"High-speed broadband is green!" declares Graham Richard, former mayor of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, a nuPOLIS partner and tireless Johnny Appleseed when it comes to spreading the idea that swift Internet connectivity can help communities reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. "High-speed broadband networks can--and must--play a central role in achieving our energy-efficiency and environmental goals," Richard tells every mayor, county executive, and Obama administration official he meets. (Contact Richard at gr@grahamrichard.com.)
Whether a community's broadband infrastructure is wireless, fiber-to-the-home, or coaxial cable, its greening power lies in the applications that are deployed. "Each application reduces vehicle miles traveled and energy use," Richard says. And there's another benefit for local governments: the applications also improve the quality of services for local residents. "People are online instead of in line."
Some of the scores of apps that Richard has in mind include:
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Information access--Linking people to critical assets in the community such as schools, libraries, universities, hospitals and medical clinics, so they can access the information and records they need without having to travel. As hospitals and medical clinincs shift to electronic medical records for everyone, this access will become more and more important to people.
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"E-health" services--Medical diagnosis and consultations through video teleconferencing rather than going to clinics, hospitals, or doctors' offices. A nonprofit in Fort Wayne did digital retinal exams for low-income people and sent the data to medical experts via broadband for diagnosis.
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"E-learning" services--Online education classes from K-12 and higher education institutions, and on-demand "how to" instruction for a variety of uses. "Homeowners who are weatherizing their homes may run into a problem, so they go online for a digital consultation with an expert."
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"Smart green homes" and "smart grids"--Homes and businesses with heating and cooling systems, electric appliances, and water systems that are digitally controlled and linked to utility systems to ensure maximum efficiency in energy and water conservation and low-cost use of energy and water. Smart grids allow meter reading and inspections without sending inspectors to the site.
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Home-safety--Video-digital, round the clock monitoring and care of elderly or disabled people, with alerts from changes in their daily routines.
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"E-government"--online town meetings and other electronic access to government processes instead of having to go to city hall.
"None of this is rocket science," Richard says. "But these applications haven't been bundled and packaged this way in most cities. And no one has quantified the carbon reduction that occurs." During his time as mayor, Richard struck up a broadband partnership with Verizon, which deployed high-speed fiber optics for citywide broadband service, and that led to development of various new city-driven digital services for Fort Wayne residents. Once local governments jump start the use of broadband applications for public services, then applications for homeowners and businesses can be deployed on the network, Richard advises.
Now he's working with clusters of communities, as well as businesses like Verizon, to create partnerships that will finance and implement green place-based broadband systems and packages of applications. "My goal is to get more sites using broadband. It's not just a connector, it's a tool for community sustainability." |
