Futures

No the Breakthrough Institute, Sustainability is Not Already Achieved

The summer issue of the Breakthrough Journal features an article by Jessie Ausubel which argues that “beginning in the 1970s, Americans began to consume less and tread more lightly on the planet.” The goal of this journal is to “challenge conventional progressive and environmental wisdom,” but as is often the case to be able to … Read more…

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A Vision for Sustainable Lighting

One of the most exciting recent developments in Achieving Sustainability is the potential for everyone to dramatically slash the electricity they are using to light their homes. We have been exploring the history of lighting usage, demand trends, technological development and policy initiatives–see the whole series for more. But for Sustainability it is important that … Read more…

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For Achieving Sustainability there are Infinite Possibilities

Ever since Jimmy Carter’s infamous “Crisis of Confidence” speech calling on Americans to conserve energy, Sustainability has acquired an (undeserved) reputation of requiring a dark, sweater-wearing future. But that is thinking about it all backwards, Sustainability is really about achieving the future that we want. That is not is not to say that we can … Read more…

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SustainabLINKS August 4, 2014

  • Us tree huggers have had it right all along. Trees make us healthier!
  • A detailed look at why the natural gas boom may not be all that great for climate change after all.
  • There was some good news on the climate change front including rising sales of electric/hybrid cars and Daniel Gross over at Slate makes the assertion that we may be advancing from small energy efficiency improvements to full scale energy demand destruction.
  • Suburbia did not fair well this week with a Brookings report finding growing poverty in suburban neighborhoods and Time featuring in article on untenable financial structure of suburbs (generating more liabilities for municipalities than tax dollars over the long run).
  • Where does your city rank in mass transit? Impressively, Flagstaff is tops (per capita) in Arizona.

    • Bonus: An Astrobiologist and a Sci-Fi novelist chat about the possibility for a sustainable future.

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