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Article filed under Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Sep 21, 2009

TRP Begins Green Jobs Training

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/trp-begins-green-jobs-training/

The ReUse Institute (TRI), the training and consulting arm of TRP, has been contacted in recent months by several municipalities, colleges, and employment-development organizations looking to provide job-training programs for their constituents. They recognize that deconstruction is an ideal portal through which qualified individuals can find well-paying, rewarding jobs in the green building industry. Two… Continue reading

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Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Sep 18, 2009

The Definition of Broadband Matters Greatly

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/definition-broadband-matters-greatly/

As the Federal Communications Commission creates a National Broadband Plan for the United States, it will have to decide whether to revise its definition of broadband.  On one side, ILSR and others demand a robust definition to encourage greater network infrastructure investment.  On the other, telecommunications companies want to keep the existing definition so they can claim they serve nearly everyone. 

In all the wrangling over how we should define broadband, I wanted to step back and remember why the definition itself is so important. 

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 3 Comments | Updated on Sep 18, 2009

Local Businesses Key to Rebuilding New Orleans’ Economy, Study Finds

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/local-businesses-key-rebuilding-new-orleans-economy-study-finds/

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many of New Orleans’ locally owned businesses reopened within days of the floodwaters subsiding, while national chains kept their distance for months, even years. Now a new study finds that the city’s independent businesses are not only more resilient, but generate twice the economic impact of big-box retailers like Target, while consuming a fraction of the land. Continue reading

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 17, 2009

California Governor Doesn’t Favor Domestic Renewables, but his Energy Commission Makes More Sense

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/california-governor-doesnt-favor-domestic-renewables-his-energy-commission-makes-more-sense/

Schwarzenegger, citing concerns with protectionism, plans to veto the legislature’s ambitious 33% RPS by 2020 because it prizes in-state generation.  But the California’s Energy Commission found in its Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) that there’s not much savings to be had looking outside California’s borders. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Justin Dahlheimer | 1 Comment | Updated on Sep 16, 2009

Santa Rosa Rejects Big Box and Goes Local

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/santa-rosa-rejects-big-box-and-goes-local/

In a crowed public hearing room, the city council of Santa Rosa, California, soundly defeated a proposed Lowe’s store on a 5-2 vote. The vote was a victory for the GoLocal Cooperative, a county-wide coalition of local businesses and residents working localize the region’s economy.  Continue reading

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 16, 2009

Thomas Friedman: Renewable energy jobs require feed-in tariff policy

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/thomas-friedman-renewable-energy-jobs-require-feedin-tariff-policy/

Friedman illustrates the three key components of a consistent and powerful renewable energy policy: anyone can generate, a guaranteed grid connection, and a reasonable and predictable price to do so.  That’s the feed-in tariff. Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Sep 10, 2009

Low Power Radio Poised for Renaissance

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/low-power-radio-poised-renaissance/

The NY Times profiled a low-power radio station, noting that the number of these stations could double if Congress passes the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 (S. 592).

Interestingly, though these stations are rooted in their community, some are also broadcasting online – allowing the signal to be sent anywhere people with an Internet connection want to listen. Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Sep 4, 2009

Communities Should Care Who Owns Their Transit Data

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/communities-should-care-who-owns-their-transit-data/

Two major cities are taking different approaches to who can use data like bus arrival times — generally used for mobile applications that allow people to check schedules or get real-time arrivals for mass transit via their phones or other handheld devices.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Sep 3, 2009

Does the NFIB Really Represent the Interests of Independent Businesses?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/does-nfib-really-represent-interests-independent-businesses/

Today, in the New York Times small business blog, Robb Mandelbaum examines the membership of the National Federation of Independent Businesses has plummeted and takes a look at how the group has lobbied for tax loopholes that boost the profits of big chains, while forcing independent businesses to pay more.   

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Article filed under Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Sep 1, 2009

Which Incineration Technologies Make Sense: None of the Above

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/which-incineration-technologies-make-sense-none-of-the-above/

Commentary by Neil Seldman Technical distinctions among incineration technologies are not important. All these technology cost hundreds of millions of dollars (billions when amortized over 20 years). A 1500 tpd mass burn system costs $600 million. The other technologies (gasification, pyrolysis, plasma arc) cost more. (RDF has unique characteristics and requires a separate discussion.) In… Continue reading