An absolutely excellent article stating exactly my main premise and giving additional detail to it: Harvey Wasserman - Wind Power As An Alternative To Slant Drilling (For gas and oil underneath the Great Lakes. Read carefully - these lakes contain ONE FIFTH OF THE ENTIRE GLOBAL FRESH WATER RESOURCE. Poison them and watch your bottled water prices... )

ELPC just came out with an editorial statement supporting a Renewable Energy Standard (RPS) proposal before the Illinois legislature. What this is, is a requirement of Illinois utilities by law to produce a specified percentage of their generated electricity from renewable sources within a specified time frame. In this case, 5% by 2010, and 15% by 2020.

Two important links; The Chicago Tribune's May 28th 2003 Story on the RPS proposal, and the ELPC's page where you can e-mail your state legislators in support of the Illinois RPS proposal. I strongly urge you to support this proposal for the good of our state, region, nation, and world.

As reported by the ELPC, Wisconsin's Governor, James Doyle, proposed a Wisconsin RPS of 13% by 2013. They've also reported that the Ames Tribune in Iowa has endorsed the idea of Iowa producing 10% of it's power from renewables as an idea that makes sense. Additionally reported, The Denver Post urged the Colorado legislature to require 900 MW of renewable energy production by 2010 in February, and that the number of states with an in-place RPS has gone from seven to thirteen in the past three years.

This clearly is an idea whose time is emerging, and none too soon. The United States should be in a position of leadership in wind energy, as it has the world's best resource and greatest energy per capita consumption. Clean power and less oil dependence enhance national security and global climate stability. Not to mention that global wind energy growth is averaging 25% annually, and this is a very large un-tapped market.

This one looks very good - the Environmental Law & Policy Center of Chicago has a Midwest Repowering plan they are advocating that goes along to a great extent with the purpose of this journal. Details can be found at: ELPC Midwest Repowering Plan

Net access is down for SBC DSL in the Chicago area and I'm borrowing a few minutes on another PC. I'll pick up either late tonight or tomorrow...

An Interesting article in Sunday's Chicago Tribune, how various states in the U.S. are stepping up to the environmental plate trying to combat global warming in light of a perceived lack of direction on the issue by the Fed. Including the all-important presidential primary state of New Hampshire, and including some coverage of the efforts in the Great Lakes states: Global Climate, Local Action And such is how we will win against unsustainable prctices.

Also, in one of the CFRE's earlier newsletters, there is a story titled "The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowing In The Wind." This story gives one an excellent portrayal of what it's like to be near large scale wind turbines. You might find yourself quite surprised.

Both of these Canadian organizations are doing good things with wind power in the great Lakes region.

I've also found a couple of good Canadian neighbors:
Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and Windshare - Toronto Renewable Energy Co-op.

It looks like the Canadian province of Ontario is making some early legislative moves to support renewable energy installation on a small scale for homeowners, with tax breaks and net metering regulations that support grid intertie for small residential point sources. Read all about it on the Citizens For Renewable Energy's newletter page March 2003 newsletter: CFRE March Newsletter

I had an interesting conversation with my brother yesterday. He loves politics, so I posed him some politial questions about higher learning institutions geared toward renewable energy. I have an idea in mind, but not ready to trot it out just yet. I'll bring that along sooner or later, though.

Interesting. The Chippewa, or Anishnabe tribe in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is doing studies on feasibility and siting for wind power plants on reservation land owned by the tribe. Their stated goals are to increase self-reliance for energy, increase tribal employment, and increase renewable energy sources available in the region as an example of their cultural teachings about respecting the Earth. I wish them great success! You can read about their efforts at:The DOE Tribal Energy information page These people are helping lead the way to saving us all, and I applaud them for working to help technology operate in harmony with nature. I strongly believe we can achieve that goal without sacrificing the good things technology does for us - when we consider nature and work in concert with her in our plans.

Check out this site - real utility scale developement in Michigan of wind power - not on the lakes, but in the region. Bay Windpower I've signed up for their newsletter, I'll post update briefs as appropriate.

I may also post ads in some of the small local newspapers in the region at times, that would also help get the word out.

It's my intent to contact at least one new business or organization daily to request story referrals. It's my belief that persistence pays off. We shall see.

Off the subject, but very good reading: ENN's article on the largest park systems in the country and their quality, as well as how the best became the best in summary. I found it one of the more encouraging stories I've read lately.

Just did a few minor updates.

I did promise an account of the trip to Sheboygan...

I got up at five a.m. and left around six. It took me three full hours to drive to Madison and pick up Art Paul. I gave him one of my t-shirts and we both wore my design on wind energy to the benefit. We had a fairly quick breakfast at the Green Forest Cafe, which is located on Broadway in Madison. It's a good place, reasonably priced, and they were swamped, being a Sunday. On the way out of town, we stopped at Kinko's and made copies of the show flyer I had designed the previous week. The weather was kind of rough, windy and rainy. The winds were pretty strong at times, too. We loaded Art Paul's paintings in the truck and bagged them to keep them dry. The drive to Sheboygan from Madison is about an hour and a half when you're getting blown all over the highway through multiple construction zones designed to confuse you. (Would've made a lot of power that day with a good mill...)

We got to the benefit just before two p.m. and Cathy told us Art was on the schedule right away. We got him set up hurriedly and he started playing while I brought everything in. Craig set us up with a spot between two vendors and in front of the huge limestone fireplace. We didn't have a table, so I started getting creative with display technology. I was hanging t-shirts, paintings, and CD's all over the fireplace wherever the flags were sticking out! *L*

Art's show went great, and he performed some of his classics, including the Pollution Blues, I Like My Mother, (In honor of Mother Earth) and wound the show up with Purple Banannas On The Moon.

Art managed to trade a t-shirt and CD for a hand-made banjo from a guy that made banjo's out of tins and recycled materials and wood. It was pretty cool, I thought.

I went up during Art's performance at his request and did Cities On The Edge - a piece about cities on the shores of the Great Lakes and the opportunity they have waiting for them. (You can view my poems on wind at www.whizzyrds.com on the Wind Poetry page)

After a few other acts, it was my turn. The sound man helped out with the background CD, and I launched into USA Wind. I was still just a bit unused to the mike, but I got through it OK and folk took notice. I then gave an excerpted version of my speech on Great Lakes wind energy potential. (Posted earlier in this journal) Afterwards I did one of the most playful and gentle of my wind poems, Zephyr. Everyone really liked that. The soundman (I can't remember his name, shame on me) was kind enough to get up and second my speech. You see, he and his brother are fresh water surfers, and they know a bit about wind on these lakes. It turns out that Sheboygan is the best place in the world for fresh water surfing. The wo of them will be in a documentary film coming out this summer on fresh water surfing, and you can bet I am going to watch the credits so I can correct my faux pau. (Splg?)

I did give the soundman a CD in thanks for all his help, and I traded another one to a friend for some pin on buttons of a political nature. I didn't have a stock of t-shirts with to sell, but people inquired and I directed them online to the website, so we shall see. I gave out several of the post cards that the American Wind Energy Association was kind enough to send. We still have a fair amount left of the flyers and postcards left for Earthfest this August. I didn't sell any CD's either, but that's OK, as long as the message was heard, that's the main point. The whole thing was great fun in my book! Here's hoping we have great weather for the fest in August!

Anway, the food was good, and the people were kind. We made new friends there, and Cathy asked me to come back and do more at Earthfest this August. Art Paul and I will both be there. Hopefully I'll be a bit more practised with this material!

A very interesting article about using microorganisms to produce hydrogen in various environments, including from municipal sewage. One of the researchers is in Michigan. From Wired News: Microbes Pass Valuable Gas

I think when I get home in the morning I am going to write a more detailed account of the trip Art Paul Schlosser & I made to Sheboygan the weekend before last. I'm running out of time right now, however, e-mail was a bit heavy with real content today so I did a lot of replying for a change - it was nice.