Climatologist Dr. Fred Singer explains how climate alarmism is ruining California's prosperity. California's efforts to force CO2 emission reductions on its citizens will do nothing to impact the earth's climate and will only drive more jobs out of the state.
Peak Moment 210: "Sharing really is going to save the world!" declares Janelle Orsi, author of The Sharing Solution, noting that it's fun, doesn't require special skills -- and we can start now. She and Jennifer Kassan co-founded the Sustainable Economies Law Center to help people formalize collaborative structures like producer cooperatives, cohousing developments and tool lending libraries. They're working to reduce the hurdles to investing in locally-owned and locally-controlled enterprises. No wonder law students are excited to intern with them! [theSELC.org and sharingsolution.com]
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Alberta's first cohousing community is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend.
Prairie
Sky Cohousing Cooperative — home to more than 40 people — sits on a
large lot in Winston Heights where a single family home once stood.
A spontaneous gathering of Prairie Sky cohousing residents. (Prairie Sky website)
There are now 18 units spread among three buildings that are fully equipped townhouses or apartments.
Residents
also share common spaces, including a 3,200-square-foot common house
with a kitchen, dining room and lounge where community members gather
for shared meals, recreation and other events.
Number
Zero facade in Turin, Italy. The doors opened on the March 4, 2013,
after over five years of work. (Matteo Nobili / cohousingnumerozero.org)
With the Italian real estate market in free fall,
increasing numbers of people are tumbling through the gaps. Too rich to
claim social housing and too poor to afford a traditional house, some
are turning to a new approach—cohousing.
“The concept of cohousing originated in northern Europe in the ’60s,”
says Nadia Simionato, spokeswoman for the Italian network Cohousing.it
“Then it spread to other countries and reached Italy in 2006.”
The basic idea is to combine in a condominium the autonomy of a
private house with the benefits that come from sharing space and
resources such as a garden, gymnasium, laundry, gardens, and children’s
day care. The whole project is collectively designed and chosen by those
who will live in those spaces.
“There’s a ‘gray zone’ of the Italian population who cannot afford a
traditional house but that is too rich to access the rankings for the
social housing,” says Simionato. “Through the cohousing we think we can
solve this critical point.”
But Simionato complains the state is behind the times. “Public
administration seems to struggle to understand that cohousing is a
successful model. Worldwide there are over a thousand examples of
cohousing, from a few family members to dozens. In Italy we have
developed three projects, already in place, and we are working with two
others, connecting prospective buyers and designers.”
AFPCalifornia·
New cohousing project1:51
