News

Catch the latest on client news and projects...

(Jan. 2010) - Huffington Post: Turning lion killers into lion guardians in Africa's Maasai Mara, and how you can participate through social media >>>

SOLD OUT: Climate Solutions' Nov. 17th Tapas Evening

Outcome: Tickets sold out early and the event was moved to a larger venue to accommodate demand. Thank you to all who participated in an energizing inspiring evening. To continue supporting Climate Solutions' innovative work, visit >>>

(For Nov. 17, 2009) - Join Climate Solutions at an evening to celebrate Oregon's emerging new energy economy and the 1st anniversary of Climate Solutions' presence in Oregon. Speaker Michael Butler, Cascadia Capital co-founder, will share his insights and his experience focusing on sustainable technology, which has involved Cascadia in some of the most important transactions in this market. Diane is co-chairing the event with Nancy Floyd, Nth Powerfounder, and a stellar committee of business and political leaders. The evening will celebrate our accomplishments, unveil new projects, and be a lively and engaging event for business executives, political and community leaders and individuals who are propelling our shift to a clean energy economy and sustainable prosperity. Register and be part of an evening of insight, energy and inspiration. >>>

Huffington Post: May We Cap and Prosper

(June 2009) - In the Huffington Post, I write that Portland's new climate action plan is a blueprint for a better city, with multiple benefits to our economy and community. How do we do that? Walkable neighborhoods, living wage jobs based on clean industries and our creative culture, streetcar and bicycle infrastructure, and local food contribute to the answer. So does shifting from a DIY culture to a DIT do-it-together one. Sound mysterious? Read, tweet and comment on "Portland tries a Cap-and-Prosper Plan for Climate Change" and how this solutions-based approach applies to other cities nationwide.

As far as fueling our future, another project involved working with the Natural Resources Defense Council to amplify awareness of its new Renewable Energy for America interactive maps. The NRDC maps offer a color-coded portrayal of America's vast homegrown resources - wind, solar, next generation biofuels - and show how we are poised to create Made in America energy sources and jobs while moving toward energy independence.

A busy spring also involved managing press outreach for Focus the Nation and the organization's unprecedented 103 Town Halls that involved thousands of youth and more than 60 members of Congress to build momentum for our clean energy future. When it comes to the climate challenge, we're all connected, and all involved in creating solutions.

Building a Better Suburb: Lessons from the U.

(April 2009) - Out of the ashes of suburban sprawl, can we create communities that are soulful and environmentally sound? Many of us have already experienced one answer. The traditional university campus is not just an idyll we experience once in life, it's a model we can build on to reshape auto-dependent and decaying office "parks" into vibrant mixes of housing, commerce, recreation and open space. The Natural Resources Defense Council and I team up to reintroduce this concept, which NRDC's Smart Growth Director Kaid Benfield says "could not be more timely now." As more big box stores close shop and Time Magazine declares "the American suburb as we know it is dying," we need smart ways to reshape sprawl by restoring open space and rebuilding in more soulful ways. Read more and share your ideas>>>

p.s. This image is from my alma mater, the University of Michigan; the original concept appeared in Planning Magazine (PDF).

The Chemistry of Life and Death

(Feb. 2009) - by Diane Dulken in The Huffington Post
Al Meyerhoff was Big. That's a good thing for us because this formidable environmental and civil rights lawyer tackled outsized challenges on our behalf. He lived courageously and boldly and whether or not we realize it, he made our lives healthier in so many ways. We may not have known the deep secrets ... Read more>>>

Will 2009 Be the Year of Climate Solutions?

(Jan. 2009) - On January 6th, Green Drinks in Portland will host three organizations leading innovative campaigns to solve the climate crisis. Diane represents 350.org, and joins colleagues Lisa Adatto of Climate Solutions and Lacey Riddle of Focus the Nation. Find out how these groups are shaping the Green Revolution to create a new energy economy and galvanize the political will to get us there. The event is at Ecotrust's Natural Capital Center at 7 p.m. In other news, client Artemis Foods starts the new year with a refreshed logo and other scrumptious changes. And the new year brings new opportunities for client Gary Braasch, who is getting ready for the paperback release of Earth Under Fire, the acclaimed global chronicle of climate change that is being lauded by Al Gore, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some other leaders you may know.

Art + Fashion = 350: The Global Warming Number To Know

(October 2008) - Got 90 seconds? Watch the 350 video and find out why 350 is the most important number on the planet. This month, a group of Portland women raised awareness for 350.org by hosting a local fashion show with five fabulous designers and acclaimed photojournalist Gary Braasch. >>>

p.s. Diane welcomes three new clients this month and was honored to speak at the Oct. 1st Go Green Conference

South Waterfront District Earns Salmon-Safe Status

(Sept. 2008) - Salmon-Safe expanded its impact as a market-driven force for urban restoration this month with the certification of the entire 17-block South Waterfront district south of downtown Portland. The nationally-recognized ecolabel certifies businesses and landowners that protect water quality and habitat so Northwest salmon can once again spawn and thrive. South Waterfront joins other Portland area certified urban projects including: OMSI, Nike, Portland State University, the Portland park system, Oregon Convention Center, and Toyota at the Port of Portland, as well as numerous vineyards and farms in Oregon and Washington. The announcement made a clean sweep of the local business and consumer press, and received coverage in the green building industry press. It followed one of our favorite media stories: The Oregonian's PDXGreen column Salmon in Sneakers? that profiled Salmon-Safe's high-impact ad campaigns and showed how and why a growing roster of Northwest businesses are lining up for certification.

Summer Break: Favorite Online Videos

(Aug. 2008) A low-carbon alternative to the Drive-In, here is the first ever "Best Online Video Shorts for Summertime Work Breaks." Learn, laugh, cry, see >>

A Father's Day Toast With Salmon-Safe Wine

(June 2008) - Some of the Northwest's best wines come with a welcome benefit: they are certified Salmon-Safe, a third-party seal of approval for farms and other businesses that adopt conservation practices for healthy water quality and salmon habitat. If you're looking for a wine to share at Father's Day or every day, feel free to see the Salmon-Safe wine list... We've also received some notable press coverage lately: From this month's Alaska Airlines magazine to Wine Spectator and Real Simple Magazine, which featured Salmon-Safe as most trustworthy alongside Fair Trade Certified, Forest Stewardship Council, and four other leading labels.

Recovering Salmon In The Age Of Global Warming

(April 2008) - Save Our Wild Salmon, the Sierra Club and NW Energy Coalition have launched a new project to encourage solutions to global warming that also protect the rivers and wild salmon that are a national treasure and an essential part of the Northwest culture and economy. Diane was hired to orchestrate the media launch of the new project, Light in the River, and the release of its inaugural report calling for federal agencies to include solutions to help endangered salmon survive the age of global warming. ''Neither salmon, the icons of the Northwest, nor the communities and industries that depend upon them can afford to wait any longer for real action,'' says co-author Jim Martin, who led Oregon salmon recovery efforts under Gov. Kitzhaber. A key solution? Help salmon reach the pristine spawning grounds in wild Idaho, the "Noah's Ark" for salmon recovery, as Sierra Club president Carl Pope writes in the Los Angeles Times>>

Meld Artists Transform Scrap Into Garden And Home Art

(Feb. 2008) - Artists Mia Meyer and Greg Gabel, the husband and wife team behind the young company Meld, feature their metal and glass artwork More>>

A Glimpse Into South Africa's Private Lands Conservation

(Jan. 2008)- Unlike most areas in the world where wildlife is being crowded out by development, South Africa has actually expanded its green frontier. More>>