Rather than importing barrels from France, Silver Oak Winery in California gets barrels to age its cabernet sauvignon from Higbee, Missouri, a town of about 600 people.
The nonprofit GORC Gravity has already helped six small Missouri communities that formerly leaned on mining, such as Ironton and Steelville, transform undeveloped hills into mountain bike parks and trail systems.
Although energy efficiency measures are shown to lower utility bills, it's the upfront costs that play more into whether a consumer will invest in renewable energy. “We care about society," one Missouri researcher says, "but we care more about our own selves.”