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About David Morris

David Morris is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its initiative on The Public Good. He is the author of New City States and four other non-fiction books. His essays on public policy are regularly published by On the Commons, Alternet, Common Dreams and the Huffington Post. More

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 20, 2008

Republicans Have Handed Democrats a Winning Election Issue

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/republicans-have-handed-democrats-a-winning-election-issue/

Republicans Have Handed Democrats a Winning Election Issue By David Morris, originally published in Alternet, August 20, 2008 The Republicans keep handing the Democrats a winning election issue. And the Democrats keeping refusing to accept the gift. I hope the beginning of the formal election campaign knocks some sense into them. The gift is the… Continue reading

Article filed under Energy, The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 7, 2008

Electric Cars Are the Key to Energy Independence

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/electric-cars-are-key-energy-independence-2/

Al Gore’s heroic speech challenging us to make our electrical system 100 percent renewable promised it would simultaneously address three major crises: the weak economy, catastrophic climate change and the dire national security problems inherent in our dependence on imported oil.

He got two out of three right. A crash renewable electricity initiative would provide an immediate boost to our economy and could slow climate change, since electricity accounts for about a third of our overall greenhouse gas emissions.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 6, 2008

Electric Cars Are the Key to Energy Independence

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/electric-cars-are-key-energy-independence/

ILSR vice president, David Morris, responds to Al Gore’s recent speech proposing a 10 year effort to move the United States to a 100% renewable energy electric system to address three major crises: the weak economy, catastrophic climate change and the dire national security problems inherent in our dependence on imported oil. Morris says that Gore got got two out of three right. Continue reading

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Resource filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 5, 2008

Rural Power: Community-Scaled Renewable Energy and Rural Economic Development

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/rural-power-communityscaled-renewable-energy-and-rural-economic-development/

This August 2008 report by David Morris and John Farrell was sponsored by the Ford Foundation. The next 20 years could generate as much as $1 trillion in new renewable energy investment in rural America. The report is a policy roadmap for states and the federal government that would redesignpolicies to encourage a highly decentralized and dispersed renewable energy industry that is significantly locally owned. Doing so would multiply the number of rural areas that benefit from burgeoning renewable energy industries, and would create a sustainable asset whose wealth and revenue will largely remain in revived local communities and regions.

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 1, 2008

When Local Became the New Organic

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/when-local-became-the-new-organic/

When Local Became the New Organic By David Morris, originally published in Minnesota Law and Politics, August 2008 We can pinpoint with some precision the date the local food movement came of age: Dec. 15, 1997. That day the United States Department of Agriculture finally issued the organic standards that Congress had said it required… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jul 3, 2008

Sustainable economy is the core of freedom

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/sustainable-economy-is-the-core-of-freedom/

Sustainable economy is the core of freedom By David Morris, originally published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 3, 2008 This July 4th, as with all July 4ths, our political leaders will retell the inspiring story of how a brave band of colonies declared their independence from the mightiest empire on earth. And, as usual,… Continue reading

ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jun 17, 2008

New Powerline Study Finds That Local Wind Energy Generation Can Avoid New Transmission Lines

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/for-immediate-release-13/

For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: 612-276-3456 New Powerline Study Finds That Local Wind Energy Generation Can Avoid New Transmission Lines Abundant Opportunity Identified for New Community-Based Renewable Energy Development Throughout Minnesota   Minneapolis, Minn.— (June 17, 2008). Yesterday, the Minnesota Department of Commerce released the findings of the first of two major powerline studies… Continue reading

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filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jun 5, 2008

Driving Our Way to Energy Independence

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/driving-our-way-energy-independence-2/

Updating our pathbreaking 2003 report, this June 2008 report by David Morris describes how commercially available technologies today could transform our petroleum powered transportation system into one powered by electricity and biofuels. Provisions in the recently passed Energy Act could accelerate that transformation. With the adoption of complementary policies, the revolution in our transportation sector can generate an equally profound revolution in our electricity sector. Hundreds of thousands of locally owned wind turbines and solar electric arrays supplying flexible fueled, plug-in hybrid vehicles can allow tens of millions of Americans to become energy producers not just energy consumers.

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jun 5, 2008

Balancing Budgets By Raising Depletion Taxes

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/balancing-budgets-raising-depletion-taxes/

This June 2008 policy brief by Justin Dahlheimer concludes that states could generate hundreds of millions, in some cases billions, of dollars in additional revenue each year by implementing or adjusting depletion tax policies. The report illustrates how current depletion tax policies, in many cases, fail to account for the full value of the natural resources, depriving state and local governments of additional revenue that could be useful in current and future fiscal years.

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ILSR Press Room filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jun 4, 2008

Balancing Budgets By Raising Depletion Taxes

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/for-immediate-release-12/

For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: 612-276-3456 BALANCING BUDGETS BY RAISING DEPLETION TAXES   Minneapolis, Minn.— (June 4, 2008). A new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) concludes states could generate hundreds of millions, in some cases billions, of dollars in additional revenue each year by implementing or adjusting depletion tax policies. Thirty-eight… Continue reading