"Frankly, the science is screaming at us," –United States Senator John Kerry (D-Mass) citing a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and the Heinz Center that found that even if the world aims for the highest goals currently on the table -- including…
First aired in 1978, check this episode of the nostalgic “Schoolhouse Rock!” series titled “Energy Blues.” The song covers energy conservation and tells the history of energy from cavemen to the Industrial Revolution. It’s actually pretty ahead of its time but we think the “Just…
One of DTE’s favorite columnists, Knute Berger of Crosscut, has a new essay about the discovery of historic plutonium in a safe at Hanford. He writes “’Nuclear archaeology’” itself is an interesting term because for the most part, nuclear waste is something you don't want…
To say that reform of an antiquated 137-year-old bill is drastically overdue would be a grave misrepresentation. Yet here we are, in 2009, and a hardrock mining law that promoted expansion of the West - a bill that was passed in 1872 - is still…
While much notoriety stems from not a single Republican lawmaker supporting it, yesterday the House approved the $819 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with a final vote of 244-188. But the stimulus will draw much attention to greening the future, since more than $100…
A while back we introduced you to AltE, a Hudson, Massachusetts based online retailer of renewable energy goods and technical service. We were fortunate enough to speek to AltE's CEO Sascha Deri and even more fortunate for the opportunity to learn of his passion for…
Greenwashing is defined as the practice where a business tries to make it seem like it’s greener than it really is. For consumers to post and rank environmental advertisements in the hope of differentiating the misleading ones from the honest, we suggest The Greenwashing Index…
After yesterday’s historic steps to regulate emissions, we couldn’t help but think of the recent Pew Research Poll. The survey asked Americans to rank their priorities for President Obama, and “global warming” polled dead last.Obviously, the survey indicated the public is focused on immediate economic…
How's this for a stimulus we can all get behind - promote alternative energy while creating new jobs. In his first weekly address since becoming president, Barack Obama explained details of his stimulus package which includes adding more than 3,000 miles of electric lines to…
We're excited. There's a bit more daylight each day. There’s news of the work being done to remake our nation. There's hope but not without a realization of sacrifice. Perhaps Obama best described it best last Tuesday when he said we cannot “consume the world’s…
On Thursday, December 18, 2008, a Spokesman-Review headline read, “Region paralyzed by snow.” Paralyzed! Yes, say it aloud, paralyzed! What a dynamic word, so strong, drawing upon such powerful emotions. However, the use of such language was neither sensational nor inaccurate. Photo from of jimgspokane…
"My hopefulness about the resilience of human nature is matched by the gravity of our environmental and social condition. If we squander all our attention on what is wrong, we will miss the prize: In the chaos engulfing the world, a hopeful future resides because…
Ah bloody hell – say it aint so. The Times of London recently reported that Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist has concluded that, “performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle…
It’s hard to believe but the data is there: Last year Washington, Oregon, and Idaho combined to spend almost $30 billion on fossil fuel imports. According to Sightline, this was an increase of more than one-third in 2007, which was the highest record up to…
Yesterday felt like the Day The Earth Stood Still--- a collective phenomenon best defined by various conversations with all walks of life as to what the moment meant to them. The conclusion was unanimous: There is hope. Of course, we’re referring to Daily Tip #…
“As I stood in the foyer and let my eyes wander down the corridors, it was impossible to forget the history that had been made there—John and Bobby Kennedy huddling over the Cuban missile crisis... Lincoln alone, pacing the halls and shouldering the weight of…
Neil Young’s upcoming release will be a concept album titled “Fork in the Road” about eco-friendly cars, or as The Guardian snidely put it “exploring three things--- dirty blues, direct lyrics, and his LincVolt electric car project.” Song titles include "Cough Up the Bucks", "Fuel…
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., we urge readers to check out King County Executive Ron Sims’ piece from last year on how his vision connected to climate change, green jobs and social justice. It addressed the poverty aspect of environmental issues that has…
This week begins in sweet uplift with a national holiday as we recognize a powerful individual who dreamt of progress, followed by an event that realizes the dream. Nobody should spend Tuesday night alone, so after work come join us at the Community Building for…
The 2009 Spokane River Forum is coming up this week and DTE is here to get you geared up for the big event. You won't want to miss out as citizens, agencies, tribes and elected officials gather over the course of two days to consider…
"National parks and reserves are an integral aspect of intelligent use of natural resources. It is the course of wisdom to set aside an ample portion of our natural resources as national parks and reserves, thus ensuring that future generations may know the majesty of…
New construction leaves a big carbon footprint, and after reading “Unsustainable Seattle,” we think it makes perfect sense for environmentalists and historic preservationists to form an alliance in creating a sustainable urban landscape for Spokane. And if there’s a good thing about a bad economy,…
Since we started DTE a goal of ours has always been to empower you, or readers, to make a difference locally and globally. And for as long as we make a go of this, we will sustain that objective. On a daily basis we strive…
How are we to "Experience Idaho" now? Citing a tight budget, Idaho state officials have decided to end funding for the Old Mission State Park in Cataldo. Completed in 1853 by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d' Alene Tribe, the Old Mission building,…
You can get some satisfaction... by covering local environmental news on your campus.Chuck Leavell, keyboardist of The Rolling Stones, recently launched the Mother Nature Network, an environmental news, education and information site and he is looking for, "an army of college students," to be local…