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The Mass Green Communities initiative is a program with simple and clear criteria which a town can meet in order to gain Green Community designation. It is a program that residents can be part of and aside from the environmental benefits of meeting the criteria it makes the town eligible for various state and federal grants. One of my coworkers is involved in the initiative for the town of Northfield and it is something he feels proud as a resident to be a part of.

This is a page with instructions on how to build your own bamboo bike trailer. At the bottom there are additional links to other designs for utility trailers for bikes. I have borrowed the trailers that the Pedal People use in Northampton and they are great. You can haul up to 300 lbs and they don't compromise your stability much. The catch is that their trailers cost upwards of $450. There is a a significant community of enthusiasts that simply want to promote human power as an alternative to fossil fuel, and consequently you can find all of these trailer plans offered for free - some with Creative Commons licenses and others just there for the taking/sharing. It's great!

US Green Building Council is the governing body that founded, and maintains the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Thousands of residential and commercial buildings across the nation are being built to these specifications. Ratings such as Silver, Gold, and Platinum are awarded for buildings that meet the stringent energy saving design characteristics. The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Our community of leaders is working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

Some LEED Platinum Skyscrapers: Taipei 101: http://inhabitat.com/taiwains-taipei-101-skyscraper-crowned-the-worlds-tallest-leed-platinum-building/ Bank of America Building NYC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_America_Tower_(New_York_City) Shenzen's Horizontal Skyscraper: http://www.evolo.us/architecture/steven-holls-leed-platinum-horizontal-skyscraper/

This is a very cool blog about organic gardening and small scale homesteading. I stumbled upon it while trying to troubleshoot my carrot germination problem. It's mostly about growing food but touches on other related environmental issues - food politics, cycling etc.