Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2008)
teach-in on global warming at the UO. Energy Round-up is an annual event in Lane County, while Focus the Nation is bringing together more than 1,200 schools across the country to “focus the nation” on global warming. During the daytime hours, there will be talks on climate change at the EMU, a global warm- ing rally and a Sustainable Living Fair. Speakers will focus on topics from “Carbon Offsets 101” to environmental justice. From 10 am until 10:15 am organizers are holding a “campus carbon silence” and are asking everyone to turn off computers and other electrical de- vices as well as not drive cars for 15 minutes. In the evening hours, the Energy Round- up begins, organized by Realtor and energy activist Kathy Ging. There will be a speaker’s forum at 7 pm featuring Christopher Dymond, an Oregon Department of Energy senior analyst as the keynoter. Other speakers will address topics from biofuels to reducing carbon footprints. Last year’s Round-up attracted more than 300 people, says Ging. “I’d like to see Eugene be the creative potential for energy use and radiate this out to the rest of the coun- try,” she says. All the events will take place on the UO campus from 9 am to 9:30 pm and are free and open to the public. Go to www.uore- gon.edu/~recycle/FTN for more information. CLEARCUTTING THE CLIMATE Just in case there’s room in your schedule for one more conference, “Clearcutting the Climate” takes place Saturday, Jan. 26 in what organizers are calling, “a groundbreak- ing effort to bring together the climate and forest protection movements.” Local activist and conference organizer Josh Schlossberg has long been trying to call attention to the affects of logging on climate change. Schlossberg says that logging is the “second largest source of human-caused car- bon emissions.” (According the EPA, the combus- tion of fossil fuels is the largest). “Climate and forest protection issues are in- separable,” says Schlossberg, who works for Native Forest Council, one of 18 forest and climate change groups organizing and spon- soring the event. In an effort to reduce carbon impact, the conference speakers are all local or regional. Speakers include Mark Harmon a professor of Forest Science at OSU, Alder Fuller of Euglena Academy and Doug Heiken of Oregon Wild. The conference takes place from 10 am to 5 pm in Columbia 150 on the UO campus. Go to www.forestclimate.org for more informa- tion and a list of events. — Camilla Mortensen FERRET LOVE What do black-footed ferrets and romance novels featuring bare-chested Indian warriors have in common? Not much, usually, but a Portland blogger recently exposed a plagia- rism scandal that has embarrassed Cassie Edwards, author of over 100 bodice-ripping novels, and has raised $10,000 for Defenders of Wildlife. Candy Tan, a law student who writes about romance novels with fellow blogger Sarah Wendell at www.smartbitchestrashy- books.com, (“All of the romance, none of the bullshit”) lent a copy of Edwards’ Shadow BY PAUL NEEVEL DIANA ROBERTSON A native of British Columbia, Diana Robertson grew up with cats and dogs at home in the Okanagon Valley. As an adult, she has lived and worked in Montana, California, Oregon and Hawaii. Robertson had her first experience in the animal-welfare field while in Hawaii for six years in the 1990s. “I started volunteering at the East Maui Animal Refuge, feeding animals three days a week,” she says. “It turned into a half- time job raising funds.” Following her return to the mainland and to Eugene, Robertson started her own animal-welfare organization, the Shelter Animal Resource Alliance (SARA). In 2001, she opened SARA’s Treasures, a combination thrift store and cat adoption agency, now located at 871 River Road. In the photo, Robertson holds Bandit, a year-and-a- half-old male, one of about a dozen cats and kittens living at the store while they await adoption. “We adopt out 50 to 75 cats a year to carefully screened homes,” she says. ‘We’re more of a thrift-shop boutique, with high- er-quality merchandise. Plus you can shop with a cat on your shoulder.” Learn more at sarasavesanimals.org WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • The Eugene mayor’s race always brings out a string of candidates, some well- organized and well-funded and some not. We will know who they are by the March 6 filing deadline. Kitty Piercy enjoys high popularity in polls, so anyone who mounts a high-profile campaign against her has a good chance of ending up a loser — not a good strategy for those with political ambitions. Is former City Councilor Pat Farr willing to take that chance in order to make a political state- ment? Farr is now working for conservative pollster Rick Lindholm, which might indicate his intentions. The Register-Guard lately, both in news and opinion, is beating the bushes to flush out a conservative challenger. And if it’s not Farr, we predict an unfamiliar name will end up on the ballot — perhaps someone very conservative who wants to gain some recognition and make a fuss. A conservative challenger might be someone who’s inspired by the outrageous Eugene Police Employees’ Association leadership’s op-ed in the R-G Jan. 17. EPD has a majority of reasonable, dedicated cops on staff, but such reactionary state- ments about the mayor and her State of the City address from EPD’s union lead- ers only reinforces negative public perceptions of Eugene cops. And the tone of the op-ed may have an impact opposite of its intentions: rallying support for Piercy. The campaign against Piercy is not haphazard. Behind the scenes in addition to the police union are certain to be pollsters, PR and media professionals, construc- tion and development companies, maybe even John Musumici of the infamous Gang of 9 smear campaign of earlier years. Will progressives mount a serious challenge against Piercy? Probably not, and they shouldn’t. After the filing deadline, we predict Piercy will be the moderate progressive candidate and moderates and progressives will gather around her once again. • An official local campaign office for Obama for President hasn’t happened yet, but some local Barackophiles are starting their own support group that meets at 6:30 pm Fridays at the UO’s EMU Fishbowl. “We met because we believe that Obama can change the direction of this country,” says Silver Mogart of the group. “We met because we were tired of the same political hack game.” The contact number for the group is 513-9650. Any Clinton, Edwards, Kucinich, etc. groups also meeting? How about state and local campaign support groups? Send meeting notices to cal@eugeneweekly.com • BRT and streetcars don’t have to be an either-or proposition. Eugene could build a streetcar system that would complement LTD’s EmX bus system. That’s similar to the approach Portland took with its streetcars complementing TriMet’s MAX and bus system. Congressman Peter DeFazio is well placed to help find the federal money to help pay for it. The first streetcar line should go right down Willamette Street from the train station to 29th and Willamette. Such a line would reinvigorate downtown, help the environment, serve as a major city attraction and boost Eugene’s livability. Streetcars would be far more popular than yet another ugly cement parking garage or freeway interchange. • Inspiring grassroots campaign going on in Portland to gather 1,000 signatures plus $5 each to put Jim Middaugh on the ballot for Erik Sten’s seat on the Portland City Council. Formerly of Eugene, Middaugh was a staffer for both Jim Weaver and Peter DeFazio. He’s a smart, politically astute liberal who has been Sten’s chief of staff. No competitor has yet surfaced. Last week, DeFazio strongly endorsed him at a party in Portland. Bike Portland magazine and website, which tells more about the campaign and candidate, is wildly enthusiastic. Jim, a solid environmentalist, bikes to work. Anna Goldrich, a former Eugenean and also a smart environmentalist, is his wife. If you care about democracy, this campaign is especially inspiring because it shows that Portland’s public financing law works to enable strong candidates to compete without playing the ugly big money political game. Time for Eugene and the rest of the state to sign on. • Isn’t it odd that in all the presidential debates, nobody is talking about global warming, arguably the most profound issue of our time? Maybe it will come up in the Florida debates. After all, if sea levels rise a few feet, big sections of the Sunshine State will be underwater, and salt water infusions will wreck many of Florida’s vitally important aquifers. SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com Lane Area Herbicide Spray Schedule • Ne a r Ma r c ol a El em en ta ry an d Mo h a w k H i g h S ch o o l s: Weyerhaeuser (741-5211) will aerially spray 77 acres in the area of Parsons Creek with Atrazine, 2,4-D Ester (LV-6), Velpar, Oust XP, Transline, Accord herbicides starting Feb. 25 (771- 55059). • I n Ma rc o l a Ar ea : Weyerhaeuser will aerially spray 1,180 acres in the area of Mohawk River, Muddy, Spores, Allison, McGowan, Drury, Whiskey, Parsons, and Seeley creeks and tributaries with same herbicides listed above starting Feb. 25 (771-55066). Compiled by Jan Wroncy, Forestland Dwellers: 342- 342-8332, www.forestlanddwellers.org EUGENE WEEKLY JANUARY 24, 2008 9
