Spring 2006 ILSR in cooperation with Penn State’s Hamer Center for Community Design conducted a second deconstruction pilot project to determine cost-effective methods to remove lumber and other materials from an NTI abandoned house. The US Environmental Protection Agency funded the project and the City of Philadelphia provided the house for deconstruction. Kevin Brooks Salvage (KBS), … Read More
This report opens with an overview of research on the impacts of large chain stores and the benefits of locally owned businesses. It then outlines dozens of concrete strategies to rebuild the homegrown economy. Although this report was written for Maine, the strategies are applicable in other states. … Read More
Philadelphia and Earthlink have developed the first contract between a major city and a private network owner for citywide wireless. This paper presents the highlights of the Wireless Philadelphia Broadband Network Agreement between Earthlink and Wireless Philadelphia (the city government-chartered non-profit), with my comments in italics. At the end is a summary of the overall lessons cities might learn from Philadelphia’s experience.
This is not a complete representation of the contract. Rather, I have emphasized those points that have not been included in news reports but re important to other cities considering privately owned citywide wireless networks.
The carbohydrate economy could transform agriculture as well as energy, reviving producer co-ops, and giving farmers a hedge against voilatile commodity prices. For the first time in 60 years, the carbohydrate economy is back on the public-policy agenda. It is an exciting historical opportunity, but one we should approach with deliberation and foresight.
This February 2006 policy brief by John Bailey and David Morris offers a brief overview of the existing renewable electricity mandates in Minnesota, and discusses the impact a proposed extension and expansion of these mandates might have. Last year, the Minnesota legislature debated a proposal to establish a new statewide renewable electricity mandate. That debate will undoubtedly continue this session.
This February 2006 policy brief by John Bailey provides background and analysis to support a state or local policy that would require construction projects funded with tax-exempt bonds to result in no net increases in greenhouse gases within the community. This brief proposes a strategy that can begin to allow us, as citizens and taxpayers, to make concrete our desire to live lightly on the earth. That strategy is to convince all tax exempt bond issuing agencies at the state and community level to adopt a climate neutralbonding policy.
According to an August 2005 Harris Poll 74 percent of people agreed that, "Protecting the environment is so important that requirements and standards cannot be too high, and continuing environmental improvements must be made regardless of cost."
This February 2006 paper by David Morris was adapted from a speech given at the Minnesota Ag Expo 2006. The paper provides a snapshot of today’s biofuels industry and a roadmap to ensure that local farmers see significant benefits from the expanding industry in the future.… Read More
This paper describes the current regulations and standards relative to lead-based paint (LBP) in buildings (in particular LBP on lumber and timber products), LBP mitigation, and disposal of LBP-containing waste, and the applicability of these regulations and standards to recovering and reusing building materials.… Read More
This August 2005 report by David Morris addresses the never-ending question "Doesn’t it take more energy to make ethanol than is contained in the ethanol?" In 1980, the short and empirical answer to this question was yes. In 1990, the answer was, probably not. In 2005 the answer is clearly no.… Read More
