Originally published February 17, 2010:

There have always been a few — well more than a few — people interested in being greener. My working definition of “green” is living, working and playing in ways that have less environmental impact. These days, most of the green attention is going to energy. Alternative, renewable, clean, sustainable: choose your adjective.

The attention is understandable given the amount of air time climate change has received in the past few years. And while the focus on green energy may have pushed other important environmental issues into the shadows (water being one…), some analysts suggest we’re missing the main point behind green energy of late. Some suggest we are moving from green revolution to green rebellion. Read more

Originally published January 18, 2010:

I’m only part way through reading David Wolfe’s latest work “21st Century Cities in Canada: The Geography of Innovation” (recently released and available as a free download from the Conference Board of Canada). Yet already I have been struck by the number of countervailing arguments to what we have long accepted as true in the contemporary world of economic development. There’s a lot of “on one hand… on the other hand…” Personally I find this quite refreshing because the report acknowledges that in Canada “one size does not fit all” and those concerned about cities and innovation would be wise to tailor their strategies to fit the particular circumstances of that particular city. Despite the fact that this study is explicitly focused on cities — especially large cities — it does acknowledge that smaller communities also have aspirations and prospects. Read more