Last night I learned about the pioneering economist Jeremy Rifkin, and the groundbreaking work he is doing in Europe.  

The above is a master plan he created with the help of over 100 businesses to turn Rome into the world’s first post-Carbon city.  It is an exciting project and one that is gaining momentum.

Taken from this article:

“…..According to the US economist, who became well-known across the Atlantic after publishing his best-seller The European Dream, the exit strategy to push the EU into the third industrial revolution rests on a four-pillar infrastructure revolution that will give the EU the same economic multiplier effect that drove previous industrial revolutions: the railroad in the 19^th century and more recently the interstate highway in the US.

“A bit of sun on the roof, a little bit of wind on the walls and heat from the ground, and buildings become partial power plants,” he said, stressing that buildings are not only the major cause of climate change, but also the solution.

Hydrogen is the third pillar of Rifkin’s vision. The EU must commit to hydrogen as a means of storing intermittent energy sources, he said. “We have to set up hydrogen infrastructure across all buildings, infrastructure and power lines in Europe.”

The fourth strand of his strategy combines the Internet and communication technology revolution and the distributive renewable energy revolution.

“Millions and millions of buildings producing their own energy, throwing some of the surplus in hydrogen - like you store digital and media - then what they don’t use, they can share across 27 states with 500 million people on an intergrid that acts exactly like the Internet,” he said, insisting that the technology exists……”

If you live in Ontario, you can watch an interview of Jeremy Rifkin on The Agenda with Steve Paikin.  Check it out:

http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?videoid?107728977001