James S. Russell

I would not usually comment on the alleged deficit debate -- built around a ginned-up debt-limit-raising “crisis.” But it has move to a new level of fantastical unreality as it allegedly reach its endgame. The conservative radicals in Congress want tax breaks off the table even though many are really juicy targets. Democrats have succumbed to the fallacy that hacking debt now is more essential than creating an economy that generates jobs and wealth. The radicals argue that huge chunks of what … [Read more...]

I did not expect my book to be so grimly well-timed. The nuclear tragedy in Japan may do permanent damage to nuclear as a “clean” energy source for the future. Spiking oil prices are making at least a few of us think about how we can use less energy. The Agile City makes a case for conservation—through the design of buildings, communities, and transportation. It shows that reducing energy use can put climate-change goals within our grasp quickly and affordably.   Urban agility doesn’t … [Read more...]