Relocalization - The Sustainable Communities Movement
Relocalization is a movement with the goal of relocalizing or decentralizing as a response to not only "peak oil" but also social and environmental degradation. The relocalization movement is basically about rebuilding sustainable, largely self-sufficient communities.
The movement rejects the idea of non-essential international trade and for that matter any non-essential trade, hence oil-fueled transportation that comes at environmental cost. Relocalization is not about isolationism though, it accepts globalization in the sense of maintaining global connections for the purpose of information sharing and the advancement of science and knowledge. Their slogan is, "Local Communities. Global Connections."
The movement makes perfect sense. Unless humanity stumbles upon a clean, free energy source very soon "relocalization" will be enforced by the natural order!
The fact is, we have built an economic system and social system dependent on cheap, non-renewable fossil fuel. Now we are seeing the real costs; possibly devastating climate change, gradual erosion of community and its consequent social costs and wars over fossil fuel resources.
The relocalization movement is about adapting to a low energy future and extricating ourselves from the system which has caused so much damage.
Relocalize.net is a website initiative of the Post Carbon Institute. The website contains resources for food systems, energy alternatives, transportation, production/manufacturing, currency alternatives, built environment and culture.
The idea of the website is to facilitate networking between established post carbon groups, to help interested parties find local groups, provide a means of sharing what does and does not work and generally ensure there is no unnecessary duplication.