This 1994 report by David Morris was originally presented at the Environmental Taxes Workshop, sponsored by ME3, ILSR, and Friends of the Earth on July 6, 1994. This report looked at the the status of Eco-taxes in the United States and Europe.… Read More
A speech by David Morris originally delivered as a keynote address to the Building With Value conference in Seattle, Washington in November 1993.
On June 8, 1993, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the Minnesota legislature has the authority to authorize an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at Prairie Island. The Court reasoned that since the facility might well become permanent the legislature has sole jurisdiction to make such an historic decision. It is important to note … Read More
On February 17, 1993, President Clinton proposed a domestic energy tax, quickly dubbed the Btu tax. When fully implemented in 1997, this tax will generate about $20 billion annually while imposing a small burden on any single customer. The Administration argues that this broad based tax will impose only a small burden on any individual consumer … Read More
This 1992 report by David Morris and Irshad Ahmed was one of the first comprehensive looks at how plant matter derived products could replace many of our fossil fuel derived materials. One hundred and fifty years ago, all of our industrial materials were derived from plants. In 1992, plant matter accounted for less than 5% of … Read More
Most of us view the road system as a pay-as-you-go proposition. We believe that vehicle licenses, parking fees and gas taxes fully finance the construction and maintenance of our roads. The truth is that less than 50 percent of the nearly $90 million the city of Minneapolis spends on driving-related projects each year is covered by … Read More
This 1991 report by David Morris looked at the implications of establishing a carbon tax in Minnesota. Minnesota should impose a carbon tax designed to raise revenue rather than to change behavior. A reasonable tax might be $6 per ton, in line with taxes already imposed by European governments, although lower than those proposed by the European Commission. Such a tax would raise the cost of energy and raise revenues and might encourage efficiency.
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This book by David Morris (first published in 1983) was the first how-to book published after Congress ended the 100-year-old monopoly by utilities on the generation of power. The book examines the technical and economic aspects of four small scale power technologies (photovoltaics, wind power, hydropower and onsite cogeneration) and offers advice on how to negotiate a contract for sale of on-site power to local utilities.… Read More
The first half of this book discusses the century-long struggle by cities to gain autonomy and authority from state governments and create their own planning and service delivery capacities. The second part describes the first urban-based localization movements. Given the relevance of the book to current localist efforts, we’ve written a new foreword that traces the local energy initiatives after the 75 percent plunge in oil prices after 1982 and the coming to power of a new administration hostile to renewable energy.… Read More
