Reflecting on the Consumer Movement

I recently visited our nation’s capital for the annual consumer assembly of the Consumer Federation of America. The weather was beautiful, the cherry blossoms were emerging, and national leaders on consumer issues gathered in a hotel basement to discuss the most pressing issues that consumers, advocates, and policymakers are facing.

March 13th, the second day of the conference, marked the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s Consumer Bill of Rights . This was landmark ruling that brought the consumer movement to… Full Post >>

What’s “App-ening”: Phone and Web Applications for Electric Vehicle Owners Looking to Re-Charge

With nearly a million smart phone applications out there, there is an “app” (and probably several versions of it) for everything you can imagine. Need help managing your time? There’s an app for that. Want something fun to do on the bus ride to work? Try out a game app. Tired of forgetting what to get at the grocery store? Get a shopping list app. This app craze has been embraced by the electric vehicle community as well, with… Full Post >>

CUB and Environmental Allies Speak Out about Electric Vehicle Policy

Today the Portland Tribune published an opinion piece written by CUB and several of our environmental partners.  In the piece, Oregon’s Renewable Energy Guides State to Prosperity: Policies Plug into Electric Vehicle Future, we emphasize the importance of creating intelligent policies on electric vehicles, in order to maximize the environmental benefits of this exciting technology and address consumers’ concerns and needs.  We broadly describe several key policies, supporting renewable energy integration and consumer interests, and emphasize the need for public… Full Post >>

Powering Our Future by Engaging Our Students

Over the last three weeks I’ve had the amazing opportunity to speak with students at the McLoughlin and Alki Middle Schools in Vancouver, Washington. In partnership with the youth mentoring organization nConnect, I headed north of our Oregon border to talk about renewable power, energy efficiency, and the Smart Grid with some smart and engaged middle schoolers.

nConnect’s mission is to enhance the learning experience of students and inspire their interest and achievement in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and… Full Post >>

CUB’s Week in Eugene

This past weekend, SA, Bob, and I had the pleasure of spending a few days in the great city of Eugene to partake in the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC). PIELC is an annual gathering for environmental activists, attorneys, students, scientists, and community members to share their expertise and insight about all things environmental (including lots of panels on energy and climate change, both of which are near and dear to CUB’s heart!).

We kicked off the weekend on Thursday night with a Meet… Full Post >>

Troutdale Library Workshop with CUB Connects

The CUB Connects crew headed to Troutdale this past Friday to offer our first educational workshop on Understanding Your Phone and Internet Bill. It was a small event, and the attendees were very grateful for the information we shared. The experience gave us a lot of motivation to continue offering workshops in the community.

The schedule of our upcoming workshops is available here . All of the workshops are free to the public and are conducted in partnership with the Multnomah County… Full Post >>

Bob Jenks’ Appearance On KBOO’s Locus Focus

On Monday, CUB’s Executive Director Bob Jenks visited the Portland studios of KBOO-FM to speak with Barbara Bernstein, host of the show Locus Focus.

Bob discussed the history of the campaign to create CUB, what CUB does today, and how it benefits Oregonians.  He also talked about the fight against corporate influences in utility regulation, the closure of the Boardman coal plant, the elimination of nuclear power in the Northwest, the creation of the Energy Trust, and the Renewable… Full Post >>