Screenspace

www.architectsforpeace.org
With a worldwide membership that includes architects, environmentalists, urban planners, engineers, and students, this site serves as a forum to discuss political, environmental, and social issues. An Australian-based Web site encouraging outreach within local communities, it includes a section that links professionals with pro-bono projects throughout the world. Other areas of the site include “studio + space,” which features projects that “may not make it to the glossy magazines but…make it to people,” and an extensive list of links to other organizations that promote socially responsible research and development.

www.designcanchange.org
Put together by the Canadian studio SmashLAB to goad graphic designers into bringing their influence to bear on global climate change, Design Can Change asks those in the field to sign the eco-friendly equivalent of an abstinence pledge. Designers must promise to adopt a “sustainable mind-set” in their own practice as well as educate their clients about alternatives to traditional materials and methods. (As one of its many suggestions, the site proposes not only using recycled material but also questioning whether a particular project is necessary: “Market your expertise instead of products.”) In return, they’re listed in a database of like-minded studios.

www.ecorazzi.com
Founders Rebecca Carter and Michael d’Estries look at what celebrities are doing to live sustainably, whether it’s Larry Hagman’s solar farm, Tom Hanks’s electric car, or Daryl Hannah’s campaign (stop the presses) against global warming. Click on your favorite stars’ names in the “celeb cloud” or watch exclusive videos to see what they have to say. What makes news here isn’t new beaus or shows but the eco-practices of the green and famous.

www.madeinnyc.org
According to the site, a Big Apple a day might just keep the doctor away. This guide for locally manufactured products contends that supporting neighborhood industries has holistic benefits for the city and practical benefits for the consumer. The Web site provides business registration, a link to an official report on the economic benefits of local production, information on green building practices, and comprehensive contact information for local industries offering a wide spectrum of products.

www.ecogeek.org
Being a geek isn’t just about wearing oversize glasses and fiddling with computers. Ecogeek focuses on upcoming developments that use technology to take better care of the planet. Projects include cell phones that provide live air-quality reports, electric Mini Coopers, sustainable replacements for concrete blocks made of sewage and ash, and even moisture-detecting sensors that let owners know when their plants need watering. This site reminds us to appreciate our techies: they’ll save the world.

www.modeshift.org
The ease of blogging is a mixed blessing, at best. Having a digital platform is one thing; having something valuable to say on it is another thing entirely. Fortunately, Keith Schneider is something of an expert on sustainable development, urban planning, and the perils and politics of sprawl. Schneider is a former national correspondent for the New York Times and founder of the Michigan Land Use Institute, and his blog is full of insight but mindful of the digital requirements honoring brevity, wit, and voice. Weaving topical observations with information gleaned from his work as both journalist and policy expert, he offers up bracing commentary about the challenges surrounding twenty-first-century development, along with an array of relevant links.