Getting Rid of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers – A Variety Pack of Ideas

April 4, 2021 by

Organize your community to ban gas-powered leaf blowers:

Gas-powered leaf-blowers (GLBs) are noisy and polluting tools. There are better alternatives such as electric leaf blowers or rakes and brooms. Here are some ways our local Portland group, Quiet Clean PDX has gone about encouraging people and companies to switch away from using GLBs so we can have a quieter and less polluted urban environment. Feel free to use any of these methods where you live (for this issue or another you care about).

  • Find a group of people who want to help you change things and meet regularly. This is how we got started – having food and drink available is a good idea. “A meeting without eating is cheating” as they say. 
  • Use Nextdoor.com to effect change in your area.
  • Use Facebook and other social media to get the word out widely.
  • Get a newsletter  going so you can reach those interested in your efforts – send it regularly – please sign up here for our newsletter
  • Build an awesome website with a group interested in this issue
  • Create an online petition (or 2 or 3) and post a link to it on your website. (this is also a way to build your email list/newsletter subscribers)
  • Develop a list of local landscape companies that don’t use gas-powered leaf blowers. Post it on your website and promote it widely.
  • Create door hangers and postcards that residents can use to encourage their neighbors to change what they’re doing
  • Create a fun video explaining the issue
  • Lobby for and help draft legislation to ban or restrict GLBs.  Use all of the above methods to get the word out as you do this.
  • Host a periodic Zoom meeting with newsletter subscribers and others to discuss how things are going and ideas for action.
  • Launch a yard sign campaign.
  • Get op-eds, letters to the editor, and news or feature articles in local media.
  • Post podcasts, and videos on social media – all are good!  Set up interviews on local radio stations and podcasts.
  • Gather organizational supporters like environmental groups and neighborhood associations.
  • Connect with other groups around the country who are involved in similar work. There are also some great Facebook groups that can provide connections to people close to you that you can organize with.

Pick one of the above and give it a try. Every action you take is going to move things in the right direction. Find someone to do it with and you’ll have even more success and more fun! Good luck, and thank you! Albert Kaufman –  albert@albertideation.com

postcard front - no logo - glb

3.13.24 – We passed an ordinance! (still lots of work to do).

 

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The Timber Industry of Today Part 1-5 – Logging in Oregon

January 6, 2021 by


Here’s a 5-part series from Vernonia’s Voice.  Enjoy

VoicePt1Timber2020 – August 20th, 2020

VoicePt2Timber2020

VoicePt3Timber2020

VoicePt4Timber2020

VoicePt5Timber2020

And, from the wayback machine.

“I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to a classroom full of young tree-planters as part of [Youth Acting for Our Earth’s youth climate training] at the Mittleman JCC in Portland, Oregon. I watched as the young people delivered a poignant and passionate report about climate change and how planting trees can have a positive impact going forward. It looks like everyone learned a lot that day and both the young people and their parents seemed pleased by what was learned and for young people to get the chance to practice their public speaking skills. In my talk I tried to cover some information about on-going efforts to keep Pacific Northwest trees standing – both in the countryside and in the City. I also talked a little bit about population growth’s effect on climate change as well as a personal passion – planting more fruit and nut trees everywhere when we’re talking about planting trees. Thanks to [Youth Acting for Our Earth’s] efforts to bring forward the importance of tree planting – may Governor Brown hear the call to plant millions of trees in Oregon.”

—Albert Kaufman, Environmental and Social Justice Activist and Founder of Farm My Yard

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Georgia

December 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Georgia on My Mind

The upcoming election in Georgia will set the tone and pace of how our lives go for the next two years. If we win the 2 senate seats – Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock – we’ll have a little better chance to get serious about the climate crisis. So many things will be possible that will be blocked by Mitch McConnell and his cronies if Georgia votes Republican in these races. Let’s all help get out the vote in Georgia for the next few days.

The day after I was aware that there were to be two senate runoff seats in Georgia I decided to do some things to win these seats for Democrats. Here’s why and some guidance about what you can still do to help.

I’m a musician, so whenever I’m asked to contribute my mind goes to music. Georgia on my Mind has been an ongoing theme for many during this upcoming election. I’m also a marketing guide – so my main mode is email newsletters. So, I combined the two.

Here are the four newsletters I’ve sent to my list and tried to send further as well via social media.

  1. If you didn’t know, now you know
  2. See possibilities, dear Georgia – John and Eecole write a song
  3. Featuring an awesome Broadway for Georgia
  4. You’re getting very Peachy

​This is Important

For the children

For your neighbors

For you

​Get busy!

For lots more information on these two races and how you and your friends can get involved, click here.

Please copy the url of this post and share it on social media: https://albertideation.com/georgia-now

Credit: HTML help from Dan Kaufman at DKG Promotions

Editing: Hannah Kaufman

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59

May 12, 2020 by

11:11

Hey there, I just celebrated my 59th birthday yesterday. It was an interesting day – full of a zoom with friends and family, a little FB live music playing, a bike ride to the edge of Mt. Tabor Park in Portland, and a small celebration on our porch with good food and friends.

My brother Dan came out with his business newsletter today (he’s offering masks and other safety type items – imprinted with logos, etc.) and he mentioned: “everyone would like to return to normal“. I pushed back with wondering if that’s so. I’m really hoping we never return to “normal”. We are facing a climate crisis. Though we’re getting a respite from focusing on that – that’s the giant elephant in the room and it’s been there for a while.

Suddenly, I’m seeing that we’re taking a breather from polluting the planet in the way we have been every year more and more. The birds and bees are having their best year that I can remember. I’m seeing so many positive changes it’s hard to keep track. Some of the simplest are seeing families walk down the same streets day after day – each time getting to know their neighbors; their streets; themselves – a little better. I’m hearing the squeal of laughter of kids who are not stuck in school, but who instead are on scooters and roller skates. They are learning something different right now and it’s a good thing. It’s a great thing. Our educational system has been so lacking for so long – so, let’s not return to that normal, please!

Not all is well in our world. I get that. I could have taken this little piece down a very different path. And… I think we have a huge opportunity right now to right a lot of the wrongs and to build a new society that is more equal and fair. One where people get fed healthy food that comes from much closer to home. Where we give up our obsession with burning fossil fuels. Where we take more time to connect with the land, with the ground. I’m seeing more people planting gardens and ripping out lawns – good!

I think it’s a good time to be a dreamer. To think up and implement great ideas. People are hungry for leadership. They’re seeking solutions. And, it’s also a time for deep rest. And learning. And helping each other. Thank you for participating 

Enjoy the Day. Albert

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