Learn More About Stephanie Mills

PBS Documentary Film pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/earthdays

Stephanie Mills’s website smillswriter.com

Bay Bucks baybucks.org

Stephanie Mills, Post Carbon Institute postcarbon.org/person/36221-stephanie-mills

Stephanie Mills Books: Whatever Happened to Ecology? In Praise of Nature In Service of the Wild Turning Away from Technology Tough Little Beauties On Gandhi’s Path Epicurean Simplicity

I think that is one of the bright spots. And, and not just here, but all across the land actually. Because it’s so fundamental, you know, it’s so fundamental. It gets you to the root of all kinds of problems, and it requires you to look at some things that need systemic change. I love that the farmers market is so popular that we’re getting multiple farmers markets, and that there’s a culture of local food developing around here. And we need way more of it, way more of it.

The question of localism vs. globalism is a sticky one. There’s the old slogan “Think globally, act locally.” How do we strike that balance? How do you view activism outside of one’s watershed or bioregion? Should I be working on trying to preserve Alaska, or should I just be working on the place where I live?

Maybe it doesn’t have to be either/or. Maybe you figure out what proportion of your time and treasure you want to devote to those things. And some of it’s intuitive—it’s kind of what presents itself. I’ve been involved with our local currency for a while, and before that I was involved with the natural foods co-op, and partly I chose them, partly they chose me. So I think it’s to people to discover that balance out of their own gifts and proclivities. Just dive in and follow your heart. However, I think that being well informed about ecological concerns is sort of primary. It does seem to be the way that the planet has been setting its priorities for 4 billion years.

Aaron Brooks writes from Elk Rapids. aaronsbrooks@gmail.com