Concord Local

The intent of Concord Local is to work locally to develop citizen responses to unsustainable cultural practices such as thoughtless and unnecessary consumption, urban sprawl, energy and water waste, and climate change. These responses, either locally derived or inspired by innovative practices learned from fellow relocalizers, will constitute sustainable and appropriate lifestyle choices that will be an essential part of a new cultural paradigm. We seek to learn about and experiment with appropriate “scale of living” options. Some of us may actively prepare for disruptions in the marketplace of goods and services we now take for granted. We believe that there are crucial areas for citizen involvement such as transportation (e.g. bikes versus cars), economy (e.g. local shopping and workplaces versus malls), housing (e.g. traditional residential neighborhoods and public spaces), and agriculture (e.g. food quality and local production), to name a few.

Through our parent organization, Concord Climate Action Network, we will inform the town government of our ideas, mobilize and advocate as appropriate, and actively change what we can in our personal situations. We are intent on cultivating the ability of families, households, and neighborhoods to engage, support and rely on each other, especially in times of stress. In particular, Concord Local and CCAN is a community-led initiative that will, among other things, advocate the creation of an Energy Preparedness Action Plan for Concord, work with the Agricultural Committee to preserve farmland, lead implementation of the Low Carbon Diet, and work with the Town to develop and implement initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and energy use. We believe that a town using much less energy than we presently consume could, if properly planned for and designed, be more resilient, more abundant, and more pleasant that the present growth-dependent economy, within a three to five-year time frame.