Revolution Summer » fossil fuel http://revolutionsummer.net tracking social change & unrest, one project at a time. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:18:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Local Food Systems http://revolutionsummer.net/2009/08/local-food-systems http://revolutionsummer.net/2009/08/local-food-systems#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:51:24 +0000 Carlos Alonso http://revolutionsummer.net/?p=53 There has been a lot of debate lately on the issue of regenerating local economies and production, instead of relying on globalized, delocalized products. This has even spawned new social consuming trends, like the localvores, people committed to consume only locally produced food. Farmers also are eager to revitalize local production, consumption and networks, to strengthen their economy, reduce their carbon-footprint and depend on less mediators to reach consumers.

Local Food Systems is one of this networks, located mainly in the american states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. They state:

  1. We have the people, land and climate needed to produce fresh, affordable, and healthy food.
  2. Our growing community of producers and consumers can create strong local food systems, reduce use of fossil fuels, and create businesses and jobs.
  3. Vibrant local and regional agriculture generates wealth in communities, establishes healthy environments for families, and enhances quality of life for all.
]]> http://revolutionsummer.net/2009/08/local-food-systems/feed 1 The Buckminster Fuller Idea Index http://revolutionsummer.net/2009/08/the-buckminster-fuller-idea-index http://revolutionsummer.net/2009/08/the-buckminster-fuller-idea-index#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:23:16 +0000 Carlos Alonso http://revolutionsummer.net/?p=41 This website and Revolution Summer have a similar purpose of showcasing projects that may spark social change or resolve pressing issues, like access to water or enviromental pollution by proliferation of combustion engine vehicles. Of course, the difference is that the Buckminster Fuller Idea Index gives a prize of $100.000 to the winner project each year.

The winner of the 2009 edition is this project by MIT researchers that proposes to replace the private owned fossil fuel vehicle traffic inside large cities with a network of battery-powered small vehicles, that can be rented at convenience in racks spread throughout the city, similar to the public bike rental systems in cities like Barcelona or Paris:

Mobility-on-demand systems provide racks of these vehicles at closely spaced, convenient locations around an urban service area. Vehicles automatically recharge while they are in these racks. Users walk to the nearest rack, swipe a credit card, pick up a vehicle, drive it to a rack convenient to their destination, and drop it off. These are, in other words, ubiquitously distributed one-way rental systems. These systems are highly efficient in reducing urban congestion, energy use, and carbon emissions. They are synergistic with ubiquitous wireless networking and distributed intelligence, and with solar-friendly, wind-friendly, fuel-cell-friendly smart electrical grids.

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