But we have to protect these farmers, even as we trash our neighborhoods with Homer's holes in every Portland neighborhood.

Farmland is so precious. We need every bit of it to provide potted plants, pre made lawns and Goldschmidt wine in order for our city to survive.

Thanks
JK

I've lived in field burning valleys, and it's not as annoying as driving behind a Tri-Met Bus belching black smoke.

I would be interested in looking at the comparative particulate emissions between all the Portland metro construction equipment, trains, and boats (none of which have to meet the same standards as autos) and a 20,000 acres of burning grass fields.

Are condos making Portland a more sustainable and healthy place to live? Do condos like trees have an innate ability to clean our air? Portland’s biggest challenge is providing for clean air and water for its citizens. Trees clean air. The current development recipe appears to be to build condos without trees. I’m a fan of green roofs, however people also need trees. Condos with attached parking garages are a step in the wrong direction for a town that wants to be called Bike City USA. I’ll become a condo convert when I starting seeing vertically tree shrouded condos or condos landscaped with trees. How about a condo that’s green: uses zero energy, produces it’s own power on-site via wind and solar , has trees, a petrol-free parking garage, has an atrium, and is more than a basic box.
Portland needs more trees. With less than 2% of Oregon’s original forest left, our mountains too need more trees. The creation of condos with some architectural chalet might even spawn the return of the urban woodchuck.

With less than 2% of Oregon’s original forest left

Huh? Where do you get that?

I would like to see a comparative study on the particulate emissions with a single Tri-Met bus vs the dozens if not hundreds of car driving hours that are not being spent actually driving by the passengers. Please....

yes, the single family home is so much more efficient and green than the condo. i think we should just build those instead. i'd love to bike to downtown from 360th ave.

I would like to see a comparative study on the particulate emissions with a single Tri-Met bus vs the dozens if not hundreds of car driving hours that are not being spent actually driving by the passengers.

JK, I think someone is calling you.

Farmers and foresters burn the residue from harvests because it's been a best practice. It gets the leftover material out of the way for the new planting, the next crop. And it returns nutrients to the soil.We don't burn because it's fun. And for the last 30 years especially we've gone to great lengths to do a cleaner job of burning and accomodate neighbors and city folk (I live in the City too.) Maybe someone will invest their money in cellulosic alcohol production which can use much of this residue. A better idea than ethanol from corn but more expensive upfront.

And does anybody have scientific evidence about adverse health effects from burning? It does only happen for a few days a year versus all the other sources that continue year round.

(So you know: I have 37 acres of 16 year old timber. I planted it when I was 51 and will harvest when I'm in my 80's. It's money for assisted living and my old age so don't mess with it!)

Todd I would like to see a comparative study on the particulate emissions with a single Tri-Met bus vs the dozens if not hundreds of car driving hours that are not being spent actually driving by the passengers. Please....
JK: Here is what I found:

seattleweekly.com/diversions/0322/diversions-bus.php

ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/big_rig_cleanup/rolling-smokestacks-cleaning-up-americas-trucks-and-buses.html

On coal power plants:
ornl.gov/ORNLReview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html

Thanks
JK

If anyone remembers their history the native valley goers burned the grass lands every year for maybe thousands of years to help keep their main source of food availible (forget the name, some root) Don, is right. What happened to the long standing idea that if a practice has been ongoing new comers can't require it be stopped. Can't the hoards from California, and the east coast leave one part of the northwest vineyard/ condo/ stripmall/ housing development free.

Maybe we could protect the farmer like we do certain species. Put up a big fence over an area smaller than what they need to survive and them invite tourists to take a gander at the local "hics" Wait... we are almost there, we just need a fence.

Can't grow grass, gotta grow subdivisions.

How's that for a false dichotomy?

Why can't/don't they bale the straw like farmers in the Midwest? We never burnt fields out there. (Even grass seed farms)

so much more efficient

Human life is very inefficient.

Seriously; thanks JK, point taken.

Not to sound flippant or anything, but what the heck. Lets just scrap all our buses and until we get some fuel cell engine, that would do a world of good. I new I should have driven from Hillsboro to PSU during my college days. Now I feel guilty for taking the express bus all those years.

I new I should have driven from Hillsboro to PSU during my college days.

The anti-car folk would say you should have moved to downtown.

jack, so it's okay to live in wasteful single family houses because humans are inefficient, but it's not okay to build trams or condos? i don't get it.

wasteful single family houses

You're kidding, right? You do understand that you're in America, I hope.

Obtuse.

I love that word.

I can't think of a better example of oxymoronic thinking than expecting government to intervene in our private lives to prevent WASTE!

Yer killin' me here.

Jack Bog You're kidding, right? You do understand that you're in America, I hope.
JK: As far as I can tell Portland’s planners think they are in Moscow.

Thanks
JK