Comments on: Sustainable Fairfield – Review of Plan

By: Ron Khare

Ron Khare — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:23:42 +0000

I'm very tempted to simply re-write the entire plan and see what happens when I submit it.

By: Ron Khare

Ron Khare — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:22:54 +0000

I fully agree! These points fit under action plans for the goals – if you make them the goals with the implied idea of self-sufficiency (like the plan does) I think you loose the effect.

But honestly I see no reason why we shoouldn't be full-steam ahead on making Jefferson County fully independent as soon as possible.

By: Sundar Raman

Sundar Raman — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:09:45 +0000

I love the fact that you've restructured the points to be more active and defined. The objectives felt like they had been focus-grouped previously, and what you re-stated has so much more of a grounded and comforting aspect to them – like they're saying "we know what we need to do, now let's get doing, dammit!".

Thanks.

By: egc52556

egc52556 — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:26:36 +0000

Being self-sufficient has economic benefits for the city/county: lower cost of living, lower cost of running government, lower cost of running businesses, etc. All making Fairfield / Jefferson County more attractive as a place to move to and invest in.

So since there is an economic benefit to becoming self-sufficient, there is value in investing in the conversion to self-sufficiency.

We can begin by providing loans to home owners to convert their houses to self-reliant energy, like solar panels. Most people won't make the long-term investment in solar panels because the return is too long: they don't want to wait or they expect to move before the investment pays off. But the county doesn't have such a short-term view of the benefits. After the original occupants have moved away, the house will still be here in Jefferson County, still in need of more efficient power.

Electricity is just one direction this can go. Other home improvements that lead to self-sufficiency are also possible.

There has been a lot of attention on the car industry: hybrids, hydrogen, etc. But cars are a harder problem to solve because they move. Houses, on the other hand because they stay put, are more amenable to self-sufficient, sustainable solutions.

We just need to fund the transition.