Gil Friend’s Blog

(We all had a common roadmap for this initial session, and all did it a different way! Here's the energy group, via Joe Wenisch.) Organizing themes: - use all surfaces to generate power - context: ask first, about place, resources, etc, before exploring need -- or...

This group started their report-out with barriers: - financial incentives misaligned - leases for mixed use occupancy not optimized - code & policy barrier to innovation - NIMBYism, and the lack of "comps" -- precedents, and examples of what it would look/be like, and...

We're reporting out, World Cafe style. Sandy Mendler is summarizing the Natural Environment breakout. I'm speed-summarizing her summary. It's really about healing. Criteria: - More nature -- 50% of land kept open - Place where people feel safe and secure (fences can...

First breakout session. The choices: Energy; Water, Waste & Air; Natural Environments; Built Environments. Food sytstems, strangely, aren't explicitly on the list. I've been assigned to Water, Waste & Air, where, wouldn't you know it, we're talking about (food...

John Jeavons is talking about biointensive food production in cities --where half the human population now lives -- at a time when "farmer" is (he tells us) is no longer a job category in the US Census. Some stats: 1/3 - 1/8 the water, 94-99% less energy per pound of...

I'm participating in at a design charrette on "Framework for a Sustainable City Block" - with Urban Re:Vision & Rocky Mountain Institute - for the next two days. Right now Laura Schewel, the "warm up" act from RMI is offering great animated versions of Amory Lovins'...

We stray from sustainability a bit this morning to bring this lovely item from the Washington Post to your attention: Travelers' Laptops May Be Detained At Border Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location...

I haven't vetted the analysis, but no doubt this is the slickest looking carbon calculator I've seen yet! (From EcoSynergy; nice job!) (Also just stumbled across this more ordinary looking but not at all dumb household GHG calculator from EPA -- simple but usefully...

I'll be speaking tonight at the North Bay Sustainable Business Alliance "Green Drinks" event ("a networking event for green-minded business people"), 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Novato Oaks Inn, 215 Alameda Del Prado, Novato. $25 gets you a drink, some munch, and whatever's on...