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.

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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

Featured Article filed under Banking, The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 5 Comments | Updated on Mar 1, 2011

And The Academy Award for Cowardice Goes To….

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/and-the-academy-award-for-cowardice-goes-to/

After winning an Oscar for Best Documentary for Inside Job, Charles Ferguson injected some much-needed real world relevance amidst the fabulously glitzy proceedings. 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...

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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...

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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 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

accusation-of-corruption-in-favor-of-time-warner-cable-in-north-carolina-general-assembly

Featured Article, Resource filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Jun 12, 2013

North Carolina Legislator Accused of Favoring Time Warner Cable

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/accusation-corruption-favor-time-warner-cable-north-carolina-general-assembly/

Accusations of special treatment for Time Warner Cable found their way into floor debate at the North Carolina General Assembly and it was no surprise to ILSR staff. Republican legislator and former Committee Chair Robert Brawley shared a revealing letter he wrote to Speaker Thom Tillis questioning his relationship with Time Warner Cable. ILSR covered… 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. ...

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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 Feb 19, 2013

How a City Can Get More Clean, Local Energy

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

Like many cities attempting to solve climate change at a local level, Minneapolis is finding the prospect more challenging that it may have imagined. The lion’s share of emissions (two-thirds in the case of Minneapolis) come from electricity and gas sold by two monopoly, corporate utilities. Minnesota’s state-level policy is helping: a renewable energy standard… Continue reading

Featured Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 30, 2013

Why Master Limited Partnerships are a Lousy Policy for Solar, Wind, and Taxpayers

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/master-limited-partnerships-lousy-policy-solar-or-business/

Read reactions to this piece here If you follow the renewable energy industry and haven’t been sleeping, then you’ve probably heard about one of the few pieces of federal legislation purported to help clean energy that’s actually moving: expanding Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) to cover wind and solar energy. (H.R.1696) This is not a good… 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...

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Featured Article, ILSR Press Room, Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 6, 2013

Survey Finds Independent Businesses Benefit from “Buy Local First” Campaigns, But Challenges Loom

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/2013-independent-business-survey/

ILSR’s annual survey has found that independent businesses experienced solid revenue growth in 2012, buoyed in part by “buy local first” initiatives. But the survey also documented challenges facing independent businesses, most notably an increase in “showrooming” and competition from online retailers, tax and subsidy policies that favor their big competitors, difficulty obtaining loans, and a customer base still reeling from the recession. 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...

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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 Feb 6, 2013

The End of the Post Office as a Public Institution?

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

“When the post office is closed, the flag comes down. When the human side of government closes its doors, we’re all in trouble.” Senator Jennings Randolph (West Virginia) 1958-85 For the post office the end game is on. This year the post office will close half its processing centers. By late spring a first… 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

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...

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Our Projects

Featured Article filed under Stop Incineration, Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Apr 10, 2013

VICTORY against Maryland’s “Waste Portfolio Standard” — the Latest Creative Way to Prop Up Incinerators

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

What does an incinerator industry do when they can’t compete? Change the rules. Biomass and trash incinerators are the most expensive way to make energy, and trash incineration costs more than directly landfilling the waste. These industries survive to the extent that they can change the rules to get monopoly waste contracts, become ‘renewable’ energy in state mandates, or as we’re seeing in Maryland: worse. Continue reading

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

Viewing all Articles Page 46 of 231

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Aug 16, 2012

Mediacom Says it Will Not Sue Lake County, Minnesota

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/mediacom-says-it-will-not-sue-lake-county-minnesota

In Star Tribune coverage of Mediacom’s war against real broadband in rural Minnesota, we learn that Mediacom will not sue Lake County to disrupt its plan to serve thousands of unserved residents and local businesses. And for all its accusations, Larsen says Mediacom will not sue. Spending millions of dollars on a lawsuit in a… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Aug 16, 2012

Research Sharing, Translation, Big Winners At GigTank

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/research-sharing-translation-big-winners-gigtank

Last week, GigTank Demo Day ended Chattanooga’s 14 week GigTank program. The GigTank was an initiative designed to highlight Chattanooga’s gigabit network, the fastest citywide broadband network in the nation. Twelve judges from a variety of tech giants analyzed ideas from eight teams and eleven students. The event awarded $100,000 to Banyan and $50,000 to… Continue reading

Article filed under Waste to Wealth, Zero Waste & Economic Development | Written by Neil Seldman | No Comments | Updated on Aug 15, 2012

Austin, Texas’ Road to Zero Waste

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

The release of the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan marks a new achievement in the zero waste and economic development movement. The plan will save other cities that choose to start on a similar pathway hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees. The Resource Recovery Master Plan was completed in fall 2011. It was… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Aug 15, 2012

Wired West Launches Pre-Subscription Cards

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/wired-west-launches-pre-subscription-cards

Wired West, an initiative in rural western Massachusetts to build a modern network in a broadband desert, has launched a pre-subscription campaign to demonstrate local demand for broadband service and support for the project. The online form is available here. The official WiredWest Communications Cooperative Corporation is just now celebrating its first anniversary, noting that… Continue reading

Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 14, 2012

For Quality Customer Service Go to Government, Not Business

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

In 2012 we accept as received wisdom that government is unresponsive while a competitive marketplace forces private business to offer quality customer service. So when Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced his warmly received bill, The Government Customer Service Improvement Act, we considered his announcement a truism, “When taxpayers interact with a government agency, they deserve… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Aug 14, 2012

Community Broadband Bits 8 – Jim Moorehead of Mendocino County, California

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-bits-8-jim-moorehead-mendocino-county-california

The eighth podcast in our Community Broadband Bits series is a discussion with Jim Moorehead, the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County in California. Mendocino is a large, rural county in the northern part of the state that has been left behind by major incumbent providers including AT&T, Comcast,… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Aug 13, 2012

Indianola’s Fiber Optic Network To Soon Serve Residents

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/indianolas-fiber-optic-network-soon-serve-residents

We told you earlier this year about Indianola, Iowa’s network, filling the gap for businesses where private providers had failed. At that time, the network only served local businesses and community anchor institutions, but plans to provide fiber-to-the-home in their community of 15,000 are now unfolding. The town passed a referendum back in 1998 to… Continue reading

Article filed under Stop Incineration, Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Aug 12, 2012

Citizens Lead the Financial Analysis of Burning Garbage in Frederick County, MD

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

The most reliable, perhaps only reliable, source of financial information concerning the proposed garbage incinerator in Frederick County, MD has not been the Authority or the County Commissioners. Rather it has been the citizens and small business owners in the county. Here is another contribution to the public. Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Aug 12, 2012

FCC Chairman Genachowski Recognizes Value of Munis in Statement on Google

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/fcc-chairman-genachowski-recognizes-value-munis-statement-google

Google’s fiber rollout in Kansas City prompted kudos, specualtion, wonder, and analysis. While Google has the ability to invest in such an expensive and huge undertaking. Municipal networks have been bringing next-generation broadband to the public for years. Local communities all over the country know first hand the economic benefits and improved quality of life… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Aug 11, 2012

The Economist Understands Community Broadband

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/economist-understands-community-broadband

The conservative, eminently pro-capitalist publication The Economist understands why community broadband is important. “The Need for Speed” discusses Kansas City and Chattanooga — two of the best broadband networks in the nation. But while others have become stuck on the wrong question — “what can you do with a gig,” The Economist recognized what is important…. Continue reading

Overview

Free Checking is Rare at Big Banks, Common at Small

And The Academy Award for Cowardice Goes To….

Overview

Atlanta Airport Launches Compostable Foodservice Ware Packet

Exemptions/Exclusions Added to Atlanta Airport Info Packet

Overview

Broadband at the Speed of Light

Broadband 101 Fact Sheet

North Carolina Legislator Accused of Favoring Time Warner Cable

Overview

Steve Johnson: Episode 3 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

How a City Can Get More Clean, Local Energy

Why Master Limited Partnerships are a Lousy Policy for Solar, Wind, and Taxpayers

Overview

Survey Finds Independent Businesses Benefit from “Buy Local First” Campaigns, But Challenges Loom

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

Overview

Can We Save the Commons that is the Post Office?

The End of the Post Office as a Public Institution?

Why Won’t Conservatives Let Communities Decide for Themselves?

Overview

Our Projects

VICTORY against Maryland’s “Waste Portfolio Standard” — the Latest Creative Way to Prop Up Incinerators

Composting Supports Jobs and Healthy Watersheds, Say New ILSR Reports

Strengthening communities for more than 35 years!

Viewing all Articles Page 46 of 231

Mediacom Says it Will Not Sue Lake County, Minnesota

Research Sharing, Translation, Big Winners At GigTank

Austin, Texas’ Road to Zero Waste

Wired West Launches Pre-Subscription Cards

For Quality Customer Service Go to Government, Not Business

Community Broadband Bits 8 – Jim Moorehead of Mendocino County, California

Indianola’s Fiber Optic Network To Soon Serve Residents

Citizens Lead the Financial Analysis of Burning Garbage in Frederick County, MD

FCC Chairman Genachowski Recognizes Value of Munis in Statement on Google

The Economist Understands Community Broadband

Thank you for your interest in ILSR