A German Town Tries to Live Without Big Energy

A German Town Tries to Live Without Big Energy

www.spiegel.de

Börnsen, a village in northern Germany, is spoiling energy giant E.on's business by creating its own electricity and natural gas supply. The idea could catch on elsewhere.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I love subcultures.

Nice to see the true heroes of our time.
And this kind of news sure enlightens a couple more sparks of hope because this is once again proof that we people don't have to take everything they force us to swallow.

Power to the people!

www.spiegel.de
(visit the link for the full news article)

Good to see, we should start something like this here in Switzerland. And while we're at it, we should look for a possible alternative to fuel, like electricity powered cars.
Now that would make a difference.

Cool. You are the first swiss user i meet on ATS. ;]
Not many of us around here, to be honest.

Yeah what's happening in this little Town is certainly something special. And as I often said in regards of other topics, fertile and growing subcultures are the only way to efficiently change something. The method can be applied to other markets or countries..

So why does no one feel like answering to this Topic?

Is it because of the "German" in the title? You dont care?
Not enough blood, gore.. or child-abuse content to be interesting?

I think it is cool that they are doing this, but they are not the first.

For instance, in my state, there is a program to create an entire
community that is totally green, and uses solar energy produced by
the buildings they live in.

There have been similar programs in the past as well.


I'm all for being able to produce your own energy, but I don't think
that we'll ever live in a world where 100% of the population produces
its own energy.

I think the point with this story is somewhat different:

You sure are right about many green-energy programs taking place. But this here is not only some programm to implement trendy economic solar cells. It is also about independence, and a fight against the big energy-providers.
I dont know if entire households can be fully supplied by only using solar cells in an efficient and payable way. As far as i can tell certain green energy-processes are suitable for different purposes. And solar energy is only suitable for some part or kind of energy which is used in a household.

Eon, the big energy supplier, like we could expect tried to crush that town's ideas by buying up the small company which delivered their gas.

They now buy their gas from Denmark, and even fill up the tanks at night.. when the price is cheaper.

They only survived with their idea because they are very passionate and they had already built the needed infrastructure for gas-energy themselves.
Eon is also known for charging more than they actually deliver in regards of the consumption "counters".

I think that it is quite a difference if we talk about some non-chemical waterless pissoirs used in McDonalds. Which are telling us "We pretend to be green, buy us." or other similar marketing campaigns. And anyone who has an own house, the money and wants to use solar energy.. can buy/install it.

But as far as I can tell they will not be energy-wise independent only using solar cells. We are talking about a whole town which relies on their own Gas-Infrastructure, and which naturally is a little market, becoming independent, which in turn means loss of profit and drew the interest of the big german energy-supplier.

They managed to stand their ground and manifest their idea against any opposition.

And that's what made me post it around here.. it wouldn't be so interesting without a victory. Creating a project or regular business with financial sponsors and regular marketing etc. is something completely different. Because it is absolutely not independent.

That's the interesting part. Those efficient subcultures which actually change something fundamental in this horribly corrupted world and still remain independent in the interest of us people are the rare and positive news which should be taken as an example of "Freedom" and "Independence".

And naturally those Experiences should be taken, and applied elsewhere.

Well solar power can actually provide for all energy needs, but only if
your house is all electric, that is does'nt use natural gas.


It is an interesting thing to see, and unique because of the circumstances,
but not so much as houses becoming capable of producing there overall
energy needs.