Richard Heinberg – Muse letter 265
http://richardheinberg.com/museletter-265-want-to-
change-the-world-read-this-first
Societies are deeply dependent on their environment
Our environment has been cheap fossil fuel
Our society is due for imminent change
What’s the problem?
REconomy
Local economy for local people
Most of the money spent by local people goes
to national and international companies
Local business leads to local prosperity
And is usually more energy efficient
Totnes and District
Herefordshire
Brixton
Food
Energy
Retrofit
Needs local stakeholders
Local economic blueprints
Economic Blueprints
Actions – Hereford
Write the Blueprint, then attract the stakeholders!Meeting in July 2013 took place as Hereford was
turning into a clone town!Meeting in mid May 2014 well received, but still no
stakeholder group
Actions – Totness and District
• Establish Reconomy CentreIncubator for 30 enterprises, new ventures, community projects
• Food for the Future – event to link local food businesses
• Health and Welfare Network• Energy and Retrofitting Network
Actions – Totness and District - ATMOS
M
Actions – Brixton
• Open meetingsFeedback, questions, ideas, omissions, needs,
etc• StrategyDevelop existing Food partnership, Brixton
Energy, TTB Draughtbusters,• FundingProject co-ordinator to maintain momentum
• Brixton Energy has three rooftop solar farms, generating ??, and contributing funds to CEEF (Community Energy Efficiency Fund) Young people have had training and work experience
• TTB Draughtbusters gained the contract to draught-proof Lambeth Town Hall
• Lambeth Food Partnership brings together residents, community organisations, businesses, local government and the NHS, to promote local healthy food
Achievements – Brixton
• Residents – spend and invest locally• Retailers and businesses – source locally• Landowners – don’t sell to house builders, work with
community and local developers• Commercial landlords – allow local small business to
‘try-out’ at low rent• Schools and colleges – identify local skill gaps and
train for those• Local government – support local business when
contracting
Meanwhile – Brixton
• Stakeholder group? Letchworth Sustainability Forum • Currently small group comprising• LGCHF, TTL, Letchworth Society, NHDC, independent
expertise• launch October 16th
• Very brief data set in Parsons Brinkhoff paper• No engagement with NHDC as yet• They have not been pro-active
Letchworth – Where are we?
• BizSpace Work Lounge – Pixmore Centre• For freelancers, start-ups, homeworkers and mobile
workers• Work alone, but as a part of a supportive community of
business people• Flexible premises and secretarial support
Letchworth – Work Lounge
• Local Dollars Local Sense – Michael Shuman• USA based but some read-across• Very easy to invest in multinationals (including oil
companies, miners, supermarkets)• Triodos invests in planet friendly enterprise• Very hard to invest in local business• Crowd funding, P2P, local currency• Bank of Dave -
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/bank-of-dave
Local pounds – local sense
• Some at LALG have a vision• Local enterprise – in town, locally funded• Who?
Local entrepreneurs
Comments, please