Category: The Transition

A Tale of Two Cities

Posted on by

Here’s an intriguing report about an avenue that’s evidently being taken to achieve greater sustainability within the U.S. – the federal government of which has been taking actions in the exact opposite direction. Some states, such as California, have made state-wide efforts.  But the larger the organization the more the effort required to cause change of any kind.

•       •       •       •      •       •       •       •

 

A Tale of Two Cities:

How San Francisco and Burlington

Are Shaping America’s

Low-Carbon Future

 

Kyra Appleby, Director of Cities

CDP

 

President Trump’s commitment to pull out of the Paris agreement signaled what appeared to be the worst of times for a transition to a low-carbon future in the United States.… Keep reading

Global Warming Projections

Posted on by

The theoretical global warming projections are now being compared to reality measurements, which really can’t be readily contested. Here’s a summary, followed by some suggestions about what each of us can actually do to improve the situation.

 

•      •      •      •     •      •      •      •

 Global Warming’s Worst-Case

Projections Look Increasingly Likely

A new study based on satellite observations

finds that temperatures could rise nearly

5 °C by the end of the century.

 

by James Temple

MIT Technology Review

December 6, 2017

 

Global warming’s worst-case projections look increasingly likely, according to a new study that tested the predictive power of climate models against observations of how the atmosphere is actually behaving.… Keep reading

Quest for Purpose

Posted on by

Here’s one of the healthiest questions we can ask.  From experience, I know we can create elegant environments that are also totally sustainable.  And I know that “sustainability” is more than “survival.”  As we see new strides being achieved in robotics and artificial intelligence, at some point we need to ask the question that we should have been asking all along:

What is our purpose?

Here’s an article that explores the question. Much of it may feel uncomfortable to you, and is, at the very least, controversial. … Keep reading

“The Challenge of Change” book is here!

Posted on by

Happy 2018 !

As a subscriber to my weekly sustainability blogs, you likely have considerable interest about sustainability and the quality of our environment.

I share that interest. So, At the turn of the century, I decided to “walk the talk.”  I engaged several specialists from within the design professions, found a successful developer to coach me, emptied the coffers, and embarked on a quest to create as sustainable a community as I possibly could.

Finland’s leading university recently invited me to present at an international sustainability conference because, from their research, we had the most sustainable development in the U.S. … Keep reading

E-Car Range Booster

Posted on by

The writing is, as they say, “On the wall.” Electric car sales are already climbing at phenomenal rates.  Some countries have even set deadlines, at which time gas-powered vehicles will no longer be allowed.

Four years ago, I bought an electric SMART car. Partially because I wanted to see what it was like to drive an electric car.  And partially because I like convertibles and SMART seems to be the only electric convertible.  (I also like the fact that SMART is owned by Mercedes, whose safety standards are more stringent than U.S.… Keep reading