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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 8, 2005

Our Take: Responding to Reich on Wal-Mart

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

Our response to the destructive force of mega-corporations like Wal-Mart ought to involve much more than adopting regulations that "soften the blows" and "slow the pace of change," as Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under Clinton, argued in a recent New York Times op-ed entitled Don’t Blame Wal-Mart. Yes, we most certainly should raise the minimum wage and require companies to offer employees affordable health insurance, as Reich suggests. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 4, 2005

Arizona Chain Reaction Backs Bill to End Big-Box Subsidies

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/arizona-chain-reaction-backs-bill-end-bigbox-subsidies/

Arizona Chain Reaction (AZCR), a coalition of nearly 600 independent businesses, has launched a campaign of phone calls and emails to urge state lawmakers to enact legislation that would curtail cities’ ability to offer tax breaks and subsidies to chain retail developments. “We’ve got bidding wars going on among cities out here,” said Kimber Lanning, owner of Stinkweeds, a music store in Tempe, and founding member of AZCR. Continue reading

Article filed under Waste to Wealth, Zero Waste & Economic Development | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Mar 1, 2005

Universal Reuse as a Practical Alternative

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/paul-palmer-d-getting-to-zero-waste-universal-recycling-as-a-practical-alternative-to-endless-attempts-to-clean-up-pollution-purple-sky-press-sebastopol-ca-2004/

The author of Getting to Zero Waste is angry at the lack of progress in moving toward what he sees as a readily achievable industrial economy based on zero waste, since he first introduced its theory and practice over 30 years ago. Paul Palmer’s book provides a timely critique of the government and corporate barriers to achieving universal reuse. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 1, 2005

Report: DG Interconnections Improve Dramatically in California

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/report-dg-interconnections-improve-dramatically-california/

California’s Public Interest Energy (PIER) Program has received a final report that provides an analysis of the impacts, costs and timelines for distributed generation interconnection in California.

The new report, “Improving Interconnections in California”, covers four areas.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 24, 2005

Big-Box Dropped from Portland Redevelopment Project

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

Responding to intense public pressure, developers in a three-way competition to redevelop a site on the east side of Portland, Oregon, have dropped plans to include big-box retail in their projects. The Portland Development Commission has been considering proposals to redevelop five city blocks at the base of the Burnside Bridgehead east of the Willamette River. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 21, 2005

Neat Biodiesel (B100) Producers Fighting For Tax Incentive

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/neat-biodiesel-b100-producers-fighting-tax-incentive/

About 70 biodiesel manufacturers and distributors have urged the IRS to allow 100 percent biodiesel (known as neat biodiesel or B100) to qualify for the recently enacted excise tax exemption for biofuels.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 18, 2005

Massachusetts Spends Millions on Healthcare for Chain Store Employees

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/massachusetts-spends-millions-healthcare-chain-store-employees/

Massachusetts spent more than $52 million last year providing healthcare coverage to employees of some of the state’s largest companies, including numerous chain retailers like Wal-Mart, Dunkin Donuts, Stop & Shop, CVS, Home Depot, and Target. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 16, 2005

Comparing Solar Electric Policies in the U.S.

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

Top notch researchers, Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger, from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab have presented estimates showing how solar electric power goals established in California will beat the expected PV installations in six states (and Washington DC) that have solar power requirements as part of their renewable energy portfolio standards.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 15, 2005

Report: High Value for Solar Power During Peak Times

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/report-high-value-solar-power-during-peak-times/

A recent report done for the Vote Solar Initiative shows that on-peak solar electricity has a value of between 23 and 35 cent per kilowatt-hour. The January 2005 report was authored by Ed Smeloff, formerly on the board of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and a long-time solar energy advocate.

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