During the first week of July, over 40 local business alliances across the country celebrated Independents Week, an annual event that draws public attention to the importance of supporting locally owned, independent businesses. Continue reading
This commentary was originally published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. What Wal-Mart has saved poor and middle-income Americans —and there’s reason to doubt the depth and durability of those discounts — it has taken that and more from them in diminished job opportunities and reduced income. Continue reading
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
Money is Fleeing Pennsylvania should get a cut of the state’s increasingly valuable natural gas resources By Justin Dahlheimer, originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 2, 2008 One resource that could help improve Pennsylvania’s fiscal future during an economic recession can be found under its feet, or, more precisely, under its soil. While the… Continue reading
Like any other vampire, “waste to energy” technology, e.g., burning garbage for electricity, needs a good, swift stake to the heart. Continue reading
A study released this week in Minnesota shows there is an abundant opportunity for new community-based energy development (C-BED) throughout Minnesota.
Originally published in the Times Union.
The Capital Region’s future would be much better served by fostering the growth of locally owned businesses, rather than chasing after big-name national retailers. Continue reading
Christopher Mitchell discussed Community Broadband Networks with App-rising.com’s Geoff Daily in a highly regarded vidchat. Continue reading
Christopher Mitchell discusses community broadband with Geoff Daily of App-Rising.com.
Broadcast spectrum is quite limited, allowing only a few channels to send signals over the air to antennas. The Federal Communications Commission decides who gets licenses to use the airwaves. Cable and satellite dishes offer more channel capacity, but the owner must still choose which channels to offer. They pick what they think their customers want to watch.
But what if there were an effectively unlimited number of channels? Welcome to the world of fiber. Fiber-optic networks have sufficient capacity to offer many tens of thousands of channels. Communities across the United States are building these networks to make sure they remain relevant in the digital economy. So, when a community builds a fiber-optic network, who decides what content is offered?
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