Three giant crosses — a taller one flanked by two smaller ones — still smoldered the next morning as my mother drove me to school. …

A brief look at what sustainability means today in the context of green construction, what sustainability might come to mean in the future, and how ultra long-term thinking can radically change our notion of all things sustainable. — The term “sustainability” has been given several definitions over the years. In 1976 Robert Stivers described sustainability as an economy “in equilibrium with basic ecological support systems.” …

Our initial foray into small-scale urban farming quickly turned into a trailblazing adventure, an examination of what environmental stewardship and occupant satisfaction mean outside conventional frameworks, and a race to attain LEED certification. — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, the driving force behind the green building industry in the U.S. and 30 other countries. While LEED isn’t the only certification program out there, it’s undoubtedly the most popular. So…