NEW WEBSITE: LOCALIZATIONPAPERS.ORG
It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation which give happiness(Thomas Jefferson, July 12, 1788)
The University of Michigan's 10th president, in his inaugural address, said that the university has a responsibility for training and research that serve current economic and cultural needs. That was predictable and uninspiring. But what he said next was fascinating, the university also, "has a fundamental responsibility to be critical of society's current arrangements and to entertain, construct and test alternative visions." Now that was a radical and exhilarating remark.
The localization papers outline an alternative vision to society's current arrangement. They entertain the scenario of an 80% or greater drop in energy and material availability this century. This would be an historic change and it is sensible to debate the timing of this downshift. But it is also prudent to explore the implications of such a descent and then craft and test our response.
One implication is that after such a downshift, the form societies take will differ substantially from conventional expectations. There will be reduced material and energy consumption, highly localized forms of social organization, limited mobility and a decentralized settlement pattern. Life will be less affluent and more agrarian, yet there may be improved psychological well-being.
I accept that this downshift is inevitable, although I am uncertain as to its timing. Clearly, we should start the transition while there are still surpluses of material, energy and social capital. My work is about helping citizens to form an affirmative response, one that plans for, motivates and maintains meaningful behavior change, starting with each of us, where we are, now.
The localization papers seek to provide a context and framework for a reasonable response. They focus on the nature of, and the transition to, a psychologically wholesome and durable existence.
Raymond De Young
Associate Professor of Environmental Psychology and Planning
School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE)
The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1041
