Freeconomy Blog
Sat
21 Nov
Inspiring local projects
| 42 comments |
There is a tendency in the environmental movement to talk about 'saving the planet'; the reality is, the planet will be fine in time, regardless how idiotically and immaturely we behave. I'm not denying for a second that we're disrespectfully destroying all the natural resources and eco-systems that it has gifted us, to the point where it will no longer be habitable for us or most of the earth's other species, but even we can't destroy the actual planet. If the entire history of the earth - from its formation out of stellar dust to this very moment - was a twenty four clock, we humans didn't even get here until a second before midnight. That's how insignificant we really are.
What is at stake though is our existence on this planet, and the existence of other species affected by use; which, unfortunately, is virtually all species given the scope of our dictatorship on the planet now.
This is a funny one - many of us claim to want the world's dictators out of power so the people in the countries they oppress can begin their path to freedom; yet which of us at the moment doesn't exercise dominion over all of the other species we share this planet with. To a pig in a factory farm, where the vast majority of our meats come from, to the innumerable species that die as we flatten the rainforests (i.e. their homes) for some nice tropical hardwoods, we humans are what Hitler was to the Jewish people. Apologies if that sounds harsh, but we're all grown up now so lets be honest with ourselves about it.
So whilst we can't 'kill' the planet, we can (and are) killing most of the life on it. 30% of all species that were on the planet 50 years ago, before the worst of industrialisation kicked in, are now extinct. We are at a really critical point in human history now, and whilst awareness of climate change is high, I think the majority of people - most significantly our politicians - underestimate exactly what is at stake if we don't act quickly.
One school of thought is that it's up to the government to act, to give the lead. Another school believe that grassroots activism is the most important thing, and that no government today has the courage to take a serious lead on it. Whilst I side more with the latter, I believe that we are only going to make the required difference if we all do what we need to do. It's going to have to involve politicians, anarchists, religious leaders, bankers, freeconomists, Tories, Democrats, Lefties, Righties, the whole bleeding lot. You're in there somewhere I bet.
There are a few ways to make a big difference. One is through how you spend your money. Ideally, don't spend it at all. If the economy doesn't contract, our ecosystems will. It's one or the other. If you do spend money, spend it locally on things that are as low impact as possible.
How you spend each pound has become the new way of voting. It's certainly not a democratic process though, as George Monbiot says, as some people have a lot more votes to cast that others, and it is precisely those with the most votes (pounds, dollars etc.) that are the most unlikely to want to change the status quo. Having said that, how we spend our money (or don't) will have a huge impact on the market and where cash is invested, and by diverting our money away from destructive corporations towards small scale local people, we are giving the wealthy less votes to cast, meaning that those on lower incomes (organic farmers, craftspeople etc) get more votes. This could perpetuate quite quickly as you can imagine. We just need to give more votes to the people who we trust will also vote well!
Personally it is hard for me to advocate any type of shopping - I believe that buying our way to sustainability is like trying to shag our way to virginity! But the idealist inside me has regular conversations with the realist these days, and I find they usually come to a compromise. Not always though - sometimes it's important to have zero compromise on certain issues.
Another key way to affect social positive change is to support projects that are making a real difference to their local areas. Some of these projects are specific to certain regions, but I am highlighting them because I believe that they can inspire others to replicate them (or at least learn from them) in other parts of the world. Here are a handful of them:
Set up by Stephen Watts in Sheffield, Abundance consists of a bunch of volunteers who harvest the seasonal glut of local fruit - such as apples, pears, berries, plums - and then distribute them, often for free, to people around the city. Not only does this cut food miles to almost zero, and enable people to use less money, it also reconnects people in the city to the food around them.
The above stands for Growing Real Organic Food in Urban Neighbourhoods. Its aim is to increase the number of growers and maximise the amount of organic local produce in urban areas, and in the process perfect a model of best practice easy replicable in any community in any city of the world. Oh, and it just makes growing fun, like it says on the tin.
If you want to do it wherever you are, contact the founder Nadia Hillman.
I went down to see these guys in Bristol last week as they've happily agreed to work with us on making the *Freeconomy Feastival 2009 happen on Buy Nothing Day, 28th Nov in Bristol, and was amazed by it.
What they basically do is set up relationships with food businesses, big and small, where they take food that is about to pass its best before date and distribute it to those who need it most. Simple but totally inspiring, and run by the fantastic Jacqui and Pete.
Founded by one of the movement's real heroes, Rob Hopkins, this is an exploration into the head, heart and hands of energy descent. The idea is to take crises such as peak oil and climate change and turn them into opportunities to build closer, more resilient communities. It's likely your local community has already got one going, if it hasn't then why not go off and get one going yourself?
OK, this is a sideshoot of Freeconomy, organised by the Bristol Freeconomy Group, and is now starting to be taken on by the various local Freeconomy groups across the globe. It's basically this - you get one member from your local freeconomy group (or elsewhere if your local group is still small) to come along and show everyone else how to do a certain skill. So not only do a load of people get to learn an important skill for a post peak oil future, they also get to meet lots of other like-minded people, leading to greater resilience, friendships, romance (!), collaborations and god knows what else!
We've run this for the last two years now and have shown crowds of between 15 to 150 people how to do everything from Electrical DIY in the home, to how to make beer and cider, to how to make your own cosmetics, to reflexology, to how to make raw chocolate and bread, and even shown people how to communicate non-violently. It has become an institution here and it is free for everyone, always.
If you fancy setting Freeskilling up where you live, drop me a line, as we've almost finished a package that will show you how you can do it easily and efficiently.
If a project you feel really passionate about already exists where you are, try and support it if you have some spare time. If it doesn't, then take that passion and go set it up, and before you know it there'll be loads of people helping you.
What local projects inspire you? Or have you set up a project that we could all learn something from? If so, let us know, and feel free to give website addresses so we can find out more.
THE FREECONOMY BLOG is written by Mark Boyle, founder of The Freeconomy Community. Mark is currently living without money for a year.
*Everyone is welcome to the Freeconomy Feastival 2009, if you are interested in moneyless living it will be a perfect chance to see how it can all work. Follow the link in the blog for more details.
Comment on this Post:
Pat comments ...
A project that really inspires me, although it's not a free one, is what the Oklahoma Food Cooperative has done in encouraging local food markets: http://www.oklahomafood.coop
They give their open-source co-op software away free and will give any group that wants to start their own project a tour, information, etc. without charge. It's all volunteer-run and a lot of fun.
Sandie comments ...
Quite simply, sharing is a most beautiful human trait. However, there does need to be an element of trust between those parties involved.
My husband gathers heaps of food from the bin at the back of our local supermarket. We share the food with another family, who do not feel able to go out to the bins at night.
What's in it for us? Well, they get heaps of lovely food for free and are made so happy by this (so this makes us happy). We feel good because the food, packaging and potential compost is saved from landfill and given another use. They see a good side of human nature and then start sharing themselves.
It was not long before delicious, piping hot meals started to arrive on our doorstep, prepared by a cook far superior to myself.
In our western world, there is enough for everyone and a heap more too.....
Why do we often cling onto our resources, skills and money?
Thank you Mark for challenging us to think about releasing this grip and embracing the joy of sharing.
Check out the Perth Really Really Free Market's blog http://rrfmperth.blogspot.com/
They have some great quotes.
vinaya kumar rajul comments ...
I am really really proud and happy to know that there is some one who is trying to prove that we can live without money by supporting and sharing with others. Being an business man i had seen life and travel all over world and seen how bad is our lives. every day we eat, sleep and die for the sake of money and nothing else. I will definitely try to do some thing for the society/people without expecting anything in return.
Sandie comments ...
I've just picked up a super book from the recycling centre at our local tip. There are a couple of great quotes in the preface:
'The White Man knows how to make everything but he does not know how to distribute it' (Sitting Bull, Sioux Indian Chief, attrib., 1890)
'Money is like muck, not good except it be spread' (Francis Bacon, 'Of Seditions and Troubles', 1610)
Natalie comments ...
Not really answering the questions asked- but interesting what you've mentioned about dictatorship and later about how we'll 'save the planet' either through grassroots or politicians. Do you think an 'eco-dictatorship' might be the best chance we have at avoiding the tipping point to climate change? I have just seen Age of Stupid, we don't have time for little steps anymore... The pace of change we're at now is too slow! I feel something incredibly radical should happen. That 'converting' people slowly to a greener lifestyle no longer seems effective. I do believe in grassroots methods but it isn't reaching a majority of people despite us trying to work co-operatively. Fact is the few people who act have CHOSEN to and the only way the rest will is sadly by not giving them a choice... And it should be done now whilst we have resources and time rather than at the very last second when it becomes much, much harder. I know it's very un-socialist of me...so please prove me wrong! This isn't what I would want but it feels necessary.
Emma comments ...
Freeskilling is coming to The Space, BS3!
The Space is a project to enable community use of the Bristol Green Store in BS3, so it doesn't just sit there as an 'old style' retail space but is a vibrant, mixed use space meeting the needs of people living around us.
Individuals and community groups can set up new social enterprises, run workshops, hold meetings and generally make themselves known from here for free. So far we've had Transition BS3 (http://www.transitionbs3.org) , South Bristol LETS (website to follow), and the BS3 Community Smallholding (http://bit.ly/51VoNE) use The Space for meetings & discussions.
This month saw the launch of our first Freeskilling sessions - bike maintenance workshops. They are one-on-one for an hour, just you, the freeskiller & your bike. In the session you learn how to maintain & fix the basics of your bike (make adjustments, change brake pads, change cables etc). All you have to do is ring (07790 759748) or email (info@thespacebs3.org) to book a session. Check the website for availability (http://bristolgreenstore.co.uk/?page_id=320).
We'll be running a full Freeskilling programme in 2010, on topics ranging from hyperbolic crochet to forest gardening - we're going to learn all we can from Mark and the team, and we'd love to hear from you if you live locally and are up for sharing a practical skill, no matter how quirky!
Here's to Freeskilling, thanks Mark :)
Emma
info@thespacebs3.org
www.thespacebs3.org
des troy comments ...
I came across this quote today as if in readiness for your question;
In October 1989, the novelist Ken Kesey came to New York and spoke to The Reality Club. "As I've often told Ginsberg," he began, "you can't blame the President for the state of the country, it's always the poets' fault. You can't expect politicians to come up with a vision, they don't have it in them. Poets have to come up with the vision and they have to turn it on so it sparks and catches hold."
Tarcisio comments ...
Hello, I'm sure your project will make a great difference in people's way of seeing things. That's what called my attetion in first place, when I read about your story.
How can a foreign journalist get an enterview for a newspaper? Are you talking to the press yet? I am Brazilian and would like to explain the idea of freeconomy in an article. Thank you very much.
karen chard comments ...
I moved away from glastonbury about 2 years ago, just as the transition town was really getting off the ground, they seem to be doing really well. I do miss many things about glastonbury, the timebank was great, no money exchanged, just a share of skills and your time just went into the 'bank' tho you didnt really need the bank for it to work, it was just a case of asking for a skill and them finding someone willing to use their skills to help.... i think it helps people who feel they want something in return for what they do and also helps those of us who find it hard to ask for what they want, without feeling that we have to offer something immediately in return. The glastonbury/wells/street freecycle was pretty good too and i miss that hugely, wanteds were perfectly acceptable. Where i am now they limit the wanteds to 2 a month i think it is and when i challenged this it caused a right hoo haaa and much unrest with those that dont like 'freeloaders' and 'scroungers'!!!I get the impression if you give away loads on there and your name is seen often then you are more likely to be the person who is chosen when you want an offered.
As i said i moved 2 years ago and have been like a fish out of water here, but my weirdness and unconventional ways are starting to open some peoples eyes here and just by quietly going about my life i appear to be making a difference! |Having been a bit of a ranter and probably righteous I feel amazed that I can and do make a difference by just doing........... I knew as I was approaching my 40th birthday this year it was gona be a good year and i now do believe, life begins at 40. lol x
Ytrish comments ...
This isn't about local projects but I thought what it says very much to the point, though not new, it's something often forgotten. I wish I had written it but I didn't, I found it !
"....there is an energy source that is being sadly undervalued in today's world. the power of positive thought. positive "vibes" warm peoples' hearts, light up peoples' minds. positive thoughts and attitudes do not leave ecological disasters in their wake. positive thought energy is exponential in it's growth. the more you use it, the more that there is available to share. the depressive mindset that dominates the media (and then people's outlook due to the pervasive and persuasive nature of the media) is so counter-productive. we face challenges. great, bring them on! shared challenges mean shared solutions. people communicating with each other, putting to rest conditioned and historical differences once and for all. utopia might well be impossible but that is no excuse for defeatism. I keep abreast of current affairs but do not let them detract from the simple pleasures that give me joy... "
:-)
Brilliant comments here !
comments ...
Sandie- that sounds loverly of you and the other family sharing! just how it should be!! Bit like me and baby clothes! I am the queen of collecting and distributing them, lol.
Mark... was sooooo looking forward to coming to the Freeconomy Festival, to meet you and Fergus too but unfortunately my 5 yr old is definetely not well and don't think she'll recover for Saturday... but about the other community projects we had a new shop open in town.. love it! It sell all local food and the shop keepers are absolutely loverly and the window is full of local projects and festival/party type things (need to print a freeconomy poster for them) so going to check out the St. Albans Transition town.
Lyssa M comments ...
Sorry... forgot to add my name, lol... previous comment was mine
Sandie comments ...
I am 'full on' for focusing on all things local. This surely is the way to go.....
However, could global social networking (whilst it is still free) be the most dynamic tool that we have ever had at our disposal to instigate social change for the positive?
Part of me fears declaring its true value, lest it be taken from us, once truly recognized.
We literally have, at our fingertips, a powerful, peaceful weapon for change.
Perhaps, the last time such a revolution, in the sharing of information, occurred was with the invention of Johannes Gutenberg's printing press in the 1400's?
Let us not shy away from this amazing technology, but embrace it with outstretched fingers.
sravan comments ...
Hi Mark, i'm a new member joined today in our community. Iam from INDIA and an MBA graduate. Actually, what fascinates me is the idea that you have got of FREECONOMY, for its been the same idea or better we call it as aim to develop or to start step for a money free Society.What made me to think and have a thought over it is, during my graduation having seen all the problems in the local society..especially one thing happened. At Nerby town to my home, there happened a quarel between two persons for a matter of ten rupees, one person mudered the other to acquire that.How sad..we are living in this kind of society which is bindover by money,MONEY,MONEY..which we invented for our simplification of reaching our wants is now ruling the world. That too, every problem societal, personal..whatever it may be is linked with n around money, deleting all the love and the relatioships between human to human..cooperation. For money making its presence in world giving the means a "FORM", made humans more selfish afteral they found one means to hide apart greater than others to satisfy their wantss leading a competion , a cruel one destroying moral values between us..Corruption is reflection of same.This made me think about..if there is no money,then therewil be no corruption and made me think why cant we go with the ageold BARTER SYSTEM which was used when money was nowhere, with a beautiful co-operation. Ofcourse there occured problems in exchange of goods and they depending on demand and supply of same. It blocked my thought and made a ? n ,ind..how to overcome that? Why i'm saying all this to you is that how much i got fascinated when i came to know about your thought of FREECONOMY, the future one to make sure FUTURE is there for sure to future gen. with peace and love and never harmed earth. I came to know you only through an article about YOU and YOUR IDEALS in our local news weekly sunday magazine.Its gr8 and there wil be hurdles for sure to get succed to bring change in society,seems impossible for many, but the first Step has to be taken forward and you did it. We are here to make your step, into a march, followed by a Marathon all over the world..to have better of ourselves....
Me..as of now got a solution to my problem of barter system execution now. It is to plan for an exchange like STOCK EXCHANGE, both products and services. In my life further my everlasting aim of starting a money free society,atleast for the people of small village, has been boosted by meeting you and pool of friends havins same thoughts ready to share skills and space..Thnks...much more to go ...
catherine knott comments ...
I'm so delighted to find your website! I am sure everyone in my family will love your ideas, and plan to share it with them. I live in Alaska and teach anthropology (for a small amount of pay). We try very hard to figure out how to live with less money-oriented materialism, but I still feel caught up in the system too much. I found out that one of my former students, just ten miles away, is already a part of this network! I try hard to introduce all my classes to the possibilities of alternate economies, and the idea that every dollar is a vote. We look at a lot of world issues in terms of how our spending culture deeply affects people in other places. I will look to your website for help for good ideas, and will love sharing it with students.
Ytrish comments ...
I don't have a television but for those who do there is this. Message is getting out there ! Hooray !
"Throw Away Future: Tonight"
ITV1 Friday 27th November 2009 20:00pm - 20:30pm
Jonathan Maitland continues his 'living for free' series, and attempts to renovate a deserving family's home with discarded furniture. Following his campaign on food waste Jonny Maitland turns his attentions to furniture.
Every year we throw away 10 million bits of furniture and it's mostly destined for landfill. That's the equivalent of almost 30,000 pieces of furniture every day.
With landfill due to run out over the next decade, surely it's time to stop throwing it away and use some of that furniture again?
This week's 'living for free' challenge is to make-over a family's home using only furniture, fabrics and paints headed for landfill. Anything considered to be junk by its previous owners will be eligible material for the family's home make-over. With only one week to source the furniture and one week to re-decorate the whole house….
Freegle groups across the UK already facilitate the passing on of unwanted furniture, for free, to someone local that can re use that furniture, keeping untold discarded goods from landfill (and future incinerators). Freegle groups local to Brighton in Sussex worked with the production crew to procure furniture and all sorts of household goods that would have otherwise have been dumped at tips, but have instead have found a new home! Watch the show and see how easy it is to re-use someone else's junk and how good it can look.
The eco interior designer Oliver Heath agreed to take control of the design side of things, using his skills to give all the discarded objects a new lease of life. He is joined by a willing band of Sussex University product design students keen to put their skills to the test and find out more about sustainable living.
The ITV crew enlisted the help of local organisations and Freegle groups like ours dedicated to saving stuff from the tip. There are over 200 Freegle groups across the UK facilitating the re-use of unwanted furniture and in fact anything tangible and legal!
Ytrish comments ...
A credit due :
I forgot to say the one about the TV programme was sent to me by a Freecycle now Freegle group in Sussex.
Koppers comments ...
Hi Mark
I find what you are doing is admirable - I wish I had the courage to do the same. That said I must give you a word of warning with regards to your choice of toilet paper. In studies in Australia a high incidence of anal cancer was found in areas of the outback. The cause was traced to the use of newspaper being used as a substitute for more "traditional" types of loo roll.
Best regards.
Sandie comments ...
Check out this amazing website:
http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20Living
Robert Howes comments ...
Moneylessness might come about in one way or another. One person at a time starting with Mark is one possible way, but seems unlikely. Another way is one product at a time becoming free, starting with clean water perhaps, then a food item and so on until everything is free. Food and water are already free to those who are given them in emergencies and disasters, but someone has to pay, just like someone paid for Mark's caravan when it was new and many of the things I salvage, like food and clothes and many other things, but I pay for vehicles to go get the stuff.
***
The conclusion I have come to is that to make everything free in the sense of not using money or barter is to change the world one project at a time. A project can be a small local affair run on a shoe string, or a network of many such projects. A network would have more of the wherewithal to bring about rapid change but would cost a lot of money to set it up with everything it requires.
***
Logic, therefore, dictates that if all we can reasonably do is to set up local groups, that is what we should do in the hope of creating a network from them at a later stage. The Freeconomy groups are not really groups at all at this stage so don't fit the bill. Maybe we should vote to change it so that the list of members is worldwide not just up to ten miles. Will Mark allow it? Do all members want it? Would it make a difference?
***
Maybe the present members are mostly sympathisers rather than activists. What would make them into activists when their lives are already full with their studying if they are students or work if they are employed? Money would seem to be the answer. Bit of a dilemma then!
***
How can we pay ourselves for being moneyless? And yet we need to pay our bills. We cannot all do as Mark is doing. Those who disagree, go ahead, I'm sure Mark will welcome you to his fold, but will it change the world as we know it? I don't think so. I don't like to pull rank but I had decided that moneylessness was the way to go long before Mark was born, and I've been working on how to square this circle for almost fifty years. I live a part moneyless existence already but the food and clothes etc I get for free were made or grown and sold for money at some point.
***
To get away from money altogether it is necessary to own (have exclusive access to) the means of production of everything you consume, and contribute all the necessary labour. This could work if a large and diverse network of groups had enough land to grow all the food they eat and all the fuel they need for heat and light and power. This is my aim and I hope it is yours too. I have explained this to Mark and would like his comments, but it is the rest of the readers I am mainly talking to.
***
If any one of you wants to help get this network up and running then I suggest we do it together. I will be starting a local group here in Wales UK, near Swansea, and I'll co-operate with others around the globe. I would like about 25 of you to come here to Wales to form the core group. How about it? Are you too busy, too indispensable, too scared, too poor, too disbelieving, too ill, too old? If you would like to take part but from a distance, that's okay. If you are too poor we can have a whip round to raise money for your fare. Just make it known that you like what I am offering and say what you can contribute. If not us, who? If not now, when?
We can save the world, together.
Bob
***
robertcircle1 @ yahoo.co.uk
+44 (0) 1792 792 442
Lyssa M comments ...
Robert - You can change your radious of up to 25 miles or for the rest of the members not just in this country but world wide you can come onto the forum bit of the site. I think Mark is just trying to really get us thinking more locally.
I don't think many of us can just live moneyless like that, well I cetainly can't lol... there's students, workers and... mothers... having children is a mighty expensive business... clothes can be handed down... shoes, unfortunately can't, lol. But it doesn't mean we just sit back on our back sides saying "awww... good bloke, that mark" whilst watching our plasma tvs and what ever else, lol. He inspires in even the smallest and simplest of ways
Living moneyless is totally possible, if you had the knowledge and local support, Mark's good friend Fergus the cute forager.... ( you might have seen him as the road kill chef) he was going to do a year on only wild food, wild food is FREE food... unfortunately he did it alone so when his back gave out he couldn't keep up with the foraging AND all the other things he had to do in his everyday life... which is a great shame! Which the same kind of knowledge of wild food like Fergus has I think it would be possible, unfortunately I am nooooo where near as good as him... really stuggling getting to know my mushrooms, lol... As for clothes... totally possible without AAAAAANY money involved... again it's a matter of knowledge... but unfortunately this knowledge is lost, like I KNOW it is possible to make stinging nettles into clothe... by spinning and knitting up or weaving but I've searched and searched but not been able to figure out HOW.. the only information I had was that in the ancient times they spun them... but no mention of HOW!! Same as I KNOW that corn can be spun into thread to knit with and is REEEEALLY expensive and fashionable... but altho I know it's made of corn... couldn't tell you how!!. And if all else fails... as a child I used to walk along the footpaths of my town, collecting the wool that was caught in the barbs of the fence when the sheep had passed. Also... back to the food situation... you can grow your own... I do... tho not as much as I could as I'm still learning what grows best in my soil... note to self... give up on the tomatoes... not even as if I like tomatoes, pmsl.
as for joining you, nope, not scared... would love it, not disbelieving either ... or ill... or old (altho I do feel it sometimes, pmsl) But it's a completely different kettle of fish when you have young children!
Robert Howes comments ...
Hi Lyssa,
Thanks for telling me about the 25 mile thing, I thought ten miles was max. I can now contact more than twice as many with a message (unless they have group messages switched off) (Why would a member do that?). I use the forum a bit, maybe I'll use it more, but I get very little response when I do. You at least responded. Mark has worked hard to get this thing up and running, we must be an awful disappointment to him, don't you think?
***
Practically no-one can live moneyless unless others do too. It is a chicken and egg situation, or a catch 22 thing. That is why I thought up the idea of using money to bring about a situation in which money is no longer needed. I don't know where you live and it doesn't matter, you can still join in what I am trying to do and make a freeconomy economy come about over time whilst your children are growing and their children too without leaving your home.
***
And I am not asking you to risk anything or put any money into anything. It is more a matter of understanding a process that is little understood at present, the process of those like me with money using it to buy land and property and machinery and tools and start businesses to give ourselves paying employment so that we are in a position to help ourselves get to a point where we can supply ourselves with what we need without having to buy it from big business that takes the money out of the local economy.
***
If I can get such a thing going in my local area to prove the idea and start generating funds then it can be transferred to other areas so that others can take advantage of what's on offer. If it goes the way it should it will change people's lives substantially. If we can just pull together to get the first one up and running it should get easier after that. Every city and town should have at least one such group, that is self supporting financially and helps everyone in the ways that they need. Each person has different needs but all can be helped once we are geared up to that end.
***
We can go down two routes simultaneously, Mark's route, the pure route, and my route, the use money to displace money route. I am convinced that the latter has more potential and will rid the world of money without anyone having to do without the things that Mark (bless him) is doing without. If you think you can do it Mark's way, try it, it costs nothing to try. If not, then why not consider my alternative, all it takes to get started, is an email (robertcircle1@yahoo.co.uk) to me to say you are interested. Otherwise, carry on as you are and hope for others to change things for you. Is that a bit harsh? That's the world as we know it. You want it less harsh? Get involved.
Bob
***
Jon Lee comments ...
Just chanced upon your blog and I love your enthusiasm and bountiful and beautiful intention. I'm just wondering why you have it in for money, per se. Money is a wonderful way of efficiently storing potential to acquire our needs for survival. It's efficient because in principal we can use it to get just what we need and not something similar, in the right quantity and at the right time. Efficiency is akin to appropriateness and wu wei and inherently reduces waste. It seems to me that it's simply greed bred from fear and anger and a lack of clarity of vision to see the love that surrounds and links us. We don't need to shoot the messenger (money) that tells us we're greedy, although I guess it can be fun!
Love Jon
Arjen comments ...
Dear Mark,
I hope you are well. My name is Arjen van der Horst and I'm the London correspondent for Dutch national newspaper Algemeen Dagblad and I'm really interested writing a story on your project and your attempt to live without cash for a year. Would it be possible to interview you?
I figure you don't have a mobile, but I'm sure we'll find a way to get in touch. My contact details:
Email: hollandmedia@btintrnet.com
Mobile: 07786296706
I hope to speak to you soon.
Many thanks!
Best wishes,
Arjen van der Horst
UK & Ireland correspondent
Algemeen Dagblad, national daily The Netherlands
Shena comments ...
Great article advocating a lifestyle that I think would make the world a far better place. Of course you don't believe in buying anything, or possibly manufacturing anything but some things have a purpose. Some things are designed to encourage people to live a more sustainable life. At secret Seed society we believe that the interest ofyoung children can be grown by showing them the wonder of the seed and how they can have fun turning it into tasty food.
Andrea (the original) comments ...
Hi Mark,
A local project that has inspired me is:
http://gardensharebristol.blogspot.com/
Great idea to match people with land and no gardening skills and people with skills and no land...
Great to c u on Sat (briefly tho) and sorry for the silly question...
Andrea, the original (as I noticed there is another Brazilian called Andrea!!!!)
Sandie comments ...
It's quite a dichotomy that both Mark Boyle and Johnny Depp live in Timsbury.
Johnny Depp is demanding US$38 million to star in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Mark is the founder of The Freeconomy Community.
There's a thought for your day.
Ben comments ...
Thought I'd mention the Tipping Point Climate Infoshop in Gillingham, Medway, Kent which includes a 'swap shop' where people can take what they need and leave what they don't. It's based on previous free shop project in squatted social centres but this time it's in a rented high street shop. The term swap shop is used rather than free shop in recognition that some people attach a stigma to the concept of 'free' and to remind people that it only works if there is a sustainable balance between give and take.
The Tipping Point project itself aims to empower people to take individual and collect action to tackle climate change and was set up in Medway specifically to target e-ons plans to build a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth.
Naveen comments ...
Hello everyone.
There's a cafe in Ahmedabad, India called Seva Cafe. The food here is free. Yes, completely free. The Indian culture of treating guests as God (Atithi Devo Bhava) is put into practice here. The people who visit can make a donation, if they wish to do so.
We should have more of these around the world.
Sandie comments ...
Naveen, we too have a similar restaurant in Perth:
http://www.annalakshmi.com.au/mission/
'Eat as you like, pay as you feel.....'
I believe they are also in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Chavdar comments ...
Hi,
I'm from Bulgaria and want to do yours project from many years ago, but want your e-mail to talk with you about it. Because i thing here is not the place to do that. Think we can help each other to live like this. With own food, and make electricity from the sun, have other ideas but more on e-mail. There is no problem to share, but when i know is that the place :) I afraid to write here my e-mail to respond, but can write my skype user: pharo_
Bye for now...
Robert Howes comments ...
We are the planet. We are not aliens from someplace else. Saving the planet means keeping it from getting worse (for us and the other life-forms that are part of it)
Cheers,
Bob
***
Sandie comments ...
These young people are quite amazing.
You Tube video on Freegans and Freeganism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DN19Z0bw4g
M Dane Zahorsky comments ...
Oh man, this is beautiful, and inspiring. I hold a vegan dinner every Sunday and lecture on Sustainability and a month ago we started a wall called voluntary value exchange- little did I know, there was a whole system built around free trade etc. I'm hosting something like freeskilling next week with welding but I would love to get more info on the package you were talking about. Thank you for being so apt minded and helpful! Good to indirectly meet you, Dane.
You can email me at zahorskyart@gmail.com
Rebecca Blackburn comments ...
Hi Mark
I'm trying to contact you for an interview for G Magazine. Can you please send me an email info@rebeccablackburn.com.au
Thanks
Rebecca
Sandie comments ...
Money's great, if you can handle it, but once you're addicted, your life can get really messed up and totally out of control.
The financial institutions are the drug pushers, who encourage you to buy into 'just a little bit more debt'.
They tell you that money will make you fit in better with your peers. When you lack confidence, you can buy things that will make you look and feel fantastic (for a short while, at least).
Families and community are destroyed as you go searching for money to enable your next fix (or to pay of the interest on previous fixes).
People will go to great lengths to fund their addiction to debt: getting up very early to catch trains into cities, or sitting in traffic jams, on their way to a job they hate, where they are told what to do, what to wear, and when to do it, by someone they despise.
And, the quality of the debt changes regularly. Interest rates can fluctuate wildly, causing a desperate feeling of insecurity for the money/debt addict.
Detox is tough; it can take years to get all that debt out of your system, which can be exacerbated by weird things called indemnity insurance policies, which you are forced to take out and pay, with your loan, to protect the lender!
In fact, like all drug pushers, the financial institutions don't want you to get over your habit and straighten out your life. If you don't have the addiction, they don't make any money!
ga67 comments ...
heres an idea for all freeconomists to consider.If we want to lower our living cost then we have to provide our own food an fuel which we can only do if we act together.The biggest obstacle to a functioning free economy is transport.If i need a ladder and somebody in my area has one,i still need to get it home.Theres a 106 people in my area they got tools and skills which equels a large pool of resources.
Imagine what 100 people could do for eachother if transport was no longer a barrier we could with a little effort create a real workable and sustianable micro economy.
The fuel, biodiesel we can easily produce ourselves.The oil for this would come from our own kitchens and other sources like chippies and other similar businesses.
1 litre of cooking oil each and one van and we got our own independant postal delivery service.
what could we do with this?
Now a flight of fancy,food is the next thing on the list and remember we are 100 people, 100 potential growers and cooks.How many loaf'ves of of bread do we each need in a week, lets say 5,so 20 people bake 5 each a day,now we've all got bread.Not just bread but any food product we can make and we can distribute amongst our members and reduce the cost of living in a major way.
100 back yards growing vegatables,better still,100 allotments supplying a small community will probably produce surplus food which we can learn to preserve and even process and can oruselves ,and have a range of food stuffs like any shop the differance being everything in the shop already belongs to us so no cash is required.The shop as it where is one of our homes or an allotment so no rent to pay on premises,transporting the goods is taken care of by our volunteer drivers,the fuel comes from our biodiesel both at no cost.This just an outline,an example of what 100 people could do with organisation,imagination and clear goals.
Have a think,let your imagination run wild,look for solutions to the constriants on our freedom.Find out what holds you back from being free then try and remove the obstacles.This is my life i dont belong to no bank,supermarket or any of the cartels that keep me in slavery to cash and niether do you or your families.Lets change it by simply not playing there game any more.
Shirley comments ...
I am a Michigan Master Gardener and donate quite a bit of time every year. I also have a couple that gardens at my home because they lack space at theirs. They gave me boards to make three raised beds. I garden on clay. It grows wonderful root crops. Beets taste like candy, also carrots and even the tomatoes taste better so I am told. My mom can tell the difference in the soil of the raised beds over the clay soil. Oh well. Sometimes it takes a pick axe to dig a hole in it. lostinthegarden@sbcglobal.net
FultonShanna33 comments ...
Some time ago, I needed to buy a car for my firm but I didn't earn enough money and could not purchase something. Thank God my comrade proposed to get the home loans from banks. Therefore, I acted so and was happy with my short term loan.
