BALLE - Business Alliance for Local Living Economies

Peak Moment 46: Executive Director Don Shaffer recounts BALLE's vision of local living economies ensuring that economic power resides locally, where it can enhance community life and natural systems - as a counter to economic globalization. BALLE's autonomous networks of local businesses initiate programs like "Buy Local First."

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• BALLE
• business
• alliance
• local
• economy
• globalization

[jbryant13]

"Living" as opposed to "Sustainable". THANK YOU !! Someone who can think for themselves.

I am SO sick of that "green" and "sustainable" jargon. If you want to convert people (and I believe in much of this) that's the first place to start.

I come from a very conservative background & I'm telling you it's a COMPLETE turn off. It's like a freakin cult. I think you people say it so often you don't even realize you're doing it. I shouldn't have to learn a whole new vocabulary to talk with you !

[peakmoment]

Language is powerful, and it's so challenging, especially when it gets co-opted or whitewashed. Then we struggle to find workable language that still has meaning.

We stayed away from "sustainable" for our Peak Moment description/intro, even though I think that ultimately "sustainability" in a serious, carefully-thought out definition, will be required. If human activities do not ultimately become sustainable on the planet, humans won't continue being around. One of those laws of nature.

[neddy05]

Getting rid of the Sustainable word is a great idea. Sustainable isn't good enough anyway. Resilience is better. Following Living Communities on facebook which is aiming to build resilient communities. Sounds like everyone is switching from the green jargon which is good.

[peakmoment]

If we can set aside how "sustainable" is being co-opted by "green" business -- we need both. If we want humans to stay on the planet, our cultures will have to become sustainable by definition -- giving back good soil and not polluting everything.

We need resilience to withstand the shocks and uncertainties brought about by climate chaos, increasing population pressures, ecological systems decline, and increased pollution.

[neddy05]

We can't set 'sustainable' aside from green marketing. A necessary principal, agreed but it has become part of a mantra which annoys many. The word resilience offers those who are more conservative and turned off by 'green' speak a way of coming to terms with change. Practitioners and academics will always understand the real definitions and use them as such but 'sustainability' is the word of an activist green movement and 'resilience' is the word of pragmatist change movement.

[peakmoment]

I agree with you on all fronts, disappointing as it is. We haven't used the words "green" or "sustainable" in our descriptions of Peak Moment TV because of those concerns. (peakmoment-dot-tv).

[babaygorilla2000]

Great Idea. Nobel Work. Terrible Shirt bud.

[danebuylocal]

We're happy to be members of BALLE. This movement is just getting warmed up! Thanks for this video.