Local Living Economy

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Comment by Mike Grenville on February 2, 2009 at 10:31am

TRANSITION BRIGHTON AND HOVE
A Community Response to Oil Dependency and Climate Change
www.transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk

Presents a Talk and Discussion on

“Building more Resilient Local Economies”

By Victoria Johnson and Ruth Potts of

The New Economics Foundation


Thursday 26th February 7pm for 7.30 start, till 10pm

At Brighthelm Centre, North Road , Brighton BN1 1YD

Tickets £3 at door

These are some of the questions we are raising



• Why do local economies need to be more resilient?

• How does it help in addressing security issues - around climate change, energy, food and other basic needs, and preserving and living within the natural ecosystems on which we depend?

• How can we assess in what areas it is best to be more self-reliant locally?

• How far is it possible for a city such as ours (260K+ people) with other large towns nearby?

• Is local government decentralised enough?

• How best to use the Sustainable Communities Act?

• How and where do we need to work with large business corporations differently?


• What does a more resilient local economy and community look like?

• How to bring it about? (local economic networks, infrastructures, planning and land use, information systems and communications, a common purpose and key indicators shared with local government and businesses, etc)


• What business opportunities does climate change and peak oil present? E.g coming off fossil fuels, using more renewable energy sources, using less energy and being more energy efficient, capturing carbon at point of use, absorbing carbon through trees, plants, pyrolysis for biochar in the soil, air capture of carbon with disposal through mineral sequestration etc. And adapting to climate change - water capture etc. Brighton-TTnef-feb09.pdf

Comment by Mike Grenville on January 22, 2009 at 8:36pm

The new wealth of time:
How timebanking helps people build better public services

The New Wealth of Time describes how timebanking, as a tool to stimulate co-production, is already helping to create better services across a range of areas, including mental and physical health, services for young people and older people, regeneration, housing and criminal justice.

Co-production is a theory based on the premise that people and societies flourish more readily where relationships are built on reciprocity and equity: enabling people to give freely, yet also facilitating the give-and-take of time, knowledge, skills, compassion and other assets.

Timebanking is a practical tool that enables co-production. Unlike the money economy, timebanking values all hours equally: 1 hour of time = 1 time credit, whether you are a surgeon or an unemployed single mother. Timebanking recognises that everyone, even those defined as disadvantaged or vulnerable, has something worthwhile to contribute. Timebanking values relationships that are forged through giving and receiving.

This report shows how timebanking can help give people more control over their lives, prevent needs arising and grow what we call the ‘core economy’ – our ability to care for and support each other and to engage in mutual and non-materialistic exchanges and civic activity.

The New Wealth of Time recommends that co-production should become a key component of public services, using timebanking as a tool – where appropriate – to achieve that objective. The values outlined above would inform and shape mainstream public services.

To encourage co-production and grow the core economy, public service leaders and commissioners should embed networks of exchange, such as timebanking, within public organisations, including doctor’s surgeries, hospitals, schools and housing estates. These institutions should become community hubs, rather than simply service delivery vehicles, as our case studies demonstrate

The 72 page document can be downloaded free here:
http://www.neweconomics.org/

Comment by Pupak Haghighi-Brinch on January 6, 2009 at 7:34pm

I'd just like to share this brief writing from Vandana. Succinct, to the point - and relevant to us also.

BRINGING PEOPLE BACK INTO THE ECONOMY
An essay by Vandana Shiva

"To make the energy transition beyond oil, we need to bring people back into the economy, bring human energy back into production, respect physical work, and give it dignity," renowned environmental leader and author Vandana Shiva writes in this month's essay, excerpted from her most recent book, Soil Not Oil.

Comment by Rowena on December 30, 2008 at 9:47pm

What a great little video Pupak - thanks for posting - I'm glad I watched to the end to work out why it was called carrotmob!

Comment by Pupak Haghighi-Brinch on December 29, 2008 at 6:28pm

i just like to repeat what I have posted on the 'discussion forum', just to be a bit more visible. So I'd like to nudge you to watch this short clip (10 min): www.carrotmob.org/make-it-rain.html. it tickles the fancy.

Comment by Mike Grenville on October 30, 2008 at 9:00pm

A report called the ‘Green New Deal’ by a group that includes such luminaries as Larry Elliot Economics Editor of the Guardian, Caroline Lucas Green MEP, Jeremy Legget and others claims to tackle ‘triple crunch’ of credit, oil price and climate crises. It is a response to the credit crunch and wider energy and food crises, and to the lack of comprehensive, joined-up action from politicians.

There is a well written and detailed response to it here asking if at this time of crisis whether it is the green response we need or has an opportunity to bring out some refreshing and useful new thinking been missed?

http://transitionnetworknews.org

Comment by Mike Grenville on July 31, 2008 at 12:37pm

Money Money Money!

A collection of online videos about Money put together by Adrienne Campbell in Lewes:

Money as debt extracts to 18.17 min

Music Money Makes the world go round Liza Minelli (2min 55)


The Double Face of Money (the intro is in French)


Currency crisis in a famished Somalia (2 mins)


Bernard Laieter interview (1 min 52)


BCI Barter system commercial (1 min)

Gesell and Free Money in Switzerland (4min31)


Shell Money in Papua New Guinea – 5min 25

Mexican Tlaloc with Anita Roddick (3min 58)

Wir economic circle – Switzerland (5 mins)

Calgary dollars (8 mins) – putting people back into economic transactions



Wealth of neighbours (1min 58)



55 mins

Music: Money Makes the world go around – Willy Wonka version (0.55)



Music – Get Rich or die Trying (2min)