Editorial: The question about how clean “green” energy alternatives such as Wind Turbines and Solar panels is brought into question by some deeper dives into the creation and the life cycle of these so called “green” energy alternatives. We could go really deep on these topics.  If that is your flavor, then check out this podcast called the Wright Report. One example is the fact that wind turbines require fossil fuel to operate.  They require oil as lubrication.  An estimate of 100 gallons which is changed out regularly is needed to keep these windmills working.  Additional ..read more

I was recently contacted by a concerned citizen, Rich Gerlitz about some surprising news.  A company called Scout Clean Energy is working to develop a HUGE wind turbine farm called the Horse Heaven Hills project.  The group Save our Ridges says Scout plans a wind farm that would stretch along 24 miles of the ridges along the south of the Tri-Cities from Jump-Off Joe to Benton City.  As many as 212 wind turbines would be placed in several rows.  Each turbine would be 500 feet tall (nearly as tall as the Space Needle). There are several nationally organized groups who are are ..read more

How is your life?  Busy, stressful, running from one thing to the next?  A new study says slowing down a little and enjoying one of the hikes on HikeTriCities.com can help relieve stress. The study, published in the journal, Frontiers of Psychology shows that 20 minutes of exposure to nature can decrease the levels of cortisol in the body which is a stress hormone.  In the study, 36 urban dwellers were evaluated after they had a “Nature Experience” (NE) at least 3 times a weeek.  The duration of the optimal response and benefit was between 20 and 30 minutes but the benefits continue to grow af ..read more