r , Mobilizing support for the above programs could have a oig payoff for regional a.t. groups in the futurei however, time is short, and to be effective, initiatives must be taken right away. I h-ope you will be able to get the word out quick*ly to a.t. people in your region about these opportunitiei for jction. Members of Congress with Interests in AT+ or Related Topics (e.g. Solar) Mclntyre* (N.U.;, Brooke* (Ma), Hart* (Coto), Glenn* (Ohio), Leahy* (Vt), Culver* (lowa), Humphrey* (Minn), pell (RI), Heinz (Pa), Kennedy (Ma), Melcher* (Mont), Javits (Ny), Nelson (Wis), Hathaway (Maine), Muskie* (Maine), Cransron (Calif), Gravel* (Ark), Baucus+ (Mont), Jeffords* (Vt), Ottinger* (NY), Drinan* (Ma;, Richmond* (Ny), Weaver+ (Ore), Harrington* (Ma), Ambro* (NY), Bedell* (lowa), Pattison (NY), Brademas* (lnd), Koch (Ny), Moakley* (Ma), Mottl* (Ohio), Panetta (Calif), pickle (Tex), Oberstai* (nlinn), McKinney* (Conn), Rose* (NC), Dodd (Conn), Roybal (Calif), Runnels (NM), Vanik (Ohio), Long (Md), Chisolm (Ny), Mitchell (Md), Roe (NJ), Wylie (Ohio), Roberts (Tex), Lehman (Fla), Ciausen (Calif), Yates (Ill), Spellman (Md), Steers (Md), Patterson* (Calif), Anderson (Calif), O'Brien (tll). Some additionai federal agency acriviries related to a.r. which regional groups might wish to ger involved with, most of which have a longer time frame, are listed below, fhe Natiott.al Sc,iettce Foundation funded Eugene Eccli, '' ccil Cook and Ann Becker to do a ruru.y of a.t. activities rn the.U.S., identifying institutional barrieis and possible remedies. As part of this study, a directory is being prepared of about 30O a.t.-related groups across th; .or_r.,t.1i. th. Office of Exploratory Researih and problem Assessmenr which funded the project is now planning to hold a conference on a.t. For further information, contact L,ynn preston, Office of Exploratory Research (NSF, 1g00 G Sr., N.W., Washington, DC 20550, ZO2/634-7181), or Eugene Eccli, Design Alternatives, Inc. (1312 18th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036, 2o2t 223-63 3 6). oTh.e Department of Housing and I|rban Deuelopment is distributing $10 miilion in 10 states with high eleitric rares ro provide $400 grants to homeowners to install solar hot water he aters. Massachusetts,, for example, will have 1 3 7 5 such grants to give out. For information, contact David N,loore, Chief of Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstrarions, HUD (451 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, DC 20410, 2OZ/7555 5 6r). oThe Economic Deaelopment Adminis*ation (EDA) in the Commerce Department will probably shortly be authorized to fund new pubLic works projeus in Wyoming, No. Dakota, So. Dakota and DC, and perhaps in other locaiities which haven't previously applied for public works money (the bill is in conference now). A.T. projects such as community greenhouses and community alternative energy utilities could fall under this program. EDA may also get aurhorization for a Drought Relief Program, which could fund local agencies and nonprofit companies to do water conservation And recycling projects. Also, an EDA energy task force is onsidering proposing a loan program for alternatiue sourccs of energt. For information conracr Anne Berlinger, EDA (Department of Commerce, 14th St. between Constitution and E., N.W., Washington, DC 2OZ3O,2O2/377-2162). o A.T. International (ATI), a nonprofit corporation created to develop a.t.'s in developing countries, will shortly get its first million dollars from the Agency for International De_ velopmenr (AID) in the State D.p"itment. ATI is expected to have an gq.rrlilg budget of around $10 million a'year, most of which will go for a.t. research in developing coun_ tries, but some of which may go to U.S. a.r. groups. For information contacr Ted Owens, Division ofiechnical Assistance, AID (320 21st St., N.W., Washingron, DC 20523, 2OZl632-2944, or Kristin Shannon, Vice Chiirman of the ATI Board, c/o Owens (2O21387-570O). O'fhe new heads of the Enaironmental protection Agency and the Council on Enpironmental euality, Dougla-s CJstle and Charles Warren, seem to be sympathetic to a.t., so now might \e a good time to apply io EpA for grants reiated to a.t., such as sewerless toilet systems, recyclin! solid waste, and. biological pest controi. Contacts include peggy Hansen in the Resource Recovery Division, Office of Solid Waste (EPA, 401 M Sr., S.W., Washington, DC 20460), Bob Bastian in the Office of Warer program Operations (ZOZI+26_ 897 6), and Bill Holmberg in the Office of pesticide pro_ grams (202/7 ss-8292). As the above descriptions indicate, a lot of acrivities related to a.r. are just starting to emerge on the federal level, and it is rmporrant that the a.t. community have ways of getting infor_ mation on rhese activities and influe ncing their ea'rly eriol,rtion I'm afraid, however, there isn,t an adequite channei at present . to get such informarion our to the graslroots a.r. peopli and to make their views felr in Washingion. Hopefully, NIAT will provide some of this capability oni. it gets'geared up. It may also be useful to begin ro evoive a natioial flderation for a.i. made.up of regional a.t. groups, which, among orher things, would get information out ro rhe grassroots o-n what is hip_ pening in Washington related to a.i. and would give the regional groups some clout in D.C. Such an idea was p-roposed t,,io years ago by the folks ar RAIN Magzzine. perhaps'it is an idea whose time has come. I've discussed the concept with a num_ ber of regional a.t. people (at the AAAS meeting in Denver il F*..r"ry and during Schumacher's visit to Wishington in March) and so far everyone likes the idea although ,Jrn. ,.. skeptical about how such a federarion would suiport itself. What do you think? Write and let me know. I'll probabll' be writing more on rhis later. June 7977 RAIN page 19 Peace, Craig Decker Nerv England Appropriate Technology Nerwork 8 St. Paul St. Cambridge, MA O2I39 617 /864-6841 oFor more details on many of the aboue programs, contact Craig Decker at tbe aboae address.
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