The Lake Oswego Story Project

Oct 26, 2021

LO Writes …

The Lake Oswego Story Project

In 2015-16 we asked Oswegans to “put on your writer’s hat” to help the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network and Lake Oswego Library envision what role Lake Oswego can play in addressing the issue of climate change!

The assignment

Everyone was asked to tap into their creative side and write a story, poem or performance piece looking back from sometime around the year 2050. The writer could take the view of a future generation, a newspaper reporter, a long-time resident, a new resident, etc. Writing from the perspective of that person, what actions could Lake Oswegans of today take now to prevent the worst effects of a changing climate and create a better world in the bargain – an action that he or she would take pride in many years from now. The deadline for submissions was March 31, 2016.

After review, stories were posted to the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network website, and some were selected for publication in the Lake Oswego Review.

Read the Lake Oswego Review article about the project: “LO Writes: Project will look into the city’s future“

Submitted Stories:

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

Oct 26, 2021

Electric Vehicle Resources

Contact

Duke Castle  dukec@comcast.net

Check this video out:

When electric car drivers learn how gas cars work

What if someone has driven only electric cars, and decided to see what an “old-fashioned” internal-combustion car was like? Check out this Swedish video (with English subtitles)

Housing

Sep 12, 2021

Housing

“Today’s single-family zoning regulations, which were born out of decades-old racist housing policies and practices, continue to economically exclude low-and moderate-income households who cannot afford single-family homes from entire neighborhoods reserved for single-family development. And since there is an inexorable link between income and race in the U.S., single-family zoning regulations continue to have a disparate impact on Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) households across the U.S.”

– Ahmad Abu-Khalaf

Overview

LOSN believes that housing is a right, not a luxury. Housing is required for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. We cannot preserve both tight restrictions and adequate housing for all as tight building restrictions lead to low supply and high prices. Our homelessness crisis and segregated neighborhoods are due to one thing: lack of affordable homes. To radically reduce the homeless population, we need to build more, smaller, affordable homes on existing lots within all cities.

Passing HB2001 in 2019 was a step in the right direction but it will take a decade to have a noticeable effect. There are so many more reforms which can improve the equity and sustainability of our city.

We encourage all to learn more about zoning and housing reform by exploring our Resources section below.

Goals

Remove codes and regulations which restrict density and lot usage, to provide a more sustainable and vibrant community. Allow missing middle and light commercial usage (ACUs) within all neighborhoods.

 

Projects

  • Advocate for and support Boones Ferry Affordable Housing project. We have chosen to support this project and sent testimony to the planning commission and city council. Here is our testimony.
  • Advocate for and support HB2001 — Legalizing missing middle housing.
  • Creation of policy goals: we have a team working to create our “credo” regarding middle-income housing. We plan to publish our goals with specific policy recommendations.

Contact

info@losn.org

Team Members

  • Lisa Adatto
  • Duke Castle
  • Linda Ganzini
  • Stephanie Wagner

 Related Areas

Transportation

Style of ADUs

Style of ADUs

Backyard ADU

Backyard ADU

LO Multi-plex

LO Multi-plex

4-plex Dwelling

4-plex Dwelling

Resources

Articles

Videos

Further Resources

Watch: Suburbs that don’t Suck – Streetcar Suburbs

Energy

Sep 12, 2021

Energy

Overview

In the US, nearly half the energy we consume and three-fourths of the electricity we generate is used to heat, cool, light and operate our buildings. Most of this energy is created by burning fossil fuels.

Goals

Our goal is to reduce energy consumption in buildings, transition to renewable energy, and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions.

Partners

Green Hammer

    Team Members

    • Duke Castle
    • Mary Ratcliff

    Contact

    Other Areas of Interest

      Projects

      Energy Efficiency

      One of the first things to do is to weatherize your home with sufficient installation and air sealing to make it as energy efficient as possible. Energy Trust of Oregon has excellent information on how to do that including financial incentives and rebates.

      If you are building a home then consider building a Net Zero Energy home that combines solar with energy efficiency features. Or a Passive House design, an approach developed in Europe to make homes ultra-low energy efficient. Fortunately, our partner, Green Hammer, specializes in all of these design approaches.

      When shopping for new appliances, look for an Energy Star symbol. This certification means a product has met energy efficiency standards for the United States. High value energy efficient appliances such as the refrigerator, dish washer, clothes washer, dryer, and spare freezer go a long way towards making your energy usage smarter.

      Renewable Energy

      Solar and wind are two of the best renewable energy options. There are three good ways to support that:

      • Install solar panels on your home or business (Click here to see if solar is a good fit for you and your home or business.);
      • If you lack solar access, check out our Community Solar project page to learn how this concept might work for you;
      • Sign up for PGE’s Renewable Power

      Eliminate Fossil Fuel

      A key strategy to eliminate fossil fuel usage in your home is to Electrify Everything including how you heat, cool and cook. This means replacing appliances that use natural gas with energy efficient heat pumps to heat and cool your home, an energy efficient heat pump water heater and an induction stove top for cooking.

      Government

      Sep 7, 2021

      Local & State Government

      Overview

      LOSN believes that local government impacts all aspects of sustainability. Government policy greatly affects the sustainability of our society through mandates, subsidies and regulations. Our federal, state and local governments all played a part in building our current society and will be a major factor in moving toward a more sustainable society​.

      Our team works closely with the city and county and strives to create positive personal relationships with staff and elected officials.  In addition, we provide support for state sustainability initiatives, knowing that the state can address sustainability goals which our individual counties and cities cannot do on our own. We work to support government sustainability efforts and we advocate for specific policies.   We appreciate our hard-working public service staff and elected officials, and it is important that they see sustainability as a critical priority.  We believe that all citizens have a role to play in promoting sustainable practices within local government.  

      Goals

      Partners

      Projects

      1. Implementation of community action items in the city Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
      2. Partner with the Mayors’ office to promote the EcoHome LO tool
      3. Repair Fairs with Clackamas County
      4. Promote the Clackamas County Leaders in Sustainability certification program
      5. Working to promote an optimally sustainable wastewater treatment plant with city and community leaders
      6. Providing sustainability input for the City staff working on the new aquatic center
      7. Submit testimony supporting the DEQ Climate Protection Plan

        Leaders

        • Lisa Adatto
        • Duke Castle
        • Mike Perham
        • Kathleen Wiens

        Contact

        Lisa Adatto  ladatto@losn.org

         

        Lake Oswego City Hall

        Lake Oswego City Hall

        Clackamas County Development Services Bldg

        Clackamas County Development Services Bldg

        Oregon Climate Protection Program

        Oregon Climate Protection Program