LEED-ing the way to sustainability

It seems like every month, a new trend or concept emerges in Seattle's green scene. But what does Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design have to do with the building boom in Seattle, and how does it work? Consider this the everyman's guide to the LEED process.

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Review: Faith and mental illness on Seattle's streets

Craig Rennebohm provides a refreshing look at compassion and caring for Seattle's outcasts in Souls in the Hands of a Tender God: Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on the Streets (Beacon Press, 2008 194 pages).

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When it comes to energy consumption, what really drives change?

A global lecture series sponsored by design consulting firm Arup, "Drivers of Change," examines what life would be like in 2050, and what that means for the current energy crisis.

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Folklife '08: Seattle folks are the life of the festival

Our summer intern learns that the best part of Folklife isn't to be found in the festival schedule — but in her fellow Seattleites, who put on quite a show of their own.

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Vancouver, B.C., loses some ground as a sustainability leader

In recent years, Vancouver, B.C., has provided Seattleites with eco-friendly examples of sustainable, compact communities. As recently as the 1990s, Vancouver's walkable neighborhoods accounted for 67 percent of the population, enabling broad use of bicycles and public transportation. British Columbia also has ambitious goals for addressing climate change and recognizes the painful inconvenience of rising gas prices. The cities of Vancouver and North Vancouver are listed as having the highest percentages of compact communities. However, these numbers are slipping.

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