April 1, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 7431 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS NATIONAL CENTER FOR crops being used to make alcohol to run the But in terms of hardware that can be APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY machinery, protein by-products of the alco­ made available to the poor, NCAT hasn't hol plant being used to feed cows, and cow done much so far, says Kepler. An example manure being used to generate gas to fire in this area is a brochure describing a ther­ the-alcohol boiler on cloudy days when the mostat timer for people who are inclined to HON. RON MARLENEE solar collector isn't able to provide suffi­ leave their heat turned up at night to avoid OF MONTANA cient process heat. waking up to a cold house. It describes. how, If the demand is there, why can't private for $10, it is possible to make a simple timer IN THE HOUSE OF. REPRESENTATIVES enterprise come up with the technology? that will automatically turn the heat down Monday, March 31, 1980 Kepler has a ready answer: "An awful lot at nigl,lt and turn it up !n.the morning. The of things private enterprise does grows out brochure is available free from NCAT and e Mr. MARLENEE. Mr. Speaker, I has been distributed all over the country wish to submit to the CONGRESSIONAL of government research. Government spends $30 billion on research and develop: and reprinted in magazines such as "Handy­ RECORD an article by Frank Adams ment a year, much of it with private compa­ man." <Other consumer publications, some which appeared in the Great Falls Tri­ nies. Sometiriies private enterprise is not all free, some for a small price, tell about caulk­ bune on February 10, 1980. This arti.. that enterprising." ing, solar heating, and wood heating; NCAT cle discusses the National Center Jor In addition, says Kepler, the market also has a number of bibliographies and Appropriate Technology in Butte, doesn't serve all people eqmµly well. It technical publications for sale.> Mont. I urge all my colleagues to read doesn't serve the poor, because the poor The center plans to· do more "hands on" this informative article so that they . have no money to create a demand. work to develop things on the premises, says may better understand the purpose 'Of And appropriate technology is an effort Kepler. It has a federal anti-poverty con­ the center: by many people around the country to do tract to build five prototype alcohol fuel something about their own energy prob­ stills which will be set up as demon'Stration NCAT SEEKS To HELP PEOPLE COPE WITH lems. These people don't care to wait for units on farms around the country. "By NEW ENERGY REALITIES either government or private enterprise to doing things with our hands and actually <By Frank Adams> come up with solutions, so they're building building things we're going to learn better BUTTE.-At first blush, Butte may seem an their own windmills, solar collectors, and so how to make technology available to the unlikely place for the National Center for on. They also need some sort of organiza­ low income community," he says. Appropriate Technology, or a national any­ tion to give them guidance and instructional Kepler's aim is a balance between turning thing. publications, and to t~st their devices and out things that are of immediate use and de­ The center is in Butte because of former tell them how they might be improved veloping things for the future. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield's upon. The work that may be more significant influence, without which there might. not be John Hirigoyen, an electronics engineer than anything else N<.:AT is doing, says a National Center for Appropriate Technol­ from the San Francisco Bay area, conducts Kepler, is attempting .to influence public ogy anyWhere. all sorts of tests on solar collectors which policy toward renewable energy and conser­ But Butte is a good place for it, says Doro­ are shipped to Butte from all over the coun· vation and away from a dependence on for­ thy Bradley, director of information at the try, mo~tly from local anti-poverty agencies. eign oil and nuclear power. Toward th.is end center. For one thing, "When solar collec­ The tests are conducted at no charge to the NCAT recently came out with a "poor peo­ tors and cold frames work in Butte, you agencies, saving them thousands of dollars. ple's energy plan," a national proposal that know they'U work anyplace," she said as a The entire south half of Hirigoyen's test fa. NCAT clainu; could yield as much energy bitter cold wind howled outside. cility, in back of the main NCAT building, is savings ·as would be produced under Presi­ And decentralization is not bad, she heated by a solar collector designed by a dent Carter's synthetic fuels progrc-.m, and added. "I see no need to put it In the heart community action agency in Missouri and do it before the first synfuels plant starts of Denver or Washington, D.C." she says. costing less than $100. producing. Despite some f e::i.rs at first, the center has Director Kepler himself was a community The savings would come from speeding up been able to attract qua1ified people to action program director in Massachusetts Butte, says Bradley. conservation work on low-income homes, de­ and Connecticut before coming to NCAT a veloping solar heating systems, building The purpose of NCAT (pronounced N­ year ago. Community action agencies eat.), according to Director Ed Kepler, is to energy-effic:ient public housing, rebuilding around the country are used by NCAT ~s older cars to get another 50,000 miles out of develop technologies that can be useful to the primary outlet for getting the appropri­ the poor, who are being priced out of the them, and promoting alcohol fuels, green· ate technology to the poor. There are 900 houses and community agriculture and market in basic essentials such as housing, such agencies, "some good, some not so food, education and 'health care. direct marketing of food to eliminate some good," says Kepler. It would have cost of the middlemen. If you can't afford to buy food in the su­ NCAT several million dollars to set up a net­ permarket, maybe it's time to build an inex­ work were it not for the community action NCAT has its own library, available to pensive cold frame to extend your garden agencies, says Kepler. anyone. There's a lot of interest in green­ growing season a bit, or maybe even build a houses, wood stoves, earth-integrated NCAT doesn't deal exclusively with com­ houses, and cold frames, says -librarian Rose sun-heated greenhouse and raise your own munity action agencies, although half of food year round. NCAT has a solar green­ Sullivan. The library materials can be the $1 million it has available for grant checked out for three days, are available for house with which its horticulturists and ag­ money each year goes to them. The money ricultural people are doing all kinds of re­ inter-library loan and are used regularly by generally goes to demonstrate appropriate the state library in Helena and the universi­ search. technologies. ,. Necessarily oriented toward helping poor ties at Bozeman and Missoula. people because it gets its multi-million­ So far Congress and federal antipoverty officials haven't caught the vision of what NCAT has started publishing its own dollar budget from the federal Community newspaper, the "A.T. Times," under the edi­ appropriate tectmology can do f O!' the poor Services Administration, NCAT is concerned torship of former Montana Standard report­ and the nation, says Kepler. He sa~·s at least also with furthering the appropriate tech­ er Brian Mertz. The goal is to make it a nology movement. $50 million a year js needed for appropriate technology research to have impact. monthly by summer, and to work into a ·•our country has to solve the energy an paid subscription system. probl€m or the whole country will 20 duv.-n What has NC.AT accomplished sir:ce it got together, regardless crf cla.<i<;," Kepler says. under.way in late 1977? The cent4?r has a ma ili.'lg liat of 6,000 Appropriate teehnology at NCA'I' means In tem'1S of increasine the understanding names. and exped.s to triple that as It moves into Departmc·nt of Energy m~.illng lists. any technolo~y that will help people, espe­ of appropriate technology and enabling oie.lly poo!' people, oocome more self-reliant people to practice it, "We've done wen." NCAT, a non-profit corporation. is gov­ and c.ope with their problems. For instAnc~. through publications, grants, and the work erned by a 23·-mernber board re·preMm.tative in the biomass energy dhi.:;ion, Jim Kerstct· of the center's 10 field offices; say~ Kepler. of anti-poverty g-roups, coru;ume:rs, the el­ ter and his people a.re looking for cheaper And in "future-oriented" research into pa:'­ derly, and appropriate technofogists from ways to make alcohol fuel for low-income sivc solar energy, NCAT is recognized as one a.crosa the U.S. It has about 100 employees. farmers. A long-term goal is to m"'ke a farm of the outstanding organizations in the lncludinar staff at the 10 regional field of· energy self-sufficient. with 80me of the nation," he says. fices and in Washington, D.C.