Last month we talked about some aspects of local or community (or "complementary") currencies and you can find details of some of the ideas that are circulating and the projects that are being tried on the websites listed below. The key reason why the money system is going to have to change radically and new money systems are going to have to be used is that our present money system is based on the assumption of constant economic growth. As a result, our economy breaks down if growth is not achieved. Since, as we know, economic growth is going to be very difficult to achieve in a post-carbon world and the world economy will contract sharply as oil and gas supplies decline, ideas about the new national and international money systems required are needed now. Earlier this month, Post Carbon Fellow Richard Douthwaite submitted proposals on behalf of Feasta to a British government enquiry into how economies are
going to have to adapt to a lower-carbon-emissions world. The submission
may be found here on the Feasta website.

More information about community currencies:

• The Worldwide Database of Complementary Currency.
• Current and legacy LETSystem and openmoney.

• Money and community.

• The money problem.

• Current openmoney system design.

• On-line demonstration of web software.
• Fund raising with community way.
• An explanation of community way via a fictional scenario of youth enterprise.

  (Post Carbon Institute Director Julian Darley designed the website architecture and produced all the films associated with this site)