So far in this blog series, I’ve talked about the management of things that live in places that can be located on the globe. Species, like elephants and mud snails. Ecosystems, like rain forests or coral reefs. On a smaller level, microclimates. These all matter very much. But there are even bigger challenges that have …
Backing into Eden, Chapter 17: A Fundamental Challenge Read More »
I knew there would be reading time on a recent trip to France and Italy for my mother’s birthday, so I stopped at the bookstore on my way out of SEATAC. I decided to be a reader rather than an author, to grab fiction for entertainment instead of some new way to do research for …
Reading Recommendation – Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver Read More »
Our front yard is different than our back yard. The front is sunny and bright and grows flowers and moss-free grass. The back is partly shaded and often five degrees cooler. The two spaces have different micro-climates. This isn’t new science. Thomas Jefferson understood it. When he gardened at Monticello, he planted grapes on a …
Backing into Eden Chapter 12: Climate Whispering Read More »
There are writers and futurists who are swimming upstream against a tide of people screaming about the sky falling. Ramez Naam is one of the them, offering practical tools and illuminating the power of imagination and initiative. In The Infinite Resource:  The Power of Ideas on a  Finite Planet, Ramez describes a future full of …
I write in the evenings and in the early mornings. During the day, I’m a Chief Information Officer. In my case, that means I’m responsible for the data and information systems for the City of Kirkland, Washington, in the USA. The topic of the year for people in my business has moved from “cloud†to …
In previous essays I’ve covered the idea that we have decided to own almost all of the land on the Earth, and thus we have taken both individual and collective responsibility. I’ve also discussed the many ways we already choose what happens on most of the land, from growing crops and livestock to living and …
Backing into Eden: Chapter 4 – Tools for Gardening a World Read More »
Humans have chosen to take responsibility for most of the land on Earth. This post is not a judgement about that – it’s a statement.
Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, presents climate change research in an easily digestible format. It explores the chilling effects of a heating planet degree by degree, including both the results of models that peer into possible futures and the findings of paleoclimatology. The book endeavors to tell the story of a frightening …
Reading Recommendation: 6 Degrees, by Mark Lynas Read More »
Anyone who has been reading my blog knows I’m a fan of Paolo’s. Â I find his work frighteningly plausible. Â His worlds are dark, but unlike most horror which belongs under the covers on a dark night, Paolo’s work should be held up and talked about. Â It feels like it could happen. The Drowned Cities is …
Reading Recommendation: Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Drowned Cities Read More »
Talking in a rather up-beat fashion about the future. Â Early last week I got to attend Microsoft’s tech-fest Day 0 and to chat with people there. Â I wrote a post pretty specifically about that for Do the Future, and incorporated it into my monthly column over at Futurismic. Â I am feeling a bit more upbeat …
In which I appear at Do the Future and Futurismic Read More »
