In terms of my attitude toward cycling to work, I always return to something Barb Chamberlain told the Spokesman a few years ago: “I think people would be scared off if they had to change their whole life all at once. But it’s so doable,…
At the end of Atomic Frontier Days (University of Washington Press) by John Findlay and Bruce Hevly, the authors tell us about a Gene Autry 1935 serial called The Phantom Empire. I've seen this film in its condensed version, and it's one of the most…
Taking you into the weekend, here's a sweet video from GoPro. For the first time, they've produced photos and video from inside the Northern Lights. To do this, GoPro launched cameras on helium weather balloons, capturing images from 100,000 feet above Alaska. It was filmed…
Like the Spokane Riverkeeper, one of my favorite Spokesman Review features is the "Then and Now" series, where they take an old image of Spokane and contrast it with a current photo at the same location and angle. The Riverkeeper was recently reminded of this…
The American Lung Association released its State of the Air 2012 report today and the study shows some improvement in the nation’s air quality. Don't get too excited: The country's air is still very polluted. Almost 127 million Americans — 41 percent — still live…
Plastics, Ben. Plastics. The truth is we live in a world where the plastics we use contain more than 50 endocrine disruptors. The University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment made this cool video to remind people that we can make plastics from substances that…
Do you have a car to buy groceries or go to work or school in Spokane? In his Getting There column last year, I recall Mike Prager reported Spokane has 650 miles of streets that lack sidewalks and most residential areas do not have handicapped…
Earth Day began in 1970 as a response to an oil spill. The idea was to push more people to think about the problems that were plaguing the country’s air and water as a way of making people care about solving them. These days, Earth…
In 2010 the City of Spokane constructed a plant-based stormwater system on Lincoln St. to help prevent polluted runoff from making it to the Spokane River. The Spokane Urban Runoff Greenways Ecosystem or SURGE project captures, treats and infiltrates runoff and is an essential component…
It's time to hit the streets this Saturday for Earth Day Spokane and if the forecast can be believed, it's going to be an awesome day for an outdoor event. For a little background on the organizers this year, check out this post from the…
The removal of the Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River from September 14th through November 4th in 2011 was the largest dam removal project in the United States. It allowed the Elwha to flow freely for the first time in nearly 100 years. It…
Have you had a chance to “Dig It!” at the Mac? Well, I have and I wrote a little review. At first I thought this 4,000 square foot exhibit was going to be boring since it wasn’t about a topic I was familiar with and…
Richard Florida has another great essay in The Atlantic Monthly on our altering culture. Two big findings on young people and driving: -The average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by young people (16 to 34-year-olds) in the U.S. decreased by 23 percent between 2001…
Home Solar Power Discounts - One Block Off the Grid Check this infographic from 1BOG.org showing dangerous nuclear facilities in the United States. You can click here for the much bigger original, featuring details about all the plants. Fortunately, most of the plants situated in…
This Saturday morning, join the Spokane Riverkeeper for the Second Annual Spring River Clean Up event. Everybody will gather at the parking lot just upriver of TJ Meenach Bridge at 9 a.m and the event should wrap up at 11 a.m. Volunteers will pick up…
One of my favorite festivals kicks off tomorrow: The 14th Annual Get Lit! Festival - a weeklong celebration of reading, writing and storytelling for all ages that will run through April 15th. The festival will feature more than 50 events, including author presentations and readings,…
Cataldo Mission (for Jim and Lois Welch) by Richard Hugo We come here tourist on a bad sky day, warm milk at 15,000 and the swamp across the freeway blinding white. No theory to explain the lack of saint, torn tapestry. Pews seem built for…
Citizens are invited to join in the season kick-off for Spokane’s Community Gardens at Grant Park Community Garden, 10th & Arthur, from 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow. The scheduled speakers are Mayor David Condon, Council President Stuckart, Director of Parks Leroy Eadie, and Grant Park…
On April 15th, Occupy Portland plans to set up near the Hanford Nuclear Facility. Why? "This is about human responsibility in the face of an epic environmental tragedy which has occurred and which will only get worse without us taking a stand," says the group.…
It's baaaack. Earth Day Spokane 2012 will take place on April 21st on Maine Ave between Division St. and Browne St. Above is the official poster and as you can see, you might as well dropkick yourself for not showing up. Maybe that's a little…
Given the slow road to economic recovery - or if we're in a period of recovery, depending on who you talk to - there's a lot to learn from the past. This video demonstrates how the frugalitiy and stimulus that worked in the Great Depression…
Are you Iinterested in the Superfund cleanup in the Coeur d’Alene Basin? If you want to learn more about the cleanup process and provide input, there's a few upcoming events near the impacted areas that I hope you can attend. This is part of the…
The Spokesman Review has compiled a Bicycling Calendar for 2012, featuring an expanded list of events that now include everything within a 300-mile range of Spokane. Check it out, geek out, and get ready for a number of fantastic events that highlight the best way…