SARASOTA COUNTY -- A library being planned for central Sarasota County may provide answers for some of the biggest challenges facing local governments: how to limit storm-water runoff, cut energy costs and reduce air pollution.
One of my favorite permaculture principles ordains that everything in a design should have several functions. We're used to choosing plants that only do one thing: a silver maple for fall foliage, a tomato for slicing, an English laurel for privacy. But in nature, each living thing plays many roles.