Future Standards

In the Berkshires, a small mountainous community in Southern Massachusetts, thier local currency, Berkshares, are helping the local stave off the gloomy economy. While local currencies are nothing new, they are proving a fomidable method of helping locals maintain local integrity while remaining stable in this globalised economy.

“In the last four years, there has been a renewed interest in local economy, local production,” said Witt, executive director of the E. F. Schumacher Society, a Massachusetts-based think tank focused on local production. “It just skyrocketed with the collapse of the global economy.”

This is a great method for communities moving towards sustainability as it addresses a variety of sustainability issues, not the least of which are building stronger communities and cutting back on carbon emissions. While this methodology has both pros and cons, it is great to explore creativity in the market so as to learn more about the alternatives to the one system currently awash with struggle.