Live local, live green: Oregon's Cannon beach style

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Carol Forsloff - Oregon’s Cannon Beach is one of those pristine places Oregonians, West Coasters and weary and well-informed travelers enjoy for its ocean ambiance; but this beach town has more than just that pretty “face.”

Cannon Beach is bouncing with tourists from everywhere.  It’s local shops brim with merchandise that reflects a variety of tastes, from the arts to the great food and an array of services to aid comfort and quality of life.  Like the rest of Oregon, Cannon Beach stresses going green with a fresh food Farmers Market, but one that promotes organic.  Unlike other farmers’ markets around the country, this one has food as its focus, as there are no craft booths to steer customers away from what the food vendors believe is a need.  That need is to elicit good public response and goodwill to food that is grown in healthy ways.

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Crafts, however, are not overlooked by this town that has approximately 20 to 40 large and small groups that foster beauty in a variety of ways.    Along the main street of the town, shops with multiple types of art welcome folks to browse or buy, take your pick.  The Cannon Beach Gallery Group shows of sculpture, jewelry and “a feast for the senses” as its brochures describe.  The Gallery is a part of the multidisciplinary, non profit Cannon Beach Arts Association that features the work of local and regional artists.  These artists may be new to exhibition or seasoned professionals.

Andrea Mace meets and greets folks at the

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Cannon Beach Gallery.  Her world is filled with exciting things, and she speaks of how it meshes with what happens in Cannon Beach.  “This is a great place.  The farmers market is something to experience, and the arts are special.  But we are more than just a beach town.  We strive to make our town inclusive while at the same town promoting local business.  We do that by prohibiting national chains like McDonalds to come in.  That way people can develop local attractions and businesses.  What you see along the coast, especially in this area, are local shops and chains, but not national ones.  For Cannon Beach, it is actually in the Charter.”

A place to grow in health and going green,  Cannon Beach is working its own path to make sure local folks have an opportunity to develop talents and enjoy the rich life of the area.  As a place in America, and at a time when folks worry about the economy, Cannon Beach is finding its own solutions that accent what the residents believe is quality of life.

Faith and values impact the water in La., Or

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Carol Forsloff - LOUISIANA - Values and faith are involved in more than just politics and social issues but environmental ones as well, including the water folks drink.

Environmental groups, both private and public, raise concerns about contaminated water caused by hydraulic fracturing for gas or by chemical or waste companies of various types.  Politicians and some religious conservatives maintain that agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency should be dismissed because oversight may lead to rules that interfere with “good business” when some of that business impacts clean water.

East Feliciana Parishn is under a boil advisory until June 2.  The deadline has been extended as the Department of Health and Hospitals has not yet delivered its results on possible contamination following a lightning strike. But contaminated water does not result just from nature's behaviors.  Areas of contamination are often cited in public pronouncements and news in Louisiana.  Natchitoches Parish folks, for example, regularly receive notices that the water of the area has a warning label.  Another example is Plaquemine's Parish in the area of Baton Rouge.  Conamination by Dow Chemical waste has led to heavy pollution of the waters in the area.

Values impact choices.  Environmental issues are often seen as of less consequence in Louisiana with its emphasis on being an oil and gas rich state than they are in places like Oregon where reducing waste has been the order of the day for more than 30 years.  In the 1970’s people were found squashing and flattening cans with their feet in Oregon  in order to reduce tin can rubbish in the landfills.  Oregon also prides itself on its good water from lakes and streams, pointing to Bull Run water in Portland as the hallmark of the best.  Portlanders are quick to brag about the water, as having good, clean water to drink is considered a significant value in the state of going green.

On the other hand, Louisiana’s pride extends to the Saints, the food, Mardi Gras events and anything goes, and often that “anything goes” means healthy water.  Pressure on politicians to save the environment does not match that of ensuring that the productivity of oil and gas remains without interruption, even at the risk of people’s lives.

Already there are legal issues being raised by hydraulic fracturing from the Haynesville Shale, said to be poisoning cows that have been drinking water spilled from a natural gas wellpad.

Louisiana’s beauty in its foliage, fauna and flowing waters gives an atmosphere of nature at its finest; but it takes more than that to really going green.  It means valuing what faith and ethics offers most: the benefits for the overall health of the community as a foundation for a wholesome life.  So long as there is little demand placed upon politicians to ensure environmental safety, and a willingness to accept contamination as the price to pay for corporate bucks from oil and gas, boil advisories will likely continue to be part of Louisiana life when man ignores nature.