Sustainable Development

The Future of Green Building is in Seattle

I have seen the future of buildings. And it is awesome. Today, Earth Day 2013, The Bullitt Center – the “greenest,” most sustainable commercial building in the world... Read More

Photo Essay: Fair Trade and Social Entrepreneurship in Guatemala

For the past eight months I have been working with a fair trade project called JUSTA (Justice & Unity in Sustainable Trade for Artisans), based in the highlands of Guatemala on... Read More

Promoting Certified Wood Products from Agroforestry Systems

Diversity is king. Nearly every financial planner out there recommends a diverse investment portfolio in order to spread risk. If you were a farmer, would you want to grow only one... Read More

Seeds of Occupy: The Gill Tract Contested Land and Oakland’s Planting Justice

Brass Liberation Orchestra provided music on the farm  Photo courtesy of Kelly Johnsn On Earth Day, activists, community members, students and local farmers reclaimed the Gill Tract,... Read More

Book Review: Rambunctious Garden by Emma Marris

What does “nature” mean? What is it supposed to look like? And what is the future of nature and biodiversity conservation? These are questions that Emma Marris tries to... Read More

Simplifying the Economics of Happiness with Helena Norberg-Hodge

Helena Norberg-Hodge, courtesy of ISEC In 1975, before India’s northern region of Ladakh became a popular tourist attraction; Helena Norberg-Hodge went with a film crew. It was here... Read More

A Vision for the Future: Founder of Earth Trust, Vanya Orr

The Nilgiri Hills consists of a heart-shaped region rising almost vertically from the lowlands of the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka in Southern India. In... Read More

Urbanized: A film about the design of cities

Half of the world’s population now lives in cities. By 2050, it is estimated that this ratio will grow to over 75%. Put another way, 3.5 billion people live in cities now. Global... Read More

A Look at Mixed-Use Urban Development in Ghana

Plainly speaking, mixed-use development is the practice of having more than one form of “use” or activity (e.g., residential, commercial, office, recreational, industry)... Read More

Displacing Rural Communities for Delhi’s Drinking Water: Is the Renuka Dam Worth the Cost?

I have a love/hate relationship with the many contrasts in India: the bright green paddy fields next to red tile roofs, the smell of jasmine and fresh food mixed in with the scent of... Read More

Freeing the Elwha: Witnessing the Largest Dam Removal Project in History

This past weekend, large excavators began deconstructing two dams along the Elwha river in Olympic National Park. The project is the largest dam removal project to date and one of the... Read More

World Record Eggplant Curry Made to Protest Biotechnology Bill in India

As part of a public campaign against the upcoming Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, the largest baigan ka bharta (eggplant curry) was made just a few days ago... Read More

Complete Streets: About More than Just Bike Lanes

In many cities around the world, municipal governments are making dramatic changes to streetscapes. These changes, such as bike lanes, dedicated busways, and other traffic calming measures... Read More