Article

18 Sep 2009

The Definition of Broadband Matters Greatly

by Christopher Mitchell | Date: 18 Sep 2009 | posted in: information, MuniNetworks | 0

As the Federal Communications Commission creates a National Broadband Plan for the United States, it will have to decide whether to revise its definition of broadband. On one side, ILSR and others demand a robust definition to encourage greater network infrastructure investment. On the other, telecommunications companies want to keep the existing definition so they can claim they serve nearly everyone.

In all the wrangling over how we should define broadband, I wanted to step back and remember why the definition itself is so important.

18 Sep 2009

Local Businesses Key to Rebuilding New Orleans’ Economy, Study Finds

by Stacy Mitchell | Date: 18 Sep 2009 | posted in: Retail | 2

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many of New Orleans’ locally owned businesses reopened within days of the floodwaters subsiding, while national chains kept their distance for months, even years. Now a new study finds that the city’s independent businesses are not only more resilient, but generate twice the economic impact of big-box retailers like Target, while consuming a fraction of the land. … Read More

17 Sep 2009

California Governor Doesn’t Favor Domestic Renewables, but his Energy Commission Makes More Sense

by John Farrell | Date: 17 Sep 2009 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Schwarzenegger, citing concerns with protectionism, plans to veto the legislature’s ambitious 33% RPS by 2020 because it prizes in-state generation. But the California’s Energy Commission found in its Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) that there’s not much savings to be had looking outside California’s borders.… Read More

16 Sep 2009

Santa Rosa Rejects Big Box and Goes Local

by Justin Dahlheimer | Date: 16 Sep 2009 | posted in: Retail | 1

In a crowed public hearing room, the city council of Santa Rosa, California, soundly defeated a proposed Lowe’s store on a 5-2 vote. The vote was a victory for the GoLocal Cooperative, a county-wide coalition of local businesses and residents working localize the region’s economy. … Read More

16 Sep 2009

Thomas Friedman: Renewable energy jobs require feed-in tariff policy

by John Farrell | Date: 16 Sep 2009 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Friedman illustrates the three key components of a consistent and powerful renewable energy policy: anyone can generate, a guaranteed grid connection, and a reasonable and predictable price to do so. That’s the feed-in tariff.… Read More

10 Sep 2009

Low Power Radio Poised for Renaissance

by Christopher Mitchell | Date: 10 Sep 2009 | posted in: information, MuniNetworks | 0

The NY Times profiled a low-power radio station, noting that the number of these stations could double if Congress passes the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 (S. 592).

Interestingly, though these stations are rooted in their community, some are also broadcasting online – allowing the signal to be sent anywhere people with an Internet connection want to listen.… Read More

4 Sep 2009

Communities Should Care Who Owns Their Transit Data

by Christopher Mitchell | Date: 4 Sep 2009 | posted in: information, MuniNetworks | 0

Two major cities are taking different approaches to who can use data like bus arrival times — generally used for mobile applications that allow people to check schedules or get real-time arrivals for mass transit via their phones or other handheld devices.

3 Sep 2009

Does the NFIB Really Represent the Interests of Independent Businesses?

by Stacy Mitchell | Date: 3 Sep 2009 | posted in: Retail | 1

Today, in the New York Times small business blog, Robb Mandelbaum examines the membership of the National Federation of Independent Businesses has plummeted and takes a look at how the group has lobbied for tax loopholes that boost the profits of big chains, while forcing independent businesses to pay more.

1 Sep 2009

Which Incineration Technologies Make Sense: None of the Above

by ILSR | Date: 1 Sep 2009 | posted in: waste - anti-incineration, Waste to Wealth | 0

Commentary by Neil Seldman Technical distinctions among incineration technologies are not important. All these technology cost hundreds of millions of dollars (billions when amortized over 20 years). A 1500 tpd mass burn system costs $600 million. The other technologies (gasification, pyrolysis, plasma arc) cost more. (RDF has unique characteristics and requires a separate discussion.) In addition … Read More