3.5 - In Transition

Question 1

What is localism?

Answer 1

• range of political philosophies which prioritise local over global trade

Question 2

What does localism support?

Answer 2

• local production and consumption of goods
• local government control
• promotion of local culture and history

Question 3

What advantages does localism have?

Answer 3

• increases sustainability
• encourages money to stay within communities
• makes relationships within communities stronger
• encourages repairing items
• reduces food/trade miles for some products

Question 4

What downsides does localism have?

Answer 4

• locally produced produce may actually have higher emissions than imports
  
  • eg. Tomatoes grown in heated greenhouses are worse
• produce may not be grown on same scale as elsewhere, results in higher unit price
• will obviously impact suppliers in developing world as they lose income

Question 5

What was the aim of the Totnes Pound?

Answer 5

• encourage people to spend within town
• was not used elsewhere, thus locked people (tourists +locals) into the one area

Question 6

What was Totnes intention in its transition town idea?

Answer 6

• remove reliance on global finance
• build local currency and economy using local resources
• rebuild communities within community
• be more sustainable