This year, Park(ing) Day 2009 was held on Friday, Sept 18th. Founded in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco art and design collective, Park(ing) Day has blossomed into an annual, global, one-day event where local residents transform ordinary parking spaces into temporary parks and green spaces. Friends of Outdoor School, The Freshwater Trust, Friends of the Columbia Slough and The Intertwine created this space along SW 2nd Ave and Couch. Volunteers at the lush green space invited onlookers to engage in educational activities, including the study of tree rings, plants and salmon.

To learn more about PARK(ing) Day, click here. More...

So, unless you have been living on another planet, or perhaps just in another country, you should know the economy has turned on us. Gas prices have risen astronomically as of late. I remember back in the good ol' days, when driving from L.A. to San Diego, I always made a point of stopping at the one Chevron station en route that charged less than a dollar a gallon. A dollar! At Chevron! Okay, back to reality and the present...

I think in a weird way I always hoped gas prices would rise--please don't show up on my doorstep with torches and pitchforks until you hear me out. Only now that the prices have risen are people dashing off to buy Priuses and scooters instead of cars larger than my house. The Power Information Network reports that while most of the auto industry suffered a terrible year because of economic downturns, Prius sales jumped 67 percent between April of 2007 and April of 2008. Prius sales in May dropped again--because dealers were running out of cars to sell. Good job everyone! We're finally taking gas efficiency into consideration! I am happy about this even if it's because we are protecting our pocketbooks instead of the atmosphere--it's just means to an end.

Here's what I didn't think about: high gas prices mean everything else is more expensive!! Duh, you might be thinking. And yet I never considered that while I would want to strive even harder to save gas, I would have a more difficult time buying eco-conscious foods and goods. Everything that is produced in our incredibly petroleum-dependent country uses a goodly amount of fuel to produce, package and ship. Being a Celiac and unable to eat gluten, I consume a fair amount of cornmeal. I used to buy it for $3 something a bag; now it is $5.75.

But stick to your guns, fellow greenies! Keep buying the products you believe in. For one thing, most of the more environmentally unfriendly products out there are petroleum-based, further adding to the over-the-top demand. For another, if you truly go local as far as the products and produce you buy, it will support local business--and if local business thrives, it will be easier to cheaply buy local. (Tip: buy produce at your local farmer's market to take the guesswork out of buying local.) Hopefully you will get some savings by these businesses not having to ship their products far, and if not, you will still be helping to move us in the right direction. We are set up so poorly and so unsustainably, and it may be painful to get us back on track, requiring some changes, some difficulties and some perseverance. More...