Ed Shadid

Meeting Focuses On Sprawl

September 8, 2011 by Blue Oklahoma

What would it be like in Oklahoma City if a gallon of gasoline cost $10 a gallon or even $20 a gallon?

That's a question some people will see as alarmist or fraught with political overtones. But the reality is the cost of driving our cars is rising incrementally and there's no good reason to think that will change. Countries like China and India are increasing their overall oil use, the world population continues to grow and some believe peak oil-the point at which supplies only decline-is fast approaching.

So the simple answer to the question is this: Oklahoma City, with its 621-square miles of urban sprawl, would be devastated.  As we all know, the vast majority of city and metropolitan residents are dependent on the automobile in their daily lives. If it costs, say, $50 a day or more, to get to work in a car, then that changes how the city, most importantly its public transportation system, would function at several different levels. Are we planning appropriately here?

Oklahoma Worker Cooperative Network Announces Fall Tour

September 4, 2011 by Blue Oklahoma

Worker Cooperative Incubator Starts Operations - Plans 9 Meeting Tour of Central Oklahoma - "A Better Way to Go to Work"

The Oklahoma Worker Cooperative Network is a new organization that will help Oklahomans start worker-owned cooperatives.  

"Worker owned cooperatives are local solutions to global problems," said Matthew Jordan, OWCN board member. "By encouraging the development of worker cooperatives, we can recession-proof our economy. The Mondragon worker cooperatives of Spain created 100,000 jobs and have never laid off an employee for economic reasons in 60 years of work," he added.