Hour Trader

Dollars and Common Sense
Published - Issue #21 - Spring 2007
by Christina Calkins

The notion of infusing simplicity into our lives can help us to become more thoughtful and in tune with our surroundings. When we educate ourselves and become more conscientious about how our decisions affect others, we begin to define our community as one in which everyone plays an integral role. Economics affects each of us but tends to be a discussion reserved for a select few who want to talk supply and demand. The reality is that we all shake hands with U.S. Dollars and becoming more aware of our relationship with it makes common sense.

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Training Wheels for the Next Economy

More economists are taking a serious look at something everybody knew all along—the world is going to run out of petroleum. Recently, an article by James Howard Kunstler titled "The Long Emergency" appeared in Rolling Stone magazine and it drew national attention. Kunstler also has a book by the same title.

Although I was aware of the pending petroleum crisis, there are a few new insights I gained from the book:

• Our "Global Economy" is, in effect, the "Petroleum Economy." Cheap
petroleum is the sole reason for the high pace and scale of global

A Different Time

Imagine a world where money does not exist. How would we meet our needs? What if there were a different currency system than the one we now know? What would that money be like? Discovering the potential for something different makes participating in a community based currency system possibly one of the most profound projects around. The way local currency works is based on a simple concept: developing a community network of people, combining their time, skills, talents, goods, and services, and transforming them into valuable local money. This process is astounding simply because of the ability that people have to take control and create a local system for exchange. Everyone uses money, and the Dollar affects every single person’s life in a multitude of ways. We use dollars to feed ourselves, pay for shelter, and meet basic survival needs. With the Dollar comes the potential for great struggle or success. Redefining a monetary system on a local level allows us to shape a system that better serves the people who use it. Local currency adds to the local money supply and creates opportunities for new jobs and home based businesses. By participating in a community currency program, we are taking regional economics and on a grass roots level developing a system of local enrichment and control.