Define Solar Energy

Many cities and small towns are being hit by the current economy, so what can you do? There are two options, either sink or re-invent your area and swim like hell. If you choose to re-invent your area, then I have some good "green" suggestions for you, and there is only one way to go, UP!

As Dr. Seuss would say: “And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)”. 
Now, here is my Green formula for Success:

• Get Creative - Hold a town meeting to discuss ways to save energy. If a lot of people or most of the town is without work, then you are going to need to save money. NPR recently featured Wilmington, Ohio where thousands of workers in this small town lost their jobs when DHL Express shut down their operations there. Two young guys in the town, Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert developed a more specific plan: to get funding to weatherize thousands of county homes. They say it will create more than a thousand jobs and save homeowners $3 million a year in energy costs. Link to their Positive story by Pam Fessler: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101362474
• Get Sustainable: I just read an article written by Morgan Taggart in Earth Watch Ohio, that in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio area)  approximately $43.2 million is spent on eggs and $7.6 million spent on honey annually by Cuyahoga County residents. Cleveland is part of a growing national effort by several cities across the country that is working to permit chickens and bees in urban neighborhoods. Detroit, Toledo, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Madison and Youngstown currently allow residents to keep chickens in their backyards. Just this city alone can keep a total of $50 million in their local economy and their see where their fresh food is coming from! So, maybe some other local entrepreneurs in that area will start manufacturing "homes/cages" for these chickens & bees too which in turn will create more jobs. Link to article: http://www.earthwatchohio.org/pubs/mar09/clevelandabuzz.htm
• Google Earth & Start Growing your own Food - Everyone has to eat, right? Check out Google Earth and do an aerial search for your town/city. Look for land to farm. One of America's greatest resources has always been our rich soil and land for growing crops and raising livestock. The Organic Industry surpassed $25 Billion last year and many of the organic foods are coming from 1,500 miles or more before they get to your stomach! Why not start growing them in your own area, employing local people and consuming them locally and shipping them out to others? Get a piece of the $25 Billion Pie!
• Get Certified - You can get certified in Green Building, Energy Rater, Wind Energy Installer, Solar Energy Installer, Geothermal installer and more! President Obama signed the Stimulus Package and there are huge tax incentives and money allocated to Renewable and Alternative energy. Cities and towns that become energy independent will not only build green jobs, but save local homeowners and businesses money on their utility bills and allow these companies to compete in this global economy. In the process, green jobs will be created and cities will become "off grid" and self sufficient.
• Manufacture - Did I say Manufacture, like MADE in the USA? I know, everyone I meet says nothing is made in the US anymore, it all comes from China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, etc. Well, did you know that wind turbines are being made in cities like Philadelphia? Did you know the US is now #1 in the world for Wind Power and the largest Wind Turbine in the US was made by Clipper Wind power in Carpineria, CA? We used to do it, and we just need to change our mind set and get creative again. If you have a town or city that is jobless, is it possible for the people there who want to start manufacturing solar, wind turbines, or the parts being used for these devices would come together, work a deal with the city and use an abandoned building and everyone start making things. Would the recipe for success be that in order to work there you need to invest your money or part of your pay back into the company and make it an employee owned business and the profits of the business will be split accordingly? Surely if everyone had a vested interest in the company, then they would all want to see it succeed? The “employee entrepreneurs” could also manufacture the solar panels or wind turbines for their own town, and make their town energy independent first and then sell to others. Maybe the towns and cities would make them “tax exempt” in exchange for powering the town’s energy needs? Get creative, it can be done.
   
• Get off Gas - Get off Gas – You hear T. Boone Pickens and other say $700 million leaves the US every year to pay for oil. If we stopped that, we would keep $3.5 Trillion here in the US after 5 years. Wow…Is there someone in your town who builds an electric car or is running their truck off wasted vegetable oil from the local restaurants or is there a local inventor who has a great solution? Can you start riding your bike or walking places instead of driving a car? We need to work towards keeping that $700 million a year in our country, and all the gas used in small towns to large cities = $700 million. Here is a site that tells you how to convert your car to run off vegetable oil, natural gas, hydrogen and more http://www.ehow.com/how_2175756_convert-vehicle-natural-gas.html
• Export to fellow Americans (your neighbors) – This may be a weird concept or title for many, because we are so used to hearing that everything we buy comes from other countries. Maybe we need to focus as Americans to export our products, goods and services to fellow Americans in neighboring towns. For example: Your town makes it’s own Maple Syrup and you export that to the towns all throughout your region as opposed to them buying from the big name syrup companies. This will reduce the average 1,500 mile trek that product made to get to your home, keep money in your local economy by supporting a local/regional company and saved the gas/transportation cost for the country. ($700 million a year for US to buy oil from foreign countries). Reinvent your town, the way people think and start exporting your products and goods to your neighbors and towns in your area. Label your goods with a similar message pasted on it and people will start to get the message (Marketing 101). There is a big push for “Buy Local” and this can be applied for many things besides produce.