Never has the saying, “what a long strange trip it’s been,” sounded so right. The last eight years have been disturbing, they have been exceedingly frustrating and they have put our country and our world miles back from where we presumably all thought we'd be.…
>photo from mpknecht on Flickr! While the title suggests a 3 a.m. infomercial, the premise is far from bogus. Announced in the recent Downtown Spokane newsletter, “the City of Spokane is launching a recognition and certification program for businesses which have adopted sustainable management practices…
Former Oregon governor on the list for Secretary of Interior. "Removing the four Lower Snake River dams is, at least for the Snake River salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act, the single most beneficial action we can take. If we can move beyond the…
Alan Durning has a lot on his mind. The executive director of one of DTE’s favorite sites, Sightline, talks about new climate policies and re-evaluating the economic crisis as an opportunity for green-collar jobs and alternative energy. Video excerpts include: ---"It’s a time of extraordinary…
Local ski area aren't impressing The Ski Area Citizens' Coalition. Last week we wrote about 49 Degrees North and Mt. Spokane ski areas endorsing the National Ski Area Association’s (NSSA) Sustainable Slopes initiative, “a framework for improving the environmental performance of the ski industry." Then…
Courtesy of Inland Rail That image looks familiar. Like someplace we know very well. But it’s off: It could be Riverside Avenue in downtown Spokane with an electric light rail system. Maybe even in five years. Last month, the Washington State University’s Social and Economic…
Always with an instinct for the outsider, and trying to break out of the consistently genetic pattern of his family, check out Robert Kennedy’s first major campaign speech, on the Gross National Product (listen to audio stream HERE), delivered at the conservative University of Kansas,…
(Site note: We’re on the road for the holiday. One half is headed to Butte, Montana, and the other half to Indianola, Washington. We’ll return posting Friday morning. In the meantime, look for the DTE Turkey on these pages. Happy Thanksgiving!) "There is a sufficiency…
“I’m absolutely frustrated and appalled,” Spokane Park Board member Steve McNutt said after the vote. “I feel like they completely pulled the rug out from under us.” The Spokane City Council plowed through a decision last night on what to do with the old YMCA…
Ah, the North Spokane Corridor. Originally proposed in 1946, this thing has had more delays than “Chinese Democracy.” Zing! (Last time, we promise.) And you’re kidding yourself if you think both are worth the wait. Richard Roesler of the S-R reports lawmakers are now proposing…
It was what some consider a rare gaffe during a campaign stop in Pendleton months ago but at least he was honest about the unfamiliarity: Barack Obama didn’t know what Hanford was. (Watch Q and A clip here.) The Tri-City Herald reports---in an unusually subjective…
Did you know? President Bush has pushed 53 “midnight regulations” through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the last three weeks. True to last-minute wrangling form, many of the federal changes involve the environment, national parks and public lands in the West. Veronique…
What to do with the downtown YMCA building? There is a quagmire of a situation brewing in Riverfront Park over what to do with the old YMCA building. County commissioners have to decide whether to use property taxes collected through the Conservation Futures program to…
And now for something completely different: Seattle news. For those familiar with the waterfront, and the controversial elevated highway known as “the viaduct,“ house Speaker Frank Chopp presented two replacement scenarios that would drastically alter downtown even though one proposal is another elevated highway (but…
Greenwash alert! NBC just got busted. Currently, they’re doing another “Green is Universal” week and in the middle of touting their greeness decided to cut the Weather Channel’s Environmental Unit. Wow. That’s how you send a convincing message, while promoting “Law & Order SUV” or…
Water has always been a commodity. We received an email from Ken Kingery at the University of Idaho regarding a new project to assist the state with water usage by gauging user input with hopes of devising a sound environmental and economic plan. "What’s Water…
It’s a question readers might not ponder: What happens to something after it’s recycled? In the case of electronics, the answer could be more damaging to the environment than helpful. Accurate figures are difficult to find but last year the AP reported 50 to 80…
"Interacting with nature (at least when compared to a hectic urban landscape) dramatically improves the cognitive function. In particular, being in natural settings restores our ability to exercise directed attention and working memory, which are crucial mental talents. The basic idea is that nature, unlike…
Between Spokane and the Canadian border occupies a beautiful space that needs defense. Home to the Colville National Forest, Conservation Northwest is calling the region to "participate in this historic opportunity to protect wilderness trails and wildlife habitat in Northeast Washington." DTE received the below…
Oops. No, he really is. And he’s playing in Spokane. You heard it here first. This must be the place.
We won't make this a habit but here is a Thursday afternoon celebrity sighting - Yikes!
When we started Down To Earth way back in May of 2007 the first thing we implemented was a Daily Tip for green living with the goal being to help our readers learn better methods of conservation, sustainability, money saving and an increased consciousness of…
Do you like coffee, tote bags and DTE? We are still accepting user submitted entries to add for the Green Tip Widget and tomorrow is the last day for our contest--- out of the 10 best tips received, contributors will win a Down to Earth…
Google is now hosting millions of photographs from LIFE magazine, stretching from the 1750s to today. Warning: If you geek out on pictures like we do, then this should keep you busy. The majority were never published before and are seeing the light of day…
The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.
| Dec. 2008 | Nov. 2008 | Oct. 2008 |
