Inbox

[October 3rd, 2007]

YOUR LOOK, MY BUTT

I picked up a copy [of WW ] today, and most everything is great, but the new logo is butt. Seriously, it has no meaning, is clunky and completely ugly. Not that these things matter—I still pick up the WW for its content—but ditch the logo. It really is horrible.

Geoff St Clair

Via wweek.com, where other readers weigh in on WW’s new look

THE BOW TIE THAT BINDS

I was one of four Portland activists arrested Sept. 24 in Earl Blumenauer’s office protesting against the upcoming U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement [“Earl’s Safe Kingdom,” Sept. 26, 2007]. In private he has said he will vote for an agreement that will devastate the local Peruvian economy, and in public at his town hall meeting on Sunday, he evaded the question.

I was surprised not to see our action mentioned in your article on Earl’s growing troubles with Portland progressives. Earl’s continuous support of business-friendly “free” trade deals is one of many reasons that Portland progressives want an alternative.

Is Earl going to wake up and listen to his constituents? I am starting to think not.

Amanda Shank

St. Johns

METHANE LABS

Your article on NW Natural’s new Smart Energy program to help customers reduce their carbon footprint [“Bull Crap,” Sept. 26, 2007] delved into the minutia of environmental policy at the expense of the big-picture opportunity this program represents. Your readers should know that the dairy-based “cow power” projects described in the article sit squarely in the mainstream of today’s environmental ethic, representing a small yet important part of clean energy for Oregon.

Oregonians produce mountains of organic material from our homes, businesses and farms—trash, food waste, crop debris and animal manure. We’ve traditionally described this material as a “problem,” to be disposed of as cheaply as possible. Oregonians are now viewing this same material as a renewable energy resource from which we can extract both economic and social value.

Anaerobic digesters that turn manure into electricity, hot water and fertilizer are a common practice in other parts of the world. New Oregon legislation recognizes dairy biogas as renewable energy, right along with solar and wind power. Energy Trust of Oregon collaborates with the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association and the OSU dairy extension office to develop such projects. NW Natural’s program simply helps us all move Oregon in this positive direction.

Margie Harris

Executive Director, Energy Trust of Oregon