Barbara Bernstein

Baltimore Woods is a green fringe of oak and maple trees towering over the neighborhood north of Cathedral Park. It anchors the Willamette bluff, standing as a buffer between riverside industry and downtown St. Johns residents. and providing shelter to native plants and ani... Read more

Portland has a new form of city government and one manifestation of this is the most progressive city council the city has seen in years. But beneath the veneer of a new governing structure an old entrenched bureaucracy appears to remain. This came into focus on February 3,... Read more

On the morning of February 3, right in the middle of Locus Focus, we learned that Portland's new mayor and acting city administrator approved the much contested Land Use Compatibility Statement for Zenith Energy's expansion along the banks of the Willamette River. This was ... Read more

For several years the city of Portland has been very opaque in its dealings with Zenith Energy. Two years ago, in a backroom deal, the city gave Zenith the green light to continue to expand its rail shipments of fossil fuels, under the guise that the company would switch to... Read more

As we confront the existential crisis of climate chaos there are two paths we can take. We can make dramatic changes that meaningfully reduce carbon emissions. Or we can accept the fossil fuel industry’s self-serving climate solutions—renewable diesel, hydrogen, renewable n... Read more

Today, January 20, is a day that many of us have been dreading since the election. As we hurtle into the unknown Trumpian future, we really don’t know what’s in store, just how much we should be afraid, or how to muster a movement that will stand up to everything we fear fr... Read more

More than a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions produced around the world today come from the simple steps of growing, catching, processing, transporting, and cooking food—and then dealing with leftovers. This alarming statistic motivated ecologist Mark J. Easter to dra... Read more

It's the time of year again when we look back at the past year and ahead to the new with Eric de Place, with Salish Strategies in Seattle. As the impending next Trump administration looms ever nearer, we talk about productive ways we can prepare for that unknown, and look a... Read more

This program aired originally on September 9, 2024 Today's program honors Oregon Environment Icon Bob Sallinger, who died on October 30. For over 30 years Bob has been a regional fixture advocating and fighting to protect our rivers, wildlife, forests and communities from ... Read more

Our scheduled guest for today's show called in sick this morning so we are repeating the Locus Focus episode that aired last week on December 16. As we transition to a truly renewable world two of the things we need less of are more and larger server farms and nuclear power... Read more