Fire and water. Earth and wind. For ancient Greeks, and the Buddhists before them, these basic elements provided a foundation for contemplating the world. In this special section, we invite you to take a look at how these simple, time-honored concepts can help you in your quest to create a healthier home.

Water - Go Ahead, Drink Up
Spokane has a lot of things worth bragging about. There’s Riverfront Park. There’s Bloomsday. There’s Hoopfest. And according to Mike LaScuola, environmental health specialist for the Spokane Regional Health District, there’s the water that’s streaming out of your kitchen faucet. DANIEL WALTERS

Air - From Smellness to Wellness
I live in a modest, two-bedroom house, which I share with two roommates, two cats, two dogs and a guinea pig.  So it goes without saying: We use a lot of air fresheners. BLAIR TELLERS

Fire - Sensing Smoke
Changing the battery in a smoke detector when you set your clock back isn't enough.  Protecting your home from fire now requires more than pushing the test button to hear the reassuring high-pitched squeal that it works.  You need to know how it works. LISA FAIRBANKS-ROSSI

Earth - A Healthy Foundation
As mountains crumble to the seas, so too is Mother Nature at work to retrieve your home and return it to the earth.  Her impressive list of accomplices includes the formidable force of gravity, the seeping, but potent, power of water, the fiery might of electricity and the permeating poison of an invisible gas. ANNE McGREGOR