In vino veritas. “In wine is truth.” Our Latin pretty much stops cold there. But one familiar story that always catches our attention and turns us sideways: The relationship between climate change and wine growth in Washington. Our state is second to California in premium-wine production in the United States, contributing almost $3 billion to the state economy. “I don’t think that the Northwest was very suitable for wine grapes 50 years ago,” said Gregory V. Jones, a professor and climatologist at Southern Oregon University in the S-R. Coincidentally. snowpack in the Cascade Mountains has decreased by as much as 30 percent in 50 years which affects many vineyards near Yakima. What if it becomes too dry to irrigate as some say is already happening in wine mecca Napa Valley, California? More . The strange wisdom of Dwight K. Schrute. Let’s begin the week with a laugh because the following project is why blogs serve a useful purpose in society. On Grist , we found an environmentally conscious food blog that has assembled a list of tips from one of DTE’s favorite shows, NBC’s “The Office.” Each tip comes courtesy of Dwight. It’s hard to explain, especially if you’ve never tuned in, but here are two highlights to get an idea: DWIGHT SAYS: "Studies show that more information is passed through watercooler gossip than through official memos, which puts me at a disadvantage because I bring my own water to work." DWIGHT MEANS: Bottled water is a big, wet gyp. Packing a thermos from home, using the cooler at the office, or simply gathering H2O from the tap can conserve up to $600 per year, depending on how often you buy bottled.

DWIGHT SAYS: "First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go, 'Wow, I need this beet right now.' Those are the money beets." DWIGHT MEANS: Knowing how food is marketed is vital to saving cash. There’s a reason grocery stores put expensive, good-looking food at eye level. It’s the same mentality behind placing pricey victuals in gigantic, showy displays. When you go food shopping, don’t forget to look at the top and bottom shelves - beyond what’s immediately apparent. You’ll spend less. (Also: Stick to the perimeter of supermarkets, shop from the circular, only use coupons for stuff you’d buy anyway, keep a price book, etc.) More

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Calling for a recycling bailout, as in bail us out from underneath our own waste. An unfortunate trickle down effect of our broken economy was reported last week by The New York Times in an article titled, Back at Junk Value, Recyclables Are Piling Up, in which it was made sadly aware that the market for recyclable materials is being decimated. “Ordinarily the material would be turned into products like car parts, book covers and boxes for electronics. But with the slump in the scrap market, a trickle is starting to head for landfills instead of a second life.” Locally, and assumingly nationally, there isn’t an industry, business or agency not looking for ways to trim costs. DTE just hopes that doesn’t include recycling centers or curbside recycling pick-up programs. Read The New York Times’ piece HERE

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