Institute for Local Self-Reliance

It's widely known that the climate cost of AI technology is steep; less discussed is the unequal distribution of those costs. Dr. Shaolei Ren from UC Riverside joins us on this week's Building Local Power to discuss the environmental inequity of AI tech.

“After decades of allowing corporations to accumulate unchecked power to raise prices, drive down wages for workers, and crush small businesses, today’s decision signals a return to restoring open, competitive markets. Blocking this merger is a crucial step in restoring healthy competition to food retailing.” Read the full statement from ILSR’s Ron Knox ⬇️

On this week's episode of Building Local Power, we talk to Mars Verrone, producer of the new film UNION. A moving new documentary, UNION chronicles the successful unionization effort at Amazon's JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island.

Visa & Mastercard are strangling small businesses. This local bookstore paid $44,000 in swipe fees last year — for transactions that cost pennies to process. The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a big-deal hearing today on a bipartisan bill to tackle this. https://lnkd.in/gwy8ZQ_u

This week's new episode of Building Local Power is the first in a series exploring the intersection of monopoly power and systemic racism. Please join us for a galvanizing conversation with Reverend Ryan Brown and Adam Stromme, two organizers with Amazon CAUSE working to unionize a North Carolina Amazon fulfillment center. https://vist.ly/3mmhdx6

What do bookstores, the Rust Belt, and fighting monopolies have in common? On the latest episode of Building Local Power, noted bookseller, author, and anti-Amazon advocate Danny Caine joins us for a lively conversation about all that and more!

I had the incredible opportunity to attend the three-day "Cultivating Community Composting 2024 Forum " at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, organized by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). Thank you to the ILSR team, Brenda Platt, Clarissa Libertelli, Zoe Apisdorf, Sophia Jones, Julia Spector, and Jordan Ashby for putting together such a transformative event and all the volunteers. Also, thanks to the sponsors who provided scholarships, enabling community composters from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Haiti, and Mexico to join. Over these three days, I had the privilege of meeting passionate community composters, hearing their inspiring stories, and sharing my knowledge. We visited Rid All Greenpartnership Farms and Squire Valleevue Farm at Case Western Reserve University, both great examples of closed-loop systems, providing fresh produce to local communities while turning massive compost piles. A special shoutout to Rust Belt Riders, who set a fantastic example of how bridging the gap to close the loop is building community and having fun while doing it. I returned home with ideas and joy after connecting with such beautiful and inspiring people. A key takeaway? To keep FBI (Fungus, Bacteria, Insects) happy, compost organic material and let them thrive! I'm looking forward to applying what I have learned in my work. 🌱 #CommunityComposting #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #CCC24

Has everyone seen how beautiful this story map is? Using poetry to explore how community composting can empower youth and transform injustices. Well done and thank you Institute for Local Self-Reliance + Renee V. Wallace

Are you an experienced fundraiser passionate about building vibrant, sustainable, and equitable local communities and fighting against the dominance of massive corporations? We're #hiring for an Associate Director of Development Come join our team!

Simplifying rooftop solar has a big impact! For the latest episode of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by SolSmart's own Toyah Barigye Callahan, Vice President for Local Initiatives for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), and Zachary Greene, Senior Manager for Clean Energy at World Resources Institute. They discuss how the SolSmart technical assistance platform supports local governments as they streamline their solar permitting, inspection, and zoning processes, making it easier for residents to go solar. See more below! https://lnkd.in/gWx7Rtmi