Makers” and the Future of Sustainable Industry

In the coming year, the MUM Sustainable Living department will be launching a new class that will introduce students to the “Maker” movement and the growing culture of DIY (do it yourself) technology. Some might ask, “how do electronics, robotics and 3D printing fit into the concept of sustainability?”

When thinking about “sustainable living,” many of us visualize organic farming, natural building and solar energy. However, unlike the “back to the land” movement of the 1970s, the new generation of “tiny house” dwellers and organic farmers depend heavily on...

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Solar Values = American Values

“By the way, if you want to have a war over oil, leave me out of it- because I don’t think we need it. All I have to say is, go solar! Go wind! Let a little freedom into your life, and help your neighbors stay free, too.”
Richard Perez, Publisher, Home Power Magazine- keynote address, I-Renew Energy Expo, Sept.8, 2001

Home Power #1: 1987

Just three days before the terrorist attacks that rocked the nation, Richard Perez, the publisher of the independent renewable energy publication Home Power addressed a packed audience at one of the nations oldest gatherings of wind and solar power enthusiasts. He inspired the audience with a talk about the importance of freedom. Freedom to make one’s own choices, and accepting the responsibilities that come with that freedom. It has been more than 13 years since Perez gave that speech and the solar landscape has changed immensely. Solar is no longer primarily the purview of off-grid survivalists and back-to-the-land hippies. The installed price of solar has dropped from above $10 per watt to under $4. More states around the nation are encouraging solar development, and the economic benefits of solar are becoming more obvious by the day. And yet, there remains a strong anti-solar contingent in the United States. But why? In post-911 America, isn’t freedom still an American value?