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Resources for Citizens

Peak Oil Information

Stuff You Can Do

How To Prepare

Food

Energy and your Home or Business

For our Municipal & County Government Leaders

Carbon Offsets

Purchase carbon offsets for your own carbon footprint from the following companies:

Join a Guild

Interested in learning a new skill? Try joining a Guild, here in Oregon. Guilds generally offer training, support, and information. Many of the skills are considered "lost arts". Go ahead, give it a try.

Know of some other guilds to add to this list? Send us your ideas.

Buying Local

Buying local is an important approach to re-localization and sustainability. According to the Worldwatch Institute, in the United States, food now travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25 percent farther than two decades ago. Think about the source of your food purchases; name-brand prepared foods, cereals, chips and sauces, seafood, "fresh" produce that is actually out-of-season, and so on. Each consumed product or service that comes from outside the local area creates two significant problems: First is the enormous fuel requirement to transport those goods, and the second is that your personal income is being exported to other communities for their use, instead of keeping it local to be used to help make your own community sustainable.

A recent study in Maine shows that shifting just 1% of consumer expenditures to direct purchasing of local food products would increase farmers' income by 5%. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) estimates that by encouraging Maine residents to spend just $10/week on local food, $100,000,000 will be invested back into farmers' pockets and the Maine economy each growing season.

Think how many local communities would benefit if everyone in the U.S. spent just $10 a week on local food.

According to the Boulder, Colorado Business Alliance, on shopping locally:

"A locally owned independent business (LOIB) returns approximately 80% of each dollar spent back to the community. A LOIB assists the community through a "multiplier effect": one dollar spent at a locally-owned business will return five times that amount within the community through city taxes, employees' wages, and purchase of materials and supplies at other independent businesses. In addition, a LOIB will turn that dollar back into the community through school funding, social services, and contributions to local non-profit organizations.

"Chains and franchises contribute roughly 40% and at times as little as 20% of the stores sales back into the community through employee wages, sales taxes and property taxes. Frequently, the larger non-local company owns each chain store's location, and the business is given tax breaks by the city in order for shareholder profits to remain high. Locally owned independent businesses do not receive such benefits and thus contribute a far greater proportion of revenues to local taxes. "

Local spending creates an exponential increase in the value of the local economy and reduces dependency on outside suppliers. Choosing to make your purchases from locally-owned merchants, restaurants, and service providers goes a long way in securing sustainability for our community.

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