Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 28, 2012 Chris Dilla figures somebody must like the posters she puts up in the bathrooms of her Bocktown Beer and Grill restaurant in Robinson, because a few have disappeared. Rock star images? Andy Warhol prints? No. Just marketing materials from The 3/50 Project, a low-key effort to get consumers to think about … Read More
Yes Magazine, March 26, 2012 Running their own utility means sun and wind energy instead of coal. by Valerie Schloredt The Boulder-Denver “Power Past Fossil Fuels” bike ride in September served also as a rally for the local utility initiative. Photo by Zane Selvans. The city of Boulder, Colo., has won the right to take its … Read More
Minnesota Public Radio, March 26, 2012 In this article, ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell discusses how the coming of cheap solar may change everything. Most Americans think clean energy is futuristic — a good idea some day, but not practical now. But a new report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance suggests that within 10 … Read More
Minnesota Public Radio, March 26, 2012 When the city of Monticello started providing broadband service in late 2010, advocates hailed it as a model for bringing new technology to an underserved region. Fiber optic lines were making Internet access as fast as anywhere in the state. ILSR’s Christopher Mitchell comments on the issue of overall broadband … Read More
Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer, March 24, 2012 Supercenters, which average more than four times the size of a typical grocery store, sell everything a regular Walmart store does, plus baked goods, deli items, frozen foods, meat, dairy, snacks and produce. In many communities it’s a problem when the big box retailer moves their operation somewhere else. … Read More
Publisher’s Weekly, March 23, 2012 Like the Austin Independent Business Alliance, begun by Steve Bercu, co-owner of BookPeople, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, many early shop-local initiatives were started to keep Borders out. In Austin, Borders attempt to move across the street from Bercu’s store also led him to enlist Dan Houston and … Read More
Renewable Energy World, March 19, 2012 Vermont legislators enacted a groundbreaking bill that streamlines the installation process for small-scale solar – including the elimination of time-consuming and expensive permitting. So, how much does the bill actually reduce the cost of solar? Estimating the true cost of a residential system can be difficult to pin down. According … Read More
Andrew Sullivan’s The Dish, March 16, 2012 Pamela Ravasio wonders if we are designating our land resources appropriately: [T]he plantations of the three largest cotton growers – the US, China and India – alone account for 50 million acres, 42% of all agricultural land. In contrast, food crops amount to some 40 million acres and fuel crops … Read More
The Raw Story, March 15, 2012 Although Walmart has heavily promoted its sustainability initiatives, the company has given millions to lawmakers who oppose stricter environmental regulations. “Walmart talks big about sustainability, but doesn’t put its campaign money anywhere near where its mouth is,” states a report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “Whatever the company may … Read More
