclosed questionnaire about LWVCC voter service activities. We are asking that you mail this back to the P.O. Box or bring it to the Annual Meeting.
Third, you should have already received your Annual Meeting book. Please read it and come on Saturday, May 1st, prepared to discuss and vote on program, positions, nominations and ideas on how our League could use $3,000 to enhance our position in our communities and recruit new members. Remember this is the time to give directions to the board on any topic you wish.
You have your assignments now so please get to work and join us on the mountain on Saturday, April 24th, at Lunch-N-Learn to celebrate jobs well done.
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APRIL LUNCH & LEARN: TIMBERLINE LODGE
Heather Drake
For our final Lunch & Learn of the year, we will travel to Mt. Hood and delve into a piece of local history with a local author. Sarah Munro will join us to share her vast knowledge of Timberline Lodge and tell us about her book, Timberline Lodge: The History, Art, and Craft of an American Icon.
Sarah has been a member of Friends of Timberline (www.friendsoftimberline.org) since 1975 and co-authored and edited a catalog published by Friends in 1978. The idea for the book grew out of her service on the board and as president of Friends of Timberline. The book is the culmination of almost ten years of research into the background and construction of Oregon's premier New Deal project—Timberline Lodge. She will talk about how she wrote this history of the construction and operation of the lodge using records from the National Archive, the Forest Service, Friends of Timberline, and the lodge, and conducting interviews with original builders and artists. She will also describe some interesting parts of updating and expanding the art inventory.
Be sure to invite the local history buffs in your life to join us for what is sure to be a fascinating look at one of our county’s treasures.
Date: Saturday, April 24
Time: 11:45 am
Location: Rendezvous Grill, 67149 E Hwy 26 at Arrah Wanna Road (Milepost 40)
Cost: $16 for luncheon. Pay at the door. (Cash or check please.) Cancellations will be billed.
Reservations deadline: 1:00 pm on Wednesday, April 21.
Contact Heather Drake at 503-245-1239 or htdrake@comcast.net
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CLACKAMAS COMMISSIONERS’ CORNER
Pam Ashland
The Commissioners attended a national conference of Commissioners in March.
Work sessions have been limited. The following is a brief synopsis of the presentations.
The Department of Transportation and Development presented their recommendations for increased fees for land use, engineering, and survey permits, plus building codes.
The County will apply for a grant to improve and/or add broadband services in rural areas. The grants will be issued by the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program.
A request for funds by the Government Camp Cultural Center and Museum was made. The recommendation was for a $50,000 no interest loan.
The County will apply through FEMA for an Emergency Management Performance Grant.
SAVE THE DATE! ANNUAL MEETING |
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| When: Saturday, May 1, 2010 Time: 1:30 to 4:30PM Where: Lake Oswego Heritage House Why: Review the accomplishments of last year, review the new budget, make plans for next year, and visit with other Leaguers! Reservations: Contact Pamela Ashland with your reservation by April 21. Please tell her if you can bring a “finger-food” dish to share. Phone number: 503-622-3568. E-mail: misschattr@verizon.net |
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UPCOMING PLANT SALE!
Plans have changed a bit on the plant sale. We have moved the plant sale from the patio party. It would be easier to have the sale in a member's yard. Please continue to save us your starts, and if you plant pots, please plant one or more for the sale. It doesn't need to be limited to the small starts. There will be further information in the next Clackson.
JOIN THE LWVCC RIDERS CLUB
Where would you like to go? Portland’s Classical Chinese Garden, Central Library, Portland Airport, Beaverton, Farmers Market, John’s Landing, Oregon Zoo, a Restaurant or two . . . anywhere public transit goes in the Tri-County area!
For March Unit Choice the Tuesday Unit decided to learn about alternative transportation opportunities in the tri- county area. Unit members welcomed Elaine Wells, Executive Director of Ride Connection with the anticipation that we might learn more about an interesting program called Riders Club. Riders Club trips are a safe and supported introduction to public transportation guided by a “Ride Ambassador.” Each Riders Club is made up of 3 to 15 people and can be scheduled anytime public transportation is in service. And, it is FREE!
Members of the Tuesday Unit would like to invite other LWVCC members to join them for a Riders Club Day in late May. Riders get to choose the destinations and the people at Ride Connection will assist with planning. Please contact any of the following Tuesday Unit members if you would like to spend a day the last week of May with the Riders Club.
Call us to join “the Ride”: Betty Barber @ 503-675-0594, Lyn Gordon @ 503-636-9383, or Ardis Stevenson @ 503-620-2265.
CARBON FOOTPRINT WORKSHEET FOR APRIL UNIT MEETINGS
There are many different tools for figuring carbon footprints. This one is adapted from two sources as shown. Please fill it out to the best of your ability and bring it to your unit meeting for a rousing discussion of what we are, and can be, doing to reduce our carbon footprint. Note: if math isn’t your thing, try the on line carbon calculators provided by the following organizations:
EPA: www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
Climate Crisis: www.climatecrisis.net/calculate-your-impact.php
SafeClimate: www.safeclimate.net/Calculator/
The Facts (adapted from www.motherearthnews.com/Healthy-People-Healthy-Planet/Carbon-Footprint-Calculator.aspx)
- Sixty percent of man-made contributions to global warming come from carbon dioxide emissions; 75 percent of which comes from burning fossil fuels.
- Worldwide, each person emits an average of 1 ton of carbon dioxide each year.
- The average American emits 20 tons each year.
The Calculations
Car emissions:
Estimate the average miles you drive each year and your car’s average miles per gallon. Here’s the formula:
_____ avg miles/year ÷ ______avg mpg =_____ gallons/year
Burning one gallon of gas emits 9 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. So to calculate your driving emissions:
_____ gallons/year X 9 kg/gallon = _____ Kilograms of carbon dioxide/year
Electricity emissions:
Estimate the amount of kilowatt hours (kWh) you consume each year. You can do this by either looking at your most recent electric bill and multiplying the amount of kilowatt hours you were charged for by 12, or go with the typical amount of 3,000 kWh per year.
One kilowatt hour of electricity produced from a coal-fired plant is equivalent to 1kg of carbon dioxide emitted into the air. So, your average kilowatt hours of electricity per year is equal to the kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted for its production.
_____ Kilograms of Carbon dioxide/year
Natural gas emissions:
Estimate the average amount of energy you use each year to heat your home (also known as British thermal units, or BTUs). Just as calculating the electricity emissions, find your last heating bill and multiply the units by 12 to get your yearly consumption.
100,000 BTUs is equivalent to 5.5 kg of carbon dioxide. Here is the formula:
_____ BTUs/year ÷ 100,000 BTUs X 5.5 kg = _____ Average natural gas emissions/year
Airplane travel emissions:
Estimate the number of miles you traveled by airplane last year. On average, one mile traveled by plane equals 0.23 kg of carbon dioxide emissions, so:
_____ Miles of airplane travel X 0.23 kg = _____ Airplane travel emissions For more information about travel emissions, see: www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/2007-11-01/Tips-for-Eco-friendly-Travel.aspx
Direct Totals:
Add the carbon dioxide totals highlighted in bold.
Car emissions + Electricity emissions + Natural gas emissions + Air travel emissions = ________ kg/yr
Indirect Totals
Multiply the carbon dioxide totals calculated above by 2. It is estimated that the carbon dioxide we emit indirectly through purchasing food and other goods and services is twice the amount we emit in the ways calculated above.
_____ Total from above X 2 = _____ Indirect Total carbon dioxide emissions (Kilograms/year)
Conversion of Total Convert kilogram/year to metric ton/year:
_____ Total carbon dioxide emissions (direct + indirect) ÷ 1,000 metric tons/year = _____ Metric tons/year of carbon dioxide emissions
Is your total carbon dioxide emission greater than 1 ton/year? Is it greater or less than 20 tons/year? Where do most of your emissions come from? How could you lower this amount?
ADDITIONS TO MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
New Local Members |
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| Jean Gaittens | Alana Wilson |
New National Member |
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| Nancy Perl | |
MARCH UNIT CHOICE RECAP
Elaine Wells from Ride Connection was the guest speaker for the Tuesday Unit. Ride Connection operates their own fleet of vans and lift vehicles. Door to door shuttles, rides and guidance are given to those needing public transportation.
Representative Brent Barton was the guest speaker at the Wednesday morning Town Center Village Unit. Member Sandy Carter was an excellent and knowledgeable docent for a guided tour of Willamette Falls Locks for the Mary’s Woods unit.
Eleven Thursday morning members discussed options for restructuring League Unit meetings. Sharing what they liked about League, almost everyone mentioned the friends they have made and the people they have encountered that made League easy and comfortable. Some mentioned enjoying work on studies; others liked doing local Action or Voters Service activities.
The idea of units dedicated to “themes” such as sustainability or human resources was discussed, but members felt that the large size of Clackamas County made travel to such units difficult. Another idea offered was to “decentralize” the League structure by giving more power to the various units for various activities such as recruiting new members, choosing program of interest to the unit or even initiating a local study and/or having an Action/Observer chair to follow local government.
It was fun to brainstorm and it was thought the Patio Party might be an opportunity to discuss these ideas with the rest of the members.
Representative Carolyn Tomai of Milwaukee gave an interesting and informative presentation to the Willamette View Unit. She touched on many topics, including the Oregon legislature meeting possibly every year, the Rainy Day Fund, mental health, and senior services. She outlined some major accomplishments occurring during the special session.
The Mountain Unit continued with libraries as a topic. They also had a speaker from the Chamber of Commerce who gave an update and reminded them of Bite of Mt. Hood on 5/1/10. Bob Reeves, Head of Villages of Mt. Hood spoke also and encouraged everyone to participate in the May Town Hall meeting where candidates for office will speak.
April 2010 Calendar
April Unit Meetings: Carbon Footprint
Tuesday, April 20 – 9:15 am, Home of Ardis Stevenson. Unit Leader: Betty Barber (503-675-0594).
Wednesday, April 21 – 10:30 am, Chapel Room, Terrace Building, 8605 SE Causey, near Clackamas Town Center. Unit Leaders: Jeanne Pulliam (503-594-2539) or Lenora Young (503-594-2321.
Wednesday, April 21 -- 7:00 PM. Mary’s Woods, 17400 SW Holy Names Dr., Lake Oswego, Unit Leader: Jean Hoffman (503-697-0833) for details.
Thursday, April 22 -- 9:15 am. Home of Sylvia SmithUnit Leaders: Sherry Finnigan (503-636-5468) and Belinda Wilson (503-636-9339)
Friday, April 23 -- 9:30 AM. Willamette View, Plaza Building, Mt. Jefferson Room, 12795 SE River Road, Milwaukie, Unit Leader: June Routson (503-786-3856).Note: Saturday unit will be replaced by Lunch and Learn this month.
Saturday, April 24 – Lunch and Learn -- 11:45 AM -- Rendezvous Grill, 67149 E Hwy 26 at Arrah Wanna Road (Milepost 40). Topic: Timberline Lodge. Cost: $16 for luncheon. Pay at the door. (Cash or check please.) Cancellations will be billed. Reservations deadline: 1:00 pm on Wednesday, April 21. Contact Heather Drake at 503-245-1239 or htdrake@comcast.net
Tuesday April 27– Board Meeting – 9:15 am (social), 9:30 am (meeting) Board Room, Pacific West Bank, 2040 8th Avenue, West Linn.
May 2010 Calendar
Saturday, May 1 -- Annual Meeting – 1:30 – 4:30 pm, Lake Oswego Heritage House, 398 Tenth Street (corner of A Avenue), Lake Oswego.
May Unit Meetings: Water Study (tentatively)Week of May 18-22: Find more information in the May Clackson. Tuesday, May– Joint Board Meeting – 9:15 am (social), 9:30 am (meeting) Board Room, Pacific West Bank, 2040 8th Avenue, West Linn.
Thank You Corporate Affiliates!
Lake Oswego
Accessories from the heart | 1171 McVey Ave.
Backyard Bird Shop, Inc. | 16949 S.W. 65th Ave. &
8960 SE Sunnyside Road, Clackamas
Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce | 242 B Ave
Lake Oswego Review/West Linn Tidings | 400 Second Street
Mary’s Woods at Marylhurst | 17400 Holy Names Dr.
Otak, Inc. | 17355 SW Boones Ferry Rd.
Sandy
Sandy Funeral Home | 39551 Pleasant St.
Strand Tea Company | PO Box 580
Synergy Consulting Inc. | 729 NE Oregon St., Suite 125, Portland
Welches
Wy’east Book Shoppe and Art Gallery | 67195 E US Highway 26
West Linn
Words Count – Editing & Writing | 2555 Dillow Drive
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