Sustainability is one of those buzzwords that seems to mean all things to all people, which, of course, is the same as meaning nothing to anyone.  That’s one reason why things like this report on the University of Michigan’s sustainability are so welcome.  The report starts by classifying three types of sustainability: environmental, social, and Read More

We ran across an interesting 1998 document produced for Brookhaven National Laboratory and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Probably the most interesting thing to me is the document’s description of the composition of organic/inorganic sediments in waterways.  Then again, anything that chips away at the mountain of ignorance I have accumulated over several decades is Read More

The U.S. Census collects data and provides a snapshot of the American people at ten-year intervals.  The stated purpose of the census is to allow for the proper composition of the representative branch of government, but the data gathered is far more substantial, and far more useful.  This economic census report of 2002 is an Read More

So you’ve discovered a toybox in your attic filled with gray plastic army men. You want to make a trade with your neighbor, who has too many green plastic army men. You could laboriously count out your standing, kneeling, and prone little soldiers, but then you’d be exhausted before you even got started. Instead, get Read More