A Little Weblog Essay about Our New House, and its Various Environmental and Sustainable Features and Benefits This week my family moves into a new house that we have just finished building -- or rather, that the builders have just finished building, financed by the proceeds on the sale of our previous apartment (we sold … Continue reading Eco-House, Normal House
Global Warming and Climate Change
The Earthquake in Copenhagen: Reflections on CoP-15 and its Aftermath
After attending CoP-15 (as a UN Observer, on temporary assignment to the Division for Sustainable Development, though of course I write entirely in my individual capacity), talking to numerous delegates and observers and NGO activists during the event, and reading over a hundred articles on the process and the outcome, I have come to an … Continue reading The Earthquake in Copenhagen: Reflections on CoP-15 and its Aftermath
How I Got Lost at the United Nations
In twenty-one years of work on sustainability, I have never before attended a UN meeting. Even when the big sustainability conferences happened (Rio '92, Johannesburg '02), I stayed home, content to keep working on projects that were more specific, less global. In fact, even though I lived in New York for years, on two occasions, … Continue reading How I Got Lost at the United Nations
Letter from Sweden: The State of the End of the World
The Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm is always a good place to spend a seminar morning on a beautiful Spring day, even when the topic is far from cheery. This is the day, called Valborg, when Swedes, in their several millions, gather around great bonfires to celebrate the coming of Spring. Male choruses sing … Continue reading Letter from Sweden: The State of the End of the World
My Earth Day in Africa
I'm reading an article in Scientific American's magazine "Earth 3.0" about some airlines testing new, greener jet fuels. But I'm here in Entebbe, Uganda airport, about to fly with very ordinary Jet A Kerosene on Kenya Airways to Nairobi. Surreally, an old Star Trek movie is on the television. Of course, I spent most of … Continue reading My Earth Day in Africa
Climate Change Adaptation: from Big Taboo to Business Opportunity
Read my recent article on climate change adaptation generated a surprising amount of response. I will be focusing more and more on climate change adaptation issues in times ahead, both because I believe we all need to be paying more attention to it, and because my professional work with clients like the Nile Basin Initiative … Continue reading Climate Change Adaptation: from Big Taboo to Business Opportunity