bioregion
writer peter berg and ecologist raymond dasmann, both affiliated with the san francisco environmental organization planet drum foundation, popularized the term “bioregion” in the 1970s.
every place on the earth’s surface lies within a bioregion; a bioregion is a place that has commonalities of soil, surface water source, land forms, wildlife, climate and culture… the Earth is a mosaic of interconnected and interdependent bioregions
in order to live in a life-sustaining way, we must strive to inhabit our bioregions — this means to immerse yourself in the local ecology, steeped in the natural and indigenous history of the place; it also means to live with in means of your bioregion, sourcing much of your basic needs there… responsibly
in many cases our bioregions are have been tragically transformed. We are called to protect what is left of our natural ecosystems and begin to restore and regenerate new ones
ecology
the understanding of how anything is connected to everything else
inhabit
to inhabit, means to reconsider the places where we live and engage them more thoughtfully
it means to recognize and live within the ecological boundaries of our bioregions, effectively re-organizing our economies to at the very least produce basic needs for all who reside there while preserving the integrity our ecosystems
permaculture
an approach to creating human systems that mimic relationships found in natural ecologies creating abundance, diversity, and resilience. Central to permaculture are the three ethics:
- care for earth
- care for people
- fair shares
it can be applied at any level from backyard gardens to whole bioregions, from personal finances to entire economic systems and communities (see http://www.permacultureprinciples.com/index.php)
regenerative design
regenerative design approaches restore, renew or revitalize their own sources of energy and materials, creating life-sustaining systems that integrate the needs of society with the integrity of earth’s life-support systems
by design, regenerative systems create more living soil, clean air and water, habitat, biodiversity and community
relocalization
is a strategy to build societies based on the local production of food, energy and goods, and the local development of currency, governance and culture
the main goals of relocalization are to increase community energy security, to strengthen local economies, and to improve environmental conditions and social equity; the relocalization strategy developed in response to the environmental, social, political and economic impacts of global over-reliance on cheap energy
the term can be applied to entire economies as well as sub systems such as local food systems (see www.relocalize.net)
transition movement
is a vibrant, grassroots movement that seeks to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis
it represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people in strengthening their communities against the effects of these challenges, resulting in a life that is more abundant, fulfilling, equitable and socially connected
(see www.transitionculture.org, www.transitionnetwork.org, www.transitionus.org)