This summer I read The Lord of the Rings to my eight-year-old and was struck by how much the themes continue to be relevant for the modern environmentalist movement. Ents destroying Isengard (the industrial power) is the classic example, but there's so much more. Mordor as an imperial, extractive power. Hobbits regenerating the land after it has been degraded. Gimli trying to preserve the Glittering Caves of Aglerond. And of course, growing trees symbolizing renewal and prosperity. So, I decided to write all these themes down, and compare them to instances where similar things are happening today.

I just reached a milestone in the writing process and wanted to share a sample my work so far! Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Full disclosure, I work with a few soil scientists and I now understand how critical it is that we know the potential of the land if we're relying on it to produce ag or to be used as rangeland.

I had never heard of a land trust being used to keep rates affordable - sounds like a very cool model!

Invisible Solar is a new PV technology that take on the appearance of any building material. Each Invisible Solar module is more than a photovoltaic panel, it also is an active architectural element with various functionality.