Bioregionalism
Bioregions are natural social units determined by ecology rather than economics, and that can be largely self-sufficient in terms of basic resources such as water, food, products and services. Bioregionalism has at its heart two of the central principles of green economics: balance and cycles. Ecology demands that we recognize our part in a complex web of natural systems and this should reflect the places we choose to live and how and where we choose to access our resources. This is what we mean by living in balance with nature. Respecting the natural cycles of life is often referred to as ‘closing the loop’, so that within our bioregional economy we are responsible for all our waste and we have a neutral impact on the natural cycles that maintain the earth in balance, primarily the carbon cycle.
According to Robert Thayer in his book LifePlace: Bioregional Thought and Practice (2003):
A bioregion is literally and etymologically a ‘life-place’—a unique region definable by natural (rather than political) boundaries with a geographic, climatic, hydrological and ecological character capable of supporting unique human and non-human living communities. Bioregions can be variously defined by the geography of watersheds, similar plant and animal ecosystems, and related identifiable landforms and by the unique human cultures that grow from natural limits and potentials of the region.
Your bioregion is effectively your backyard. It is the part of the planet you are responsible for. Bioregionalism means living a rooted life, being aware of where your resources come from and where your wastes go. It is the opposite of a life lived in the limited knowledge that food comes from Tesco, leaving everything to the global corporations who are only too willing to take on this responsibility in return for their profits. Unlike political boundaries, bioregional boundaries are flexible, but should be guided by the principle of subsidiarity in the case of any individual resource or service. Within the bioregional approach beginning with the local is a principle that trumps principles such as price or choice. Within our bioregional economy we are responsible for all our waste and we have a neutral impact on the natural cycles that maintain the earth in balance, primarily the carbon cycle. From a bioregional perspective the ideal way to organise your economy is by borrowing for your needs from the local environment.
According to the traditional method of measuring emissions, energy generation is the largest source, followed by transport. However, once we take into account the energy embodied in consumer goods, both in their manufacture (which is assigned to the carbon account of the country where they are produced) and in their transport (which is unaccounted because emitted outside national borders), the figures look very different, as displayed in a graphic I haven't managed to upload yet, but will soon, God willing! It is based on data from the Carbon Trust and illustrates that, recreation and leisure accounts for by far the largest single source of emissions, accounting for more than one-fifth. Space heating also contributed a significant amount, while the consumption of food, household and clothing goods combined contribute more than one-third of total emissions. More detailed figures show that the majority of this is indirect, i.e. generated during the transport of the goods or in their manufacture overseas. In other words it does not form part of the carbon dioxide figures that are being target for Kyoto-related reductions.
This is why re-creating a bioregional economy is important: if we were to meet our needs for food, clothing and household goods from local, sustainable production we could drastically reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions.