This short essay submitted to the Register Guard for the Prom

Sunday Afternoon Closer to Home by Jan Spencer

Building community closer to home is making more sense than ever. The news is full of stories describing people affected by economic decline and global problems. There is an increasing sense we have arrived to a profound inflection point in history. The economic downturn is well established. A return to the boom days of easy credit, cheap energy and a compliant natural environment is unlikly. Some experts see a permanent decline in the middle class while others persuasively predict far worse.

And there are global trends. Indications are that climate change is taking place much faster than expected with more severe prospects than were suggested only a year ago. If central Illinois became like today's east Texas, how would parellel changes manifest world wide relating to food, civic cohesion, public health, the environment and international relations?

Global oil markets are increasingly erratic. Alaska's North Slope now produces only a third of its peak in 1988. Mexico's super giant Cantrell Oil Complex, vital to the US, produces only a third of its peak less than ten years ago. World wide, oil is being used four times faster than its discovery inspite of high prices and high tech systems for finding it.

Global powers such as Russia, China and India are all increasing defense spending at a steepening rate, fully aware that diminishing resources will be competed for both diplomatically and by force. US foreign policy doctrine, backed up by half the world's current military spending, has been focused on oil and the Mideast for decades.

Pundits discuss the economic “recovery.” One should ask, recovery to what? The same economy that is responsible for all the trends and stressful conditions mentioned above? Can we afford an economy – financially and ethically - where halfoil of it exists to repair the damage caused by the other half?

Instead, we will be better served to move ourselves firmly towards a set of personal and community choices for living within our economic and ecological means.

Local and global trends are telling us to redefine what our lives are about we had best choose a more thoughtfull set of human needs. Does the economy and the way of life we know bring out the best in us? Are parking lots, diseases of over consumption and a culture of passive entertainment the best we can do? Certainly, we can make better choices than spending hundreds of billions on protecting privilege and empire when hundreds of millions of people lack clean water, environmental abuse accumulates and positive human potential is in retreat.
A deep culture change is called for, where humans fit within what Planet Earth can sustain--where lifestyles and economics are people, community and planet friendly.

What could this greener way of life be like?

We would be taking care of more of our needs closer to home. We would trade a sizable chunk of the consumer culture and its dramatic external costs for an accountable economy, deeper human relationships, a healthy environment, peace on earth and nurturing positive human potential.

With those ideals and goals as a point of departure for personal decisions and public policy, we would greatly mitigate many of the trends that cloud our future and we would redirect enormous financial and human assets from futility to civility

.Our culture would be more participatory in social, economic and civic realms. We would find that discovering and sharing our own positive creativity is more enjoyable than being passive consumers. We would find that we have tremendous assets already available within ourselves, at home, in our neighborhoods and communities that are powerful tools for creating a peaceful and planet friendly way of life.

Such a culture and way of life would greatly improve public health and reduce medical costs because many of the causes of disease and illness would be reduced or eliminated. Eco culture change would lead to a healthier natural environment and would dramatically reduce climate-change pollution in the atmosphere.

An ecological culture would not be hostage to oil or automobiles and it would dramatically reduce the reasons and expense of global military power. Its economy would be cooperative, accountable and locally controlled to serve healthy human needs. The cash economy would make room for new innovations in taking care of many human needs without money.

Imagine a typical Sunday afternoon, several years into this new way of living -- a nearby park, full of people strolling, biking, meeting and greeting with minimal environmental impact. Imagine people in community gardens growing food and in work parties restoring the environment. People would be learning about culture positive volunteer opportunities offered by the city and various community groups. Neighborhood organizations would show and tell issues of interest to thier residents. Sounds nice

.Why wait? Its time to experience and help create a more local, peaceful and healthy community and world.

Jan Spencer is on the Riverbank Path Promenade Committee. The Prom – a Community Mix and Mingle with Show and Tell will take place Sunday, July 19, 1 to 5, along the Riverbank Bike Path in River Road and Whiteaker Neighborhoods. Prom info at www.suburbanpermaculture.org