While the kids sharpen pencils and prepare for the first day of class, why not sign up to learn a skill or hobby for yourself? We've picked out the upcoming classes most relevant to eco-minded Portlanders.

SUSTAINABILITY
NW Earth Institute
Guide yourself or a group through prepared discussion courses from the  NW Earth Institute such as Sustainable Systems at Work, Global Warming, Choices for Sustainable Living, Menu for the Future, and more.
Cost: $20 for discussion guides

Urban Farm School
Located in Vancouver, the farm school teaches classes and offers consultation for your home produce garden.
Autumn classes: Basic Composting, Vermicomposting, Bokashi Composting, Putting the Garden to Bed, Canning and Preservation, Lawn to Food
September 11: Family Bat Night
Cost: $15 per person or $30 per family More...

Here's a great example of greenwashing that got called out by bloggers and caused a stir. Crane Paper, the makers of many beautiful high-end papers, have come out with a new line of 100% cotton paper. Their identity firm C&G Parnters is claiming (this link has been removed from their site): "This is the world's greenest paper. No trees or wood fiber go into it because is entirely made of cotton." In addition to some hasty copywriting, their Green Claim (GC), doesn't hold up.

It's easy to spot the lack of trees does not equal green, but savvy green minded people are increasingly looking all the way back through the production process to determine the total impact of a product.

The cotton used at Crane is a byproduct of industrial mills, where fibers are swept off the floor and become paper, just like how the company started by collecting rags in 1805, or so goes their story. But the original cotton product has already done its damage, something which carries over to all products associated with it. Conventionally grown cotton accounts for 25% of the world's insecticide use and 10% of its pesticides, according to the Pesticide Action Network. Detectable levels of these chemicals then appear in the groudwater of states where cotton is grown. And with a growing period of 6 months, cotton also requires an enormous amount of fresh water.

Crane's own environmental site has information on their commendable environmental efforts, including using water-based inks and treating wastewater to be composted to topsoil. More...

After dusting off my snow packed boots and entering the fair trade gurus Ten Thousand Villages (coupon) Portland store located in the center of the Pearl District (914 NW Everett Street), I suddenly felt myself traveling through exotic lands far, far away. The rich colors in the fabrics of Pakistan and the dark wood grains of Indonesian wood tables made my heart sing.

I could almost feel the beating heart of the various nations represented in the vast array of beautifully handcrafted home accessories and furnishings.

Behind the volunteer-based non-profit organization that boasts 150 stores nationwide, and 50 in Canada, is an intimate story connected to each fairly traded and sustainably handcrafted item, that when purchased serves to help others (often women) in third world countries earn a living wage. That translates to the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of others with little cost to you and I.

Here are some highlights. More...

SpielWerk Toys Online Coupon (free!)
Good through January 15th, save $10 off $50 or $15 off $100 or more at SpielWerk Toys (7956 SE 13th Ave). Click here to download the PDF.

My Dad Recycles More Than Your Dad T-Shirt ($24)
Printed on organic cotton with water based inks, Little Green Stars clothes are sweet and sassy. Our favorites are the "My Dad Recycles More than Your Dad" t-shirt and "My Other Ride is a Hybrid" onesie with a stroller image. Available online. More...

The number of BIC® pens that I pitched into the trash in college was regrettable, but it’s never too late to learn. What better lesson can be taught in school than how to practice living sustainably?  If you are a student yourself, or have kids starting off their school year, check out some of these eco-friendly supplies. There’s some really great stuff out there, beyond just recycled pens, pencils and paper. Did you know they made highlighters with over 70% real post-consumer plastic from old CDs and cell phones? More...

Sitting in the Urban Grind Coffeehouse talking about natural building with Lydia Doleman, owner of the Portland-based natural building company Flyer Hammer Productions, I could feel my jealousy of her job coalescing. I had just completed her class An Introduction to Carpentry for Women, which I’d taken through The Rebuilding Center, and was ready to trade in my computer – my current primary tool – for a table saw. Inspired and empowered by the possibilities that my new skill presented, I was compelled to find out what it’s like to be a woman in a (stereo)typically male profession and to understand the spin that natural building puts on the construction trade.

  More...

The simple fate of growing up in Southern Michigan ties virtually everyone to the automotive industry.  I grew up reading Car & Driver cover to cover.  I knew 0-60 stats of every production performance car manufactured.  I worked summers in college at my neighbor’s machine shop.  Most of the time I mindlessly pushed Ford fuel pump covers through an industrial grinding machine.  When I wasn’t grinding fuel pump covers under the watchful eye of Rusty, the machine’s operator, I milled mounting brackets for air conditioning units. More...

The climate in our area of Oregon makes this an excellent place to be a gardener. With so many options for native plants, it is easy to create a beautiful garden that thrives with little watering. Options for native plants range from Chocolate Lily to Salmonberry, and Trillium to Yellow Monkey- flower, so there’s no lack of interesting choices. More...