Economic Localization Strategy

Goal

The goal of economic localization is to build a stronger more resilient, more self-reliant Peterborough area better positioned to cope with and survive the most adverse effects of peak oil, climate change and growing social inequity.

Economic localization is neither easy to implement or a quick fix for everything. The policy elements and infrastructure need to be put in place in the next 2 to 3 years for implementation through 2020.

Very significant Energy Descent and Emission Reductions are necessary on any path to greater resilience and sustainability. The operative guideline to achieve the balanced energy reduction/switch to renewable energy sources is the achievement of the emissions reduction goal of "5% a year 'til 2020" benchmarking 2008.

Economic Infrastructure

The economic infrastructure proposed is the foundation of a new essential and balanced economy. Its focus is resilience through energy descent leading to sustainability. The Transition Town Peterborough economic infrastructure initiatives are outlined below:

A) Energy Descent Action Plan: This is a roll up of ideas backed by successes from TTP initiatives, other groups and institutions and the community at large and the city and county governments. Timing for completion would be no later than July 2011. A management committee led by Michael Bell, CEO of knowaboutnetwork.com, a member of the TTP SC is responsible(email michael.bell@greenparty.ca) The committee could include staff from the city and county and members of other groups and politicians. Adoption of this direction and plan by the city and county is necessary for success.

B) Energy Descent Charitable Trust: A charitable trust would be set up to invest in and incentivize Energy Descent with local farmers, institutions, businesses and individual citizens and volunteer groups already in operation. The City and County would likely need to provide the seed capital. This is a critical step in the process not only to take the pressure off the city and county tax base, but as is already known in the movement, the general public needs incentives to act ahead of crisis. This has to be laser focused on Energy Descent and therefore does not diminish the need for other foundations and trusts with broader goals including the environment. A management committee run by volunteers is anticipated for this initiative.

C) Monetary Exchange: A local monetary exchange is required to incentivize citizens, businesses and farmers to build local interdependencies. There are many successes and many failures of such exchanges. Some of the early learnings within the transition movement is that the consumer discount needs to be at least 10%, a very wide variety of local businesses have to be committed from the outset and the city and county must accept the currency as a minimum for the essential services they provide such as water and sewage. Ideally all churches and some other institutions need to accept donations at par in the local currency.The Energy Descent Charitable Trust would accept the local currency as donations and also provide a portion of its incentives in the local currency The currency within TTP has been re labeled Kawartha Bucks. Fred Irwin TTP Chair is the leader of this initiative (email gaiancf@nexicom.net)

D) Community Gardens Land Trusts: In support of the fight against poverty now and the transition to a much more localized sustainable economy in food the City and County needs to identify conveniently located land through out the city and county, put it in two land trusts, fund the necessary access and serviceability expense and guarantee its use for local food production. Despite all of the groups who promote local food, as a community over 90% of our food caloric consumption comes from an average distance of 2400 kilometers. Community Garden Land Trusts are part of the transition towns movement and provide huge economic incentives, contribute to wellness and even more satisfying life styles. They are also a way to equalize some of the social inequity built in to the 20th century economic growth model. Small scale food storage and canning capability needs to follow.

E) Permaculture Life Style Practices: By definition any sustainable future as a minimum requires the utilization of permaculture life style practices in community gardens, area farming and building construction. This is a long process, and indeed training in and knowledge of holistic design systems is a steering committee requirement to be a part of the international transition towns movement. Trent Rhode TTP SC is the leader of the permaculture initiative(email trentrhode@gmail.com). This group is indeed a crucial part of the economic infrastructure starting immediately with a demonstration project at Ashburnham Gardens. Some funding is required to scale this initiative and to train. It will hopefully be funded from the Energy Descent Charitable Trust and work with groups such as Kawartha Choice, the Farmers Markets and Peterborough Green-Up, with new committed volunteers putting their boots on the ground. A Strategic Permaculture plan would need to be completed by the end of 2010 for integration into the Energy Descent Action Plan. A Permaculture Town Hall is scheduled for Jan. 14/09.

F) Alternate/Renewable Energy: Alternate/renewable energy is a big part of Energy Descent. We include solar, wind and geothermal and tankless hot water. Tom Crewe TTP SC is the overall initiative leader(email tom@futureenergysystems.ca). We expect multiple citizen driven initiatives to support this effort and eventually the Energy Descent Charitable Trust to pile on more incentives to speed implementation and conversion. An Alternate/Renewable Energy Town Hall is planned for Feb. 10/09 to begin to shape this initiative.

G) Reskilling: The education of all of us on how to survive and prosper in a future social order with less energy will become a huge driver of the local economy and sustainable jobs. It would be impossible to reskill everyone without professional commitment starting in public schools through high schools, community colleges, university and adult education. A management committee led by Dr Alicja Zobel,a former biochemistry Prof. and member of the TTP SC will lead this initiative(emailzobelala@yahoo.ca)The TTP goal is to bring focus to the requirement and to work with educators to integrate the practical knowledge and skills required into existing educational curriculums. TTP will begin to shape this initiative with a Town Hall planned for Mar 18/09 to be followed by solution workshops in the spring of 2009.

H) Peak Oil /Climate Change and Social Inequity Resolution: A management committee will be set up led by Dr Alicja Zobel and Fred Irwin in order to bring this resolution forward by mid 2009. From TTP's perspective the global economic crisis has hastened the need to move some of the fundamental ideas forward to at least influence the thinking and hopefully structure of the 2009 budgets of the City and County.

These ideas are as follows:

- The resolution will include a request for a community wide focus on Energy Descent, with an emission target for 2020 and a reform of policies and budgets to support a localized essential economy.

- We encourage the city and county to complete Energy Audits benchmarking 2008. TTP and other groups are prepared to help in this effort to keep the cost down.

- The City already has an Energy Reserve for internal projects. It would be desirable to rename this The Operational Energy Descent Reserve and to set up a Community Energy Descent Reserve in 2009. We would highly recommend that these reserves use the words Energy Descent and not sustainability or even resiliency as these states are a result of focused attention on Energy Descent and its imperative that we do not take our eye off the objective and dilute effectiveness.

-The County should also set up similar reserves for 2009.

For more information about Transition Town Peterborough and our Economic Relocalization efforts, visit the Transition Town Peterborough website.