Sustainability History Project

Old AM radio tuner, photographer Claudio Divizia, 123RF Stock Photos (www.123rf.com)

Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud radio program this morning was on the topic “Sustainable Oregon and Iraq.” This program featured discussion of two recent developments in regional sustainability efforts. The first was on the five-year agreement that Oregon State University and the government of Iraq entered into help Iraq’s universities in developing sustainable engineering and design programs. The second topic of discussion was on “EcoDistricts,” a new and evolving urban planning concept that seeks to coordinate various existing environmental, equity, and economic strategies in a particular neighborhood to foster cohesive, mutually-reinforcing positive outcomes.

This program this morning got me interested in reviewing other segments of two regional radio programs that I’ve found highly informative over the years, OPB’s Think Out Loud and KUOW’s Weekday. See below the fold for this list.

OPB Radio’s Think Out Loud: I ran a search on Think Out Loud’s Archives page for the term “sustainability,” and the search returned 25 hits, including the following:

“Metro Prez Heads to NYC,” Sep. 1, 2010.
What would you do if you got a call from the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, asking you to make his city green? If you’re David Bragdon you jump at the opportunity . . .

“The Garbage Business,” Aug. 3, 2010.

Garbage has been in the news lately. On Thursday, a judge in Richland blocked large shipments of trash from Hawaii from going to a landfill in eastern Washington. This happened after the Yakama Nation filed a lawsuit claiming the garbage would bring with it significant environmental risks . . .

“Green Buildings,” May 28, 2009.

Along with rain and microbrews, Oregon has a reputation for being at the fore of the green building movement. Portland certainly has its share of buildings boasting the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification . . .

“Green Collar Jobs,” March 3, 2009.

Green jobs: you hear about them everywhere these days, including Governor Ted Kulongoski’s to do list. Last October he set out a green agenda for 2009 . . .

“Greenwashing,” Feb. 12, 2009.

When you look for a car mechanic, a toy, or a running shoe, do you think about the environment? If you’re planning a wedding or a funeral, do you consider the sustainability of the event? I find differentiating between green and sustainable very difficult . . .

“Capping Carbon in the Northwest,” July 24, 2008.

What effect can a regional policy have on a global issue like climate change? . . .

KUOW’s Weekday: I ran a search on KUOW’s Advanced Search page restricted to the Weekday program for the term “sustainab*” from Jan. 1, 2000 to present, and the search returned 61 hits, including the following:

“The Oceanic Food Pyramid,” Jan. 6, 2010.
For people who want to eat seafood sustainably, determining which fish to eat can be vexing . . .

“Environmental Businessman Ray Anderson,” Sep. 30, 2009.

In 1994, Ray Anderson decided that his carpet business could be both ecologically friendly and profitable. He wasn’t wrong. His company, Interface, has cut greenhouse gas emissions . . .

“Turning Your Business ‘Green’,” May 13, 2009.

How can a business reduce its carbon footprint? A brewery in Fremont teamed up with its neighbor, an energy company, to swap used hops for methane energy and flavorings. How are other local businesses improving their sustainability? . . .

“Michael Pollan on Food Policy,” Jan. 12, 2009.

There was much chatter in the blogosphere calling for President–elect Obama to appoint Michael Pollan as the new Secretary of Agriculture. He wasn’t, but he joins us today . . .

“Capitalism vs. Environmentalism,” July 22, 2008.

Environmentalist Gus Speth was an adviser in the Carter White House. Today he says we need to make basic changes to capitalism if there is any hope of avoiding environmental catastrophe . . .

“Planned Obsolescence and Greener Gadgetry,” Jan. 30, 2008.

The nifty gadget in your hand is expected to break or go obsolete at some point. That’s called “planned obsolescence.” Critics say planned obsolescence — and the continuing cycle of desiring, purchasing, and discarding — is the heart of consumer culture . . .

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