Another Green Monday
Tis the season for wishing!
While most people will tell you that this time of year is all about giving and good will, the kid in us can't help but sit back and wish for a few things for the new year.
When we dream about the type of city we'd like Spokane to grow into, we think of our city streets as bustling with activity. We envision this activity incorporating all different kinds of transportation. And in our dream, this activity was made possible by decisions that took into effect Spokane's economic and environmental sustainability. It took into effect Spokane's livability and quality of life. It took into effect health and safety. We see multiple public transportation modes - light rail and buses. We see safe bike lanes full of commuters. We see pedestrians shuffling to and from destinations both safely and efficiently. There are special traffic lights that help vehicles and bicyclists and pedestrians coexist. 
And most of all, there is an understanding and expectation that it all works and makes sense both economically and ecologically. In a word, this vision of Spokane's streets is complete. This vision looks at everything, as Spokane City Councilman Jon Snyder said recently in an interview in The Inlander, it is, "for all users — cars, bikes, pedestrians, public transit, the disabled and traffic calming." This is Complete Streets Spokane, and our wish is that it becomes a reality.
The Complete Streets Policies in Spokane is organizing behind the support of Councilman Snyder and organizations like Futurewise and most of all, YOU. Help make Spokane safer, more livable, and more complete. Mark your calendar for a meeting on Wednesday, January 13th at 5:30 p.m. at the Central YMCA on Monroe. And in the meantime, subscribe to receive notices HERE, friend Complete Streets Spokane on Facebook HERE, and spread the word with this PDF.
Our second wish also calls on your help and support. While you enjoy all the wonderful foods the holiday season is famous for, take a minute or two to reflect on how lucky we are to live in an agricultural rich region like the Inland Northwest. Think about your food, and think about what you know about food. Spokane's local food resources, local food advocacy, and local food education have been on the rise the last few years, and look to be leading us into a new decade of healthy success, increased convenience, and best of all awareness of our food habits and how our decisions affect our community. Along the way, Down To Earth blogger Craig Goodwin will be there documenting it all and making sure we're on the right path. Craig, who's efforts were recently recognized by The New York Times, is an invaluable resource and it's safe to say probably the nicest lobbyist around. For it was several months ago Craig tipped us off that the Department of Revenue of the State of Washington was taking action against churches that were holding Farmers’ Markets in their parking lots, removing the non-profit exempt status of those pieces of property being used by the market - ultimately making them decide on paying the tax on the land, or stop running the markets. And now he reports of legislation that provide and exemption and allow churches to host farmers' markets. So it is our wish that you think about what farmers' markets mean to your community, to our community, and that you consider supporting this legislation. Click HERE to find ways to contact your representatives about this.
Below are stories you might have missed last week.
Before we get into the news - here's a listening tip. In case you don't follow us on Twitter or Facebook and haven't heard - we've taken our thoughts to the airwaves with a 30-minute Monday morning radio show on KYRS Thin Air Community Radio (89.9 and 92.3 FM). The Down To Earth radio show airs every Monday morning from 7 to 7:30 a.m. on KYRS. Check us out if you can, and if not, stay tuned as we'll be announcing a podcast option soon. And speaking of - because there can never be enough good local news coverage, KYRS is offering their local news program - featuring Don Gronning - as a podcast. Be sure to check that out for interesting perspectives and stories you won't find elsewhere.
There's gold in them thar hills. Where greed meets goats. That's the news out of Montana as a Canadian mining company, digging for gold just north of Glacier National Park, recently discovered a significant deposit. While there's no report of a gold rush or a full-scale mining operation (yet), everyone with ecological, aesthetic, and other conservation interests are worried. And rightfully so. Read more about this frightening story HERE.
Gagging order. What would happen if we lived in a country where journalists discarded the built-in blind spots of the system that let slippery politicians get away with it all? As luck would have it, Sen. James “climate change is a hoax” Inhofe traveled to Copenhagen with the intention of fouling the conference but had a wonderful exchange with the press. After explaining the U.N. and the Hollywood elite were behind said hoax, a German reporter simply stole our words: “You’re ridiculous.” MORE.
Presenting… the Copenhagen Accord. Does that deserve at least a polite applause? Yesterday morning we weighed in with our thoughts and here’s the NYT take: An enormous amount of work lies ahead, both for the president and for the other signatories to what is now being called the Copenhagen Accord. In order to deliver on his promises to reduce America’s greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and provide a chunk of that $100 billion in aid, Mr. Obama must persuade the Senate to approve a cap-and-trade bill — a huge task. Full story HERE.
