Comments on: How a Community-Based Co-op Economy Might Work

By: How a Community-Based Co-op Economy Might Work. « Economics Info

How a Community-Based Co-op Economy Might Work. « Economics Info — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:04:42 +0000

[...] Source [...]

By: Jon Husband

Jon Husband — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:36:11 +0000

I’d put this snippet, from Pt. 2. in bold.

This is not rocket science; the reason it isn’t done in traditional economy companies is that it doesn’t scale well up to the multi-national level that traditional enterprises need to grow to to continue to exist.

This is the crux of the issue, isn’t it ? The ‘business model’ and economic frame behind or underneath growth beyond a community’s needs.

By: Kir'Shara

Kir'Shara — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:09:05 +0000

Thank you for the extremely useful post! It’s great to see the essence of cooperative economics laid out in such a clear, concise, accessible presentation.

Your piece inspired me to write an essay on my own little energy descent blog, http://seldonsgate.blogspot.com/2010/08/good-news.html

Thank you for all of your writing here! It’s great stuff, I will add it to my list of regular stops on the inter-tubes…

By: Gary Alexander

Gary Alexander — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:07:30 +0000

Good article Dave. Very much in tune with activities from the Transition Network (see http://transitionnetwork.org ). Also, I’ve recently prepared a short booklet called “Sustainable Diss 2030″ that gives an accessible fictional account of how such an economy might work. It is available to download online at http://disscommunity.net .

By: Stephan

Stephan — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:12:51 +0000

Great work Dave!

Check out Bright Neighbor (www.portland.brightneighbor.com). There is an article describing how it works over at GOOD Magazine: http://www.good.is/post/a-borrower-and-a-lender-be1/

And episodes of community economies in action at http://www.brightneighbor.tv

By: Rick Dworsky

Rick Dworsky — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:57:19 +0000

“we need to unlearn the nonsense we’re taught and told” One of the greatest obstacles to finding a better way to live is the psychology of human beings living in the ‘civilized’ world. And that psychology is shaped by the ‘civilized’ world. It is a trap made of illusions. There is a scene in the classic Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon where he fights in a hall of mirrors — at first they present a perceptual problem — until he starts smashing them. Somehow we must smash the smoke and mirrors games of the “amoral-capitalist economy”. We must repossess the planet for survival… preserve and protect whatever remains of the complexity of life. Smash the mirror and see beyond.

By: Dave Pollard: How a Community-Based Co-op Economy Might Work : Chelsea Green

Dave Pollard: How a Community-Based Co-op Economy Might Work : Chelsea Green — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:31:23 +0000

[...] This article was originally published on Dave Pollard’s blog, How to Save the World [...]

By: Openworld

Openworld — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:46:31 +0000

Or, go hybrid?

A local coop of residents, for example, could self-organize to pledge a threshold level of monthly purchases from a future entrepreneur (say a coffee shop, art studio, bookstore, backyard garden upkeep service, or coworking business center) willing to locate in their neighborhood. (Web sites such as Groupon offer a simple way to pool buying power, and make purchasing pledges publicly visible.)

Then, the group could meet with interested entrepreneurs – and choose the one(s) they felt to be the most promising partners.

Are there examples of this approach being use at local levels, to minimize startup risk for incoming entrepreneurs (as well as to spare coop members the time and coordination hassles of managing business ventures)?

Best,

Mark Frazier
@openworld

By: Why do I need an agent to sell real estate in my home if I can advertise online and do a listing on the MLS. . ? | Uncategorized | Information about Careers

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:19:31 +0000

[...] How a Community-Based Co-op Economy Might Work « how to save the world [...]

By: john

john — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:58:27 +0000

David,

I have worked with both models and your descriptions are overly simplistic and generalized. I find the co-op model to be entirely inefficient and the meetings necessary to build the community early on to be burdensome and usually a waste of time. As a social entrepreneur and a farmer first, I just don’t have the time to sit in meetings and talk and explain.

I prefer the “evil” capitalist model when it comes to social change. Sorry.

John