Glossary of Important Terms

 

Relocalization

from http://www.relocalize.net/about/relocalization:

What is Relocalization? - Updated January, 2008

Relocalization is a strategy to build societies based on the local production of food, energy and goods, and the local development of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, to strengthen local economies, and to dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity.

The Relocalization strategy developed in response to the environmental, social, political and economic impacts of global over-reliance on cheap energy. Our dependence on cheap non-renewable fossil fuel energy has produced climate change, the erosion of community, wars for oil-rich land and the instability of the global economic system.

The Relocalization Network (http://relocalize.net/about/background) supports local groups in developing community activities and programs that can be implemented locally and as working models for other communities seeking to increase their resilience.

--Read "Relocalization: A Strategic Response to Climate Change and Peak Oil" by Jason Bradford of Willits Economic LocaLization (http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2598)

also
...from Dave Ewoldt of Natural Systems Solutions...
(See: http://www.attractionretreat.org/NSS and http://naturalsystems.blogspot.com)

Relocalization is the process to achieve sustainability. It is a whole-systems
approach to creating an alternative public infrastructure that exists within bioregional carrying capacity limits.

As a response to global warming and Peak Oil, it is more than just a band-aid for these symptoms as it addresses the environmental, social, political, and economic ramifications at the root of these crises. Relocalization includes the concepts that we must rebuild our local economies; recapture our sense of place; reclaim our sovereignty; and restore our community support networks.

As a concrete strategy, relocalization moves production of food, goods and energy closer to the point of consumption, increases food and energy security, and empowers local decisions in the development of currency, culture, and governance. While protecting local economies from the slow drain of an export economy, relocalization goes a step further with a commitment to reduce consumption and improve environmental and social conditions.

The goal is to become as healthy, vibrant, and resilient as a climax ecosystem through adherence to the natural systems principles that support the self-organizing tendency of living organisms to create mutually supportive relationships.

Appropriate Technology

This from the blog, Homegrown Revolution...
The term appropriate technology evolved out of political economist E. F. Schumacher's book Small is Beautiful and is easier to show rather than describe. While not always low-tech, appropriate tech concepts feature elegantly simple (but not simplistic) design, efficient use of energy and are usually aimed at poor countries. What Homegrown Evolution would like to prove is that these technologies have a place in developed western countries as well. Here's three of our favorite appropriate tech ideas and websites:

1. Rocket Stoves: our brick rocket stove and a link to a video on how to make a simple metal version.

2. The glorious Solar Cooking Archive which has links to dozens of simple solar cooker plans that you can build yourself. We built our cardboard and aluminum foil Pavarti cooker with plans from the solar cooking archive.

3. AfriGadget. The subtitle of this blog says it all, "solving everyday problems with African ingenuity."

 

Deep Ecology

Wikipedia defines Deep ecology as...
a recent branch of ecological philosophy (ecosophy) that considers humankind an integral part of its environment. Deep ecology places greater value on non-human species, ecosystems and processes in nature than established environmental and green movements. Deep ecology has led to a new system of environmental ethics. The core principle of deep ecology as originally developed is Arne Næss's doctrine of biospheric egalitarianism — the claim that, like humanity, the living environment as a whole has the same right to live and flourish. Deep ecology describes itself as "deep" because it persists in asking deeper questions concerning "why" and "how" and thus is concerned with the fundamental philosophical questions about the impacts of human life as one part of the ecosphere, rather than with a narrow view of ecology as a branch of biological science, and aims to avoid merely utilitarian environmentalism, which it argues is concerned with resource management of the environment for human purposes. MORE->>

Peak Oil

 

Climate Change

 

Property Conversion

 

Localization

 

Simple Living (a.k.a, "Voluntary Simplicity")

Simple living (or voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle individuals choose to minimize the 'more-is-better' pursuit of wealth and consumption. Adherents choose simple living for a variety of reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in 'quality time' for family and friends, stress reduction, conservation, social justice or anti-consumerism. Others choose it for personal taste, personal economy or as participating in sustainable development. According to Duane Elgin, "we can describe voluntary simplicity as a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich, a way of being in which our most authentic and alive self is brought into direct and conscious contact with living."[1]

Simple living as a concept is distinguished from those living in forced poverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle choice. Although asceticism may resemble voluntary simplicity, proponents of simple living are not all ascetics. The term "downshifting" is often used to describe the act of moving from a lifestyle of greater consumption towards a lifestyle based on voluntary simplicity.

 

Permaculture - see our Permaculture page

 

Power Down

 

Carrying Capacity

 

Passive Solar

 

Home Economics - see video clip from interview with Jan Spencer

 

Bio Regional

 

Stacking

 

Metrics

 

Human Potential

 

Carbon Footprint

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IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT Now you can donate to our project and get a tax break by going through Goal One, a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Eugene, OR

 

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