Welcome to the low impact community adventure...

... an occasional blog based on the research for a book of stories, 'The Ecology of Community' about an exploration of communities in the UK that are living lightly and lowering their carbon emissions...

It's a blog which hopes to connect inspiring and alternative stories about living lightly .. showing how our journey to a post-carbon future is one about inspiration, resourcefulness and creativity, and coming together, rather than fear and guilt and doom.

It documents my journey as I join with others to see how groups of people are taking power into their own hands, learning useful skills for a post-oil world

And, by looking at what communities are doing - not just intentional communities, but the concept of community: cooperative groups, structures, traditional and new communities, islands, housing estates, communities of interest and virtual communities - the journey will test the premise that cooperation - rather than competition - provides the most effective model for change.

It's all inspired by a lovely handbook called the 'Three Tonne Handbook', published by Women's Environmental Network, which shows groups of people how to reduce their emissions with handy sections for food, water, energy, waste and transport.

Monday, 5 April 2010

Sustainability is a community practice

The Ecology of Community: what does it mean?

I must confess I was taken with the phrase 'ecology of community' as used by master-baker Andrew Whitley when describing his courses in community baking (see previous blog post). It seemed like a perfect title for my book. But I felt stumped for a definition.

So it was nice to come across the Centre for Ecoliteracy site, an organisation based in California, and some of their essays and thinking. They put it better than I could:

The sustainability of a community depends on the health and inclusiveness of the network of relationships within it.

Read more about the Centre for Ecoliteracy's work including resources for teachers, courses in 'knowing your place', 'collaborative decision-making' and more...
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