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IN THIS ISSUE Let’s Get Personal Give Us A Hand Letter From The Director New Faces Capital Campaign & Donor List Friends of BRING Volunteer Thank-Yous Volunteer Spotlight More Thank-Yous Composting Workshops Kudos To… Dear EcoMeister New Building Materials at BRING BRING Gallery BRING Make It & Take It Workshops • About Used News/Services Provided by BRING • Reuse and Recycling in Lane County list (Updated 1/8/08) Rethinking Let's Get Personal It’s time to get seriously serious about climate change. If 2007 was the year that climate change finally made it into public consciousness, 2008 is the year to take action. What better way to inspire action than to learn what others are doing? We gathered a few reflections from folks in our community and gleaned some insights from leaders and others outside the state. Bottom line: Our personal, day-to-day decisions make a difference. By changing ourselves, we influence those around us. This puts into motion a multiplier effect, a power not to be underestimated. And in the process of learning how to live a lower-impact life, we’re almost guaranteed to have unexpected rewards, a richer existence, and even some fun. Why wait? Dan Bryant  Senior Minister of the First Christian Church in Eugene (and husband of BRING’s financial manager, Judy Bryant) In 2008 I plan to cut my travel up I-5 in half and to use more teleconferencing for distant meetings. When I can't do that, my desire is to use the train for at least two or three of those meetings. And when the train is not possible, I will use my wife's biodiesel VW—if she'll let me! Sarah Mazze  Neighborhood Program Manager, Climate Leadership Initiative (University of Oregon)About a year ago, I decided to hop on the “eat local” bandwagon with the goal of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that my meals and many snacks generate. I pledged to eat local for one month. I would forsake organic if local was available and eat fewer imported soy products and more local dairy and eggs for protein. I even left my bike at home and drove to pick up massive quantities of local beans and wild rice from the Holiday Market. I acknowledged the distance chocolate travels and mourned its foreseeable absence in my life. But before I made it through my month of eating only Oregon’s bounty, I uncovered several ways I could have gone wrong in my reasoning. I read a study by the Rodale Institute showing that organic farming practices build soils that store two to three times more carbon and release less nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) than conventionally farmed soils. I learned that dairy cows (along with other ruminants) belch methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. Moreover, while I’m avoiding soy products so I can eat locally produced protein, the heifers may be eating mountains of it along with their corn. To cap it all off, several studies have shown the miles food travels to market to be a poor indicator of their climate footprint. Mode of transportation matters, with boats on the less intensive side and planes on the ridiculously wasteful end. I learned that the final trip a food product makes from market to our homes can be the most fuel-intensive journey in the product’s lifetime, as we don’t load our vehicles as efficiently as semis or barges do. Production methods also play a role, as food grown out of season requires heat and usually plastic to extend the growing season, which both add to the carbon footprint. Foiled, I gave up on the strict diet with some relief—I could still eat chocolate without breaking a promise to myself. That said, my habits have still shifted over the past year, thanks to all the other benefits of eating local. Bananas are more of a treat than a daily occurrence. I made myself sick of fresh tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants this summer and am ready for the squashes, potatoes and greens now in season. I’m a sucker for our local goat cheeses, which come from blackberry-eating grazers, and have started enjoying my freezer full of local blueberries and roasted tomatoes. Next year, while I do have goals of putting away more of summer’s delights for winter, I’m looking toward other changes. My political representatives haven’t heard from me much this past year, and I like them to know what I’m thinking. We have so little time to halt catastrophic climate change that we need action on all levels, from the personal to the federal. For 2008, I resolve to speak up. Rusty Rexius,  Rexius Forest ProductsThe most significant change was getting rid of my SUV and purchasing a diesel pickup in which I use biodiesel. We have made a much more concerted effort in recycling as well as energy conservation. We do family carpooling and try to limit our auto use as much as possible. We are soon to replace our second gasoline-burning car with either a hybrid or diesel. We are also looking at the possibility of solar energy. Lastly, we will be continuing in an effort to grow our own food. Climate Master (anonymous) In the new year, I hope to: 1. Work toward gradually eliminating animal products from my diet. In the meantime, perhaps if I choose to eat meat, it will be the exception to the rule and be purchased from a more sustainable source. Find more local and closer-to-home foods. 2. Scale down personal effects and possessions and live even more in the mind of “voluntary simplicity,” including collecting used stuff. 3. Convert my yard into a native garden. It will require less water (and maybe the snails and slugs won't bother it). 4. Ride my bike in the cold weather and even at night. I just have to keep it up as a habit and properly outfit myself so it's not a bother. (Warm and rain-resistant biking pants and a decent headlight, not my duct-taped-on mini Maglite! And maybe some sort of rain visor to shield my glasses from clouding.) 5. Influence others to be more “green”...and hopefully they will eventually want to rub some of that “green power” off onto others they know. Leisha Wood  BRING Education Assistant (AmeriCorps Volunteer)The idea of changing my lifestyle was so daunting for a long time that I just didn’t start. You know the scenario—global warming is upon us, change is futile, there is no hope, what are you going to do about it, you have to live your life, right? This psychology of futility is a hard habit to break, but for me, it started to crack a year ago and I realized that I just plain-old use too many resources and there is plenty that I can do! So I began reusing things. I bought reusable versions of things rather than disposable ones (coffee filters, hankies, travel mugs, oh my!). I stopped eating meat and quietly promised myself to always buy organic. These were things I was familiar with but had stopped doing out of the lazy assumption that it did not matter. I found that once I decided to do away with the insidious laziness of American life, these things were easy to change. There were a few changes that required more effort and patience on my part, for instance the “24-Hour Rule.” I put everything on hold for 24 hours and lost interest in 99 percent of it. But it took me a few months to get the hang of it. It took me longer to curb the amount I drive. I took baby steps, doing what I could when I could, and now I drive my car half as much as I used to and I love the time I have to myself when I bike. There are still so many things I am excited to change in my life, and I’m so pleased to be joining BRING and contributing to a supportive network for reducing our negative impact on our planet. Let’s all live healthier, happier lives! Kelly Hoell  Associate at Good Company In college, I majored in environmental science. After graduation I taught principles of sustainable development in Costa Rica. Returning to Eugene, I became a Master Recycler through Lane County’s program. Two years ago, I was lucky enough to be hired by Good Company, a local sustainability consulting firm. With a background like that, you might think that I would have figured out how to live a truly sustainable life by now. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured it all out yet. I still own and drive a car. I cook by burning fossil fuels that contribute to global warming and I have a weakness for shrimp, which hasn’t allowed me to become a full vegetarian. While I still have a long way to go as I try to understand and reduce my personal impacts on the Earth, I am excited about some recent lifestyle changes I have made that were remarkably easy. Two years ago, my fiancé and I made a commitment to try alternative forms of transportation instead of driving separately to work each morning. Some days we ride our bikes. Other days we take the bus. Most days we carpool. While I still drive my own vehicle occasionally, we save money on gas, and spend more time together and less time in traffic. It has been fun to think of creative ways to reduce our single occupancy vehicle trips. Moving into our home from an apartment made it easy to start a compost pile. Our household garbage decreased dramatically and we have homemade fertilizer for the garden. We joined EWEB’s Greenpower program to support development of renewable energy sources and were surprised to find it only added a few dollars to our monthly bill. We have begun purchasing carbon offsets from The Climate Trust to mitigate our vehicle and occasional air travel. We joined Good Food Easy, a community supported agriculture program, where local farmers deliver a bag of delicious organic produce directly to my office weekly. We now know the people who grow most of our food and conveniently don’t make as many trips to the supermarket! We find that by being conscious of our decisions—both the ones we're proud of and the ones we can improve—we can enjoy the contributions we make and always stay on the lookout for new ways to make a difference. And here are some insights from folks outside our area that are worth a ponder: David Orr  Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin CollegeWhat would a sustainable world look like? To make the transition to healthier ways, to renewable energy and efficiency, will mean reconfiguring a lot of things—that’s a world of front porches, bike trails, local farms, a very different kind of world. It’s probably not going to be a world of big-box stores. I’ve got three grandkids. For me, posterity is three kids who don’t deserve what could happen to them if we don’t do what we need to do…I believe we may be on the verge of an ecological global enlightenment that has the capacity to transform human life on Earth. If not now, when? – From an interview about how to heal the planet (“In Search of a Happy Ending,” onearth, Fall 2007, p. 45). Van Jones  social and environmental activist in Oakland, CA, and co-founder of the Apollo AllianceNote: Jones has launched the “Green for All” campaign <greenforall.org> to get funding for “green collar” job training like solar panel installation, home weatherization, and wind farm construction. The green economy has the power to deliver new sources of work, wealth and health to low-income people—while honoring the Earth. If you can do that, you just wiped out a whole bunch of problems. We can make what is good for poor black kids good for the polar bears and good for the country. – Exerpt from Thomas Friedman, “The greening of America could be the path out of poverty,” The Register-Guard, Oct. 18, 2007. Wendy Lovinger a New York high school student who spent four months at an environmental boarding school in Maine Environmentalism was not a word I associated with myself or my interests. It was a word I associated with radicalism. It made me think of my mother, who carries Coke bottles home in her purse to recycle…I went about my merry way, fueling capitalism, buying [things] I never looked at twice, being generally ignorant of my negative impact on the land. [The school] gave me a solid foundation that encouraged me to change and [an understanding that] being an environmentalist is not just about finding a pet cause; it’s a way of life.” – Excerpt from “Babe in the Woods,” onearth, Fall 2007, p. 31 Colin Beavan  aka “No Impact Man”Note: No Impact Man spent last year with his family (wife, daughter, and dog) working to live a zero net impact life. In his words, they did this experiment “smack-bang in the middle of what some people think of as the most polluting city in the world—New York.” The rationale for the project was this: (lower negative impact) + (higher positive impact) = no net impact. It’s impossible to reduce one’s negative environmental impact to zero, so the concept of the No Impact project has always been to reduce our negative impact as much as possible and then to increase our positive impact. In other words, we reduce the harm we do to the planet and increase the good we do in the hope that, ultimately, we will have no net impact. It’s not intended to be scientific so much as philosophical. Is it possible to live a life doing more good than harm to this planet? What happens when you try? That’s a big part of what this project is about. Anyway, the current stage of the project is the positive impact part, which means I’ve been measuring oysters to be seeded in the New York waterways, helping to build a rain garden to minimize sewage overflow, tending to saplings that filter diesel particulates out of the air, making a temporary park on Seventh Avenue and picking up trash. I’m so sorry that I left these things to so late in the project. Why? Because it turns out that volunteering with local environmental organizations is one of the most joyful parts of the project. When people have asked me what they should do to get started helping the environment, I’ve usually said use less of something—plastic bags, cups, air conditioners, or what have you. These are good beginnings and they help to raise consciousness, but from now on I think I’m going to suggest volunteering with a local environmental group, which I’m coming to believe has the potential to have a far more powerful effect on a person. Susan Och said it wonderfully: “One of the cool things about trying to change the world is that you eventually have to go out and talk to ‘strangers.’ You have to turn off that voice in your head that gives you reasons to avoid people (Too fat! Too old! Carrying a plastic shopping bag! Wrong team sweatshirt! Not like me!) and greet others with sincerity and humility. When you’re just trying to save the world in your head, it seems that progress depends on getting everyone on the same page (‘If only everyone rode bikes...’ or ‘If only everyone was a vegetarian...’). When you get out and talk to people, you find that reality is complicated, and that the solutions are many. Instead of sitting alone, fretting that people will never change, we find that people are changing, and offering fresh solutions for our seemingly intractable problems.” My experience volunteering echoes Susan’s sentiments. – Excerpt from Colin Beavan’s Sept. 25th blog post, “The positive impact of Positive Impact.” Reprinted with permission. Read more about him at noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/. Give Us a Hand! Illegal dumping is a perennial—and expensive—problem for many non-profit retailers. We decided to deter unwanted “donations” by installing these striking railroad-crossing style swing arm gates at the top of our driveway to block after hours vehicle access. They also make it easy to find us—just look for the giant hands. The gates were designed by Ben Rippe of TBG Architects & Planners; the frame was fabricated by LCC welding students with metal donated by Schnitzer Steel; and the colorful BRING logo hands were fabricated and installed by our own Dale Stepp.
New Faces at BRING ECO TIPS Dry Clean Only  Taking winter woolens to the dry cleaners this winter? Look for a company that avoids the solvent perchloroethylene, or “perc”, which is a known health and environmental hazard but still used in about 85% of dry cleaners. Two other solvents to avoid are silicon and DF-2000. Safer solvents are water (administered with gentler detergents and specialized equipment) or carbon dioxide (only 2% is lost per load and less energy is needed so no reason to sound the global warming alarm). Better yet, don’t dry clean at all. Clothing companies are allowed to list only one cleaning method and held responsible for any damage that results from this method. When the label says to “Dry clean only,” try hand-washing or using the delicate cycle on a washing machine instead. Greener Cleaners Speaking of green cleaners, did you know that the products you use to clean your home could actually make the air inside unhealthy to breathe? This is especially true in winter when windows and doors are closed up. Luckily, there are greener cleaners for just about any cleaning job: greasy ovens, dirty windows, clogged drains, tarnished metal, dirty laundry (even dingy whites). Recipes can be found with just a little library or Internet research. Phase 1 Complete—Thank You!
Phase 2 Begins Phase 2 of the campaign will add sales and processing capacity (which we already need); a workshop for cleaning, restoring and adding value to materials; a second bioswale; and all the educational signage and permanent demonstration features, including a rainwater harvesting system, photovoltaic system, gardens, art and much more. Thanks to recent grants and donations, Phase 2 is now under way. Grants Received • A grant of $60,000 from the Collins Foundation will allow us to begin work this winter on our demonstration gardens. The gardens will serve as the educational centerpiece of the Planet Improvement Center and provide a delightful, versatile, community gathering place. We anticipate a two-year time line to build the gardens, with another $30,000 needed to finish it up. • Edwards Mother Earth Foundation has given us a $40,000 grant for Phase 2, their second gift to the project. We are truly grateful for their ongoing confidence in our work and their support of sustainable building practices. • Umpqua Bank has awarded us $5,000 over two years for educational features. • Springfield Arts Commission has awarded us $500 to cover promotional expenses for our new reuse gallery. Our heartfelt thanks for these generous gifts. How you can help: 1) Click here to visit the “Support Our Work” page to: • Donate online. • Make a gift of stock. • Make a regular monthly gift by electronic transfer. 2) Call 746-3023 and donate by phone. 3) Volunteer your time and talents. 4) Tell your friends about us. To donate, set up a tour, or learn more about the Planet Improvement Center, call 746-3023. Capital Campaign Update Thank You for Helping Us Build the Planet Improvement Center! Visit the Capital Campaign Donors page for a list of donors. Volunteers Make It Happen Volunteer Stars BRING is pleased to welcome five AmeriCorps volunteers who will be a driving force behind new project development and community outreach. These skilled interns will plan, promote, and host exhibits, educational displays, and workshops as well as work with staff in developing programs at the Planet Improvement Center. Their efforts help BRING remain a leader in waste reduction, reuse, and conservation education. Chrystal Emiry  Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator AssistantChrystal, a young veteran of volunteering, has worked with three different non-profit projects within their first year of operation. Her first was with HOPE Worldwide–San Diego to inspire those affected by domestic violence to break the cycle of abuse. She handed off the direction of that project following Hurricane Katrina and relocated to Louisiana. There she was a part of the Made with Love Café and Grill, an all-volunteer, grassroots disaster relief project providing hot, healthy meals, clothing, supplies, Internet access, community space, entertainment, and love to survivors. Here in Eugene she has worked with A Family for Every Child, a young and thriving non-profit benefiting Oregon’s foster children with the Heart Gallery of Lane County among its many programs. Now onboard at BRING, she hopes to draw from her experience to help make saving our planet easier for Lane County residents. She’s focusing her sights on creating a resource library of sustainable practice information so that Earth-conscious education will be more easily accessible. She’ll also be working with Michele in volunteer-related activities. Elizabeth Lamb  BRING Gallery _Co-ManagerDriven by her interest in arts engagement, Elizabeth has cultivated her knowledge and passion for the arts through life and educational experiences. Currently a master’s candidate in the Arts Administration program at the University of Oregon, Elizabeth recently joined the BRING team as one of the two AmeriCorps volunteers managing the BRING Gallery. She hopes to dedicate the space to artwork that creatively educates and inspires the community. Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Oregon State University with emphasis in photography and sculpture. Elizabeth has spent the past two summers interning for the Oregon Arts Commission and the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. These internship opportunities have given her excellent first-hand experience in the field and helped solidify her career aspirations. Now completing the final year of her graduate program, Elizabeth is focusing on her master’s thesis. After graduation, Elizabeth plans to continue promoting, participating in, and supporting a thriving arts and culture climate within her community. Nathan Taylor  BRING Gallery Co-ManagerNathan Taylor, aka Nata Lukas, has exhibited and curated art under both names in various venues in the Puget Sound region over the past 15 years. In addition to being an artist, he is also an educator and freelance designer. His concern for the environment and belief that art can play a vital role in addressing these concerns is deeply rooted. He taught a number of college-level art courses including Art Activism, Art and the Environment and Digital Imaging, at Western Washington University. Nathan recently moved to Eugene and is looking forward to contributing to Eugene's vibrant art scene. He hopes to help shape the BRING Gallery into a well-respected venue where art and sustainability can come together to educate and inspire. By providing a showcase for art that is intellectually challenging, ecologically oriented, and well crafted, he hopes not only to give voice to those already creating such art, but to inspire others to do so as well. Patty Stevenson  Garden of Earthly Delights CoordinatorA native Oregonian, Patty has lived from Portland to Ashland. She received her undergraduate degree in graphic design from Oregon State University and is currently in the graduate program for landscape architecture at the UO. Patty loves the Pacific Northwest way of life. Growing up here, she was taught that if you nurture the outdoors, it will do the same for you. She brings this philosophy to BRING. Patty believes we need to learn to be a nurturing society, not a consuming one. As coordinator of the Garden of Earthly Delights, she hopes to inspire, educate, and learn about a more sustainable and beautiful way of living and gardening outdoors. Leisha Wood Education & Outreach AssistantA Pacific Northwest native who spent most of her childhood in Eugene, Leisha has her roots and passions firmly planted here. She’s a relatively new recruit to the environmental education field (see her personal goals for the new year on p. 4) and she is excited to gain this experience through BRING. Leisha is a returning second-year transfer student at Lane Community College with plans to pursue a degree in Education at the UO. She has a passion for teaching and developing arts programs for children. She also volunteers with the SMART literacy program as a reading tutor. Leisha is committed to seeking creative solutions and educating the community about sustainability—so get ready, Lane County!
Friends of BRING Make It Happen One of BRING’s goals is to promote a healthy environment through education, innovative programs and community involvement. With the help of a diverse team of volunteers, many of BRING’s needs are met through work parties, individual contributions and volunteer committees. Volunteers are invaluable in assisting highly skilled staff with everything from gallery openings, mailings, and product organization to demolition projects and landscaping. Friends of BRING offer opportunities for volunteers to interact in meaningful ways while furthering the mission of reducing, reusing, recycling, and rethinking our roles on the planet. BRING Friends meet monthly over coffee and pastries. To get involved, call Michele, BRING’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 606-9093. We always welcome new volunteers. ECO TIPS Junk MailA post-holiday reminder: Getting the upper hand on junk mail is easy and a quick way to save a whole lot of resources. Here are four options: 1. Catalog Choice <catalogchoice.org>: a free service that will rid you of catalogs you don’t want. 2. Direct Mail Association <DMAchoice.org/MPS/>: For $1, they’ll get you off a majority of the junk mailers’ lists. 3. Green Dimes <GreenDimes.com>: For $15, they’ll get rid of 90% of your junk mail and plant 10 trees. 4. Call the companies directly yourself and ask to be taken off their list. Happiness Do you know the secret to long-term happiness? According to numerous studies, it’s community. The loss of our social ties over the past 50 years are thought to be a major contributing factor to depression, substance abuse, and teen suicide despite material wellbeing increasing overall in that same time period. Bottom line: More stuff does not mean more happiness. Reconnect with friends, make new ones, and don’t limit yourself to the human ones. A connected community may be the most important aspect of a sustainable community. More Volunteers to Thank Thanks to our volunteers, who, to paraphrase volunteerism pioneer Harriet Naylor, are serving a cause, practicing their ideals, seeing benefits—and knowing they had a hand in the process. Amazing Volunteer Board Members (See above) Astounding Americorps Volunteer crew (See above) A+ Phenomenal Individuals (See below) Ali Abhors Keegan Albi Malinda Bailey Wayne Bailey Bob Belluci Renee Benoit Diane Bolte-Silverman Tim Boyden Karen Carlson Ruby Colette Linda DeCaccia Jill DeVine Rick Diggs Laurie Ewing Ludvig Ellingsen Beverly Farfan Jo Fenech Pat Ferris Charlie Fleishman Alexandra Gerrard Gary Golden Laura Golden Allison Hassler John Hattenhauer Zach Hegge Pat Hoover Judi Horstmann BJ Hurwich Leonard Keene Alison Klute Eric Johnson Mia LaRiccia Cindy Laurie Jantzen Lloyd John Lowles Trudy Lyne Kate McGee Elizabeth Michan Melinda Miller Sue Orbeton Maylian Pak Jo Palanuk Garth Peek Hal Peterson Carol Petty Janet Rapuport Peggy Robinson Barbara Shaw Jodi Sommers Dave Starner Patty Stevenson Scott Stewart Laura Theiss Rohan Theiss Lani Timm Matthew Treder Rick Truit George Wallace Phyllis Wear Meaghan Weidenheft Betsy Wolfston Steve Uhle Transitions Program Tracey Freel David Jones Wayne Kingsbury Matt Koonz Joseph Lincoln-Dinan Kenai Little Nick Moore Justin Scoble Amory Spindler Caleb West Cody White Glenwood Central Receiving Station Rusty Kindt Wayne Kingsbury Lorraine Teter Bobbie Wilcox Darlene Wilcox CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Renee Benoit Allison Hassler Jodi Sommers Make a Difference Day Volunteers Breanna Burns Amy Gurzick Scott MacDonald Cindy Olson Penny Parks Tejan So Daven Stetson Thanks to Safeway in Springfield, Brian Pech and Umpqua Bank, and Trudi in Springfield for supplying refreshments to our volunteers on the day.
Delta Tau Delta Fraternity Volunteers Liam Bain Ryan Castro Sean Dinno Andy Drake Jake Gordon Damon Harrison Eric Lake Tyler Lively Patrick Sullivan Demic Tipitino Shane Wiley Global Learning Students at LCC Crista Frees Cayla Johnson Crista Marie Lauren Pershen Bethany Sherman Kristin Wurm Less is Best Holiday Fair Mija Andrade Sarah Collins Laurie Ewing Kathleen Hall Sarah Grimm Mimi Huxley Suzy Mia LaRiccia Stacie Keen Marilyn Kent Yvonne Manipon Tana Mason Leisha Wood Contributors to the event: Mija Andrade Bert &Tim Boyden Eugene Wellness Center Anna DeMarco The Green Store Ruby Larson Ruby the Resourceress Saturday Market Science Factory Sweet Life Pâtisserie The Ministry of Taste Aimee Allen Renee Benoit Sarah Hecklinski Sharon Kaplan Bryce Krehbiel John Lawless Celeste LeBlanc David Matsuoka Kate McGee Kristine Nelson Emily Proudfoot Yona Riel Ben Rippe Gail Stevenson Mark Tamas Kelley Totten Betsy Wolfston Network Charter School Garrett Collom Taylor Derezotes Aerie Howland Joe Kaija Jones John Kaiser Neah Kratzer Steve Saltekoff John Smith Sandra Sprague Denise Velasco Willamalane Kids Club Emily Boatman Kyle Casley Hayley Cohn Paige Cole Chase Elliott Sara Fusco Chloe Haines Johanna Henry Tyler Jaciuk Payton Kling Aleanra Lindlaw Brady Lucier Sarah Macmillan Bianca Newell Joshua Roe Alex Rojas Bailey Smith Tyler Smith Corey Solari Day of Caring Volunteers Oregon Research Institute: Karen Bangle Peter Galor Sonya Galor Cynthia Guinn Mike Joyce Laurie Levites Julie Reed Shirley Reeves Dawnetta Rios Pentagon Federal Credit Union: Hayley Allen Krista Cochran Brian Donnelly Kayla Grabler Cammy Green Erika Hiner Judith Leiva Julie Reed Karin Timmermans Krystal Tullar Ryan Wright Oregon Medical Group Yvonne Brown Sandra Caldwell Kathy Grimwood Teena Menge Suzy Paddock Marlene Rojas Brittany Wright Donna Wopodman In-Kind Donations Eugene Rainwater Habitats Kate McGee Landscaping Mid-Valley Glass Rexius Forest Products General Donors Anonymous (2) George & Brenda Clarke Primitive Papers Kudos To… ... Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for agreeing to pay for the installation of solar power on all houses built by Habitat for Humanity in Northern and Central California this year (around 65 homes). ... Publisher Thomas Nelson and the Green Press Initiative for greening the world’s most widely circulated book: the Bible. The paper used will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (the agency to trust) and contain recycled fiber. Amen to that. ... The state of Oregon, for regaining ground on the sprawling issues unleashed by Measure 37 by overwhelmingly passing Measure 49 in November. ... Seattle, for being one of the first major U.S. cities to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to the level called for in the Kyoto Protocol while simultaneously experiencing a population and employment boom. To help more folks stop the car commute, the city has created a 10-year plan that includes the creation of 118 miles of new bike lanes, 19 miles of trails, and better signs and street markings to increase bike safety. ... Washington state’s Redmond High School, where a science teacher and his students successfully lowered their school’s carbon footprint by 72 tons and saved the school $7,500 in electricity alone last year. ... New York, for working on finding ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the power plants in the state. Says Governor Eliot Spitzer, “Absent federal leadership, states across the nation are taking action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce their impact on the environment... .” ... Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, whose mayors are working to do what is oft said needs to be done: building new alliances. The mayors are discussing how the two cities can work together on research and strategies for developing renewable energies, energy efficiency, and green building. ... The U.S. House of Representatives for voting in support of changing the mining law passed by Ulysses Grant in 1872 to encourage westward development. The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act would change this antiquated law so that mining companies actually pay royalties on the minerals they dig up, follow stricter environmental controls, and have some money set aside for the inevitable cleanup. Of course, it still needs to pass the Senate and a veto is already threatened by the White House. These are the makings for a great letter/phone call campaign to let our government know how we feel about this ground-breaking legislation. ... Australia’s new prime minister Kevin Rudd, for agreeing to the mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions laid out in the Kyoto Protocol. This makes the U.S. the only industrialized country in the world that hasn’t ratified this global climate treaty.
ECO TIPS Car Efficiency Idling your car to warm up its engine can do more harm than good. The sluggish oil in a cold engine at low RPM can’t lubricate as well so there’s more abrasion, plus gas combusts less efficiently leading to more air pollution spewing out. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor: once you start your engine, get driving—this is not the time to be idle.Slash Winter Energy Bills Take advantage of a new Web tool offered by the Environmental Protection Agency that gives concrete ideas about how you can lower your energy bills this winter. Check it out at <energystar.gov/homeadvisor>. Better yet, invite a locally trained Climate Master to your home to give a free, customized consultation on how you can save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. Call Sarah at 346-0786 or email her at climlead@uoregon.edu. Composting Workshops Hands-On Workshop (Eugene) When: Saturday, March 1 10 a.m. – 12 noon Where: GrassRoots Garden, behind St. Thomas Episcopal Church at 1465 Coburg Rd., Eugene FREE! Call 682-3470 for details. Hands-On Workshop (Cottage Grove) Saturday, March 29 10 a.m. – 12 noon Where: Garden for the Community Sharing Pantry, 1440 Birch Ave., Cottage Grove FREE! Call 682-3470 for details. Worm Bin Workshops Note: Pre-registration required. When: Saturday, February 23 • 10 a.m. – 12 noon Saturday, March 29 • 10 a.m. – 12 noon Where: OSU/Lane County Extension Service, 950 West 13th Ave., Eugene Cost: $30.00 pre-paid and pre-registered. (Two people in the same family may take the class together and share one bin.) How: Call 682-7320 or email compost.specialist@oregonstate.edu by 5 p.m. the Thursday preceding the class. (The Extension office is closed on Fridays.) BRING SHOWCASE New Building Materials at BRING BRING is well-known for stocking a staggering variety of interesting used building materials, including lots of stuff you’ll see no where else. You can also find lots of low-cost but brand-new materials—things like furnace filters, exterior and interior doors, water purifiers, phone cables, door hardware, nuts, bolts, nails and screws, paint, molding, shower stalls, and compost bins.  So how does new stuff get to BRING?We buy a few select items, including Metro recycled paint and Earth Machine home compost bins, because they nicely complement our mission to conserve resources. Metro Paint is a high-quality product remanufactured from latex paint the public brings to Hazardous Waste facilities in Lane County and Portland. At $13.25 a gallon ($48 for a 5-gallon bucket), Metro Paint is great paint at a rock-bottom price. Earth Machine compost bins, made from recycled plastic, are a great value at just $50, and come with a helpful book for beginning composters. Most “new” items we collect are from area businesses. Some are surplus inventory, remnants or returned merchandise, some come from business liquidations and some are “seconds”—items that have been dinged during shipping or on a sales floor but are still very usable.  Donating these materials to BRING is a triple win. The donor can deduct the value of the donation (to the extent the law allows) and avoid disposal fees. We are able to offer you great materials that might have ended up in a landfill, fulfilling our mission to conserve resources and earning us the revenue that supports our work. The public gets great bargains on quality materials. Where else can you buy a countertop water purifier for $10?Come on down and check out our huge selection of new doors and hundreds of different types of nails, bolts, screws and other hardware, many in the original boxes. You’re bound to be surprised by what you find! BRING Gallery Featured Artist: Babette Grunwald  Jan. 14–Feb. 29Artist’s Reception Saturday, Jan. 19 3–5 p.m. BRING Gallery proudly presents the mixed media and fiber art of Babette Grunwald. Focusing on the link between art and nature, Grunwald creates vibrant works of art from a variety of materials. Her work, often colorful and intricate, is always unique. She incorporates reused materials and frequently addresses environmental themes in her work. Grunwald creates her art in Philomath, where she lives and has a studio. She recently received an MFA in Fibers from the University of Oregon. She is an internationally recognized artist and has been awarded numerous honors for her art. She has exhibited her work in Europe and throughout the United States as well as regionally. The exhibition opens on January 14 and will run through February 29. The public is invited to attend a reception on January 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. Make It & Take It Workshops BRING will be offering occasional low-cost workshops ($15-25) to create functional products out of used materials. Workshops will be hosted at BRING by different volunteer instructors—an eclectic mix of people, stuff, and ideas coming together to make something unique and practical. Check BRING’s website or the bulletin board at the Planet Improvement Center to learn of upcoming workshops. Enrollment will be limited—contact Michele (michelep@bringrecycling.org or 606-9093). Have ideas for a “Make It & Take It” Workshop? Want to lead one? Let Michele know!
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Resource conservation is not just BRING’s mission, it’s a deeply held passion for me personally. Over the past year, my understanding of just how important it is to prevent waste has deepened considerably. Preventing waste is at least twenty times more effective than recycling in reducing pollution, energy use and green house gas emissions. Not that I’ll stop recycling of course, far from it, but I realize I can have a much bigger impact by reducing my consumption. 
Warehouse Staff
Board of Directors
Lani is BRING’s office angel. She helps answer the phone (BRING fields 200 calls per week on average) and does other office tasks such as filing, compiling information, and random things that pop up. She quickly made herself an indispensable part of the office team. Lani worked for 17 years at East Earth Herb, a local herbal products manufacturer, where she held various jobs and acquired numerous skills. She enjoys gardening and crafts.
