How to Change US Energy in One Growing Season by gmoke

Very interesting. I really like the take-action-now philosophy behind this proposal. It seems that the primary technology envisioned is solar. Is that a correct assumption? Do you see any role for other technologies? What about the transport sector, which currently accounts for 30 percent of U.S. emissions? What's the approach you advocate there? Also, how to go mainstream? The farmer's market idea is great, but they account for only $1 billion per year http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/farmersmarkets and organic food accounts for only $25 billion http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html out of total U.S. food sales of $625 billion per year. Starting with the farmer's market/organic crowd is a great idea. But how to transition from that audience to the people who are currently living in 3000 sq ft houses and driving large SUVs?

Just to expand on that a bit...farmers can sequester a lot of carbon with biochar, which also improves soil fertility. They can build topsoil, which contains a lot of carbon, by avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides, use subsoil plows instead of turning the soil over, and composting. They can breed plants with deeper roots, locking more carbon deep in the soil. Talking to farmers could also help build political support for a system that would compensate farmers for this sort of thing. Wind power is something else they could consider, since putting wind turbines on farms doesn't take up much land area for crops. I think a lot of farmers are aware of that already. Farmers markets are a good start for a grassroots campaign. Conventional farmers might be interested too if they could see profit in it, and could bring considerable political pressure to bear to make that a possibility.

This is a very tangible and clear strategy. It is great to see that you’re trying to scale up strategies that have worked in the past. I like the grass roots support for solar and distributed energy. Question: I wonder how much this proposal goes to solve the problem. Note: I feel there are many parts of the solution and all need to be done. But a thought experiment: If we are focusing energy used in the Ag sector, how much is that? Does that make a difference? Doesn’t most the energy used in Ag come from oil (machinery) and fertilizer production (done off the farm)? How does solar on farms provide those energy services?

How to Address US Energy in One Growing Season – Reviewer This is a bottom up approach that clearly recognizes that top down will not happen any time soon to address energy issues in the US The documentation is very impressive and makes clear that bits of this are already happening, and that the farmers markets might be a place to find sympathetic people who are willing to do something. This could be expanded to food Coops and eventually to regular food stores including Walmart and Costco, which are now featuring organic food and energy efficient items. No need to remain with a small green elite. This could become a national movement that creates opportunities for jobs that address energy on a local level where implementation must take place in any case How might municipalities be brought into this process? The idea of starting with the willing who need the knowledge to alter their behavior could start a landslide of action Strong contender

Voted. Hey, George, I'm active in Transition Town Bedford and our farmers market - I'd like to incorporate some of your ideas - will be in touch with next season in mind.

Some of the commenters have fixated on the first part of my proposal, public demonstrations of renewable and energy efficiency technology at events like farmers' markets. This is only one part of my plan and farmers' markets are not the only venue for such demonstrations. Science fairs, street fairs, celebrations, town picnics, all of these can be occasions for education in cutting energy use and transitioning away from carbon-based fuels to renewables and will bring the news to more constituencies beside the people who frequent farmers' markets. The second part of my proposal (unfortunately not numbered) is weatherization and solar barnraisings in the neighborhoods. It would be good if there were state and national support for such efforts, but, already, there are groups around the USA which are performing these activities, some of whom I link to. This, again, is a practical demonstration of the utility of solar and energy efficiency technologies on a ground level where people can see these technologies working in real life where they actually live. Lately, HEET, one of the weatherization barnraising groups, has been concentrating on churches, daycare centers, and community centers, reducing costs for such community enterprises and expanding the audience from a single household to whole congregations and community groups. The third part of my proposal is to focus on the linkages between civil defense, emergency preparedness, and small-scale solar. The flashlight, radio, cell phone, and extra set of batteries can all be powered by a few square inches of solar electric panel and the addition of a hand-crank or pedal power generator provides a reliable source of such survival power day or night, by modest human effort or sunlight. One advantage of such an approach is that you don't have to convince anyone of the existence or urgency of climate change. Solar IS Civil Defense makes sense whatever you believe. You can even pitch this idea to rabid survivalists who don't believe in evolution or trust "pointy-headed intellectuals." You avoid the 20 years or so of wasted time haggling over belief and get right down to practical action. The idea of Solar IS Civil Defense is doubly important because it is the beginning of a triage strategy, preparedness, and an entry level into renewables use. The emergency or disaster level of electricity provided by a solar civil defense is also a significant rise in the standard of living for the 1.5 billion people around the world who do not now have access to any electricity. Linking preparedness in the developed world with entry level power in the developing world can be done through sister city projects and buy one, give one programs like the solar LED light and AA battery charger of Bogolight (http://www.bogolight.com). A solar light, battery and cell phone charger can make a significant difference in the lives of what is possibly the most important constituency, the people who live on a dollar or two a day, the poorest of the poor. The fourth part of my proposal is to build an online, ongoing global brainstorm on local, practical climate adaptations and solutions so that different groups working on these issues around the world can share experiences and speed innovation together. In fact, I would suggest that this is exactly what the Climate CoLab should be doing now. Again, this leverages the experiences and lessons learned by those working on these problems around the world so that we can speed the replication of successful models and approaches. This part of the proposal is pitched at NGOs, municipalities, states, and regions and expands the activities proposed from individual actions combined voluntarily on the street level to all the different levels of government below national and international. The fifth part of my proposal is Public Service Announcements in all media which show people how to use renewable energy and energy efficiency in soundbytes. I even link to my poor man's versions of energy PSA's produced over the last twenty years (the ones I did 30 years ago are on an obsolete format). How much money has been spent by environmental groups trying to convince people that climate change is real and needs to be addressed? I believe that such monies would have been much better spent on teaching people how to use simple, affordable solar devices to prepare for emergency or disaster, that net zero energy buildings are not only possible but affordable, that the transition to renewables on a household level does not have to be done all at once but can be accomplished one room at a time (my bedroom is essentially off-grid and has been for nearly seven years at a cost of less than $200), and that there are thousands of years of history of using solar thermal energy to heat houses and water. Practical solutions that people can use whatever they believe convince much better than scare stories and incomprehensible charts and graphs. We need to remind everyone that human society has always been solar powered and always will be. Our current society does not recognize that fact simply because the Sun does not change us for daylighting services, growing food, and keeping us warm most of the year.