A business in San Francisco turns backyards into a "decentralized urban farm" -- a more productive use of land that can boost food production and bring neighbors together.

Portland bicycle planners have often employed the phrase, "Build It and They Will Come" to explain their approach to building a bicycling infrastructure from scratch in the early 1990s when there appeared to be limited demand. Some 15 years later it is easy to see their logic. The City did indeed build a vast network of bicycling facilities, and cyclists have come in droves. Two recent articles are showing that the-build-it-and-they-will-come theory may also hold true in other cities, as well.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Rosie Boycott, Chair of London Food, today launched an innovative scheme to turn 2,012 pieces of land into thriving green spaces to grow food by 2012. Capital Growth – the first initiative delivered by Rosie Boycott in her capacity as Chair of London Food – aims to identify suitable patches of land around London and offer financial and practical support to groups of enthusiastic gardeners or organisations who want to grow food for themselves and for the local community.

Geothermal energy, which takes less space than solar or wind farms and provides consistent baseline energy, is getting increased attention despite the high upfront costs. A new geothermal plant near Reno, Nevada produces more than enough electricity to power every home in Reno, population 221,000.

On October 22, 2008, the City council of Nevada City, California voted to adopt resolution #2008-58 regarding future energy scarcity and Peak Oil. Specifically, the resolution supports continued efforts to reduce the City's dependence on petroleum, natural gas, and other forms of energy imported to the area. The resolution also calls for the formation of an Energy Solutions Task Force to investigate local vulnerabilities to more expensive and less available energy inputs, and to suggest specific local mitigation strategies.

Eugene, the second largest city in Oregon, has adopted two recommendations from its sustainability commission to move the city's facilities and operations toward carbon neutrality.

The risk to the UK from falling oil production in coming years is greater than the threat posed by terrorism, according to an industry taskforce report published today. The report, from the Peak Oil group, warns that the problem of declining availability of oil will hit the UK earlier than generally expected - possibly within the next five years and as early as 2011.

Whether it is plastered on the side of a bus to promote public transit or peering out from the window of a locally-owned business, support for sustainability is gaining ground in Whatcom County. As one potential solution to globally diminishing natural resources, sustainability, among other things, will be studied as part of an Energy Resource Scarcity Task Force.

The atmosphere in the U.S. is right for growth in mass transit, but those who are trying to make the shift are finding that the funding is not there - due to years of neglect, underfunding, and now systemic economic problems that are threatening many new and existing plans.

The commissioners of McDowell County in North Carolina have voted to purchase a diesel storage tank, in order to save money on fuel costs and be prepared for future shortages. They already have a similar tank for gasoline, but emergency services and waste collection vehicles require diesel.