Friday, September 23, 2011

Sustainable small-town energy

http://www.grist.org/energy-policy/2011-09-19-the-small-town-energy-revolution

Grist.com is a great resource for all reading related to conservation, innovation and sustainable goals.  This article focuses mostly on Germany whose Renewable Energy Act supports efforts for those communities whose goal is to be 100% energy self-reliant.  The article then moves on to the paucity of such efforts in the USA, and links the poor economy and the need for jobs.  One statistic:  Washington, D.C. spends $1.4 billion on electricity produced outside of the community, dollars that could remain in the community, paying people to work in jobs that supply themselves and their neighbors with electricity.

One USA town, described in this article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13770834/ns/us_news-environment/t/biotown-usa-tries-all-renewable-energy/#.TnyIH3N5F9t

is beginning to move in the direction of local energy autonomy.  Agricultural communities do have an advantage, since they produce the type of waste that can be converted, and have an educated population that understands the issues (speaking as a Midwesterner).  Cities are only slightly disadvantaged though.  Consider the farm-table-compost-farm cycle set up by San Francisco.  While not electricity generation, it closes one loop when waste from produce consumed in the city is composted and the compost is sold to  local produce farms to grow more produce to sell in the city.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113969321