By Brian Skeele, on July 9th, 2011 “Giving something back” Just that simple, core.  this video is awesome.  I’m  usually uncomfortable around homeless.  I love the idea of being my brother’s keeper, doing onto other’s how I would like to be treated. But I get squeamish none the less, when I think about how to help the homeless learn to …

By Brian Skeele, on March 29th, 2011 A few years ago,  the Sustainable  Neighborhoods Focus Group came up with the idea of giving as a key to a more abundant lifestyle. Currently, infill and new development often give very little to neighborhoods, usually a loss of views and open space, more traffic, and a deadness associated with second homes and …

By Brian Skeele, on March 23rd, 2011 The Professor is in the House… Cattle + Predators= Soil Carbon Sequestration. How’s that for a Math equation??!! You have sharp hooves (no sneakers allowed), You poop, you roam…You restore the planet’s balance.  Duh!! Any questions??    Yes, you with the red blouse. More Specifics?? OK, here’s how the Savory Theorem works… In a …

By Brian Skeele, on May 31st, 2011 The artists move into the industrial, run down part of town.  Rents are cheap, spaces are big. Cafes and bars start to open. The area becomes hip, creativity is flowing…and the lawyers move in. Nice restaurants and high end clothing stores open up. Get ’em while they’re hot! The prices skyrocket. The artists are …

By Brian Skeele, on July 8th, 2011 We can lower our consumption, create a more efficient, affordable lifestyle, and enhance our Quality of Life with a pedestrian centered lifestyle and a whole systems approach to neighborhood planning and redevelopment. Beddington Zero Energy Development-Bed ZED! In sharp contrast to sprawl, a whole systems approach “stacks” uses in close proximity to each …

By Brian Skeele, on June 20th, 2011 What would you include in a Sustainable Urban Village in Santa Fe, that made it so great, you’d move in?! The September issue of the Green Fire Times is going to be a compilation of ideas and visions, and you’re invited to contribute! Download the flyer here. Download tri-fold brochure here. (two sided …

By Brian Skeele, on June 23rd, 2011 Watch this video!  along with an amazing shift in my thinking around banking, I love the moderator’s accent! I was talking with a friend yesterday, a newly retired school teacher, and I asked her how she would improve schools. “Hire more teachers” she replied. I agree. I’ve had several teachers tell me they …

By Brian Skeele, on May 31st, 2011 The artists move into the industrial, run down part of town.  Rents are cheap, spaces are big. Cafes and bars start to open. The area becomes hip, creativity is flowing…and the lawyers move in. Nice restaurants and high end clothing stores open up. Get ’em while they’re hot! The prices skyrocket. The artists are …

2nd of 29 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR WELL DESIGNED HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD By Brian Skeele, on April 14th, 2011 I’ve started a list of good ideas that come about if we rethink the functions and interplay of our home and its neighborhood.  So far I’ve got 29 killer (If I do say so myself)  ideas.  The first 7 …

By Brian Skeele, on March 21st, 2011 I should have been a woodshop teacher, (BA in Industrial Arts) but went into construction instead. Much to my amazement, I keep being drawn to learning, my own ongoing growth and the Santa Fe School District’s trials and tribulations. Quite a few years ago, I came across the idea that schools could be …