It’s almost here: Tomorrow at 8pm is the last chance to postmark your ballot. On this chilly morning before raking leaves, the sweaty August primary night seems like a distant memory, blurred by an intensity leading to election day.

Amber Waldref image courtesy of Washington Conservation Voters.

Candidates have attempted to simply get Spokane citizens to vote via advertising, sign waiving, and old-school doorbelling. How’s this for a disappointing statistic: According to the Spokesman, only one in four voters have mailed in a ballot or dropped it off at a collection box. Look under that magazine or on the kitchen counter--- Secretary Of State Sam Reed believes maybe half of the voters will cast a ballot. Like him, we hope that’s an underestimate, proved wrong.

Jon Snyder image courtesy of Knog.

It is necessary for us declare a stance on the candidates as we certainly couldn’t sit on the sidelines since there’s far too much at stake for Spokane’s future. So this is one final push before the countdown. Of course, we’re referring to candidate Karen Kearney, who locked down a Sierra Club endorsement. But throughout the races, we’ve shown our support for Jon Snyder in District 2 and Amber Waldref in District 1. Both have a solid background of environmental work in Spokane. Jon with his tireless smart transportation advocacy, the Spokane River Cleanup, and Go Green Directory and Amber with The Lands Council, lead testing, and the Hanford cleanup to name a few for each. However, it’s on all issues that both perceive things in fresh lights and new connections; both exhibit unsuspected possibilities of purpose and action to their contemporaries. Our City Council chambers can be a nauseating experience full of theatrics and “triangulated policy positions” so their visions are a welcome contrast: intelligent, personal, direct, yes, pretty down-to-earth. And both have put forth the strongest effort to engage voters. Both are good listeners and both get things done. So, without further adieu, below is a DTE poll for our City Council candidates. And if you haven’t already, get out and vote!

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P.S. VOTE!

Spokane City Council Position #1 Spokane City Council Position #2 Spokane City Council Position #3

Zero waste on the rise.  Producing less waste is the new recycling. Across the nation, an antigarbage strategy known as “zero waste” is moving from the fringes to the mainstream, taking hold in school cafeterias, national parks, restaurants, stadiums and corporations.  But as The New York Times reminds us, "Americans are still the undisputed champions of trash, dumping 4.6 pounds per person per day, according to the E.P.A.’s most recent figures. More than half of that ends up in landfills or is incinerated."  Read more HERE. 

Solar dollars in the Evergreen State.  Just north of Everett in Arlington, Silicon Energy is taking advantage of a 43 percent reduction from the standard business and occupations tax rate from the state, and a market that provides consumers federal government offered tax credits for the purchase and installation costs for a solar panel system. This is what green job stimulation looks like - this is the future of America.  Read more about the state's first solar panel manufacturer HERE. 

Dalmation or Hummer??? Tough one. Should owning a great dane make you as much of an eco-outcast as an SUV driver? Yes it should, say Robert and Brenda Vale, two architects who specialise in sustainable living at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. In their new book, Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living, they compare the ecological footprints of a menagerie of popular pets with those of various other lifestyle choices - and the critters do not fare well.  Find out the truth HERE. 

“It’s getting ha! in here.” David Cross kicks off a new Grist comedy series, riffing on a park bench about the environment with an impressive beard. There’s something about battery powered trees, the rechargeable kind. Laughter saving the planet. And, of course, there’s flatulence as it relates to emissions. Watch the clip here.

 

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