News Release

Waterfront Blues Festival goes green

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 17, 2008) — The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union, is known for its stellar blues. But this year, it will be greener than ever before.

• Land Rover Portland, a major sponsor of the 2008 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, will offset carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by music lovers and performers attending this year’s festival. With an estimated 582,000 road miles and 300,000 air miles being traveled to attend this year’s festival, almost 300 tons of CO2 will be offset through Land Rover Portland’s carbon≈neutral program.

Oregon Food Bank volunteers will assist Land Rover Portland in surveying attendees on the festival grounds to help identify the carbon impact of this and future events.

Land Rover Portland is working in partnership with The Conservation Fund to offset the carbon footprint of blues fans and musicians by restoring North American native forests in permanently protected areas. Among other places, The Conservation Fund plants and preserves forest in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues.

In addition, Land Rover Portland will provide two carbon≈neutral Land Rovers for the festival’s transportation needs.

• Festival sponsor PGE will power the festival with renewable energy by purchasing credits from wind farms in Oregon and Washington to offset the estimated 12,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity used at the festival. This avoids production of 11,000 pounds of CO2. For details, about PGE’s Renewable Power program, visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/renewables.

• EcoShuttle, an environmentally friendly transportation company, will transport festival artists to the festival site using vehicles that run on 100 percent biodiesel converted from used vegetable oil, a biodegradable, carbon-friendly fuel.
  

• Alternative transportation. Festival organizers encourage blues fans to visit www.DriveLessSaveMore.com to find alternative ways to travel to the festival. The DriveLessSaveMore Web site will persuade blues fans to carpool, bike or use public transportation to the festival. In addition, blues fans who visit the DriveLessSaveMore campaign booth at the festival and pledge to reduce their car trips will be eligible for prizes.Ten lucky winners will receive an iPod Nano with a $15 song credit.

• More bicycle parking. Festival organizers will provide two bicycle parking areas this year: one at Naito near the festival’s main entrance and one near the Hawthorne Bridge entrance.

About Land Rover Portland’s carbon≈neutral program
Land Rover Portland’s carbon≈neutral program is the local firm’s commitment to offset 50,000 miles worth of CO2 produced by every new and certified pre-owned Land Rover that it sells. Land Rover Portland is the first automobile retailer in North America to take this step.

About EcoShuttle
EcoShuttle is a transportation company that offers environmentally-friendly transportation for a new travel industry. EcoShuttle uses 100 percent biodiesel converted from used vegetable oil, a nontoxic, biodegradeable, carbon-friendly fuel to power its vehicles, so customers can enjoy guilt-free trips. EcoShuttle currently offers tours to wineries and popular destinations in Oregon and Washington. It also provides transportation assistance at special events. Visit www.ecoshuttle.net for more information.

About Portland General Electric: Portland General Electric Company, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a fully integrated electric utility that serves more than 796,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. Visit their web site at www.PortlandGeneral.com.

About Oregon Food Bank: Oregon Food Bank is a nonprofit, charitable organization. It is the hub of the Oregon Food Bank Network, a statewide network of 20 regional food banks and 919 hunger-relief agencies serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash.

About festival sponsors: The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is presented by First Tech Credit Union. Major sponsors include FedEx Freight, PacificSource Health Plans, iQ Credit Union, Daimler Truck Financial, Land Rover, The Oregonian A&E, KINK.fm and Travel Portland. Supporting sponsors include Burt’s Bees, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Miller Brewing Co., Henry Weinhard's, Deschutes Brewery, Beringer Wine, Snapple, Pepsi, Nutrisoda, Earth2o Water, Frito Lay Snacks, Yoshida Sauce, Mission Foods, Dreyer’s Ice Cream, NW Natural, FedEx Kinko’s, Impact Advertising, Edge Design, The Boeing Company, PGE, KBOO, OregonLive.com, Blues Revue, Music Millennium, Karolyn March, Guitar Center, Lions Foundation, Cascade Blues Association, Oregon Potters Association, Cascade Zydeco and Delta Music Experience.