Another Green Monday
Back in May of 2007 we broke on to the blogosphere announcing Down To Earth as "an attempt to pioneer a green movement in the Inland Northwest." We said in our very first post, "Down to Earth will be YOUR blog as much as it is ours." Though we still stand by that, it is very much OUR passion. It's the reason we stayed and eventually fell in love Spokane, and it's the reason why this announcement is so difficult for ME (Bart) to make. After three years and three months, thousands of posts, and a lifetime of memories, knowledge and new experiences, I'm stepping away as a DTE blogger. As many of you have heard by now, I've accepted a job as the new Spokane Riverkeeper, and more importantly, accepted the responsibility of restoring and protecting the Spokane River. OUR Spokane River.
While I won't be filing blog posts on a daily basis anymore, I will remain part of the ever-growing Down To Earth family working on larger special stories and projects as well as continuing our KYRS radio show. Part of my new work as the Spokane Riverkeeper will be keeping all of you up to date on Spokane River issues and facilitating a dialogue that is necessary for awareness and stewardship of our region's greatest resource. I'll be doing a lot of writing on the Spokane Riverkeeper website as well as on our social media outlets so stay tuned.
Starting Down To Earth was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and I'm confident it's one of the most important. Paul will continue the DTE blog and I know he's going to do a great job. Environmental journalism is as important now as it's ever been, and I know this region needs Paul and DTE to continue the hard work, the important work. The MOST important work.
I'm proud of my work with DTE and I'm proud of our community for growing with it. For now, I'm signing off. Look for me on the river.
Peace - Bart
The best green buildings of the last 30 years. No, our beloved Saranac didn’t make the grade but color us impressed as this piece in Architect Magazine that sets the record straight after Vanity Fair’s feeble attempt at a similar project. 
Image courtesy of Sustainable Spokane.
Lance Hosey writes: “Sustainability, it seems, is not much on the minds of the architectural elite. While green building has become increasingly popular over the past three decades, the gap between standards of design excellence and of environmental performance could be getting wider.” Read more HERE.
The Spokane Regional Transportation Vision Project continues. An effort led by the Spokane Regional Transportation Council and the planning brainiacs known MIG Inc will continues this week as part of their vision process. The roundtable meetings will be held on three topics the week of August 2 and are open for public participation:
· Tuesday, Aug. 3- Roundtable Meeting: Transit, 6-8 p.m., West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt, Spokane (Hint: Let them know we want three bike racks buses!)
· Wednesday, Aug. 4- Roundtable Meeting: Seniors, 1-3 p.m., Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland, Spokane
· Wednesday, Aug. 4- Roundtable Meeting: Families/Children, 6-8 p.m., Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland, Spokane (Hint: Great opportunity to discuss Safe Routes To School.)
This is a chance for you to learn more about the project and identify concerns and desires for how our region allocates its transportation resources.
Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before. According to the NYT, the Coast Guard approved dozens of requests by BP to spread hundreds of thousands of gallons of surface oil dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s directive on May 26 that they should be used only rarely. BP and the Coast Guard make strange bedfellows, don’t they? Apparently, the Coast Guard approved BP’s requests even though the company did not set an upper limit on the amount of dispersant it planned to use. The dispersants contributed to “a toxic stew of chemicals, oil and gas, with impacts that are not well understood,” Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the Democratic chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, wrote in a letter sent late Friday to Thad W. Allen, the retired Coast Guard admiral who is leading the federal response to the oil spill. Full story HERE.
