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Brainstorm: Explore the Genesis of Innovation, Part 4 (24-October-2011)

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BrainstormOMSI and Portland Monthly present the fourth and final part of the OMSI Science Pub talk series Brain Storm: Exploring the Genesis of Innovation this Monday, October 24, 2011 at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne).

The talks are part of “Brain Storm,” a unique collaboration between OMSI and Portland Monthly to explore creative thinking in science, business, health, technology, and the arts. From a field of 130 nominees, a jury of peers selected 12 leading innovators whose work, creative processes, and personal stories are being presented through an interactive display at OMSI, a series of profiles in Portland Monthly, and onstage in conversation with Portland Monthly editor in chief Randy Gragg.

This week‘s guests are Mia Burk, cofounder of Alta Planning + Design and innovator of bicycling policies;
Jean Auel, novelist, author of Clan of the Cave Bear and the “Earth’s Children” series; and
Larry Sherman, head of the Sherman Lab at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at OHSU, and a pioneering researcher in MS and the aging process.

The doors of the Bagdad open at 5pm, program begins at 7pm. $5 is the suggested admission. Minors are permitted if accompanied by parent or guardian.

Citisphere: Environmental Affairs Symposium (October 10-13, 2011)

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CitisphereSouthwest Portland’s Lewis and Clark College plays host to Citisphere, the 14th annual Environmental Affairs Symposium, on Monday through Thursday, October 10 through 13, 2011.

Each year, the Environmental Studies Program at Lewis & Clark offers a symposium on environmental affairs. The multi-day event brings together experts from around the country for a dynamic series of lectures and panels on contemporary issues in environmental affairs.

Keynot speakers at this year’s event are Dr. Janice Perlman, founder and president of the Mega-Cities Project, and Los Alamos research scientists and Santa Fe Institute professor Dr. Luís Bettencourt. Mr. James Rojas, an urban planner and co-founder of the Latino Urban Forum, is the symposium’s workshop leader.

Visit the website for the full speaker, panel, and workshop schedule.

All Citisphere events are open to the public, and free!

11th Annual Village Building Convergence (May 27-June 5, 2011)

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Village Building Convergence 2011City Repair, an organized group action that educates and inspires communities and individuals to creatively transform the places where they live, is hosting the 11th annual Village Building Convergence (VBC) in Portland from May 27 through June 5, 2011.

The VBC is a ten-day placemaking festival that combines crowdsourced activism, creative community development, hands-on education and celebration.

11th Annual VBC in brief: We will come together to create benches, community kiosks, gardens, street paintings, tile mosaics, and more! Come join your neighbors as they bring to life the natural building, permaculture, and public art projects that they’ve been planning for the last 4 months. Learn valuable skills for urban sustainability and social regeneration while celebrating the creativity and diversity of our wonderful city!

During the day, participants have the opportunity to participate, for free, in creative, community designed placemaking projects all over town.

Presentations, food, and musical performances fill the evenings – 9 day tickets for the evening events can be purchased online or at the door.

Visit the Village Building Convergence website for more project and event details.

March 22, 1913: Happy Birthday Tom McCall!

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Governor Tom McCallOne of Oregon’s most celebrated governors, Tom McCall, was born on March 22, 1913 in Egypt, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood splitting time between the family ranch near Prineville, Oregon and his state of birth.

After earning a journalism degree from the University of Oregon he worked at Moscow, Idaho’s News Review, before moving back to Oregon to work for The Oregonian, and then KGW as a radio news announcer. He served as a war correspondent for the Navy in World War II, and then returned to Portland and hosted a talk show on KEX. His political career began in 1949 when the Young Republican worked as an assistant to Governor Douglas McKay.

In 1964 Tom McCall was elected secretary of state, and in 1966 he was elected governor. Notable legislation he supported during his two terms included the beach bill, providing for public ownership of Oregon’s beaches, and the bottle bill, requiring deposits on soda and beer bottles. Also under his administration urban grown boundaries were established.

Governor McCall left office in 1975 and returned to broadcasting, working as a news analyst for KATU television. He died of cancer in 1983.

Further reading:

Ecoroof Portland (18-March-2011)

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Ecoroof PortlandAbout a year ago, we took a tour of the Central Library’s Ecoroof. It was neat to see a 95 year old building updated with an Ecoroof.

Just last week we had the pleasure of meeting with Matt Burlin, the City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater Management Outreach Coordinator, for another ecoroof tour. We are actually just being polite when we say it was a pleasure. Matt was a nice guy, and all, but as we reached the penthouse level of the sleek new Pearl tower we were visiting, the Portland winter sky opened up and unleashed upon us a ferocious mixture of snow and sleet and wind and rain and cold.

Over the roar and din, Matt pointed out the surrounding rooftops and their colorful mosaics of living roofs. I did the best I could to get photos without drowning the camera. But the weather was really remarkably bad. Matt said it was the worst weather during any of his tours.

Roof of the Pearl District Safeway

We learned enough on our quick tour to know we certainly want to tour more projects from the Portland Ecoroof Program (maybe on a day when the weather is more cooperative . . . in August, and preferably with a summer beer in hand, when the rooftop BBQ is open).

Ecoroofs aren’t just for hippies, dainty environmentalists, and real estate developers. If you want to learn more about how they work, and maybe even put on your own structure (high rise, house, food cart or chicken coop!) go check out Ecoroof Portland 2011 on March 18 (10am to 6pm) at the Oregon Convention Center (777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd).

Participants will learn how ecoroofs work, why they’re important, and what resources are available to help start their own projects. They can get information directly from ecoroof vendors including architects, consultants, contractors, landscape architects, manufacturers, nurseries, structural engineers, suppliers, researchers, and non-profit and community organizations.

Go on a tour too (but be sure to bring your rain gear!).

Visit the Ecoroof Blog any time for project updates, announcements, and events. Ecoroof Portland can also be found on Facebook!