New / Cyclical Economics
Many economists and thinkers on sustainability continue to work on the alternatives to the present globalized economic system. Localisation – especially of food and basics is an obvious new economic response which can both reduce carbon emissions and our food print by reducing food miles. Local food economies also have immense potential in improving health and soils through organic and natural agriculture.
This section will offer resources regarding experiments from around the world – in cyclical economics, transition towns, community supported agriculture (CSA), alternate currencies etc.
Videos
Blogs
Wanted for India: a circular economy
This article is a perspective on why India needs a circular economic model if it is to continue growing as an economy. It also discusses the challenges that our country faces on the levels of product design and management, governance machinery, social acceptance and availability of necessary technology. The author makes well-reasoned arguments that are not crowded with jargon to make a case for India to move towards a circular economy.
Local is Our Future
Helena Norberg-Hodge Poverty, climate change, the erosion of democracy, an epidemic of depression – these and other global crises are symptoms of a far bigger systemic problem. So reports Local is Our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness, the new book...
10 Waste-Free Changes That Don’t Cost Any Money
Baby steps. That’s all it takes to make less waste. Here are 10 no-to-low cost changes you can start today! JUST SAY NO– no to plastic straws, no to disposable napkins, no to plastic utensils and bags. Saying no is free, boosts your confidence, and prevents tons...
The ugly side of fast fashion: This is the scary impact it’s having on our world
The phrase “fast fashion” has been lampooned around quite a lot lately. For those who don’t know, it refers to the blink-and-you-miss-it speed with which apparel is being produced and purchased. The upside of this phenomenon is that clothes have indeed become...
Putting the brakes on fast fashion
Fashion revolves around the latest trends but is the industry behind the curve on the only trend that ultimately matters - the need to radically alter our patterns of consumption to ensure the survival of the planet. The fashion industry produces 20 per cent of...
Localization and the Economics of Happiness
A community garden in Brooklyn, New York, that grows organic vegetables for the surrounding community [© Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images] The localization of economic activity can be a “solution multiplier” for many of the dire problems that...
Sharing lessons from ‘Little Tibet’
Helena Norberg-Hodge. Courtesy Chris Tucker [email protected] The remote region of Ladakh, in northern India, seemed idyllic at first, recalled Helena Norberg-Hodge of her first visit to the area in 1975. She worked as a linguist in this part of the world known as...
Unlike a Globalized Food System, Local Food Won’t Destroy the Environment
WILL POWER / FLICKR By Helena Norberg-Hodge If you’re seeking some good news during these troubled times, look at the ecologically sound ways of producing food that have percolated up from the grassroots in recent years. Small farmers, environmentalists, academic...
Buddhist Economics
E.F. Schumacher was one of the pioneers of the movement towards sustainable living and a follower of Gandhiji. His classic book “Small is Beautiful”- Economics as if people mattered”, published in 1977 is still a must read for anyone interested in sustainability....
