Natural Oregon » Vegetarian

Guilty Pleasures: See Eagles Born Live On The Web

Dennis Newman — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:43:14 +0000

A wildlife sanctuary in British Columbia is streaming live video from the nest of a pair of Bald Eagles. With the eaglets about to be hatched, thousands of people are tuning in from around the world.

The nest is located in a Vancouver suburb, near the sanctuary set up by the Hancock Wildlife Foundation.

While I have to admit I’m a sucker for this kind of technology, I have mixed feelings about it as well. Check out Friday’s story called, Nature: There’s Nothing Like The Real Thing. It’s a good reminder why web cams and virtual nature are no substitute for the real deal.

Salem Man Falls Short In Bid To Become Sexiest Vegetarian

Dennis Newman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:24:38 +0000

He gave it his best shot, but Chris Wright of Salem came in second in PETA’s 2009 “Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door Contest.” Wright lost in the online voting to Monty of Los Angeles. Amber Johnson from Minnesota took top honors among women.

You can see the winners here, but links to information about the runners-up, including our man Wright, don’t appear to be working. Hmmmm…..

Tuesday Read: Oregon’s Sexy Vegetarian Reaches Finals

Dennis Newman — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:17:07 +0000

It’s all over except for the vote counting for Salem’s sexy vegetarian. 28-year old Chris Wright made it all the way to the finals in PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door contest. He tells the Statesman-Journal that he’s been urging everyone he meets to vote for him. The polling closed earlier today. PETA says it will announce the winners on April 2nd.

The folks at Oregon Wild seem to be feeling more confident that the Obama Administration will do something to protect Roadless Wilderness Areas. Rob Klavins of Oregon Wild posted an article on their website describing some of the optimistic signs he’s seen recently. Among them; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack supported protection for roadless areas when he was Governor of Iowa. You can read the entire post here.

On Blue Oregon, Jonathan Poisner of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters makes the case that the state needs to show leadership in the fight against global warming. Specifically he writes in support of SB 80, which caps carbon emissions in the state, lowers the cap over time, enters Oregon into a regional carbon trading system. One point he makes, you can’t count on help from Congress. To find out why, read his post here.

The Oregon Legislature is looking at a bill that would encourage school lunch programs to buy locally grown food. Currently, schools have to buy from the lowest bidder. But HB 2763 gives preference to locally grown food, even if it’s a little more expensive. From the Statesman-Journal.

Thursday Read: Sexy Vegetarians

Dennis Newman — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:07:18 +0000

A Salem man is one of the semi-finalists for PETA’s “Sexiest Vegetarian” campaign. Chris Wright is a 28 year old aspiring actor who currently works for a company that helps struggling homeowners renegotiate their mortgages. He’s trying to convince his Mom, and her dogs, to become vegetarians, too. Wright beat out a man from Georgia yesterday to make it into round two of voting. From the Salem Statesman Journal.

Washington state lawmakers are struggling with a new renewable energy bill. It requires utilities to get 2o% of their power from renewable resources by 2025. It’s an update of 2006′s I-937. The bill barely passed the Senate and faces a tough time in the House. Many Republicans don’t like it because they say it doesn’t protect consumers from rate hikes. Democrats who are opposed say it weakens I-937, even as it appears to be a tougher bill. From the Longview Daily News.