Post Archive by Month

By Brian Skeele, on April 15th, 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 are home oriented, the last 22 are more neighborhood oriented. Add your ideas to the …

We are the ones we’re looking for By Brian Skeele, on July 19th, 2011 The Great American Quest, ” life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” has led us to the mountain top, the shopping mall. We sat there in rapture, beaming and gleaming in the sunlight streaming into the food court, all the abundance of our bags full of awesome stuff. …

Restorative Justice-another sustainable safety net By Brian Skeele, on July 12th, 2011 Restorative justice programme Pollsmoor Prison Cape Town I’ve heard the term “Restorative Justice” before.  Probably in the context of the community meetings held in South Africa to heal the wounds of apartheid. I also once read a story about a tribe in the South Pacific, as I remember the …

The Great Senior Sell off + dropping graduation rates=bummer By Brian Skeele, on June 28th, 2011 Arthur C Nelson is coming to town! He’s the go to guy that has been pretty accurately predicting how the housing markets are evolving. This coming Friday, June 30th, he’ll be in Santa Fe and hopefully shedding light on the latest trends. Here’s my …

By Brian Skeele, on March 19th, 2011 Nuclear, coal, natural gas, methane, biochar oil, ethanol, algae bio-diesel,  the sun, the tides, the wind, or good old gasoline…each comes with its costs.  As we innovate  toward a sustainable lifestyle, the refining processes and embedded energy, the delivery system, and all the other externalities come into play. Currently 60% of the US’s  primary …

By Brian Skeele, on March 12th, 2011 I happen to talk to one of my partners about my latest blog on the Killer Modeling Tool, and he directed me to “Write this down. EVONY”. So I did, and later last night I went to the web site, remembering the advice he’d given me,   “Don’t let the way they built …

By Brian Skeele, on May 13th, 2011 I lived out on Taos Mesa in the tiniest trailer known to mankind.  There were no utilities, no running water. I’d haul water from Henry’s house, just down the road, and heat up a pot of water to take showers. Invigorating showers out in the wide open space, freezing night air.  A 5 gallon bucket …

Building Sustainability via Transition US By Brian Skeele, on June 6th, 2011 Transition US is picking up momentum. Here’s a short video to give you an intro. The second video is a panel sharing how Cascadia Northwest is moving forward. Reno Transition contributes at. 9.45 min- 16.15 min. Lessons Learned-Not an Umbrella organization, but a crazy quilt…building networks. Envisioning Reno-each …

By Brian Skeele, on March 12th, 2011 I happen to talk to one of my partners about my latest blog on the Killer Modeling Tool, and he directed me to “Write this down. EVONY”. So I did, and later last night I went to the web site, remembering the advice he’d given me,   “Don’t let the way they built …

By Brian Skeele, on March 16th, 2011 Sustainable Urban Village is an odd phrase. Sustainable Urban Village is a mash up of opposites. “Village” is pastoral, dreamy, idealistic, old fashioned, small and intimate. “Urban” conjures up pretty much the opposite-gritty, concrete and asphalt, contemporary, hip, huge and cold. Add “sustainable” to the mix, and it becomes ….an odd phrase. Where …