wisewords
market. They weren’t just acquir-
ing their weekly calories, they were
rebuilding broken communities.
A Conversation
Q. Realistically, which other vital
areas of community life can we make
with Bill
sustainable soon?
We can do much more for ourselves.
McKibben
In communications: A few giant con-
glomerates own most radio stations
in this country; now, a low-power FM
movement is erecting community sta-
by s. Alison chabonais
tions across America. In education: We
know that the best education comes
B
ill McKibben is the author of a
Q. What else have we sacrificed by
in small classrooms and small schools;
dozen books on the environ-
buying into advertisers’ push to
it’s time to start deconsolidating. In
ment and culture, most recently,
accumulate more stuff?
government: In Vermont, where I live,
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Com-
Where to start? Health, maybe. The we rely on town meetings; everyone
munities and the Durable Future. He
average American is badly over- in town gets together once a year and
explains how vibrant local economies
weight, largely because of the intake hashes out the budget, and it works.
are getting it right and showing us the
of relatively expensive processed com- Individuals’ long-term survival
way to a saner, human-scale world.
mercial foods, which we often rely on depends on having a strong working
McKibben also is co-founder of 350.
because we spend so much time at community. By patronizing local busi-
org, the first global grassroots move-
our jobs, earning the money we need nesses, they remain a hardy support
ment to deal with climate change.
to support a consumer way of life. network in tough times.
Or, consider leisure. The average
Q. In Deep economy, you note that
European works about seven fewer Q. In speaking of the environmental
America’s “more is better” mantra
weeks a year than we do. Yes, they fallout due to escalating consump-
of economic progress is no longer
consequently have less disposable tion, you observe that, “If the rich
making us wealthier, but instead, less
income, but far more time with family countries can’t change course, then
happy, less healthy and more inse-
and friends. Not surprisingly, Euro- the poor countries won’t.” What will
cure. Why is this?
peans generally report being happier it take to make the transition to a dif-
Up to a certain point, accumula-
with their lives than we are, concludes ferent lifestyle tolerable?
tion does make you happier. Visit,
prominent British economist Richard
Global warming makes it clear that
say, rural China; there, people live
Layard, in Happiness: Lessons from a
we’re all in this together. The only way
in extreme poverty, often with six or
New Science.
we’ll get out of this fix is if we work
seven people in a room. When you
make some money, perhaps working
Q. Deep economy makes a convinc-
cooperatively.
at a factory, you can heat your hut in
ing case that rebuilding community-
That’s why we’re accelerat-
the winter. You can add another room
oriented neighborhoods and sustain-
ing a huge global organizing drive
for you, your wife and your kid. You
able local economies delivers a better
for 350.org. 350 is the amount of
get some relative privacy for the first
quality of life; so, where do we start?
carbon dioxide, in parts per million,
that climatologists now deem the
time in your life, worth a great deal in
Probably the simplest place is with lo-
safe maximum for our atmosphere.
terms of increased happiness.
calizing food supplies. Because that’s
At 387, we’re already past that total,
But, past a certain point—which
a consumer decision we make three
turning the global climate issue from a
economists around the world have
times a day, we can convert at our
problem into an emergency. We need
estimated at roughly $10,000 a year in
own pace. I once spent a year eating
Natural Awakenings readers to join us
average income, or $40,000 for a fam-
nothing but local foods. I met many of
October 24, 2009, in organizing and
ily of four in this country—that equa-
my neighbors for the first time—all the
attending rallies and events around
tion starts to fall apart. Americans, for
farmers who were growing my food.
the planet to draw attention to that
example, have been using their money
Neighborliness is a common
number and its meaning. Together, we
to build massive houses, where every-
outcome; in one study cited by
can reach out beyond individualism,
one has their own room and electronic
Christopher Cook in Diet for a Dead
toward survival of the community of
screen. We barely see our families,
Planet, sociologists followed shop-
humankind.
much less our neighbors. The average
pers, first around the supermarket, and
American today has half as many close
then around the farmers’ market; the
For more information visit
friends as the average American of 1950.
average shopper engaged in ten times
BillMcKibben.com.
more conversations at the farmers’
20 Phoenix
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