Relocalizing Windsor

I was making a pitch about this blog the other day. The feedback we are receiving is great and I can see …Scale Down entering other forms of media in the effort to reach more people. When I was asked about the purpose of the blog, I went on to explain our emphasis on our built environment and our need to refocus our attention to strengthening the physical and social infrastructure that we've already invested in as opposed to our current drive to continually spread ourselves too thin. Removing any roadblocks currently in front of our local economy as opposed to seeking out and subsidizing big-box "solutions" to our current economic crisis. It was then that it struck me, …Scale Down is another group pursuing many of the ideals of the Relocalization movement.

Whereas the established "Relocalization" movement is focused on abating the effects of peak oil, with a fundamentalist demeanor, we are more focused on community quality-of-life goals. In the end, however, the two routes taken will inevitably lead to the same destination - a more compact, self-sufficient community who's time is spent more on community ethics than consumption values.

What is the traditional definition of "Relocalization"?

Relocalization is the most hopeful alternative to unsustainable corporate globalization is a reinvestment in our own communities, building vibrant local economies based on cooperation instead of competition, meeting people's needs instead of manufacturing desires, and respecting the natural environment around us.

Relocalization is the rebuilding of our societies on a human scale, forging strong local economies based on mutually beneficial cooperation instead of predatory competition, meeting people's real needs instead of manufacturing desires, and respecting the natural environment that is the basis of our existence.

Relocalization is an essential adaptation to the depletion of non-renewable resources (oil, natural gas, coal, and even water), and a solution to global warming and other ecological crises.

Relocalization means the democratization of our social, economic, and political lives — an antidote to the community disempowerment and “race to the bottom” fostered by corporate globalization. Regaining control over our future is the key to building healthier, happier, stronger, and more equitable communities throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.