Sustainability

Local Action and Grassroots Reponses to the Global Crisis of Sustainability

Preamble
This document begins to identify some primarily local level responses to what might be called the global crisis of sustainability. For the purposes of this project, "crisis of sustainability" is defined as: (1) the inability of the current economic system to meet people's needs without over-using the earth's resources or over-taxing its ability to absorb waste; and (2) the inability of contemporary institutions to create a secure and participatory environment for social, intellectual, and spiritual development (Korten, 1996). Participants in Anth 587, Global/Local: Crisis and Response, a graduate anthropology seminar at Emory University, conducted web-based research to find examples of groups, organizations, and movements taking creative action to address this crisis in sustainability. In order to be included in this compilation, groups/organizations/movements had to satisfy the following (somewhat arbitrary) criteria:

Action oriented – the groups we selected are all involved in direct action of some kind: education; technological innovation; sustainable farming; community organization; monitoring; toxic clean-ups, etc. Consequently, groups that engage exclusively in advocacy or lobbying for policy change are not represented in this list.
Dimensions of Sustainability – In 1987 The World Commission on Environment and Development published the Brundtland Report, defining sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Conceived as an alternative to earlier models of development rooted primarily in principles of economic growth, true sustainability is achieved through balanced tradeoffs among economic, social, and ecological needs. The activities of groups included in our list each address at least two of these three dimensions.
Internet accessible – Because the research for this project was conducted primarily via the Internet, groups without a web presence were largely excluded. As a result, this list is biased towards Western organizations and movements, particularly those in the U.S.
English Language - Due to our own language limitations, the vast majority of groups included here have English language websites.

The organizations identified through our web research were divided into four broad categories based on the focus of their activities: community; industry; agriculture; and consumption. Additional domain subheadings are included under these four major sectors. The table below shows the overall structure of this document. Click on the links in each cell of the table to jump to the names, mission statements, and (in most cases) links to the web sites of organizations included under that heading.

Our goal was not to assemble a complete or perfect list. There are currently many more groups working on issues of sustainability than can be included here, and the organizations which are represented are not necessarily the best or most important examples of work in this area. Our goal was rather to identify useful ranges of groups and their foci. In doing so, we have included groups with a great variety of organizational complexity. Some groups are small and aim to make changes at the neighborhood level; others are regional associations of groups interested in the same topic; still others are large international agencies. We hope that this list will be one useful resource among many for others interested in social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Lisa Angus
Riche Daniel-Barnes
Kathryn Frank
Carmen Homola-Brock
Sarah Lyon
Sarah Mathis
Phaedra Papavasiliou

SECTOR	DOMAIN	TOPIC AREAS
Communities	Community and Regional Planning	Eco-villages and Co-housing Urban Sustainability Conservation Economy Ecosystem Management Ecological and Civic Literacy
Industry	Health & Environmental Justice	Environmental Justice Toxins & Pesticides Air & Water Quality Reproductive Health Nuclear General Environmental Health
	Technological Alternatives	Appropriate Technology Waste Management Computers Alternative Energy Miscellaneous Information, Research, Resources
Agriculture and Rural Development	Sustainable Food and Fiber Production	Sustainable Food and Fiber Production
	Community Supported Agriculture	Community Supported Agriculture
	Rural Development	Defining Development Local Resource Control and Resistance to Globalization Post-colonial Land Reform and Rural Development in South Africa
Consumption	Alternatives to Consumerism	Voluntary Simplicity/Lifestyle Alternatives
	Consumer Responsibility	Fair Trade Labor standards Certification

References
1. Korten, D. (1996). Sustainable Development: Conventional versus Emergent Alternative Wisdom. http://www.dieoff.org/page86.htm. Originally prepared for the Office of Technology Assessment, United States Congress, Washington, DC.
2. World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our Common Future (The Brundtland Report). Oxford: Oxford University Press.