09 Jun Permie Response to Speth Article – ideas for living well and transforming culture

After reading this article "Off the Pedestal: Creating a New Vision of Economic Growth" by James Gustave Speth I had the following comments:

A wonderful, well-written article – heart-felt, gut-wrenching, and aimed at the heart of the ugly beast that has us all captive. Thank you, thank you. But the thanks is for an eloquent additional rendition of the problem we've got and the pot of warm water, about to get hot and fatal, that we are all sitting in the frogs in the pot.
 
We know now/again that we are in a "pot of trouble", so to crudely change the metaphor:
 
  -how to get off of the "growth train,"

  -get off the growth train,
  -define a train going the other/another way
  -build it
  -get on it….then
 
  -convince the train builders, owners,
    regulators to build more, run more, ___ more,
 
  -convince others to get off theirold train and ride
    the new train??????
 
Hints, allusions to new trains are in this article, but we need solid ideas, real proposals, then actions, participation, resources,[self-] funding, etc. Here is a start of a list of new trains (really not so new) and new directions (really not so new, either):
 
   -Rebuild "Local" – economies, businesses, jobs, careers, lifestyles, local investments
   -Buy Local, stay local, eat local, work local,
   -Know your [local] place – people, needs, res.,
   -Local economy, local currency, local trade,
   -Rekindle Cooperation, Community – Locally:
   -Coop's – worker-owned, buyers, users, bus's.,
   -More Ace Hardwares – “local” franchises.
   -Local markets for local goods, food, services, local profits, $$$ cycling, jobs, careers, lives.
   -Money invested Locally for reasonable return – financial, personal, social, socially – "cycled"
   -Add "cycled [locally]" to re-cycled, re-used
   -Start with Local food – buying, growing – seasonal, nutritious; grow local businesses, profits "cycled" locally – pay the premium!
  -Add other Local goods, services to purchases,
  -Re-Localize Banking – deposits, loans, benefits; mutual, cooperative, local banks, customers
 
  -[now that the reader has the idea, please
   think on it and add your own ideas – "trains"]
 
  – __________________________________
 
  – ___________________________________
 
  – _____________________________Thanks!
 
Above are some ideas for some new trains and directions. Now how about examples, pioneers/experiments – things we can do now, invest in!!
 
  -Farmers Markets – local farmers – get off the Industiral Agriculture train and buy local from a local business – watch your money "cycle"
  -Get into the Ag business – a garden for eating, for sharing; grow some to sell if you'd like.
  -Teach/help others to garden,…then sell surplus,…esp. low income families
  -Enjoy, promote Local food – [Local] Slow Food
  -Join/start a Slow Money chapter – your town
  -Put your money in a Local, Coop Bank
  -If there is none, start one; expand Credit Union
  -Take part of portfolio out of stock market to invest locally – reasonable return for all.
  -Invest in Local mutual fund, or create one
  -Start a Local investment club!
  -Read Rich Dad, Poor Dad – play “Cash Flow”
  -Encourage/buy from Worker-Owned Coops (propose, arrange funding to buy-out the owner)
    (check out WOC’s in W-MA, Mondragon, Sp.)
  -Look into Coops – buyer, member, service, day-care, housing – lots of examples; your local area?
  -Buy from Local businesses, coops – invest in ‘em
  -Buy from Ace Hardware, other “local franchises”
  -Google the Martha’s Vineyard, MA [long range] Plan – local preservation, conservation, banks, business, agriculture, food, quality of life
  -Read “Companies We Keep” by John Abrams
  -Visit Martha’s Vineyard this summer; ask around
  -Start a compost pile, help others start
  -Take a Permaculture Design or Intro Course!
  -Attend a local Transition-Town meeting

  – ____________________________________
 
  – ____________________________________
 
  – ___ [fill in your good Local ideas and examples]
 
So yes, there’s problems, monumental, escalating, soon-to-be-disastrous problems to be solved. And there are some very good ideas and programs to begin to address and remedy some of them – not enough, not soon or big enough yet, but they are out there. And, there are many pilots, examples, groups for you to join and things for you to do on a Local basis – for all of us to take a ride on a “new train” in a “new direction” and do it now – and encourage others to come along.
 
In the process of teaching modules on Urban Permaculture and Alternate Finance, I came across this 3-step plan/advice:
  -Get/stay Healthy
  -Get to Know Your Neighbors
  -Get a Project [with a Local Group]
 
Pretty simple and rather heady at the same time. Is there any reason, as you think about it, that you couldn’t/shouldn’t take this advice? So, please, please do it, and get caught doing it, and tell others what you are doing and how well it is working.
 
Thanks! My great-grand-children thank you too!
 
Dick Pierce, Austin Permaculture Guild
dickpiercedesigns@gmail.com
www.dickpiercedesigns.com
www.austinperm,com