Renewable Energy and Urban Agriculture

Bob Ewing - The World Bank presents a picture of a world that is rapidly becoming urbanized. In other words, people are leaving the country and moving to urban centres. On the Bank’s Youthink page, they cite the following statistics:

[caption id="attachment_15702" align="alignright" width="300"] Solar panels on residence[/caption]

• 3.3 billion people—half the world's population—live in cities.
• Two-thirds of all people will live in cities by 2050. (In 1800, only 2% of people lived in cities and towns. In 1950, only 30% of the world population was urban.)
• Almost 180,000 people move into cities each day.

This movement toward city life places increased pressure on, already stressed, urban infrastructure. How can society sustainably solve existing problems while urban populations continue to rise? First, energy, our current society is built upon the cheap and ready availability of oil and to some extent coal. Renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind have been given insufficient attention, a lot of talk but little development, for many years.

Both solar and small-scale wind power could provide the needs of a city on a local basis. The American Wind Energy Association states: “Small wind turbines are electric generators that utilize wind energy to produce clean, emissions-free power for individual homes, farms, and small businesses. With this simple and increasingly popular technology, individuals can generate their own power and cut their energy bills while helping to protect the environment.”

Unless, the home or business has a battery storage system to store energy for the days when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining, hybrid systems, both sun and wind, may be the best approach.

Second, urban agricultural projects can move the farm closer to the table and reduce the distance our food needs to travel. Urban greenhouses can be powered by sun and wind and operate year round. This combination of renewable energy and urban agriculture is a major step towards building a community which has the ability to withstand the coming crises.

Not all our food can be produced in city limits, and the need for small farms, located close to urban centers, must also be considered, as do the setting up of farmers’ markets where business can take place. Inside the city, herbs, vegetables, and eggs can be produced and sold; while in the countryside, cows, pigs, sheep, orchards are the best choices.

Energy and food are essentials and offer opportunities to create sustainable communities if we accept and recognize the need and then do the work.

It is not likely that the trend toward urban living will reverse itself. I, for one, like living in a city, a small one, yes, but still a city. What we can do is put our resourcefulness at work, reclaim our communities, relocalize production, and build our own future.

Alternatives: the Cooperative Business

On one hand, people are out of work and help to find a job is scarce. On the other, people have needs that only a sustainable income can meet. These two facts lead many to attempt to set up their own businesses; however, frequently, these businesses do not survive, or fail to bring in enough money to meet the family's needs.

One of the reasons many home based and single person enterprises do not get off the ground or thrive is that the owner-operator does not have all the skills needed to make a business successful. If people can accept the fact that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, they have taken an important step in being able to work together to create a viable enterprise.

The cooperative business model is ideal for those who want to pool their skills, knowledge base, and abilities to from a solid foundation for a business. The cooperative model does not guarantee success; a sound business plan with a marketing study is important so that the company knows what business it is in, with whom the competition is, and perhaps, most importantly, if there is an existing demand for their product or service.

A cooperative is not a business but a business model. Cooperatives are democratic as all members of a co-op are equal decision-makers in the enterprise and employ the one-member, one vote, process of making decisions. Each worker owns a share in the cooperative and the enterprise is owned and controlled by the workers.

How to Get Started:

The first step is to talk with family and friends; however, be focused and careful. Someone may be your best buddy but may turn out to be a lousy business partner. The same goes for family; your brothers or sisters are not necessarily ideal business partners; so proceed with caution.

Seek out people who are in a similar situation as yourself, need an income but are not desperate. You will not get rich overnight and the pre-planning phase is important to the venture's long-term success; so if you need money now, your own business is rarely the answer, cooperative or not.

Once you have your cooperators, how many you need may vary from state to state and province to province. Here in New Brunswick, you need three (3) people to form a cooperative; it is time to detail the business, what you sell, make or offer, to whom and at what price. This information forms the core of your business plan
There may be organizations that can lend you a hand, provide insight and information, once you have reached this stage. Do your homework and find out what assistance is available locally and within your region. Remember we are all in this together and together we can build a strong regional economy.