Design for a Shared Future
Sharing with others is one of the positive stories to tell in the face of a harsh future, but how we tell that story is paramount.
Ann Light
Composting Coop Taps into the Unbroken Spirit of Rust Belt Cities
Today Cleveland boasts over 200 community gardens. I am proud to say I get to work with a handful of them in a unique way.
Seed sharing in US threatened by regulation
Local regulators in the US are starting to apply laws meant for big, corporate seed producers to the approximately 300 community seed libraries in the US. Unless regulators are stopped soon, these seed libraries may be quickly regulated out of existence. State regulators are copying one another and, unfortunately, this trend is gaining momentum.
Utility 3.0: How to Democratize Energy in the U.S.
In a December 2014 report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, John Farrell makes the case for a more radical shift, which he calls "Utility 3.0" or "energy democracy."
SELC and Shareable Kickoff Campaign to Save Seed Sharing in the U.S.
The campaign is designed to educate people about seed sharing issues, support seed sharing communities, and reform overzealous seed laws.
An Insider’s Guide to Sharing City Detroit
Unbeknownst to most who have yet to venture through my beloved city, Detroit is a sharing city.
Cuba is Using Cooperatives to Decentralize its Economy
With the recent announcement that the US will normalize relations with Cuba, change is in the air for the island country. Just a few years before this, Cuba began shifting its economy from state-controlled enterprises to citizen-controlled cooperatives.
Inventing the Roads of Tomorrow
Have you ever driven down a dark road, in the middle of the night, looked to your right or left, and noticed how beautiful the road’s lines were?
The Story of Hudson Valley Seed Library
In 2004, Ken Greene was working as a librarian in Gardiner, New York when he decided to go beyond the bounds of his own personal garden and take his passion for seed saving into a more public, community-based arena.
Duluth City Council Unanimously Passes Seed Sharing Resolution
Seed activists can put a mark in the win column. Recently, the city council in Duluth, Minnesota passed a resolution supporting seed saving and sharing in the city (see video below of the council meeting).
Omni Commons Opens Collaborative Space for Collectives in Oakland
As urban property becomes more unaffordable and commercialized and the commons disappear, some groups are pooling their resources for shared space, shared resources, and creative collaboration.
How a Startup D.C. Purchasing Coop Saved Members $1 Million
A social-purpose cooperative that leverages the buying power of community institutions, the Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA)…helps over 130 churches, synagogues, schools and other institutions save money and make investments in environmental sustainability, worker equity, and community organizing.
