Archive for February, 2009

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Local Money Systems, New Opportunities

February 28th, 2009

As Dollars Lose Value, Communities Turn To Complementary Currencies
“In dozens of communities across the US, complementary currencies (CGs) have become powerful tools”…”to exchange goods and services independent of national currency.”
“Time hours, mutual credit systems, precious metals, and even seed or energy-backed coupons exist parallel to the national currency, so people are not limited by access to dollars.”
“Southern Oregon has a large elderly population and high unemployment; a CG can provide these populations with a means to plug into the local economy.”
The article explains how money works and how our federal money system causes economic crises. GCs can give “everyone an equal opportunity to generate new wealth in a new monetarysystem.” Here are three emerging exchange projects:
www.OurNexChange.com The Market Bucks program from www.bluefoxorganics.com
and www.communityprosper.org
A full-length documentary at www.themoneyfix.org compares and contrasts community currencies with federal dollars.
See also http://www.financialpermaculture.org/2008/12/30/complementary-currency/
The full article by Crystal Arnold originally appeared in
http://www.sentienttimes.com/09/dec_jan_09/currency.html

Local Spending Keeps Money And Jobs Close To Home
Joseph Zarr blogs to promote local sustainability:
“If lower-income families spend a large percentage of their income on food, then why can’t locally-sourced foods create local jobs and allow individuals to convert their dreams of escaping poverty into reality-based solutions. SPA data demonstrates that 60-80% of new jobs are actually coming from small businesses (not to mention 13 to 14 times the patents!).
There is a glaring reason for low-income potential: not enough locally-owned businesses and enough locally-provided job opportunities to create spending capital. Local food is a big part of the solution to provide locally circulating capital, locally sourced healthy food, and, potentially, a locally-produced success story.
http://monstersioc.blogspot.com/2008/12/local-food-local-business-real.html

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Posted in Economic Wake Up

Does Government Spending Pay Off?

February 27th, 2009

The Weight of 1,000 Military Bases Overseas
Can we really afford some 1,000 military bases overseas? David Vine of Foreign Policy in Focus says, “Officially the Pentagon counts 865 base sites, but this number omits our bases in Iraq (likely over 100) and Afghanistan (80 and counting), among other well-known but secretive bases…We have 268 bases in Germany, 124 in Japan, and 87 in South Korea. Others are scattered around the globe in places like Aruba and Australia, Bulgaria and Bahrain, Colombia and Greece, Djibouti, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, and of course, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba – just to name a few, including a ski center in the Bavarian Alps, resorts in Seoul and Tokyo, and 234 golf courses the Pentagon runs worldwide.

Our collection of overseas bases is particularly galling because almost all our taxpayer money leaves the United States (much goes to enriching private base contractors like former Halliburton subsidiary KBR). One part of the massive Ramstein airbase near Landstuhl, Germany, has an estimated value of $3.3 billion. Just think how our citizens could use that kind of money for schools, hospitals, jobs, and infrastructure.”

People Dependent On Federal Assistance We’ve all shaken our heads at the terrible job the government did during the Katrina catastrophe. And we’ve heard of the awful treatment of Native Americans in earlier years. But many don’t realize that Native Americans are still among the poorest people in our country after many decades of government regulation and ripoffs and mistreatment by the agencies overseeing tribal lands. This video shows the people of Crow Creek Reservation, the poorest county in America. http://www.breakthematrix.com/node/33782

Recurrent examples of federal mismanagement show the importance of making our local communities strong and able to withstand catastrophe, natural or economic. We must be prepared to take care of local needs and not be helplessly dependent on ineffectual or corrupt federal bureaucracies.

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Posted in Economic Wake Up, Foreign Policy

Creative Opportunities

February 25th, 2009

How To Create Our Own Jobs Through A Recession
We don’t have to be someone’s employee. Look around, see what people need and how you can help provide it, creating a job for you, and maybe for others too:

1) Start a business
2) Trade with other business owners and individuals in your community marketplace.
3) Make local currency
4) popularize sound currency
5) buy a radio station www.trutham.com (under $1,000) and sell advertising
6) buy a local (3 mile radius) hotspot for internet connections http://metrix.net/ubiquit… and sell subscriptions to your connection
7) start a newsletter for selling stuff with local currency
8) Grow a garden and sell your vegetables and fruit, can and store and sell anything you don’t want - runforron, DP

People Are Really Getting Creative in this Money Crisis

“Did you know that Chocolate was used as currency in Mesoamerica for hundreds of years? In some areas, such as Yucatán, cacao beans (raw chocolate) were still used in place of small coins as late as the 1840s.

What would you rather have to trade locally when times got rough; paper or chocolate?

If paper money one day became completely worthless, cacao would be a great item to barter with in a local community. Its health benefits are tremendous and it gives you lots of energy your whole day. It also happens to taste really good!” — Sygnus Centauri, DP

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Posted in Economic Wake Up, Independence

Take personal responsibility in an uncertain world

February 22nd, 2009

Make Sure Your Neighborhood Has Water
When weather, earthquakes, or municipal bankruptcy disrupts water supplies, we must have supplies stored and know how to harvest water. Look up our earlier posts on solar water harvesting and purifying.
An estimated 30,000 to 60,000 people in Hawaii are dependent on rainwater catchment
systems for water needs. This book addresses water quality issues from the raindrop to the faucet. It includes chapters on water collection, storage, treatment, testing, and firefighting
concerns; and it gives an overview of the typical kinds of catchment equipment used in Hawaii.
52 pages, color cover. ISBN 1-929325-11-8
by Patricia S. H. Macomber, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management,
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
This document is downloadable at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RM-12.pdf.

Perennial = more food, less work
“I would recommend planting fruits that come back every year. Things like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, horseradish, grapes, asparagus, hots, fruit trees, nut trees, etc. Some of these take a few years to produce so plant what you can afford this year. Nut trees don’t seem
to be as popular as the other fruits but I would highly recommend them as a good source of easily stored and highly nutritious food, firewood, shade, and valuable timber. The National Arbor Day Foundation www.arborday.org has great deals on all kinds of trees. Membership is, I think, $10 a year and includes free trees. –DP poster JJames

Rice Paddies in your garden, your sunny patio, balcony?
This could be fun, and a boon for gluten-intolerant people. Maybe your goldfish would enjoy a little vacation swimming among rice shoots. Seven easy steps here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/732313/how_to_grow_rice_in_your_garden.html?cat=24

In honor of wounded veterans, stand up or sit down Hero Garden Boxes accessible for those with back injuries or in wheelchairs. See our earlier post on Square Foot Gardening, and Hero Garden Box photos, plans, donations link:
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/WhatisHeroGardenBox.htm

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Posted in Water Safety, food freedom

Citizens helping each other; government reglation gone wrong

February 21st, 2009

Odessy of Tent City 3
Sad stories of tent cities across our nation show local residents fearful of homeless culture and unwilling to allow safe refuge, even as the failed economy puts more and more people out of jobs and homes.
The city of Seattle reacted harshly when tent dwellers set up on public property. In September 2008 it mandated removal of the Nickelsville settlement within 72 hours from a site the city was considering for a future municipal jail.
Citizens of Seattle came to the rescue and organized temporary refuge for Tent City 3 on a series of private lands. Several churches donated temporary sites, as did the Jesuit Catholic Seattle University. Many citizens organized donations of food and other items.

Barb Farden, a deacon with Calvin Presbyterian Church said about hosting Tent City 3,
“Since Tent City 3 moved into the neighborhood at the end of November, Farden has witnessed donations of food, blankets, clothes, toiletries and time from church members, residents, families, schools, stores and organizations. Additionally, health professionals have visited Tent City 3 to offer their services, residents were given shower passes to the Spartan Gym, Calvin Presbyterian Church opened their doors on cold nights in December and football enthusiasts were welcomed into the church fellowship hall to watch the Super Bowl.”

This is very much an ongoing citizen solution to the homeless crisis. One Seattle couple formed the nonprofit Gourmet Grub and follows Tent City 3, providing hot meals most Saturdays of the year. Greater Seattle Cares* publishes updates on the progress of Tent City 3.
–Amy Daybert, Enterprise Newspapers
*Greater Seattle Cares (GSC) is a non-profit organization working in partnership with residents of Tent City 3. Over 150 community “partners”, individuals, faith communities, businesses, schools and organizations are committed to helping GSC enhance the quality of life for the residents. Via email, our partners are kept informed of the location of the camp and updated on current basic needs (i.e. food, tents, clothing) of Tent
City 3 residents.

Wrong Wrong Wrong – SWAT team attack on family bringing healthful foods to Ohio community. This is not only a violation of citizen rights, but is backwards: the State working against people taking personal responsibility to provide wholesome foods to their community. All citizens must stand against such intrusions or such government abuses will spread and we’ll lose the choice and means to secure healthy lifestyles for our families. Video link here: http://wholefoodusa.wordp…

Cool Site for Organic Healing Herb Seeds
Online catalogue includes brief use and planting information. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/seeds/seeds.php

Beautiful Easy Gardening Ideas, check it out:
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

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Posted in Housing strategies, food freedom