Th
e first two sites focusing on environmental issues I found to be of interest were Envirowonk and Gristmill. While both of these are devoted to coverage of the environment, their strength and significance lie in their analysis of political issues as they pertain to environmental issues. Referenced in my politically focused post last week, Gristmill is an outstanding resource because of its depth and breadth of coverage. Yet the opinions of its bloggers tend to be written with a heavily influenced liberal viewpoint. Therefore readers should take this into account when perusing the site. Envirowonk's visual design is far superior to Gristmill's and thus is recommended for the casual viewer looking to brush up on current political and environmental events. Two other websites similar to these are Treehugger and The Daily Green. While Treehugger provides news on a wide range of disparate topics such as fashion and transportation, its writers manage to dexterously craft their blog postings in a manner that is relevant to the environment. The Daily Green is similar in this way, although it appears as though the site's main purpose is aimed at targeting consumers drawn in by the idea of "going green." Evidence for this is substantiated by the number of "How To" articles detailing how to reduce one's ecological footprint. Significantly however, this website has a consumer-centric focus, positioning its content in an attempt to market and sell consumer products. While a good resource, it is advised that readers take into account this site's capitalistic leanings as a potential distraction. The next websites I found center upon sustainable technology and alternative energies. Ecotech Daily and Earth2Tech are two well-organized blog sites that provide balanced coverage of sustainable technology. Both of them appear to value simplicity as an aesthetic, grouping their coverage of sustainable technology advancements into broad, overarching categories, such as "Water" or "Environment." This facilitates an enjoyable experience for a casual viewer who wants only to peruse postings of interest. However, both websites do not tag their articles. This can be frustrating for a reader who is searching for specific areas of interest. Cleantechnica is another website which features environmental coverage as it relates to technology, but significantly offers a disproportionate amount of information concerning renewable and alternative energy. Similarly, Ecogeek, co-developed by Hank Green, the man who also developed Envirowonk, focuses on technology but has a great deal of coverage spent on technological advancements benefiting the automotive industry.In my search for web resources, I also came upon several
sites that thoroughly covered the topics of sustainable urban development and design. Inhabitat is a fantastic sustainable design blog that contains a myriad of resources and websites found conveniently on the right side of its page. Furthermore, it appears to have a loyal following of people who regularly comment on the site. For those who are interested in forward thinking architecture and design, BLDGBLOG is a great resource. A unique element of interest for viewers is its interview section in which forward thinking ideas are gleaned from architects, planners, and academicians. Ecoble is a site that proclaims its purpose in providing exposure for "Sustainable Design, Environmental Innovation, and Green News." The blog site stays true to its tagline, although it tends to offer postings that have a more intimate impact on individuals, in contrast to coverage of current events impacting people on a grander scale. For those seeking greater interaction between technological advancements and sustainable real estate, Green Building Elements adeptly balances both. Articles are interesting and grounded in sound scientific principles, yet are written in a way that continues to capture reader attention. Additionally, New Urbanism is a site that declares it is concerned with "Creating Livable Sustainable Communities." While it provides a vast number of articles and resources pertaining to topics such as sprawl and urban redevelopment, the site lacks a vibrant community. This negatively differentiates it from the many other sites I have included. Consequently, visitors of the site must take their thoughts elsewhere, a disappointment considering that it is an organization presumably desiring to attract members.I gathered other sites that are helpful resources and organizations meant to equip readers with the means to help encourage and support sustainable living practices and sustainable real estate. Low Impact Living is tailored to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions to lower their carbon footprint. The website's layout is well designed and features the ability for viewers to calculate their environmental impact. Similarly, Energy Star, an inception by the government in 1992, features a website detailing the possibilities available for sustainable practices to be structurally integrated into new and retrofitted buildings. While informative for consumers, the site is especially helpful for those involved with construction and civic planning. Similarly, the USGBC is an organization that aims to "make green buildings available to everyone within a generation." To keep its many members informed, the organization's website has an e-newsletter and a section for its members where they can participate in forum discussions. For those interested in purchasing a home, Listed Green is a great resource for finding ecofriendly energy efficient home across the country. This site is a great idea, but the relative lack of listings unfortunately reveals how small the market is for these types of buildings. Though largely a site dedicated to the discussion of planning and development, Planetizen features articles discussing the costs and pros and cons of going green. Furthermore, Jetson Green is an outstanding resource for finding information on sustainable design and innovation, yet its appearance is drab and frankly a bit tedious. Its tri-color scheme, possibly an attempt at a simplistic aesthetic, actually makes it hard to navigate and differentiate the different parts of the site. I have found these resources to be extremely helpful and informative, for they serve as viable supplements to my blog's content.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading your blog this week analyzing various resources concerning green technology and real estate. The first standout point is your use of vocabulary; from the first paragraph to the end, I was impressed with your word-choice and writing skill. Secondly, I like that you paired sites in your second paragraph based on similarities. This was a good strategy to employ to avoid creating a list-like post. Specifically, there is some very insightful feedback in this paragraph about Gristmill: “the opinions of its bloggers tend to be written with a heavily influenced liberal viewpoint.” This is a very important point to make, and it delves deeper than commenting on superficial aspects of a site. Also, in the second paragraph you not only successfully compare the paired sites, but you observe similiarities and differences between these paired sites and those following them; this creates a sense of flow throughout your post. You use a variety of transitions which creates smoothness as well. It seems that you found some very good and relevant sources for your topic.
On an aesthetic note about your blog overall, I really like the simplicity of black, white, and gray with the accented green. It serves your purpose well. In this post, I specifically like the “inhabitat” picture, which matches your color scheme.
I find it very difficult to critique this blog, as I believe you did an excellent job. But, I have one small suggestion. In the first paragraph, you say that the resources are broken up into “environment, sustainable technology, sustainable urban development, and resources and sites devoted to championing the cause of sustainability and real estate,” yet there are only three paragraphs to follow. You may have structurally benefited from following with four paragraphs, one devoted to each of these topics.
Great job on this post, and I especially enjoy your blog because it is devoted to a very important and relevant topic in society today. I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future!
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