Creating social change
Growing Strong in Los Angeles
DATELINE SEPT 2020: The last of my blackeyed peas are planted, the summer’s harvest of tomatoes is drying in the solar cooker, and I’ve gathered in the seeds of chard and cilantro. Time to take a break from late summer’s heat,…
Fear and Action
Fear. It’s that chill that creeps up your spine. That awful, churning hot knot, deep in the pit of your stomach. The tremble that makes your hands feel powerless. The freeze-up, that tempts you to inaction. But you can’t give…
A Gratitude Economy
In many spiritual circles, it is popular to talk about gratitude. Gratitude encompasses much more than a quickie “thank you.” It implies a much deeper state of mind, one that practitioners realize will position you to receive even greater abundance.…
Getting Wise about Water
Southern California has a bizarre relationship with water. The water that flows from your tap or garden hose in Los Angeles comes from hundreds of miles away, from the Owens River Valley, from the Colorado River, or from the State…
Like what we do?
Don’t let it stop here. In keeping with Charles Eisenstein’s gift culture, versions of this booklet are being offered to the public free of charge.Eisenstein reminds us “a gift transaction is open-ended, creating an ongoing tie between the participants.”We have…
Questions we might invite our local businesses and proprietorships to consider
1) How dependent is your overall industry on oil, power, low-cost transportation and shipping — can your industry survive as we leave the era of cheap oil? 2) If your industry will survive, it will undoubtedly be radically altered. How?…
Two moving sidewalks
Ever feel like you’re zipping through the fast-paced hours of your day, the crowded pages of your calendar, like you’re on a swiftly moving sidewalk? Then you learn about alternative lifestyles, other ways of living and pacing one’s life. As…
Possible Ways off the Mountain
“Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.” –Kenneth E. Boulding I usually begin the economics portion of my talks with an overview: that we’re coping with…
Resilience
The idea of resilience comes from the study of ecology. It’s really about how systems, settlements, withstand shock from the outside … that they don’t just unravel, and fall to pieces. … It’s about building modularity into what we do,…
About “Economic Resilience”
When it comes to change-making, I tend to be the person you’ll find wielding a shovel, either literally or figuratively. Although I spend plenty of time talking in meetings, I feel happiest when I’m out there getting things done. With…