Initiatives

Banking

Overview

The financial crisis and its economic aftershocks have spawned the first serious examination of the structure of our current banking system and the public policies that have fueled consolidation over the last 30 years and untethered financial institutions from their communities.

View Initiative

Featured Article, ILSR Press Room filed under Banking | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 1, 2012

Banking For the Rest of Us

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/banking-for-the-rest-of-us/

In this cover story for Sojourners Magazine, Stacy Mitchell writes that there is remarkably little evidence to support the idea that bigger banks are superior. They have come to dominate, not because they are more efficient or offer better services, but because they have rigged government policy in their own favor. It’s time for a new set of rules—banking policies for the 99 percent. Continue reading

Featured Article filed under Banking, Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 6 Comments | Updated on Oct 17, 2012

Too Big to Lend

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

A critical function of our banking system is financing small businesses. But big banks are doing a rotten job of it. At the nation’s largest banks, small business lending has plunged 33% since 2009. Trying to cajole or compel them to do more won’t make much difference because the problem is largely inherent to their scale. Continue reading

Featured Article filed under Banking | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 27, 2012

Free Checking is Rare at Big Banks, Common at Small

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/free-checking-rare-big-banks-common-small/

While just 24 percent of big banks offer totally free checking, more than 60 percent of credit unions and small banks do, according to a new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The report also found that credit unions and small banks have lower fees on average and do a better job of disclosing fees to prospective customers. Continue reading

Biomaterials

Overview

In 1992, ILSR’s work on plant derived plastics and other materials led to our co-hosting the first International Workshop on Biodegradability. The concept of a Carbohydrate Economy – one that uses plant-based chemicals to replace petro-chemicals – was born...

View Initiative

Featured Article, Resource filed under Biomaterials, Composting, Waste to Wealth | Written by Brenda Platt | No Comments | Updated on Jul 30, 2012

Atlanta Airport Launches Compostable Foodservice Ware Packet

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/atlanta-airport-launches-compostable-foodservice-ware-packet/

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) sends more than 19,000 tons of waste to Georgia landfills each year. Food scraps are the single largest component of HJAIA waste, making up about one-third of this tonnage. HJAIA has a goal to divert 50% of its waste from landfill disposal by 2015. Composting food waste is essential to reach this goal, and switching to compostable food packaging will enable successful food residuals recovery. Continue reading

Featured Article, Resource filed under Biomaterials, Composting, Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Oct 11, 2012

Exemptions/Exclusions Added to Atlanta Airport Info Packet

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/atlanta-airport-exemptions-added/

The Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI) Airport Pilot, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, works closely with the SFCI Team to bring sustainable operating practices to their operations, especially regarding food waste. In early 2012 the Atlanta Airport made a bold statement in the new concessionaire contract, the largest foodservice contract executed in North America. Continue reading

Broadband

Overview

Access to the Internet is an essential infrastructure for any community that cares about economic development, quality of life, and educational opportunities. Unfortunately, most communities are presently dependent on a few unaccountable absentee corporations that act as gatekeepers to...

View Initiative

Featured Article, ILSR Press Room, Resource filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Apr 3, 2013

Broadband 101 Fact Sheet

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/ilsrreleases-new-broadband-101-fact-sheet-2/

ILSR’s fact sheet is a reliable quick reference guide for policymakers and citizens. As discussion about the telecommunications landscape expands, language about broadband abounds. In order to make informed decisions without stumbling over terminology, ILSR has assembled some basic facts about broadband. This fact sheet is a great reference for anyone who may take up… Continue reading

Featured Article, Resource filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | 21 Comments | Updated on Apr 9, 2012

Broadband at the Speed of Light

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

The fastest networks in the nation are built by local governments, a new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Benton Foundation reveals Chattanooga, Tennessee, is well known for being the first community with citywide access to a “gig,” or the fastest residential connections to the Internet available nationally. Less known are Bristol, Virginia,… Continue reading

Featured Article, ILSR Press Room, Resource filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Jun 17, 2013

Wireless Internet 101 Fact Sheet

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/wireless-internet-101-fact-sheet/

ILSR’s Wireless Internet 101 fact sheet provides quick information on wireless technologies and policy. Most of us take wireless for granted. We use it every day but we have very little understanding of how it works, its limitations, or how it is managed. This fact sheet offers answers to questions many of us ask at… Continue reading

Energy

Overview

Wind and sun are available everywhere, so renewable energy can be economically harnessed at small scales across the country. This nature of renewable energy, and the exponential increase of renewable energy generation, promises to decentralize the nation’s grid system. ...

View Initiative

community renewable energy presentation - sustainable economies law center.001

Featured Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 1 Comment | Updated on May 3, 2013

5 Barriers to and Solutions for Community Renewable Energy

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/5-barriers-solutions-community-renewable-energy/

Community renewable energy has significant political and economic benefits, but is often hindered by five major barriers. Watch this vividly illustrated presentation to learn how communities can overcome the barriers and advance more local renewable energy. ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell gave this presentation as part of a Sustainable Economies Law Center webinar on April… Continue reading

Featured Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 21, 2013

Steve Johnson: Episode 3 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/steve-johnson-episode-3-local-energy-rules-podcast/

In this edition of Local Energy Rules, John Farrell and Wade Underwood speak with Steve Johnson of Convergence Energy about a successful 660 kilowatt community solar project near Delavan, WI. The project required 33 separate LLCs to take advantage of the state’s net metering rules, and also used the limited-time federal cash grant program to… Continue reading

Featured Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 20, 2013

Expect Delays: Reviewing Ontario’s “Buy Local” Renewable Energy Program

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/expect-delays-reviewing-ontarios-buy-local-renewable-energy-program/

Launched in 2009, Ontario’s “buy local” Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program promised to deliver hundreds of megawatts of new renewable energy and create 50,000 new jobs by the end of 2012. The program has had some notable achievements, and the province has worked hard to remedy some of the remaining roadblocks to success. The bottom line… Continue reading

Independent Business

Overview

Over the last 25 years, a handful of giant retailers have grown to dominate the U.S. economy. ILSR challenges the wisdom of this market concentration. Through research and analysis, we have built a compelling case that places that are home to...

View Initiative

Featured Article, Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 15 Comments | Updated on Dec 1, 2012

How Walmart is Devouring the Food System (Infographic)

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

Walmart now captures $1 of every $4 Americans spend on groceries. It’s on track to claim one-third of food sales within five years. Here’s a look at how Walmart has dramatically altered the food system — triggering massive consolidation, driving down prices to farmers, and leaving more families struggling to afford healthy food. Continue reading

Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 27, 2013

Why Walmart’s Death Grip on Our Food System Is Intensifying Poverty

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmarts-death-grip-food-system-intensifying-poverty/

When Michelle Obama visited a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri, a few weeks ago to praise the company’s efforts to sell healthier food, she did not say why she chose a store in Springfield of all cities. But, in ways that Obama surely did not intend, it was a fitting choice. This Midwestern city provides a chilling look at where Walmart wants to take our food system. Continue reading

The Public Good

Overview

At the founding of the American Republic the word “private” had pejorative connotations. Derived from the Latin word “privare”, private meant to divide or tear apart. A privateer was a pirate. The word “public” was an honorable adjective, often...

View Initiative

Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on May 13, 2013

Can We Save the Commons that is the Post Office?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/save-commons-post-office/

For 225 years the U.S. Post Office has been the most admired and ubiquitous manifestation of government. From 1789 until the 1960s, the Cabinet level agency saw its mission not only to deliver the mail but to aggressively defend the public good. In the late 19th century when oligopolistic mail order delivery companies abused their… Continue reading

Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on May 11, 2013

Why Won’t Conservatives Let Communities Decide for Themselves?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/conservatives-communities-decide-themselves/

In his 1996 State of the Union Address Democratic President Bill Clinton famously declared, “the era of big government is over.” And during his tenure he did everything he could to make that true–deregulating the telecommunications and the financial industry, enacting a free trade agreement severely restricting the authority of the federal government to protect… Continue reading

Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Dec 19, 2012

Should We Subsidize Giving?

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

Robert J. Shiller, Professor of Economics and Finance at Yale recently weighed in with his perspective on subsidizing charity with a New York Times column whose title clearly conveys his message: “Please Don’t Mess With the Charitable Deduction.” There is a case to be made for charitable deductions. Regrettably, this isn’t it. Shiller offers three… Continue reading

Waste to Wealth

Overview

ILSR's Waste to Wealth program helps communities across the country create policies and practices that address citizens' environmental concerns and economic needs. We help citizens fight the incinerators and landfills that pollute their air and water, and drive property...

View Initiative

Our Projects

Featured Article, Resource filed under Composting, Waste to Wealth | Written by Brenda Platt | No Comments | Updated on May 8, 2013

Composting Supports Jobs and Healthy Watersheds, Say New ILSR Reports

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

Two new reports from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Composting Makes $en$e Project document the importance of expanded composting and compost use to enhance soils, protect watersheds, reduce waste, and create green jobs and a new made-in-America industrial sector. For press release, click here. With compostable material making up almost one-half of municipal solid waste, there… Continue reading

Featured Article filed under Composting, Waste to Wealth | Written by Brenda Platt | No Comments | Updated on Feb 5, 2013

MD Seminar on Compost BMPs for Watershed Protection

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/md-seminar-compost-bmps-watershed-protection/

Tools exist that can remove up to 96% of stormwater pollutants. Are you interested? Attend this FREE seminar on March 5, 2013, to learn how compost-based BMPs can dramatically reduce sediment and targeted pollutants entering the Chesapeake Bay. ILSR has partnered with local watershed and organizations to sponsor this event. Scientists from Filtrexx International and… Continue reading

Viewing all Articles Page 161 of 231

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 13, 2006

Whatcom County Uses Savings from Energy Efficiency and Purchases 100 Percent Renewable Energy

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/whatcom-county-uses-savings-energy-efficiency-and-purchases-100-percent-renewable-energy/

In September 2006, the Whatcom County Council (Washington) voted to use $62,000 out of $85,000 in projected energy efficiency savings for purchasing a block of renewable energy for a $0.01 per kWh premium. The renewable energy credits from Puget Sound Energy will cover 100 percent of the electricity used in county operations in 2007.

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 9, 2006

Exposing the Big-Box Swindle

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

In this Q&A with Bookselling This Week, Stacy Mitchell talks about how big chains benefit from government favoritism and misperceptions about price and value. Continue reading

Article filed under General | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Nov 9, 2006

Big Boxes on the Ballot

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

Tuesday’s elections demonstrated that limiting the ability of corporations to bankroll local ballot initiatives is a crucial step in stopping the proliferation of big-box stores.

Target and Wal-Mart poured money into two campaigns to overturn store size cap laws in communities in California and Montana. They won by very narrow margins in both cases, despite having outspent grassroots groups that supported the caps by as much as 10-to-1.

But money doesn’t always win. Lowe’s lost a bid to build in another California town.

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 8, 2006

Update: Voters Decide State and Local Energy Initiatives

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/update-voters-decide-state-and-local-energy-initiatives/

Last night, across the county, citizens’ cast their votes on ballot initiatives ranging from renewable energy portfolio requirements to increasing taxes to fund global warming programs. The results were mixed. Note: Most of the vote totals below are those that I found on the morning after the election on the respective Secretary of State web sites. The vote totals could change but the results are not expected to change.

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 7, 2006

Wal-Mart Generics Mislead Consumers

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-generics-mislead-consumers/

Contrary to common perception, the evidence overwhelmingly indicates independent pharmacies, not Wal-Mart or other chains, usually provide the best value. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 1, 2006

Arizona Finalizes Renewable Energy Rules – Distributed Generation Will Meet 30 Percent

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/arizona-finalizes-renewable-energy-rules-distributed-generation-will-meet-30-percent/

The Arizona Corporation Commission voted yesterday on the final rules for implementing a 15 percent renewable energy standard by 2025. The rules state that 30 percent of the renewable standard is to be derived from distributed energy resources Ãƒ¢Ã‚â‚¬" small-scale technologies located close to where energy is used, such as roof-top photovoltaic projects or solar hot water projects.

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 1, 2006

Selection of Energy Ballot Initiatives Will Greet Voters Next Tuesday

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/selection-energy-ballot-initiatives-will-greet-voters-next-tuesday/

Citizens in cities and states across the country will be casting their votes on some interesting energy issues on November 7th. Ballot initiatives ranging from a renewable energy portfolio requirement in Grand Forks, ND to increasing taxes to fund global warming programs in Seattle, WA will give citizens an opportunity to decide directly which path their communities will take. Democratic energy in action!

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Oct 19, 2006

NY Limits Eminent Domain Rights of Gas and Electric Companies

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/ny-limits-eminent-domain-rights-gas-and-electric-companies/

New York Governor George Pataki has signed legislation (Senate Bill S8349-A) that will limit the use of eminent domain by electric and gas corporations.

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Oct 11, 2006

Chicago Measure would let Neighborhoods Ban Formula Businesses

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/chicago-measure-would-let-neighborhoods-ban-formula-businesses/

Some neighborhood business districts in Chicago would be allowed to ban formula businesses under an ordinance drafted by city officials. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Oct 10, 2006

South Carolina Governor Fights Big-Box Subsidy for Cabela’s

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/south-carolina-governor-fights-bigbox-subsidy-cabelas/

Gov. Mark Sanford is pulling out all the stops in his bid to block a multi-million dollar subsidy for the huge outdoor retail chain Cabela’s. Continue reading

Overview

Banking For the Rest of Us

Free Checking is Rare at Big Banks, Common at Small

Overview

Atlanta Airport Launches Compostable Foodservice Ware Packet

Exemptions/Exclusions Added to Atlanta Airport Info Packet

Overview

Broadband 101 Fact Sheet

Broadband at the Speed of Light

Wireless Internet 101 Fact Sheet

Overview

5 Barriers to and Solutions for Community Renewable Energy

Steve Johnson: Episode 3 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Expect Delays: Reviewing Ontario’s “Buy Local” Renewable Energy Program

Overview

How Walmart is Devouring the Food System (Infographic)

Why Walmart’s Death Grip on Our Food System Is Intensifying Poverty

Overview

Can We Save the Commons that is the Post Office?

Why Won’t Conservatives Let Communities Decide for Themselves?

Should We Subsidize Giving?

Overview

Our Projects

Composting Supports Jobs and Healthy Watersheds, Say New ILSR Reports

MD Seminar on Compost BMPs for Watershed Protection

Strengthening communities for more than 35 years!

Viewing all Articles Page 161 of 231

Whatcom County Uses Savings from Energy Efficiency and Purchases 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Exposing the Big-Box Swindle

Big Boxes on the Ballot

Update: Voters Decide State and Local Energy Initiatives

Wal-Mart Generics Mislead Consumers

Arizona Finalizes Renewable Energy Rules – Distributed Generation Will Meet 30 Percent

Selection of Energy Ballot Initiatives Will Greet Voters Next Tuesday

NY Limits Eminent Domain Rights of Gas and Electric Companies

Chicago Measure would let Neighborhoods Ban Formula Businesses

South Carolina Governor Fights Big-Box Subsidy for Cabela’s

Thank you for your interest in ILSR