We don't publish a blogroll on Worldchanging, but we are compulsive horizon-scanners here, always on the lookout for interesting information to share with you.
The "do-good blogosphere" has come a long way since we started Worldchanging almost four years ago. Back then, there were just a handful of sites: you could have fit us all into a small bar, and still had room to invite partners. Now environmental, social change, ethical futurism and sustainability-related sites multiply by the millisecond, meaning constant new additions to the thousands already out there. It can be challenging to keep track of the stand-out newbies while maintaining our frequent visits to trusted veterans.
In the spirit of cutting out the middleman and honoring good work, we thought we'd reveal the top hits from our bookmarks and RSS feeds. Here are some our favorite sources for keeping on top of what's going on out there -- the blogs, forums and online magazines that fuel and inform the work we do at here. Some of them are projects spearheaded by members of our own team; others by allies, colleagues and peers. We've separated the list between team member projects and outside publications. Inevitable, we'll miss some good ones -- please feel free to share your favorites in the comments.
As always, changing the world is a team sport.
Grist
Grist remains the best online source for breaking environmental news, always on top of events, especially in the U.S., and always delivering its information about the latest developments in planetary apocalypse with the depression-defying humor and levity.
Sightline Institute
Sightline Institute is, in our opinion, the best existing model for a regional sustainability thinktank. Formerly Northwest Environment Watch, Sightline has a new name and a new look, and they continue to bring a balanced combination of news, opinion, deep research and informative data about the environment and sustainability to Pacific Northwesterners (and anyone else interested in what's happening in Cascadia). Their blog is a must-read.
Core77
For knowledge of the cutting edge of the industrial design world, Core77 is the place to go. The team of writers brings a constant flow of reports for events around the world, highlights of innovative new products, announcements and news about the design community, and plenty more. They have also introduced in the last year an online networking and portfolio system for people in the field.
On Earth
On Earth is a webzine published quarterly by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), with articles on politics, nature, wildlife, culture, science, and health by some of the leading environmental journalists, activists, thinkers and poets of our day.
SciDevNet
SciDevNet is simply the best source for information on the nexus of science, development and sustainability. It can be a dry read, but it presents invaluable information.
Real Climate
We named Real Climate one of The Best Climate Change Websites for a reason. As we said "They're scientists, and sometimes the issues they find important to discuss can be complex, but they do an astonishingly good job of making cutting-edge climate science accessible. If they aren't on your RSS feed, they ought to be."
Pruned
Pruned characterizes itself as primarily a "landscape architecture" blog, but such a description fails to do justice to the utterly original, sometimes far-out, always diverse array of subjects covered by editor, Alexander Trevi. If you want a short trip into something architectural, horticultural, technological or artistic that you've probably never heard of, stop here.
Archinect
Though not officially a "blog," Archinect is a steadfast daily resource for news about architecture and anything related. Their community-run news aggregator can be relied upon to bring you things you would have missed if you tried to scan print and web for interesting information. They also regularly run excellent, in-depth features about artists, designers and architects written by their core team.
There are many more, but this post is already running long, so in the interest of time, we'll just make a list of our top picks (feel free to add your own descriptions of the ones you like in the comments):
Purse Lip Square Jaw
Afrigadget
The Dirt
Smart Mobs
Social Design Notes
Resilience Science
Timbuktu Chronicles
Houtlust
Green Geek
Beyond the Beyond
Vestal Design Blog
Sietch Blog
danah boyd
Good
Futurismic
Global Guerrillas
The following are projects run by Worldchanging team members:
My Heart's in Accra
In our book, Ethan is the sharpest observer of media and technology in the developing world. If, like most Worldchanging readers, you live in the richer parts of the planet, reading his writing is a mind-widening experience.
Inhabitat
Inhabitat covers sustainable design and architecture, often related to the home, but sometimes at a larger scale. They have daily articles that feature the best and newest stuff emerging on the architecture scene, as well as occasional educational series, like Green Building 101, and "Ask Inhabitat."
BLDGBLOG
BLDGBLOG is one of the most eclectic, smartly curated and sharply written sites around for anything that falls within what editor Geoff Manaugh bills as "architectural conjecture, urban speculation, landscape futures." Each piece is a small tome of knowledge and original insight into unique happenings and potential future happenings related, in the broadest possible sense, to architecture.
Next Billion
Next Billion takes on the question How can enterprise help the poor? and answers it with great ideas and innovations on a regular basis.
Again, in the interests of time, another list:
Weblogsky
Natural Logic
Two Steps Forward
Transmaterial
Open the Future
Green Car Congress
One Atlantic
Erica C. Barnett
Creative Commons Photo Credit
