Feature Stories:
When The Farmer Makes the Rules —The Culutre Thief — Preempt This! Michigan Cities Fight Back — Setting a Slow Table. Continue reading
This Facts to Act On describes local initiatives to spur extended producer responsibility such as networking with industry in a voluntary approach, passing local resolutions, banning products that harm the environment, and developing purchasing protocols that encourage environmentally sound products. Efforts in Los Angeles, the Pacific Northwest, Minnesota, and elsewhere are covered. Includes links to… Continue reading
Salt Lake City officials now routinely consider how their decisions might impact locally owned businesses, thanks to the work of a new independent business coalition and the election last year of Mayor Rocky Anderson.
The Salt Lake Vest Pocket Business Coalition was launched in early 1999 and now includes more than 150 local businesses.
One might be tempted to think that the rise of giant chain bookstores has been a boon to authors. After all, the typical Barnes & Noble or Borders superstore stocks upwards of 150,000 titles, compared to an average of 20,000 for an independent.
Not so, according to a new study written by David Kirkpatrick on behalf of the Authors Guild. Midlist titles—serious nonfiction and literary fiction books which typically sell fewer than 10,000 copies—are more available now than ever before.
No one knows what effect genetically modified foods will eventually have on the environment or on human bodies, but one thing is certain: the benefits of using GM seed will accrue mainly to a handful of corporations. The top-down ownership structure of biotechnology is in stark contrast to the burgeoning organic foods movement, which embraces independent farms and supports local economies. By Brian Levy Continue reading
Microradio supporters who cheered the FCC’s January decision to license up to 1,000 low-watt stations watched in disbelief as the House caved to pressure from the NAB and passed the shamefully misnamed Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act. By Simona Fuma Shapiro Continue reading
Higher graduation rates, less violence, a sense of belonging instead of alienation: the case for small schools is supported by mountains of evidence and a growing number of innovative models. But many state and local governments persist in consolidation efforts, fueled by a misguided belief in the effectiveness of giant schools. By Stacy Mitchell Continue reading
Feature Stories:
Seeding Power: The Other Problem with GMCrops — Low Power Suffers a Low Blow — Jack and the Giant School — Think Locally Tax Globally. Continue reading
Web retailers in the U.S. are largely exempt from collecting state and local sales taxes. In allowing this exemption, Congress agrees to give out-of-state businesses a 5 to 7 percent price advantage over local stores. Proponents of the exemption argue internet-based suppliers would stagger under the administrative burden of collecting thousands of different state and local sales taxes; opponents of the exemption argue that the electronic commerce companies don’t need help siphoning business away from already-struggling downtowns. Continue reading
Deconstruction is the careful disassembly of buildings to recover valuable materials – is at the “take-off” stage of development. For our staff at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and many others, the definition of deconstruction also includes job creation in low income neighborhoods. Start-up companies and demonstration projects that involve traditional demolition companies in joint venture contracts are proving the viability of deconstruction. Continue reading
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