In the realm of green energy and environmentally friendly products, the gas and oil industry is not normally thought of as at the forefront.
Bob Barman, who, with his wife, Katy, owns the Chevron gas station in Woodburn and four other service stations in the Portland metro area, has seen this firsthand.
kAmw:D 72E96C H2D 2 86@A9JD:4:DE 7@C %6I24@[ 2?5 96 9:>D6=7 H@C<65 :? D2=6D 7@C &?:@? ~:= r@] 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD 367@C6 @A6?:?8 9:D 7:CDE 82D DE2E:@?D :? r2?3J 2?5 q62G6CE@? >@C6 E92? EH@ 564256D 28@]k^Am
kAmQx H2D C2:D65 :? E96 @:= :?5FDECJ[Q 96 D2:5 5FC:?8 2? :?E6CG:6H =2DE H66<[ Q2?5 :E 92D[ x E9:?< C:89E7F==J[ 8@EE6? 2 =@E @7 325 AC6DD @G6C E96 J62CD 7@C ?@E 36:?8 7@CH2C5\E9:?<:?8]Qk^Am
kAmqFE :7 q2C>2? 92D 9:D H2J[ E92E A6C46AE:@? 4@F=5 492?86 D@>652J D@@?]k^Am
kAmw6VD EC:65 E@ 5@ 9:D A2CE] %9C66 J62CD 28@[ 96 C6>@56=65 E96 r96GC@? 96 2?5 9:D H:76 @H? 2E E96 :?E6CD64E:@? @7 |FCC2J 2?5 p==6? 3@F=6G2C5D :? q62G6CE@? :? 2 AC@;64E E92E H2D 3:==65 2D E96 4@F?ECJVD 7:CDE Q8C66? 82D DE2E:@?Q 2?5 >256 ?2E:@?2= ?6HD]k^Am
kAm}@H[ 96 H2?ED E@ 5@ E96 D2>6 E9:?8 :? (@@53FC?] w:D 7@C>6C =@42E:@? :? E@H? H2D 56>@=:D965 E@ >2<6 H2J 7@C E96 (@@53FC? x?E6CDE2E6 d x?E6C492?86 AC@;64E WE96 4FCC6?E r96GC@? 2E E92E D:E6 :D AFC6=J E6>A@C2CJX]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 ?6H 3F:=5:?8 8@6D FA ?6IE J62C[ :E H:== 6DD6?E:2==J 36 2 C6A=:42 @7 E96 8C66? DE2E:@? :? q62G6CE@? — @?=J 3:886C[ 2E c[_dc DBF2C6 766E — H:E9 2 =:G:?8 C@@7[ D@=2C A2?6=D[ {ts =:89ED[ 86@E96C>2= 962E:?8 2?5 4@@=:?8[ Q3:@\5:6D6=Q 2?5 2 7C66 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6 Wt'X 492C86C]k^Am
kAm%@ 962C q2C>2? E6== :E[ DF49 2 4@FCD6 :D D:>A=J E96 C:89E E9:?8 E@ 5@]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 G6CJ 4@>>:EE65 E@ 36:?8 A2CE @7 E96 D@=FE:@? 2?5 ?@E A2CE @7 E96 AC@3=6>[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?5[ 96 D2:5[ E92E 8@6D 5@F3=6 7@C E96 ?6H DE2E:@?[ H9:49 96 56D4C:36D 2D E96 Q82E6H2J E@ (@@53FC?]Qk^Am
kAmQ%92EVD @?6 @7 E96 C62D@?D xV> C62==J 6I4:E65 23@FE E9:D AC@;64E[Q 96 D2:5] Q(:E9 E92E A:646 @7 C62= 6DE2E6[ x C62==J 5@ 766= =:<6 x 92G6 2 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ >2<6 2D 8@@5 @7 2? :>AC6DD:@? 2D x 42?]Qk^Am
kAmq2C>2? 7:CDE 3642>6 :?E6C6DE65 :? E96 DF3;64E @7 6?G:C@?>6?E2==J 7C:6?5=J 4@>>6C46 2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 3@2C5 7@C E96 {2<6 ~DH68@ r@CA@C2E:@?[ H9:49 >2?286D ~DH68@ {2<6 2?5 :ED =2<67C@?E AC@A6CE:6D]k^Am
kAmq2C>2? D2:5 96 H2D 2AA@:?E65 E@ E96 3@2C5 7@C 9:D 3FD:?6DD 2?5 >2C<6E:?8 24F>6?[ 3FE 96 6?565 FA =62C?:?8 2 =@E 23@FE E96 H2J FC32? 56G6=@A>6?E 42? ?682E:G6=J 27764E E96 6?G:C@?>6?E[ A2CE:4F=2C=J E9C@F89 DE@C>H2E6C CF?@77]k^Am
kAmQx =62C?65 E92E H6 42? 5@ 2== E96D6 =:EE=6 E9:?8D E@ D=@H 5@H? H2E6C CF?@77[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$@[ H96? 96 H2D A=2??:?8 7@C E96 C63F:=5 @7 E96 q62G6CE@? DE2E:@? 2C@F?5 a__g\_h[ 96 4@>>:EE65 E@ E96 :562 @7 :?DE2==:?8 2 8C66? C@@7[ @C =:G:?8 C@@7[ H9:49 FD6D A=2?ED W:? E9:D 42D6[ ?2E:G6 D65F>DX E@ 23D@C3 C2:?H2E6C 2?5[ 96?46[ <66A :E @FE @7 E96 DE@C>H2E6C DJDE6>]k^Am
kAmq2C>2? D2:5 E96 q62G6CE@? DE2E:@?VD `[fd_\DBF2C6\7@@E =2?5D42A6 E2<6D :? 2AAC@I:>2E6=J cb[___ 82==@?D @7 C2:?H2E6C 2??F2==J]k^Am
kAmqFE q2C>2? 2=D@ =:<6D E@ DEC6DD E92E E96 >62DFC6D 96 92D E2<6? H:E9 9:D 8C66? 82D DE2E:@?D 2C6 >@C6 E92? ;FDE 6IA6?D:G6 64@\7C:6?5=J >62DFC6D — E96J 2=D@ >2<6 3FD:?6DD D6?D6]k^Am
kAmw6 6DE:>2E6D E96 8C66? C@@7 H:== =2DE EH:46 2D =@?8 2D 2 DE2?52C5 >@56=[ E92?<D E@ E96 F=EC2G:@=6E =:89E AC@E64E:@? E96 =2?5D42A:?8 @776CD]k^Am
kAm(92EVD >@C6[ 9:D D@=2C A2?6=D[ {ts =:89ED 2?5 86@E96C>2= DJDE6> D2G6 9:D 3FD:?6DD 2C@F?5 Sa[d__ A6C >@?E9 :? 6=64EC:4:EJ 4@DED] w6 D2:5 96 5@6D 92G6 E@ 3FJ D@>6 A@H6C :? q62G6CE@? 3642FD6 96 C2? @FE @7 C@@> 7@C D@=2C A2?6=D[ 3FE E96 =2C86C DE2E:@? :? (@@53FC? D9@F=5 36 G6CJ 4=@D6 E@ ?6E\K6C@ :? 6?6C8J FD286]k^Am
kAmQx 2D< @E96C 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 2== E96 E:>6[ Vx7 J@F 4@F=5 D2G6 Sbe[___ 2 J62C :? 6?6C8J 4@DED[ H@F=5?VE J@F H2?E E@ 5@ E92EnVQ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ DF49 >62DFC6D 5@ 4@DE >@C6 FA\7C@?E E92? E96 EC25:E:@?2= 3F:=5:?8 >@56=D] w6 D2:5 E96 ?6H DE2E:@? :? (@@53FC? :D 23@FE 2 Sa >:==:@? AC@;64E[ H:E9 E96 8C66? 762EFC6D 244@F?E:?8 7@C 2AAC@I:>2E6=J Sbd_[___ @7 E92E E@E2=]k^Am
kAmQxEVD ?@E 4962A[ 3FE x ;FDE 766= :7 J@FVC6 8@:?8 E@ :?G6DE :? D@>6E9:?8[ J@F D9@F=5 5@ :E C:89E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?5[ 96 25565[ E96C6 :D >@C6 E@ E96 6BF2E:@? E92? D:>A=6 5@==2CD 2?5 46?ED]k^Am
kAmQxE A2JD 7@C :ED6=7[ 3642FD6 J@F 92G6 >@C6 =@J2= 4FDE@>6CD[ H9@ 766= 8@@5 23@FE 4@>:?8 96C6 2?5 766= 8@@5 23@FE 3FJ:?8 96C6] %92EVD H@CE9 D@>6E9:?8]Qk^Am
kAm%96 (@@53FC? !=2??:?8 r@>>:DD:@? 2AAC@G65 E96 56D:8? C6G:6H 2AA=:42E:@? 7@C E96 ?6H DE2E:@? :? (@@53FC? 2E :ED s64] `` >66E:?8]k^Am
kAmq2C>2? D2:5 96 9@A6D E@ 368:? 4@?DECF4E:@? :? y2?F2CJ[ H:E9 E96 @A6?:?8 7@C E96 ?6H DE2E:@? E6?E2E:G6=J D6E 7@C |2J]k^Am
kAm%J=6C uC2?4<6 4@G6CD 2== E9:?8D (@@53FC?] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iE7C2?4<6oH@@53FC?:?56A6?56?E]4@>QmE7C2?4<6oH@@53FC?:?56A6?56?E]4@>k^2m @C d_b\fed\``hd]k^Am