More and more people are taking the plunge into backyard gardening. Some are even planting fruits and veggies in their front yard and adopting the “no-mow” approach. Last year one website, Freedom Gardens, used its social networking platform to coordinate the “100 Foot Diet Challenge.” Hundreds of gardeners throughout the country accepted the invitation by [...]
Abandoned Wal-Marts a New Rehab Craze
January 7, 2009 by 5 Comments
There’s been a lot of noise in recent years about the widespread construction of Wal-Marts and other big box stores. A new development is the rise in vacated megastores. Recently, resourceful communities and individuals are re-imagining better uses for these behemoth structures. A body of data and stories has been collected by Julia Christensen, author [...]
Book Review: Small Is Possible
January 4, 2009 by 3 Comments
In the international marketplace of ideas, Lyle Estill is not a widely known expert on human-scale, local economies. He may never attain that status, if only be because he’s too busy making economic theory a sustainable reality in his little corner of North Carolina. In Small Is Possible: Life in a Local Economy, Estill chronicles [...]
What Is Your Government Doing About Peak Oil?
December 24, 2008 by 6 Comments
The debate over the global energy crisis continues to inch its away into the public arena. While federal governments still have not taken specific actions regarding peak oil, a number of sub-federal agencies have acted. As experts wrestle over the question of when global oil demand will outpace supply, a number of municipalities, regional agencies, [...]
Locavores: Get to Know Your Local Farms
December 22, 2008 by 4 Comments
The local food movement is gathering steam. To keep locavores informed about best farming practices, one organization spreads the word about what sustainable farmers are achieving under the radar. Formed as a coalition of schools, Mid-Atlantic-based nonprofit organizations, and the USDA, the Small Farm Success Project is “dedicated to helping small and emerging farmers improve [...]
