Not a real blog of my own, but a link to something good. Enjoy!
A Resilient Suburbia? 3: Weighing the Potential for Self-Sufficiency

I founded this group over two years ago.

That was, until now, the end of my involvement.

While I am not here to share my catharsis, we as a society have moved into a do or die phase, and I do not intend to die. With the major national stage events that have taken place, I have decided to move in the direction of positive action, or at least occasionally stir from my couch.

Central Florida needs a coordinated effort toward relocalization. Orlando in particular is a city whose addiction to imported everything is choking it and threatening to take it apart.

But we know the drama. Here's what I intend to do:

My first goal is to establish Central Florida Relocalization - Orlando as a network for locavores and locafacturers and locaphiles. I will seek out the groups who have already begun much of the work (they are legion here) and facilitate their efforts by connecting disparate organizations to each other. I will communities who are currently unaware of the problem and of the work being done to mitigate it and involve them. I will meet regularly with community leaders and thinkers to develop new plans of implementation and spread the word on all upcoming activity.

My first overriding mission in all this is to establish a commuter/cargo rail system in Orlando and the I-4 corridor. Such a system must be more thorough in its coverage than the proposed (and now deceased) CSX plan. The plan should not be to provide for the occasional ride to the beach, but to replace commutes on S.R. 50 for UCF students working downtown; to make Winter Park, Sanford, Ocoee and South Orlando accessible to each other, broadening our economic base and thus creating more options in our quest to "shop locally"; to clear the air and remove stress and provide the time to read, communicate and relax enjoyed by the people of even modest European towns. To this end, the political arm of my mission shall be known as Vote for Trains until this goal is met.

Beyond these two far-reaching endeavors, I want to make my own life sustainable and spread that knowledge to whoever I can. (Anyone who wants to come over and show me how/where to start a garden, I'll make the cocoa.) I want to work in impoverished neighborhoods to start community gardens and get people making and spending their own money.

Okay, that's all a little far reaching, too. All of this will take planning. Each step must be practical, each milestone attainable. I welcome ideas on how/where to start.

And I want to apologize to those who have reached out to me who went unanswered. If you try me again, I promise I will be receptive and attentive.

Stay on my ass about this, people. I am not here to lead or save (largely because I can't, but also because even in the imaginary land of my ego, that still isn't what this is about). Our fight is not against the resources running out nor the ecological challenges that lie ahead, but with our (read: my) lethargy and inaction. We cannot enable that any longer.

Thank you all. I look forward to hearing from you. Good luck and take care!