Food - Local organic farms are essential to a sustainability plan. A good farm will not use chemical fertilizers or pesticide but will use clean natural fertilizers such as chicken dung; replacing pesticides with specific insects that feed on agri-pest and practice crop rotation to avoid soil depletion. (for more info click here)

Energy - Solar and wind energy production are efficient on small scales such as supplying electricity to a small group of homes or businesses. With the efficiency rate of solar increasing almost weekly it is absolutely feasible to have a solar and wind energy station supplying constant electricity to a group of 5 or 6 homes/businesses.

Water - Like food, is essential to our existence. With climate change upon us, water may be a scarce commodity. Water capture systems such as rain-runoff storage systems and moisture condensers are perfect for small groups of homes. Water reuse systems such as naturally filtered gray-water would supply a non-potable water supply for gardens and lawns.

Waste streams, from our landfills to our sewers, are a significant source of pollution. Each year our landfills have to expand to handle the enormous about of garbage that our society generates. Our sewer plants are expanding as well, many experiencing leaks that get into our water supply and soil. By using Eco-Restorer systems such as the "Living Machine ™" by Living Technologies Ltd., a group of homes/businesses can treat their own waste using bacteria, algae, plants and micro-organisms all inside a greenhouse. Organic household garbage can be composted and the remainder can be recycled. Locally bought items need no packaging thereby reducing senseless plastic and cardboard waste. For more info on Eco-Restorer systems, click here.

Shelter - Affordable homes are becoming scarce, especially for our young adults. As the cost of homes rise the young and lower income families are being priced out of the market. The Chrysalis Institute believes the solution is to utilize our local resources and produce affordable homes made of cob, papercrete and straw. Cob homes are made from clay, sand and straw. Locally available resources. Papercrete is simply recycled paper and a small amount of portland cement. Strawbale homes are made from strawbales and cob. Standard construction homes are resource and energy intensive whereby alternative homes uses locally natural resources and requires much less energy.

Transportation - 27 billion tons of CO2 is released into the air each year from burning fossil fuels. The average person is responsible for 7 tons per year. By walking or biking to work, school or the grocery you can help reduce the CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, most people work to far from home or school to walk or bike. By grouping homes close to work places, we could all walk or bike. The use of Hybrid vehicles can help to reduce the average persons CO2 by a ton a year. Bio-fuel vehicles help to reduce carbons but still emit CO2 and particulate matter. Better yet is all electric vehicles that can be charged from a solar or wind energy source. Sensible and responsible mass-transit utilizing biofuels, hydrogen fuel-cells and hybrids can drastically cut down the emissions and the massive amount of vehicles on the roads. (Click here to calculate how much CO2 you emit each year.)

Psychology - The biggest challenge to local sustainability is the mind set behind it. Local sustainability requires a change of perspective, something not easily changed in our current consumer oriented society. In order to attain true sustainability, we believe people must break the bonds that the mega-marketing and corporate controllers have on our society. We should strive to regain control of our lives locally in order to make changes globally. A reconnect to the planet is needed. An understanding of the many systems that make up our planet helps us to be aware of our place within these systems. By embracing the planet as a living system, we start to see and feel the symbiotic relationship between us and the Earth. We establish a connection. John Muir the great American Naturalist said "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."