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

Are happy states sustainable states? Can we make sustainability happy?

A report from Live Science

http://www.livescience.com/15673-happiest-states-2011-gallup.html

The results are preliminary for 2011, with the year's complete rankings for U.S. states by Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index expected to come out early next year. 

The well-being Index score is an average of six factors, including included life evaluation (self-evaluation about your present life situation and anticipated one in five years); emotional health; work environment (such as job satisfaction); physical health; healthy behavior; and basic access (access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, as well as community satisfaction).  

"Top 10" States (3 states tied and so are included in the top 10):

• Hawaii: 71.1

• North Dakota: 70.5

• Alaska: 69.4

• Nebraska: 68.4

• Minnesota: 68.3

• Colorado: 68.3

• Utah: 68.1

• New Hampshire: 67.9

• Iowa: 67.9

• Kansas: 67.8

• Vermont: 67.8

• Maryland: 67.8

At the bottom, West Virginia fared worst on life evaluation and physical health, two areas in which the state's residents have seriously struggled since the launch of the Well-Being Index in 2008, according to Gallup officials. Kentucky took the bottom spot for emotional health, while Mississippi is again at the bottom on basic access, as it has been in three previous years. 

My observations:  historically, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Vermont have been characterized as politically liberal, or at least have had strong communal tendencies.  Omaha has been powered by a city-owned and operated power company (Omaha Power and Light), and other Midwest states have a traditional of community support and help due to their agrarian base.  Iowa has legalized gay marriage as part of its liberal, community-oriented philosophy.

In a previous post about Canadian communities and sustainability, access to social support services and strong communities were seen to be part of the sustainability picture.  Access to services, esp. medical care and safe areas to exercise make people happier.  

Sustainable Canadian cities

from the Toronto Globe and Mail:

"A 2007 study, Mission Possible: Successful Canadian Cities, by the Conference Board of Canada, identified four cornerstones: a strong knowledge economy to attract business investment and a talented and skilled labour force; a connective physical infrastructure (i.e., a transportation system that can effectively move goods and people); environmentally sustainable growth based on sound planning and industrial ecology principles; and social cohesion, the critical components of which are attractive and accessible housing, a low crime rate, effective immigrant settlement, comprehensive cultural and entertainment amenities (not the least of which are libraries, which act as community centres as much as places to borrow books), and a strong social safety net."

from:  http://bit.ly/nDM2AS

This list is interesting.  Note that environmental concerns, cultural activities such as art and music (not sports) and a social safety net built on social cohesion are key elements.  I would have trouble believing that a California study would reach the same result, and I will search for a study in order to compare.

To review:

1.  knowledge to attract business. Schools for business, but also biotech?

2.  connected infrastructure, including transportation.  Mass transit that's cheap and accessible?

3.  environmentally responsible growth.  But why keep emphasizing growth?

4.  social cohesion.  Get people into houses, keep crime down, given them entertainment and access to knowledge?

Sounds good to me.  

more on sustainable urban environments

Mother Earth News (yes, it's still around!) has this story:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-community/community-food-security-zm0z11zsto.aspx

The story about community efforts in Columbus, OH, end with this list:

What You Can Do in Your Community

• Ask teachers and school leaders how they think food education, cooking, gardening or farm-to-fork lunch programs could best be incorporated into local schools.

• Ask parents what school programs they’d most like to see their children participate in, and ask how the parents themselves would like to be involved.

• Check whether children in the community could visit a local farm to learn about food production firsthand.

• Locate local organizations that work with children to see whether food-system goals could be incorporated into their existing programs.

• Ask market and convenience store managers to consider adding locally grown produce to their selections. Try to foster connections between stores and farmers in the community, and set up a CSA program if one doesn’t already exist.

• Encourage chefs and restaurants to use more produce, meat and dairy products from local farmers, and support the businesses that support the local food system.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-community/community-food-security-zm0z11zsto.aspx?page=5#ixzz1N04ndhZw

Life on the Balcony blog

This blog, Life on the Balcony, provides some interesting ideas on container gardening.

http://lifeonthebalcony.com/plants-that-every-balcony-gardener-needs/

Eco-sustainability

Straw Bale Houses Built in England Withstand Hurricanes
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/straw-house-built.php

Urban Farms Take to the Roofs
http://www.salon.com/food/feature/2010/05/17/community_gardens_slide_show  (requires subscription possibly)

Vertical Farms in Cities
http://www.verticalfarm.com/

In the last class discussion we had Wednesday, over an article entitled: "Medical Anthropology:  Malnutrition in Malawi" a student seriously proposed that food aid should not be provided to poor people in 3rd world countries because A.  their population would grow because the children wouldn't die, and B.  the country wouldn't be able to continue feeding a growing population.

I can understand but not agree with the perspective.  It's a perspective born out of privilege, relative wealth, and inexperience.  While she didn't seem like a rich student, she had clothes and looked clean and well fed.  Her family life may be horrible, but I doubt if she's watched while her siblings starved to death at home.

I wish I knew how to break through.  I'll look for more ideas.  We couldn't watch "Healers of Ghana" this semester because I was sick and cancelled that class, but most students like it for the perspective it provides.