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I've just read the book Dwellers in the Land: The Bioregional Vision, by Kirkpatrick Sale, and I already know it has changed my life! I can't recommend it strongly enough. The ideas of bioregionalism are not new, and they're actually pretty simple,.. yet they're profound and progressive in that they're just what is needed for the future. Here is brief statement, and some links for more information.
"A growing number of people are recognizing that in order to secure the clean air, water and food that we need to healthfully survive, we have to become stewards of the places where we live. People sense the loss in not knowing our neighbors and natural surroundings, and are discovering that the best way to take care of ourselves, and to get to know our neighbors, is to protect and restore where we live.
Bioregionalism recognizes, nurtures, sustains and celebrates our local connections with: land; plants and animals; rivers, lakes and oceans; air; families, friends and neighbors; community; native traditions; and systems of production and trade.
It is taking the time to learn the possibilities of place.
It is a mindfulness of local environment, history and community aspirations that can lead to a future of safe and sustainable life.
It is reliance on well-understood and widely-used sources of food, power and waste disposal.
It is secure employment based on supplying a rich diversity of services within the community and prudent surpluses to other regions.
Bioregionalism is working to satisfy basic needs through local control in schools, health centers, and governments.
The bioregional movement seeks to re-create a widely shared sense of regional identity founded upon a renewed critical awareness of and respect for the integrity of our natural ecological communities.
People can join with neighbors to discuss ways we can work together to 1) learn what our special local resources are, 2) plan how to best protect and use those natural and cultural resources, 3) exchange our time and energy to best meet our daily and long-term needs, and 4) enrich our children's local and global knowledge.
Bioregionalism begins by acting responsibly at home. Welcome home!"
- North American Bioregional Congress
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bior..._democracy
www.planetdrum.org/
biocongress.org/
www.amazon.com/Dwellers-L.../0820322059
"A growing number of people are recognizing that in order to secure the clean air, water and food that we need to healthfully survive, we have to become stewards of the places where we live. People sense the loss in not knowing our neighbors and natural surroundings, and are discovering that the best way to take care of ourselves, and to get to know our neighbors, is to protect and restore where we live.
Bioregionalism recognizes, nurtures, sustains and celebrates our local connections with: land; plants and animals; rivers, lakes and oceans; air; families, friends and neighbors; community; native traditions; and systems of production and trade.
It is taking the time to learn the possibilities of place.
It is a mindfulness of local environment, history and community aspirations that can lead to a future of safe and sustainable life.
It is reliance on well-understood and widely-used sources of food, power and waste disposal.
It is secure employment based on supplying a rich diversity of services within the community and prudent surpluses to other regions.
Bioregionalism is working to satisfy basic needs through local control in schools, health centers, and governments.
The bioregional movement seeks to re-create a widely shared sense of regional identity founded upon a renewed critical awareness of and respect for the integrity of our natural ecological communities.
People can join with neighbors to discuss ways we can work together to 1) learn what our special local resources are, 2) plan how to best protect and use those natural and cultural resources, 3) exchange our time and energy to best meet our daily and long-term needs, and 4) enrich our children's local and global knowledge.
Bioregionalism begins by acting responsibly at home. Welcome home!"
- North American Bioregional Congress
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bior..._democracy
www.planetdrum.org/
biocongress.org/
www.amazon.com/Dwellers-L.../0820322059
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Re: the Bio-regional Movement
Sun, June 21, 2009 - 7:21 AMThanks. This is interesting. I was just commenting to my friend how when we lived in a rural area we knew all our neighbors, but here in an apartment where we are all stacked on top of each other we don't know anyone around us. -
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Re: the Bio-regional Movement
Sun, June 21, 2009 - 8:51 AMIt's strange, isn't it? But it doesn't have to be that way, even in a city apartment you can try to build community with your neighbors. -
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Re: the Bio-regional Movement
Mon, June 22, 2009 - 10:47 AMYes, I take care of my neighbor's cat when she is gone, another neighbor takes care of her plants. I am probably aquainted with more of my neighbors than most people because of walking my dog. All the dog people gather in the park in the evening and hang out for a while. Part of it is that otherwise, we don't have much else in common besides where we live and our dogs. -
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Re: the Bio-regional Movement
Wed, July 1, 2009 - 1:25 AMSorry, didn't mean to take so long before responding. Also I didn't mean to imply it was all your fault for not having a stronger community in your apartment complex. I hear you about not having much in common, but part of the idea of bioregionalism is that "where we live" could be a strong enough common bond to build community around. Part of the problem with why it doesn't seem so important nowadays is because people don't feel dependent on each other or the land. When it comes to pulling together to provide for our common needs, all kinds of social divisions just melt away as insubstantial. But we all go to seperate places and work for our money, and our money supplies us with what we need from the store... We all have our own house and car and lawn-mower and barbecue, etc. So we can manage to live in isolated, individualistic bubbles. It's part of the capitalist design to sell more products. The design of our houses and cities is also a really important factor in forming strong community. Albuquerque is not a well designed city. But there are areas, like the Sawmill Community Land Trust development Arbolera de Vida that are good examples of smart community design. ..I'm thinking community and regional planning are what I want to get into studying and make it my new career direction. -
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Re: the Bio-regional Movement
Wed, July 1, 2009 - 5:49 AMYes, I grew up in Albuquerque in the 60's & 70's and our neighborhood was fairly close knit. My mom still lives in that neighborhood and it is very different. I have been living in Dallas for almost 10 years and it is faster paced and in some ways, younger than Albuquerque.
I didn't get that you were implying anything, just commenting on how things are.
I think it is great that you are thinking about making a career in bioregional design. We need more of you around.
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