Local Energy

The Cultural Economist Ron Cooke considers a proposal for financing small-scale alternative energy installations.

Chinese cities are experiencing explosive growth - much in the form of "superblocks" -- roughly 1km² residential developments that can have anything from 2,000 to 10,000 units of housing in them --which are being built at a rate of 10-15 per day. This film is a case study of a proposed "ecoblock", which would be self-sufficient in water and energy.

Klaus Harvey of Transition Town Kinsale (TTK) shares with Global Public Media's Andi Hazelwood the benefit of two years of experience in striving for sustainability in Kinsale, Cork, Ireland since the town's local council adopted the world's first Energy Descent Action Plan. Harvey talks about the food, transport and waste initiatives underway, and TTK's relocalization plans for the future.

Michael Brownlee didn't stop after creating the Boulder Valley Relocalization group. He's catalyzing Boulder County's Going Local! campaign, encouraging residents to buy local first, eat and grow local food, create local energy and local currency. The community will celebrate at a "Renaissance of Local" festival, conference and expo with a feast prepared by the local Slow Food group. Episode 66.

Kumar Plocher of Yokayo Biofuels and Chris Hansen of the Post Carbon Institute's Local Energy Farms discuss production of local biofuels—what are the options for crops, land, processing and distribution?

Manager Paul Harton welcomes us to the newly-built BriarPatch Coop natural foods market. It's LEED™ certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and incorporates innovative design throughout. Architect Jeff Gold shows state-of-the-art water and space heating, lighting and skylights, and a polished concrete floor with a "river" running through it. Episode 59.

Todd Cory lives in a zero energy home. He started by conserving a whopping 70% of his energy use. Then he installed solar hot water and electricity connected to the grid. This renewable energy installer brims with enthusiastic ideas about having fun consuming less energy, starting with "the low hanging fruit"-- what's easy and cheapest to do. Episode 57.

Take a whirlwind tour of the one-acre Brookside Energy Farm with Jason Bradford and Christoffer Hansen at planting time. Along with perennials, annuals, a food forest, and dryland crops (grains), they're growing Jerusalem artichoke and dale sorghum to produce both food and energy (ethanol). Watch Chris cut sod with a Swiss glaser hoe -- a 1/6 horsepower guy! Episode 62.

The Reality Report hosts Greg Pahl, prolific author of five books on sustainable living and renewable energy. This show discusses his most recent book, “The Citizen Powered Energy Handbook: Community Solutions to a Global Crisis.” Greg explains how community based renewable energy projects are key to local economic revival and security and encourages listeners to learn more by going to www.postcarbon.org.

Tam Hunt outlines a strategy for regional independence from fossil fuels -- and it centers around electricity. Start with efficiency & conservation, add renewables to replace fossil fuels for electricity, then add more renewables to electrify transportation such as plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. The result? A program "to save America's Environment and Economy one region at a time." Episode 56.