Short Circuit: Strengthening Local Economies for Security in an Unstable World

Short Circuit resonates. A vital read for uncertain times. -- Sara Parkin, Green Party founder Short Circuit is an indispensable tool-kit for communities and individuals seeking to initiate their own renewal from within. Douthwaite feels that in this time of global uncertainty each community should build an independent local economy capable of supplying its own goods and services. He details the financial structures necessary for self-reliance and the techniques already being used by some pioneering communities around the world. These include local currency and community banks, such as the one in Ithaca, New York; communities which provide their own energy generation, such as wind-energy co-ops in Denmark; and Maleny, a small town in Australia which Douthwaite feels is using more of these self-sufficiency techniques than any other place. Blending sophisticated analysis with practical guidance, Short Circuit opens up a wide range of possible futures and demonstrates sources of empowerment and cultural identity beyond conventional politics and economics. To help those interested in learning more, Douthwaite provides detailed information on hundreds of groups, magazines, and environmental and ecological associations worldwide.