A presentation made during a consultation, 'Building Sustainable Communities in Today's World,' at Windsor Castle, UK; October 2012

1. Building Sustainable Communities in Today's World'
St. George’s House, Windsor Castle; October, 2012

2. Shifting Economic Paradigms
Conventional Globalist Emerging Bioregional
Model
Model
• Secure
• Innovative • Accessible
• Competitive • Fair
• Efficient • Ecological
A “winner take all” Assists and unites, the
attitude and a “culture of work of others for a
desire.” collaborative, harmonious,
and self-reliant future.

3. Globalism Bioregionalism
Drivers Make Money Create Livelihoods
Main Activity Use $ to make $ Community needs
Size Large Small – medium
Ownership Impersonal Absentee Personal
Financial Capital Global Local
Purpose Maximize Profit Beneficial Output
Role of Profit To be Maximized Sustain Viability
Coordination Central planning Self Organizing
Cooperation To defeat competition Common good
Competition Eliminate the unfit Efficiency
Role of Gov. Protect property Common interests
Trade Free and unregulated Fair and Balanced
David Korten: ‘Agenda for a New Economy’

4. Standard Transformational
I.C.E. S.A.F.E.
Technologies Technologies
• Monoculture/GMO, • Aquaponics, &
Cloned Agri-food, Organic Agriculture,
• Nuclear, Coal, Oil, • Decentralized,
Natural Gas Renewable Energy,
• Automobiles • Mass Transit
• Big Media • Social Media
• Big Box, Chain Store • Social Enterprise

5. Future Scenarios for Communities
“Partial ‘solutions’ serve merely as cosmetics to conceal
the deep seated nature of the ecological crisis”,
Murray Bookchin (‘The Ecology of Freedom’, 1982)
Scenario 1: Abandon Suburbs & Cities Scenario 2: Eco-Cities/Villages
They are high energy consumers , demand Massive public transportation , Urban
an eco-footprint many times their area. high-rise agriculture, High density to save
Massive failing infrastructure. global natural areas.
‘No future for built environment.’ ‘Havens for the wealthy.’
Scenario 3: Steady-State Scenario 4: Transformational
Use remaining natural resources to invest Low energy, solar-designs, food security
in conservation and new technology. and local trade. Self-organizing
Rebuild infrastructure. Planned economy.. governance with confederation of regions
‘Vested interests continue to control and municipalities.
resources and wealth.’ ‘Doing well by doing good.’

6. Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade
Illustration by Erika Schneider
#1 Farmers-There is a huge need for more farmers
Up to tens of millions of them.
Related careers: Urban Gardener; Farmers Market and CSA
Coordinator; Artisanal Cheese Makers; and other food
producers.
• The rest of the list: Forester, Solar Power Installer, Energy Efficiency Builder, Wind
Turbine Fabricator, Conservation Biologist, Green MBA and Entrepreneur, Recycler,
Sustainability Systems Developer, Urban Planner
See: www.fastcompany.com/articles/2009/01/best-green-jobs.html

7. Organic Farms as Subdivision Amenities
Eco-villages,
Permaculture Villages,
Conservation
Communities
Prairie Crossing ~ Portland Oregon, Serenbe ~ Atlanta, Georgia
O.U.R. Eco-village ~ Vancouver Island, Crystal Waters ~ Brisbane, Australia

8. Can local food jump-start
the economy?
Ontario’s $10 Challenge
• If every household in Ontario spent $10 a week on local food, an additional $2.4
billion/year would go into the local economy. Circulating grows those dollars, adds
$3.6 billion and creates 10,000 new jobs.
(See: www.ontariotable.com)
On Prince Edward Island,
• Population: 136,000
• Approximately 45,333 households
• Assume Weekly Food Expenditures = $130/home /wk ($5,893,290)
• Annual Is. Food Expenditures: >$300 million/year
A 20% shift in local food purchases would infuse
an additional $60 million into the local economy.
The multiplier effect would bring the economic
impact to $ 300-500 million, annually.*
*Reference BALLE Nova Scotia

9. ‘Find a place. Dig in. Assume responsibility.’
• A recent food study conducted in Ohio
determined that a 25% shift to local produce
would create 1 new job for every 150 people.
• If the same formula is applied to Prince Edward
Island’s population of 136,000 people, then 906
new (full-time, permanent) jobs could
potentially be created.
See, Local Food Opportunities Report ; City of
Edmonton’s Food and Agriculture.
http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Food_and_Ag_Local_Food_Opportunities_Sept_2012.pdf

10. “Discover the world of Prince Edward Island's premier artisans.”
Handmade on PEI. For you.
“Jewelry, pottery, body care products, fibre and textiles, glass, folk art, metal arts,
basketry, sculpture, visual arts, woodwork… The artisans of Prince Edward Island
handcraft exclusive creations forged from a lifetime of experience and Island
inspiration.” http://artisanpei.com/home.php
• $30 million per year in sales.
• Only $6 million (20%)produced on PEI.
• If 40%, it would equal $12 million.
• Multiplier effect = $36 - 48 million!!!
‘My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they
awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.’
- Louis Riel

11. A bioregional, S.A.F.E., economy is not exclusively a
geographically ‘local’ economy.
Serve the bio-region first; creating self-reliance and
then export surplus.
Not only about price,
quality, safety, reliability,
nor consistency.
It is about the intangible qualities of trust, security,
fairness, ecological sustainability and friendship.
It is about collaborating with partners rather
than competing with rivals.

12. Adam Smith (1723 – 1790 )
Social philosopher, pioneer of political economy, author of The Wealth of
Nations. He is considered one of the most influential founders of modern
economics and capitalism.
World vision of local market economies populated by
small entrepreneurs, artisans and family farmers with
strong ties to community engaged in producing goods
and services to meet mutual needs.
He believed in mutual aid and the duty to not do harm to
others and shared a philosophical belief that equality
of citizenship was impossible in a nation where
inequality of wealth remained the rule.
He also believed in the duty of government to restrain
those who fail in their duty to others.

13. ‘As our planet’s life-support
system begins to fail and our very
survival as a species is brought
into question, remember that our
children and grandchildren will
ask not what our
generation said,
but what it did’ www.ibspei.ca
- HRH The Prince of Wales