PDX Fresh

This sunny have-your-cake-and-feed-it-too explanation reveals the slipperiness of sustainability. At its best, it's a light at the end of a very dark tunnel, pointing us toward a future in which we don't need oxygen masks, our kids don't need sunscreen implants and polar bears don't need snorkels. But the term can also be a meaningless, feel-good gesture, a shiny green star awarded for any activity that veers even slightly from the path of heedless consumption many of us have assumed as our birthright.

In celebration of the April 22 enviro-surge known as Earth Day, we put together a package of stories on a range of fresh ideas—whether new or recycled—that Portlanders are bringing to the push for a green tomorrow. Our writers take a look at organic menus, a local chef's take on sustainable food, recycled art, eco-friendly wedding dresses, green sex toys, earthen floors and, finally, sustainable burials. There's a chart examining how Portland's greenness compares with other cities', as well as a roundup of Earth Day events. Plus, to show we're doing our part to save trees, we have two more stories—one on a green hardware maker, the other on a hardcore bike commuter—available only on wweek.com.