The story of Down To Earth begins with the Wu-Tang Clan. In 2001, I met this wild, bushy tailed freshman in Streeter Hall at Eastern Washington University. His dorm room had VHS stacks of Seinfeld recordings, he geeked-out on Late Night with Craig Kilborn, and,…
Check out this 50-state tracking tool developed by the Georgetown Climate Center charts state-by-state progress in climate adaptation plans, and shows which ones have hit their goals. California leads the pack, while Maryland and New York don't lag too far behind. From Georgetown: Below is…
The inaugural Idaho Symposium on Energy in the West, a new collaborative event series presented by the University of Idaho College of Law, the Center for Advanced Energy Studies at Idaho National Laboratories and the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State University, will be held…
Artist Dave Delisle has combined two of my favorite subjects to geek-out on: Transit and old school video games. Yes, someone has finally drawn public transit systems as Super Mario and Mario Kart maps. Would you ever miss a train if you could get a…
I can't stop watching this latest trailer for Christopher Nolan's epic-looking "Interstellar." He has significantly raised the bar for sci-fi but from the looks of it, with the future resembling a global-scale dust bowl where nothing grows, the bad guy is climate change. (No, climate…
For those who still think we're stuck in a state of climate denial, it's science to the rescue. Nobel Prize-Winner Richard Feynman is regarded as one of the greatest physicists to have ever lived. In this uplifiting video, he explains the link between nature and…
Not too far from my alma matter, I frequently made trips out to the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge and became fascinated by its landscape and unique habitat thanks to the Ice Age floods from 15,000 years ago. After the floods, volcanic eruptions in the Cascade Range…
Take a look at this statshot I dug up from The Onion: It's funny but true. I'm always trying to live as car-lessly as possible but fuel efficiency matters. Emptying your trunk and vehicle of unnecessary clutter, especially seasonal items - or bowling balls anyone?-…
Central City Line. To move or not to move Downtown Plaza. Now's the time to engage with the Spokane Transit Authority (STA). They are moving towards the final stage of gathering public input on a draft plan called STA Moving Forward which consists of about…
We were sad to hear the Spokane River cleanup was cancelled this year but fear not: The Fifth Annual Upriver Scrub is taking place Saturday, September 27th. Starting at 9:30 a.m., volunteers will help with Spokane River cleanup from Stateline to Mirabeau Park. To assure…
National Geographic has quite the disturbing interactive map that shows what 216 feet of sea level rise will do to coastlines around the world: The maps here show the world as it is now, with only one difference: All the ice on land has melted…
As the story of what to do with the Spokane Transit plaza keeps unraveling, the question remains: Who does it serve? Everyone and this time-lapse video captures demonstrates a day of activity. Enjoy.
Good news from the Department Of Ecology: Lab results revealing levels of toxic chemicals in consumer products sold in Washington are now available through an online database. The database includes test results for products such as children’s and baby’s items, clothing, personal care items,…
Buzzfeed created a video that illustrates what 2,000 Calories look like using bagels, chicken McNuggets, carrots, and other foods. The video was inspired by WiseGEEK’s awesome photo collection showing 200 Calories of various foods. <br /> <br />
As a follow up to an earlier post, the Spokane City Council voted 5-1 at last night's meeting in favor of Councilwoman Candace Mumm's crosswalk ordinance aimed at making the city safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and others in the most pedestrian heavy parts of town.…
What up harvest time? It's getting colder at nights and I know it won't be too long before I have to throw a tarp over some of my tomatoes. If you're feeling overwhelmed, Treehugger has five ways to take advantage of this fruit (even during…
I am geeking out on this new series from Grist by Eve Andrews. Writing that we are in the midst of a dietary and environmental crisis, she looked for ways to get us out of the mess we find ourselves in. The solution? Andrews challenged…
The Eighth Annual Dirty Martinis for Clean Water Fundraising Event is on for Friday, September 12th. I think I'm safe in assuming you like your martinis dirty and your water clean so, yes, this event is for you. There will be delicious food, drinks,…
We love coffee here at DTE. But for the source, it's incredibly hard work, taking a lot of water to run a successful coffee farm. Watch this clip of an organic farm in Guatemala is using substantially less to grow its crops. EarthReport says that…
Bad news for the U.S. coal industry as another proposed coal export terminal was turned down.The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) rejected a vital permit for Ambre Energy’s proposed Morrow Pacific coal export project along the Columbia River. The historic decision deals a…
David Roberts put it best: There was a time in the distant past — call it the late 2000s — when infographics seemed like a good idea. You can pack all kinds of info into a visually appealing file that’s easy to share! What could…
Well, this is a very different Council Connection. The monthly cable television program featuring Spokane City Council members as hosts was always filmed in council chambers - sort of like Wayne's World meets C-SPAN, making Spokane the only place where you'll find such a program.…
The Washington Conservation Corps, a part of the Washington Department of Ecology, has opened 288 jobs that help protect and restore the environment. Working in partnership with AmeriCorps, the WCC provides annual member positions for 18 – 25 years old and no age restrictions for…
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that by the end of August, the U.S. Forest Service will most likely use up it's annual firefighting budget - way before the fiscal year ends in October. While fires continue through Washington and much of the west, it was…
Good news from the City: A new section of the Centennial Trail has been completed along Summit Boulevard. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the 25th birthday of this local treasure than closing the gap at Mile 25 which extends from Bridge…
The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.
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