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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Is 3/50 the new 350?
  • Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:40:31 -0700


Is 3/50 the new 350?
Will the local economy movement replace the 'climate movement'?
Sat, Jan 16 2010 at 8:37 PM EST
http://www.mnn.com/technology/research-innovations/blogs/is-350-the-new-350

I was sad to hear that 350.org will be closing its doors at their San
Francisco office. As one of the clearest voices to emerge since the inception
of the climate movement, 350.org brought hard science to the masses and
succeeded in creating one of the most successful viral media campaigns in
support of climate regulation — a nationwide photo opp on Oct. 24 in which
hundreds of thousands of people from around the world called for a global
target of 350 PPM* of atmospheric carbon.

With climate scientist Bill McKibben at the helm, “3-5-0” became the rallying
cry for the entire NGO community who called on world leaders to dispense with
the IPCC’s not-to-exceed target of 450 PPM, a target which dooms many
developing nations to complete economic collapse and is some cases (for
instance the Maldives) total annihilation by the end of the century.

Unfortunately any hard target (much less one so ambitious) was, as Naomi
Klein said, “never on the table.” And despite the millions of voices who
echoed the 350 cry during the Copenhagen protests, the dream of 350 now seems
dashed. (The good news is the core team will be hunkering down to plan for a
brand new campaign in 2010, and given the high caliber individuals involved,
I’m sure it will take the climate movement to the next level.)

But let’s get back to the subject of these three magical numbers, 3-5-0.

About a year after the launch of McKibben’s 350.org, one local retailer in
Minneapolis named Cinda Baxter saw an Oprah show which encouraged a
moratorium on shopping to help the environment. She realized then she had to
create a campaign that reframed the issue of consumerism entirely — it’s not
shopping itself that’s killing the planet; it’s HOW people are shopping.

By spending your dollars on independent retailers, local farmers and local
manufacturers, (instead of national or international chains) you can benefit
the environment while helping build the economic base of your own local
community.

In a March 2009 blog she named her campaign “3/50” which encapsulates her
formula for local economic success — spend $50 a month on three different
local retailers per month. In so doing (assuming half the employed population
spends $150 per month) the U.S. could direct more than $125 billion in local
revenue, generating 50 percent more employment and tax opportunities within
local communities.


It took off like wildfire and has garnered a blitz of national media
attention for the “other 350” campaign.

In looking at the epic failure of the climate advocacy movement which now
feels something akin to an existentialist play (maybe this one stars a hero
who pushes a dead elephant up a hill forever) I ask you this ...

Is 3/50 the new 350?

Does the only hope for moving the climate needle in favor of planetary
survival lie in the hands of local shoppers?

For decades (since the publication of the book Small is Beautiful by
economist E.F. Schumacher —highly recommended read!) a “Local First” movement
has been afoot here in the U.S. spearheaded by the BALLE network. And for
decades they have been putting forth the gospel of local economies — how they
are good for the environment, enhance quality of life and create sustained
economic prosperity (as opposed to the Wall Street Ponzi-scheme variety).

Now with a stalled climate movement and the recent success of the 3/50 local
economies campaign, I wonder if the two movements are set to converge. Local
economies have a lot going for them — they are inherently low(er) carbon and
have broad appeal to people on both sides of the political spectrum. Most
importantly, no charts, graphs or slideshows are required.

In a Sustainable Industries event this week, Arianna Huffington made a
significant proclamation in regards to energy legislation: "Government is
broken."

If so, is the local economy movement the logical next step?




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  • [Livingontheland] Is 3/50 the new 350?, Tradingpost, 01/20/2010

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