by admin | May 4, 2026 | Activism, Chicago, Climate, Economics, Energy Conservation, Environment, Government, Infrastructure, Personal history, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Urban Planning
The ceremony began with the ritual burning of some coal in a small firepit outside the front door of Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park, in Chicago. The coal fire was soon extinguished, but the flame was used to light candles as people processed, singing “This...
by admin | Apr 22, 2026 | Activism, Agriculture, architecture, Business, Chicago, Climate, Environment, Government, Housing, Philanthropy, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Resilience, Technology, Transportation, Urban Planning, Volunteerism
Once I was in downtown Chicago on April 16, at the corner of Adams and LaSalle, my first task was to enter what once was a bank building and pick up a name tag that had a number on the back. The second task was to take an elevator to the 40th floor and start meeting...
by admin | Aug 5, 2025 | Activism, Books, Business, Chicago, Climate, Colorado, Disaster, Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, New Orleans, Religion, Renewable Energy, Volunteerism
I had a dream a few weeks ago. Most of my dreams are fleeting and inconsequential. Not so this time. My overladen subconscious mind took me to this empty room, then made me fill it with all that had happened since my “alleged retirement”[1] from the American Planning...
by admin | Mar 8, 2024 | Chicago, Christianity, Climate, Energy Conservation, Environment, Government, Infrastructure, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Resilience
Almost all content on this blog is written by me. On rare occasions, I have hosted a guest writer when I decided it was appropriate. In this case, I am sharing an announcement from my own church, which is entering an agreement with the City of Chicago for a grant to...
by admin | Feb 7, 2022 | Activism, Books, Christianity, Climate, Infrastructure, Public policy, Religion, Renewable Energy, Science
It is Sunday evening as I start this blog post. Whether I finish it tonight is less important than simply getting it done. I had intended to get it done earlier, but other matters intervened, including a death in the family, so I am doing it now. Part of my motivation...
by admin | Mar 10, 2021 | Activism, Books, Careers, Climate, Environment, Housing, Infrastructure, Nature, Public health, Renewable Energy, Resilience, Technology, Transportation, Urban Planning, Volunteerism, Water
About six weeks ago, as the Biden administration was first asserting its priorities regarding climate change and the environment, I reviewed a book about the positive actions already being taken by cities around the world in addressing the climate crisis. The...
