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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services A babe in search of Christmas shelter 5 Things to do This Weekend Get Up & Go: Dec. 25 Snowstorm brightens hopes for Mt. Ashland reopening Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Woman and grandson lose home in fire Pedestrian killed in Highway 66 collision near Klamath Falls Emergency services Suspects in Highway 66 pursuit now facing drug charges Politics and Elections State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change GMO labeling votes recounted under careful watch in Jackson County Kent Bush: First Amendment doesn’t mean what you think it means Education Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU St. Mary's plays host to youth robotics tournament A lesson in giving Environment Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams Most residents speak against gas pipeline State News Alpaca rancher gets 3 years for neglecting them Seaside man accused in death of 2-year-old girl $983 loan: Lawyer helps stranger facing felony Portland couple's cat stows away in mattress after sale Police officer shoots armed driver near Reedsport Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Death Notices James "Jim" LaRoy Edith J. Winn Death Notices Emile Victor Caloz Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Western Kentucky wins wild shootout League heads into 2015 with popularity intact ... and issues Florida’s NFL teams in sad state Defense digs in Unbroken memories Varsity 541 College Sports Western Kentucky wins wild shootout Defense digs in Cato, Shuler lead Marshall past N. Illinois UNLV hands No. 3 Arizona its first loss UO Florida imports eager for matchup Pro Sports League heads into 2015 with popularity intact ... and issues Florida’s NFL teams in sad state Unbroken memories Report: Josh Smith to join Rockets Orioles, Young reach agreement on one-year deal Community Sports Keeping Fit: Runners need to do more than run to stay in shape Business Latest Stories Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Blog: The Holidays Have Arrived Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Employment in Oregon surpasses pre-recession levels Free lunchtime presentation covers business planning Real Estate News Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate More sales, but no change in residential housing median price People In Business People in Business, Dec. 3 Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Southern Oregon wine industry had a robust 2013 Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Dec. 25 Other Views: Yes, Virginia ... George Will: Cuba derangement syndrome Dana Milbank: When families pay a price Our View: Small post offices no longer practical Editorials Other Views: Yes, Virginia ... Our View: Small post offices no longer practical Our View: One more try for Josephine safety levy Other Views: Kingsley Field jobs are welcome Our View: Be careful when you donate Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Dec. 25 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 24 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 23 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 22 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 21 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: I Get It. Took a While. Kent Bush: Christmas is about Jesus Lost in Suburbia: Confession of a New Year’s Eve weenie Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Shayne Looper: Away — or rather, the way — in a manger Food Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Community blog: 'Cookbook Book' digests genre's past 300 years Community blog: Liver pat� an easy nosh for Hanukkah and beyond Home and Garden Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Dear Monty: Siblings dispute inherited real estate Health Community blog: I Get It. Took a While. Health Watch: Small diet changes can make a big difference Community blog: Removing Barriers Is Good Insurance Health Watch: Change up your treadmill workout Community blog: A Dark Night of Healing and Hope Hiking Biking Faith Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Fans, friends and family welcome home victorious SOU team at airport Wedding: Boldt-Mahon Order of Elks national office revokes Medford lodge's charter Jackson County's new health building complete, will serve clients in February Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory In the Pocket releases 'I Got News' Live Music in Local Clubs Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present 'The Holly and the Ivy' Theater ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning TMTO presents 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical' Music SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory In the Pocket releases 'I Got News' Live Music in Local Clubs Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present 'The Holly and the Ivy' Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Community Events Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dance to the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Dining Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Ooblies Artisan Waffle Sandwiches Brunch at Loft Brasserie Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW A new home for Little Dog ... Other Views: Yes, Virginia ... ... Snowstorm brightens hopes for Mt. Ashland reopening ... A new home for Little Dog ... Other Views: Yes, Virginia ... ... Snowstorm brightens hopes for Mt. Ashland reopening ... High gas prices hurt wallets, Oregon's economy In part because of a refinery fire this week in Northern California, the national average for gas prices now tops last year's price, the first time this has happened in almost four months. Here in Oregon, we've been consistently paying more than the national average throughout this summer. That pill is even harder to swallow ... Comment By Jana Gastellum MailTribune.com By Jana Gastellum Posted Aug. 10, 2012 @ 2:00 am By Jana Gastellum Posted Aug. 10, 2012 @ 2:00 am » Social News In part because of a refinery fire this week in Northern California, the national average for gas prices now tops last year's price, the first time this has happened in almost four months. Here in Oregon, we've been consistently paying more than the national average throughout this summer. That pill is even harder to swallow when you consider that every dollar we spend at the pump is shipped out of state, providing very little benefit for our economy. Why? Because Oregon doesn't have a single oil producer or refinery, so the $1,600 annual average each driver spends mostly leaks out of state and out of the country, often to countries that are openly hostile to America. What if I told you we could make that money work for Oregon while reducing pollution and cutting our dependence on oil? In 2009, the Oregon Legislature created a program to encourage clean, new fuels. This Clean Fuels Program requires Oregon's transportation fuel mix to be 10 percent cleaner over a decade, which could be met with anything from biodiesel blends to electric cars to innovations with existing fuels. The program is on the verge of being implemented: This spring Gov. John Kitzhaber directed the state to finalize the new rules. But there is still work to be done. The rules need to be adopted by the year's end and the original bill was passed with an automatic "sunset" in 2015. Without legislative action to lift the sunset, it will rob Oregon of the economic benefits before the program even gets off the ground. What is clear is that the Clean Fuels Program could be an effective and wide-ranging economic catalyst for Oregon. An independent study by Jack Faucett Associates found that this program will save consumers money, create jobs and increase Oregon's economic activity — as much as $70 million and, in the most beneficial scenarios, a billion dollars or more of Gross State Product. Businesses and consumers across the state would benefit from lower-cost fuels, and the analysis predicted an increase of as many as 29,000 Oregon jobs by keeping the billions we spend on fuel at least partially in-state through constructing clean fuel infrastructure (such as electric vehicle charging stations, biorefineries or biogas conversion facilities at wastewater treatment plants), hiring distributors, building new retail stations, selling and maintaining new types of vehicles and other jobs to support the clean fuels sector. Clean fuels technology is already working for Jackson County. Brammo Inc. of Ashland is building powerful electric motorcycles and achieving steady growth, with employment projected to expand by up to a third by year's end. The Rogue Valley Transportation District and Waste Management currently has compressed natural gas fueling stations that service 15 of the district's 23 buses, in addition to local CNG sewer and garbage trucks. Rogue Biofuels and Rising Phoenix both sell biodiesel to a number of local customers, and would see their businesses grow with the Clean Fuels Standard. In other parts of Oregon, the same story is true: We have upwards of 150 companies working in the electric vehicles industry, seven biofuels companies, including two advanced ethanol companies, and new facilities that can convert biogas into transportation fuels. Businesses such as SeQuential Biofuels in Eugene, now with 75 employees, buy big stainless steel tanks from Canby's JV Northwest and sell lower cost fuels to local companies such as DeSantis Landscapes in Salem, compounding the economic benefits for Oregon by keeping even more money in-state. And technology being developed at Oregon State University and tested in Eastern Oregon could even produce renewable, home-grown fuel from the abundant biomass generated by thinning Southern Oregon's abundant forests. The economic and geopolitical realities are clear: Over-reliance on dirty foreign oil is backwards thinking. Clean Oregon fuels, supported by innovative companies and new technologies, are the way forward. DEQ is now accepting written comments on the program through the end of the August, and a statewide public hearing is scheduled Aug. 24, with the Medford DEQ office serving as a regional location for interested parties to share their testimony. I urge you to consider participating and lending your support. Hopefully our Oregon Legislature will follow suit and lift the 2015 sunset on the program so we can create investment opportunities for Oregon, reward innovation, expand access to lower cost fuels and set a solid course for a stable clean fuels future. Jana Gastellum is the climate protection program director at Oregon Environmental Council, www.oeconline.org. By Jana Gastellum MailTribune.com By Jana Gastellum Posted Aug. 10, 2012 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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