"Always supply local needs first. (And only then think of exporting their products, first to nearby cities, and then to others.)"
In our Transition Town initiating group, we are discussing ways to enhance our community's resilience and self-reliance. By community, we mean our town, and then our neighbors in the surrounding towns. What good is shipping products made here, to places far away and then shipping foreign items in? The Transition model invites communities to explore exactly what is needed for a self-reliant community in the areas of water, food production, energy, transportation, fiber and building materials, and other necessaries. Then, making a master plan for the community would take all producers and available resources into consideration. Any shortfall could be enhanced by careful planning and perhaps sharing or exchanging resources with other nearby communities. Then, if there is excess, that could be shared with the world at large. This type of master plan is often referred to as an "Energy Descent Plant" with the expectation that the world is entering an era of less plentiful fossil fuel and that our basic life supports - food, water, fiber etc. - may have to be produced much closer to where they will be used.
In the United States, the most comprehensive "energy descent plan" of which I'm aware was prepared by the City of Bloomington, Indiana. Try this link to access it: http://bloomington.in.gov/media.
Also, to read about other energy descent plans visit this: http://transitionwestmarin.wordpress.com/projects/energy-descent-plan/ and above all - HAVE FUN!
No comments:
Post a Comment