After A Tsunami

On August 30, 2025

A recent trip to Indonesia took me to the island of Sulawesi. After some time in the Makassar area, we flew in to Palu, a city on the western side of the island. As our flight approached the airport, I wondered about very uniform residential areas I could see below me that seemed to have […]

Ecotourism as Economic Development

On August 1, 2025

Throughout the Global South, agriculture plays a major role in the economy. As agriculture has become mechanized and controlled by multi-national corporations, production occurs at a more massive scale so commodity crops can be produced cheaply for transport to other parts of the world. In the process, local ecosystems are often ploughed under and local […]

Finland – The Happiest Country in the World

On June 9, 2025

Last year, Finland ranked as the happiest country in the world for the 7th time, according to the UN’s “World Happiness Report”. Why is that? And what does it mean, anyway? Let’s take a look. I visited Finland in May and June of 2025. A big part of the trip was a tour to see […]

The Cool City of Oaxaca

On April 12, 2025

If being sustainable means you thrive and remain a desirable community over time, then Oaxaca certainly fits the bill! The historic origin of Oaxaca, Monte Alban, is on a mountaintop adjacent to the current city and developed areas. It was first settled around 500 B.C. The settlement on that plateau lasted at least 1,000 years […]

Paso Centurión, Uruguay

On December 1, 2019

Paso Centurión is a place on the edge. It’s a small community on the Rio Jaguarão, the river forming the border between Uruguay and Brazil. The nearest ‘big’ city is Melo, the capital of Cerro Largo ‘Department’ (equivalent to a state in the US), which has a population of about 50,000. While there was a […]

Stanford

On November 18, 2019

Stanford University’s Main Quadrangle The main quadrangle at Stanford University seems at once a classic academic setting and a place rooted in its California context. These two responses to the design are a clear indication of the successful blending of ideas that began the university. Leland Stanford was a successful California businessman and politician; his […]

Panama

On November 18, 2019

Panama When the Panama Canal was constructed in the early 20th century, it was an engineering marvel and the result of a complex mixture of political intrigue, ambition, vision and new technology. It was not a project designed to enhance the natural environment or preserve unique habitat. But the Canal’s locks use huge amounts of […]

Women in Paucartambo

On November 18, 2019

Women in Paucartambo, Peru Paucartambo is a small village in the Peruvian Andes. It’s a traditional market town, particularly known for selling potatoes grown on the terraces that march up the region’s steep mountain slopes. Women have been selling potatoes here, in much this same way, for generations. This potato market seems a far cry […]

Chiricahua Mountains

On November 18, 2019

Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains I love the dramatic views and the wide open spaces of the Western U.S. This view of the Chiricahuas changes depending on the time of day, the season and the weather – and its reflection in the pond is changed by wind and water levels as well. These mountains have been the […]

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