I let the TV run on after the BBC news tonight and Nightly Business Report came on... blah, blah, blah... until the "Last Word", on Reynolds, Indiana... a small rural town of about 500 people in 200 housholds... why on Earth was this town in the Nightly News? Because this has been declared by the governor of Indiana as BioTown, USA.

As Wikipedai reports, "the rural town of Reynolds, Ind. is at the center of an ambitious state-funded energy experiment to promote alternative fuels. If the experiment succeeds, Reynolds will be able to subsist almost entirely on locally produced energy resources such as ethanol and biodiesel."

Here's the transcript from NBR - make note of the last exhange of the hosts:

Last Word: The Power of Trash

Monday, July 10, 2006

SUSIE GHARIB: And finally tonight, the town of Reynolds, Indiana is being transformed into "Bio-town U.S.A." The Indiana Department of Agriculture is working with the town's 500 residents to meet all of the community's energy needs using bio-renewable sources. That means that Reynolds will use everything from municipal trash to farm waste to generate its own electricity and fuel. Reynolds and the Indiana Department of Agriculture are building a $10 million technology center to house the equipment needed to turn the trash and waste into energy. The plant is expected to generate enough electricity for the town by the year 2007. And Paul, the project is also focused on educating residents about alternative fuels and renewable energy. It sounds like a very good project.

KANGAS: I hope the project succeeds. It would be a great example for all of us.

GHARIB: Yes, I agree with you

 Now think seriously about this. In Indiana, in a town of 500, we see the shining example of bio-renewable technology and environmental consciousness in America. Do we have anything like this developing in Ohio, to get us the Last Word on the news, and would it be so hard to make that happen in Ohio? It is initiatives like this, led by Governors like Daniels, of Indiana, and the 2012 focus of NY's Pataki on even more inventive alternatives, like biofuel from willow trees, that gives their states a good name, transitioning economies, that  makes companies want to be located in places like Indiana... meaning that "A $550 million Honda Motor Co. assembly plant will help the Japanese automaker meet a growing North American hunger for its cars and help invigorate a state hit hard by manufacturing job losses". We wanted that plant in Ohio, and have to settle for being nearby.

 I strongly recommend the media and voters considering candidates for Governor of Ohio in the upcoming election forget about fags and burning flags and focus on only one thing... why do we not have the "Last Word" on renewable energy inventiveness here in Ohio, and what will you do, as Governor of Ohio, to give us that in the future. If they do not have a remarkable plan, with clear commitment to execute, then we must look for other candidates, for cause.

Another wrong Governor, expect more good global opportunities like a Honda plant (which will probably end up making all-eco-friendly vehicles within a few years) to locate in Indiana, and expect lots more dirty business in Ohio.

In setting state direction on energy strategy and the environment, a governor is either leader or loser. In Ohio, we need a real leader.

Welcome to BioTown, USA

The long term expectation of the BioTown, USA, project is to completely meet all the energy needs of Reynolds via biorenewable resources, including electricity, natural gas replacement, and transportation fuel. Meeting the energy needs of this town with renewable sources will be the first of its kind in the world, while using environmentally friendly technologies that will convert animal and human waste to biogas, which translates into energy.