Has your local Occupy site been evicted? Mine, too.
There’s an easy/fun/challenging, beautiful way to live the movement: Occupy Yourself.
For one day, maybe every day, let's shut the system down:
* Don’t buy anything.
* Don’t use fossil fuel or nuclear gernerated electricity.
* Don’t consume mass media.
* Close accounts you don’t use.
* Shed things you don’t need.
* Donate your old things to charity.
* Freecycle your unwanted stuff; get the stuff you need by asking!
Here's how to Occupy your Money. What can you do?
* Move your money to a credit union. There are hundreds to choose from. What's around the corner from you? I am a member of Alterna Savings www.alterna.ca
* Move any investments you might have out of the tar sands and into the right hands. Got an RRSP lurking around destroying things against your will? Try asking about Ethical Funds and challenge them to find you Tar Sand-free funds www.ethicalfunds.com Here's a list of Canadian Ethical Mutual Fund Providers http://resps.org/emfcdnlist.htm
* Invest in renewable energy. I am a member of WindShare www.windshare.ca
SolarShare http://solarbonds.ca/ and use
Bullfrog's Green Gas http://www.bullfrogpower.com/products/naturalgas.cfm and
Electricity! http://www.bullfrogpower.com/products/electricity.cfm
*Invest in cooperatives. I invested in Community Car Share even though I don't drive! http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/ I am also a long time member of Karma Coop Food Store www.karmacoop.org What coops are in your area?
* Keep your money local. Boycott chains. Barter with neighbours. Support small and family businesses. Buy your produce at a farmer's market. Use CraigsList. See if you can keep 95% of your money circulating locally.
* Use money as a last resort. Freecycle. Reuse. Repair. Donate. Trade. Gift. Put it on the curb for pick up. Find cool stuff. Ask. Put it on Craigs List. Barter. Find it on Craigs List. Visit your local dump. Inspire creative anti consumption.
* Last but not least! Make your own stuff! We've been conned into buying all sorts of things that our grandparents knew how to make simply, easily and cheaply. DIY your toothpaste, soap, body care, shaving cream, cleaning products. And soup. And tofu. And kombucha tea. Rediscover the joy of making. Feel empowered. And spare our home planet tons of garbage!
A momentum is occurring
People are uniting across the world
They are sending a message
The next step is fast approaching
"The System is Over, If We Want It"
Millimetre by millimetre we could SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN.
Email me to tell me something you did to Occupy Yourself and Shut the System Down
and I'll give you a Gift Certificate for a FREE DIY Workshop.
We step out of the system and step back into ourselves.