HOTTER AND DRYER: Recently hired staff writer Brandon Fastman wrote this week’s cover story on the nebulous yet noteworthy subject of what it takes to get sustainable-energy projects approved and constructed in Santa Barbara. What began as simple overview turned into an in-depth report on the challenges projects face from environmentalists and bureaucrats when Fastman observed, as he put it, that there is “less actual implementation of technology on the ground” than you might think. “We’re going to have to think hard about making sacrifices to address fossil fuel consumption,” he said. Read Fastman’s cover story here and the rest of his news pieces online at independent.com/fastman.