WE CAN RETROFIT our current housing solutions into the following.

Key facets of a true Sustainable Community;

• Aligning of people with similar goals and desires into community, preferably in close physical proximity, i.e. neighbours, but not necessarily so (up to 150 people or so).

• Setting up of a barter type economy within the community – stemming from an honest appraisal of skill sets and available talents of all members.

• Barter economy has knock on effect of reducing power of cash and hence will reduce peoples individual debt levels.

• Building of shared community buildings – some people can work from here instead of commuting to distant workplaces.

• Retrofitting of green technologies into our existing buildings to generate electricity, recycle water and process waste.

• Communal food production, even in our cities (roof gardens) – some community members employed solely in this task.

• Space in community building can be used to sell excess production of community members to wider community.

• Use of community building for shared social gatherings.

• Bringing pre school child care back into the local community.

• Provide alternative to mainstream education in the community. This means setting up a structured school pattern that involves a mix of classroom based education and practical life affirming sessions with chosen community members.

• Do not rely entirely on barter system, in fact a proportion of community members would still work in wider society.

• Break free of 9-5 regime in careers in wider society. Renegotiate terms and conditions and seek payment for services rendered rather than time on the job. Become more efficient on the job, thereby freeing up more time. The more time that can be freed up, the more money is saved. Also one can now dedicate more time to the community.

• Have community based decision making. Respect decisions of all, including both young and old.

• Represent ideas and decisions to wider society. These communities of 150 people or so will mushroom everywhere. In time a critical mass of sustainable communities will be reached. At this point the ideas of the individual communities are now becoming mainstream. Therefore politically they are a force.

• This political movement could take two people from each community and merge with two representatives from every other community. These representatives now truly hold the views of all individuals in society. No longer does party politics dominate our society.

• Generate medium term community plans (five years) and long term plans (fifty years).

• Generate country wide plans. Align with other countries. Have a world wide community plan and long term worldwide goal.

• Let every significant choice in life be made with the consideration of the impact on future generations.