Paths to a Sustainable Future

Important Note about Our Relocalize.Net Group

nlbickha — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:51:50 -0700

Greetings!

Some of you have found us through Relocalize.Net but are not yet members of our Yahoo Group. We formed the Yahoo Group over a year ago and it is pretty actively used. We joined the Relocalization Network later and have not yet found a way to use that site to fulfill all the functions our Yahoo Group serves. So as a result, the Relocalize site doesn't get updated or used much at all.

If you're not already a member of our Yahoo Group, and you have an interest in sustainability in the Greater Milwaukee area specifically, please consider joining the group by using this link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sustainable_se_wisconsin/

Thanks!
Nicole Bickham
Paths to a Sustainable Future

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Plant & Seed Swap 2008

nlbickha — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:45:50 -0800

We have decided to swap seeds and plants separately. To participate in the seed swap, please post what you have to share and what you hope to find in the Seed Swap Inventory database on the Yahoo group site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sustainable_se_wisconsin/database. Members can then contact one another individually to arrange swaps.

We will continue discussing how to swap plants later in the spring. If you have ideas, please share them on the Yahoo listserv. Thanks!

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Grow Local

nlbickha — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:36:59 -0800

Increasing the capacity of people to grow more of their own food promotes better nutrition, economic resilience in the face of rising food prices & declining fossil fuel availability, and increased appreciation for nature and ecology.

Current Projects

Plant & Seed Swap

Plans are germinating for a plant & seed swap for late May 2008. The primary focus will be food plants & medicinals, but non-edibles are also welcome. Other items you might swap: worm castings, tools, books, skills & knowledge.

Please use the forum here to let others know what you plan to bring, and what you'll be seeking.

If you would like to help organize this event, email relocalize(at)milwpc.com.

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Conference 2/28-3/1/08 registration now available

nlbickha — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:32:40 -0800

Paths to a Sustainable Future

What is Energy Descent?

nlbickha — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:21:00 -0800

Oil, natural gas, and coal are called fossil fuels because they took millions of years to form. Everyone knows that, right? So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that we are using fossil fuels at a rate far faster than they can be replenished -- ie, they are a non-renewable resource. Fossil fuels have also been called a "one-time gift." That gift fueled the Industrial Revolution, amazing advances in technology, and globalization.

While we are still far from running out of fossil fuels, there is growing evidence that we have passed, or will soon pass, the point of maximum global petroleum production. That's what "peak oil" is all about; we'll never produce any more oil than we do right now. That's a problem because demand for energy continues to increase, while the supply is declining. And no other combination of energy sources currently available can replace the amount of energy we've come to depend on.

At the same time, the world's climate is becoming destabilized due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. So it's clear we must find ways to live with far less energy than we have for the past hundred or so years. The downside of the energy curve has been called the period of energy descent.

That's certainly an oversimplification of our energy situation. For a more detailed discussion, visit these sites:
www.energybulletin.net
www.theoildrum.com

While most observers believe that energy descent will present unprecedented challenges to humankind, many people are working on strategies for mitigating these challenges. Relocalization is one such strategy. We hope you will join us in our efforts to prepare Greater Milwaukee for the post-carbon future.

"When we picture the energy climax as a spectacular but dangerous mountain peak that we (humanity) have succeeded in climbing, the idea of descent to safety is a sensible and attractive proposition... The view from the top reconnects us with the wonder and majesty of the world and how it all fits together, but we cannot dally for long. We must take advantage of the view to chart our way down."

-David Holmgren, co-founder of Permaculture, from his 2002 book Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Community in 17 Sensible Steps

nlbickha — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:17:31 -0800

by Wendell Berry

How can a sustainable local community (which is to say a sustainable local economy) function? I am going to suggest a set of rules that I think such a community would have to follow. I hasten to say that I do not understand these rules as predictions; I am not interested in foretelling the future. If these rules have any validity, it is because they apply now.

Supposing that the members of a local community wanted their community to cohere, to flourish, and to last, they would:

1. Ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community? How will this affect our common wealth?

2. Include local nature -- the land, the water, the air, the native creatures -- within the membership of the community.

3. Ask how local needs might be supplied from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbors.

4. Supply local needs first (and only then think of exporting their products, first to nearby cities, and then to others).

5. Understand the ultimate unsoundness of the industrial doctrine of 'labor saving' if that implies poor work, unemployment, or any kind of pollution or contamination.

6. Develop properly scaled value-adding industries for local products in order not to become merely a colony of the national or the global economy.

7. Develop small-scale industries and businesses to support the local farm or forest economy.

8. Strive to produce as much of their own energy as possible.

9. Strive to increase earnings (in whatever form) within the community, and decrease expenditures outside the community.

10. Circulate money within the local economy for as long as possible before paying it out.

11. Invest in the community to maintain its properties, keep it clean (without dirtying some other place), care for its old people, and teach its children.

12. Arrange for the old and the young to take care of one another, eliminating institutionalized 'child care' and 'homes for the aged.' The young must learn from the old, not necessarily and not always in school; the community knows and remembers itself by the association of old and young.

13. Account for costs that are now conventionally hidden or 'externalized.' Whenever possible they must be debited against monetary income.

14. Look into the possible uses of local currency, community-funded loan programs, systems of barter, and the like.

15. Be aware of the economic value of neighborliness -- as help, insurance, and so on. They must realize that in our time the costs of living are greatly increased by the loss of neighborhood, leaving people to face their calamities alone.

16. Be acquainted with, and complexly connected with, community-minded people in nearby towns and cities.

17. Cultivate urban consumers loyal to local products to build a sustainable rural economy, which will always be more cooperative than competitive.

From a speech delivered November 11, 1994 at the 23rd annual meeting of the Northern Plains Resource Council.

Paths to a Sustainable Future

The Importance of Buying Local: Independent Businesses Unite

nlbickha — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:30:00 -0800

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Milwaukee retailers pushing consumers to buy local

nlbickha — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:14:34 -0800

Paths to a Sustainable Future

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nlbickha — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:04:46 -0800

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Paths to a Sustainable Future

Contact

nlbickha — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:41:48 -0800

Paths to a Sustainable Future
c/o Urban Ecology Center
1500 E Park Place
Milwaukee, WI 53211

To learn about or register for upcoming programs, call 414-964-8505.

To learn more about our projects, contact relocalize(at)milwpc.com.

To join the discussion about local sustainability, visit our listserv website.

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Live Local Milwaukee

nlbickha — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:03:10 -0800

Note: Our new Live Local Milwaukee website is located here.

The goals of the Live Local Milwaukee campaign are to:

• Create a coalition of organizations working toward relocalizing the Greater Milwaukee region.
• Increase community awareness of the benefits of and need for relocalization.
• Increase local self-reliance and community cohesion, and strengthen the local economy.

Six campaign themes are planned:

Eat Local

Buying locally-grown food and patronizing locally-owned restaurants and groceries supports local farms, strengthens local food supply chains, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions due to transportation of food grown outside the region.

Grow Local

Increasing the capacity of people to grow more of their own food promotes better nutrition, economic resilience in the face of rising food prices, and increased appreciation for nature and ecology.

Buy Local

Supporting locally-owned businesses benefits Milwaukee by keeping more of the money spent here circulating through the local economy, encouraging new independent businesses, and helping to retain the unique character of the community. Local businesses have strong community ties and are more accountable for their environmental and employment practices.

Local Energy

Conserving energy and supporting development of renewable energy sources reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and buffers people against rising energy prices.

Local Transport

Increased use of mass transit, ridesharing, and human-powered transportation also reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels, reduces pollution, and buffers people against rising energy prices.

Local Culture

Supporting local arts, entertainment, recreation, and regional tourism reduces our reliance on imported, mass-produced entertainment and unnecessary travel, while enhancing community cohesion and the vibrant, creative spirit of Milwaukee.

We will collaborate with other organizations in the Greater Milwaukee region to develop strategies to address the above themes. If you would like to partner with us, please contact us at relocalize(at)milwpc.com.

Paths to a Sustainable Future

About Us

nlbickha — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:18:02 -0800

Paths to a Sustainable Future is a grassroots organization dedicated to increasing self-reliance in the Greater Milwaukee region to address the impending global crises of climate change and the decline of fossil fuels. We strive to increase public awareness, advocate for progressive government policies, facilitate the re-establishment of lost skills, and develop community strategies for energy descent.

We began meeting in February 2007 at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. Since then, we have sponsored film screenings, book discussions, speakers, home and garden tours, and potlucks, and covered topics ranging from peak oil to permaculture to intentional communities.

Currently we are planning a campaign to increase local self-reliance, known as Live Local Milwaukee.

We joined the Relocalization Network in November 2007.

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Paths to a Sustainable Future

Important Note about Our Relocalize.Net Group

Plant & Seed Swap 2008

Grow Local

Current Projects

Plant & Seed Swap

Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Conference 2/28-3/1/08 registration now available

What is Energy Descent?

Community in 17 Sensible Steps

by Wendell Berry

The Importance of Buying Local: Independent Businesses Unite

Milwaukee retailers pushing consumers to buy local

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Contact

Links

Organizations in Greater Milwaukee

Online Resources

Relocalization Groups in Other Communities

Live Local Milwaukee

Note: Our new Live Local Milwaukee website is located here.

Eat Local

Grow Local

Buy Local

Local Energy

Local Transport

Local Culture

About Us