December 31, 2009
Lowly, unpurposeful, and random as they may appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a city’s wealth of public life may grow. -Jane Jacobs from “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.” One of the features of BerkShares, the local currency circulating in the Southern Berkshire region of Massachusetts, is that it … Continued
December 11, 2009
Imagine if leading economists spent time in the wilderness. Perhaps the chair of the Federal Reserve could spend an afternoon standing at the mouth of the Tsiu River on central Alaska’s little explored lost coast, as the sleek bodies of silver salmon everywhere swelled upstream pushing against him. Andrew Kimbrell, driven by his personal experience … Continued
November 15, 2009
Ralph Nader has helped us drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments for more than four decades. The Atlantic named him one of the hundred most influential figures in American history. Mr. Nader’s new book Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! is a work of … Continued
October 11, 2009
As part of his vision for diverse regional economies, E. F. Schumacher advocated for production and manufacturing from local resources for local needs. “It is not a question of choosing between modern growth and traditional stagnation,” Schumacher advised, but rather “of finding the right path of development, the Middle Way between materialist heedlessness and traditionalist … Continued
October 11, 2009
In this fragile economy discussion of a new, re-envisioned, economics is a common topic, bridging political affiliations. People are eager to join in practical action that addresses a system in crisis, driving an activism in which every citizen is a participant. For twenty-nine years, the Schumacher Center, joined by a circle of partners and allies, … Continued
September 27, 2009
Concept2 Rowing and the Craftsbury Green Nordic Racing Program are organizing a worldwide rowing/skiing challenge that will cover 350 million meters all before October 24. Volunteers in Panama City’s Parque Nacional Soberania gathered to plant 350 native species trees and almost doubled their target. Community members are gathering in Vancouver for a 350-person salsa dancing … Continued
September 14, 2009
Over the past year we have all watched in amazement as the old economy unraveled before us—banks failing, established corporations seeking bankruptcy protection, unemployment increasing, climate change progressing unabated, and governments nervously printing currency hoping to buy their way out of these problems. The urgency of shaping a new economy—one that is fair and sustainable, … Continued
September 2, 2009
Father Thomas Berry first spoke for the Schumacher Center in 1984, then again in 1991, and finally in 2003. An inspired student of Teilhard de Chardin, he was deeply in love with the planet itself, as a living being. Its visible signs of deterioration grieved him. Concerned, he thought at first to use his gift … Continued
August 15, 2009
This Sunday, August 16th, 2009, would have been Fritz Schumacher’s 98th birthday. In honor of this occasion we have included a selection of our favorite quotes from Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered. Even thirty-five years after the publication of this text, one can see that Schumacher’s seminal collection of essays is filled … Continued
July 31, 2009
John McKnight’s 1984 Annual E. F. Schumacher Lecture “John Deere and the Bereavement Councilor” is one of the most circulated of a treasure of fine lectures. It describes the effects of the professionalization of social services on the fabric of community life. It calls for the trusting of our capacities as neighbors and friends to … Continued
June 23, 2009
by Judith Schwartz, June 2009, Yes! Magazine Visit Judith Schwartz’s Blog at http://litadventuresinpod.blogspot.com/ Local currencies value time, build community, and keep business moving even when credit dries up. Total dependence on one currency is like total dependence on one crop, or, for that matter, a single energy source: there’s always the risk that crop failure … Continued
June 23, 2009
by Judith D. Schwartz, June 11, 2009, TIME Visit Judith Schwartz’s Blog at http://litadventuresinpod.blogspot.com/ “Buy Local”—you see the decal in the store window, the sign at the farmer’s market, the bright, cheerful logos for Local First Arizona, Think Boise First, Our Milwaukee, and homegrown versions across the states. The apparent message is “let’s-support-local-business”, a kind of … Continued