Colin Beavan's thought was hardly unusual. Most of us have wondered whether all our accumulated belongings and technology make our lives better.

"We're consuming way too much stuff as a civilization," Beavan said. "And we have an idea that's because we need all these things. When people tend to talk about living environmentally, they tend to think of depriving ourselves. The question became in our year: Would we be less happy or more happy? Would we actually find that there were some greater satisfactions than consuming resources to be had? And if that was the case - which it was in our case - might it be possible for our culture to design itself in such a way so that it uses fewer resources but also gives us happier lives?"

MetroLINK, the mass-transit system for the Illinois Quad Cities, has re-branded itself as "Metro" and is rolling out changes to encourage more Quad Citians to go green. These will include a new slogan, logo, bus-stop signs, graphics for the buses, and an Internet micro-site. Metro offers a green transportation option for the Quad Cities; half of its fleet consists of compressed-natural-gas buses, which reduce emissions of exhaust pollutants by 70 to 85 percent. For more information, call (309) 788-3360 or visit QCMetroLINK.com or the microsite at GoGreenMetro.com.

It's time to celebrate the Main Street Library at "A Ruby Renaissance," the 40th-anniversary party for the Edward Durell Stone Building. Taking place on Sunday, October 5, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., the party will offer something for everyone: numerous children's performers, including magician Rick Eugene; music by Ellis Kell; historic displays, including a photo montage and ephemera; special guests and speakers; and free refreshments. For more information about the anniversary party, contact Angela at (563) 888-3371, or visit DavenportLibrary.com. For more information about library history, visit QCMemory.org, or call (563) 326-7902.

"I didn't really get interested in poetry until I got here," explains author and Augustana College alumna Farah Marklevits, during a recent interview on the school campus. "I went on a Latin American term, and we read Pablo Neruda in Chile at, like, his house, which is on the coast. And it just captured me. We're in Chile, and there's the ocean, and the professors had a copy of his poems, and they were reading them, and it was just like ... wow."

Less than a decade after Marklevits' 1999 graduation, it's now her readers who are saying "wow."