Ah, the internet: enlightening, inspiring, and time-sucking. Today we share with you our favorite online places—sites that are never a waste of time—with a short description of why we love them so much. They can always be found on the front page of the site if you scroll down in the right-hand column.

Know of any sites that can inform and inspire us to build the future the way it ought to be built? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Worldchanging embodies the spirit of the bright green movement—positive, inquisitive, and urgent. Read about emerging possibilities in technology, design, arts, culture, thought, everything.

EcoGeek is the go-to blog for analysis of clean new technologies. Gets into the nitty gritty of green tech and pulls no punches on what’s BS and what’s for real.

The Simple Living Network has a lot of environmental content as well as one of the friendliest and most informative message forums on the web. The online home of voluntary simplicity.

La Marguerite is a blog on green marketing, trends in environmentalism, and how to turn the tide of public opinion. Agree with her or not, her posts are thought-provoking.

Grist has it all: inspiring and outraging stories, smart and dedicated columnists, and a healthy dose of snark. Good stuff here every day.

No Impact Man started as an author’s project for a book but has evolved as Colin Beaven has become a well-known activist. Sometimes galvanizing, sometimes heart-breaking, always compelling.

Soul Shelter is not a green site, but the authors’ thoughts on living authentically can help us make room for the new world trying to emerge. Beautifully written to boot.

It’s Getting Hot in Here covers the youth climate change movement, featuring stories of activism from around the world.

Tiny Choices is written by two women examining the ways they live and encouraging us all to make better choices every day. Favorite part: the surveys filled out by readers discussing their own tiny choices.

Tim Ferriss covers the author’s experiments in lifestyle design. Not a green blog, but full of expansive ideas on changing the way we live.

Steve Pavlina is all about personal growth, which is where building a new world starts. Truly life-changing material on this site.

The Daily Green is an environmental news site that, though it can sometimes be a little doomy-and-gloomy, still has tons of useful stuff: tips, recipes, green building info, etc.