In an early test of its concept, Spot Us solicited ideas on its Web site and raised $250 for an article examining whether California can meet its ethanol demand. That might not pay the weekly phone bill for a lot of reporters.

Crowd Funding – A Different Way to Pay for the News You Want – NYTimes.com

Here’s the New York Times’ Sarah Kershaw describing my own small contribution to David Cohn’s grand experiment, Spot Us. I’m actively looking for local SF stories to pitch, so keep your ears to the ground. And be on the lookout for my 3500 word piece on ethanol infrastructure and the geography of green. I think it will be coming out on Eco-Localizer this week in parts.