Relocalization:  the commonsense movement toward collaborative thrivability.

As Individuals composing the Collective Consensus ever creating Culture, we are in a time of great changes and change is difficult for most of us. Nevertheless, call it change or call it transition, we are being challenged to become less dependent on fossil fuels quickly and better prepared for climate change. In the United Kingdom, the folks that got the transition town initiatives off the ground call this process, "Skill Up for Power Down."

"Skill up" puts the responsibility where it needs to be: on each of us as individuals composing a collective consensus that creates culture. We may not be able to directly change a culture based on economic imperialism and military genocide for resources. Indirectly, however, we are the power of change. The power is in our hearts and where we spend our money. Instead of allowing ourselves to be sucked into supporting the economics of large corporations offering lower costs, we can recognize the hidden costs that make "low prices" an illusion.  One of the hidden costs we are currently recognizing is our complicity in supporting those that hold little respect for us, "We, the people."

We suggest voting with your money. Educate yourself and others. Google permaculture and have a fun time. Take a permaculture design course and get a 360 degree overview of life's relationships and how to interconnect natural systems and allow the systems to feed each other while immersed in the design process. Or decide to be dependent on other people while you earn money supporting ethical, ecological businesses.  Is there a reason to not recreate nature's Paradise?  Could it be we lost heaven on earth by being blinded into thinking there's more fulfillment in that which is unnaturally exciting—or on the other side of the fence. Time to reground. If you don't want to be dependent on other people for all your needs, start educating yourself.  Vote with your money.  Purchase Bill Mollison's Introduction to Permaculture or Permaculture: A Designer's Manual and Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden. Hire a permaculture consultant for an afternoon or day to fine tune your current land-use design for interconnected systems or bounce your options around for feedback.

Develop your gardens, your property edges into food forests Choose your canopy heights--as high as berries or fruit trees or nut trees—all with ground covers, herbs, fungi, and dynamic accumulators nourishing the soil and the surrounding plants.  Collaborate with your neighbors and extend forest garden edges everywhere possible. Learn about fungal use for health and pollution control at www.fungi.com and purchase Paul Stamet's Mycellium Running to enhancet soil and plant relationships.

Reconnect with nature wherever you are for your own soul.  While you're at it, integrate a task that builds soil.  Check out:  Nutrient Management  There's sound reasons to fully cycle by-products, enhance soil fertility, and even eliminate the need for black water removal. Help remove restrictions on ecologically-sound energy systems and turn them into mandates for powering down and nourishing the soil.  We deserve the right to experience abundance and simplicity.

Other suggestions:

Snug up your home and use geothermal or passive solar heating.

Need a new roof? Get one you can catch non-toxic water from. Check out www.oasisdesign.net, Art Ludwig's website.   Homeowner doable! 

Economically build cisterns and channel rainwater for use in washing machines and showers.

Use the byproduct, greywater, for your greenhouse and gardens.

Make conscious choices to shop locally and use less fuel.

Build community while supporting regional folks who provide products and services that meet your real needs.

Share from the heart. The give-away is about giving as you accumulate.  Since everyone "just needs a bit more", we need to give away the scarcity mode within accepting community and know "enough".

Expand complimentary currency throughout local regions for more stability. The value of local scrip is based on valuing the products and services exchanged rather than the distorted value of Federal Reserve notes.

check out the International Transition Town Movement

www.transitiontowns.org

www.transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/Primer