Millions of Americans are declaring financial sustainability, even if they don’t exactly call it that. After all, we can’t borrow our way out of debt.

We’re paying down or paying off credit cards. We’re getting rid of our mortgage or putting an extra payment toward the principal balance (which has huge cost savings advantages). Or we’re practicing other frugality rules. According to data from the Federal Reserve, the amount Americans owe on consumer loans and credit cards plummeted $21.6 billion in July of 2009 – the largest monthly drop in consumer debt since the Federal Reserve started to track it in 1943. The “cash for clunkers” will, no doubt, alter the outcomes for August and September, but the trend continues to be less appetite for debt, not more.

People are working to get the bankers out of our lives, demanding that we become someone other than a “consumer.” So while the Federal government continues to re-affirm their “wise” decisions to bailout bankers and big finance, Americans are choosing to fire their credit card companies and break their “death pledge” (aka mortgage) by paying it off early. Of course, there are also many Americans who are in so far over their heads that unfortunately, personal bankruptcy and home foreclosure are the only remedy.

I am, however, focusing on those who thrive in abundance, simplicity and sustainability when it comes to community, lifestyle and, yes, financial intelligence. As my wife and I write about in ECOpreneuring, you cannot have ecological sustainability without a large degree of social and economic equity. The ECOnomy is not about “free trade” but fair trade; it’s about commerce that restores the planet, not destroys it or exploits people.

You can join these financial freedom-seekers too, by practicing financial sustainability. As most of us intuitively recognize, the best things in life are free (or close to it).

Read more of this story »

A 150 lb feral pig has emerged as an unlikely hero after evading capture by the authorities in Florida for an incredible five months.

The pig, dubbed ‘Wilbur’ or the ‘freedom pig’ by supporters, has survived being shot with tranquiliser darts and a taser stun gun since first appearing in a park in the Cove neighbourhood of Panama City.

Last week, Mary Sittman a follower on the “Pig of the Cove” Facebook group launched to chronicle the pig’s adventures asked, “Is the pig a symbol of our desire to live free of government controls?”

Read more of this story »

In a chilling precedent for economics bloggers around the globe, a South Korean economics blogger was arrested, and charged with “Spreading false economic information on the internet.” If convicted, the Korean economics blogger, could serve 5 years in jail.

Apparently “Minerva”, the internet pseudonym for the arrested Mr. Park aka “economic president of the internet”, gained a large following by accurately predicting the financial collapse.  “Minerva” went too far and committed a crime, according to the judge and reported by the Associated Press, by claiming on an internet discussion board that the South Korean government ” had ordered major financial institutions and trade businesses not to purchase U.S. dollars.”  His posting “affected foreign exchange markets and the nation’s credibility,” said the judge.
At this time it is impossible to verify whether the accusations are accurate, in any case Mr. Park pleaded not guilty to all charges at his court hearing on Saturday, and is receiving wide spread support in the Korean Blogosphere.

You can show your support for Mr. Park, by sending a message to the Honorable Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Tae-sik, and demand that his government immediately release Mr. Park and respect free speech on the internet.  You can also help to keep the internet free, by supporting the premier internet watchdog group, the “Electronic Frontier Foundation” with a much needed donation.

Read more of this story »

Radio, as a means of communication, is very personal, and can deliver messages right to the hearts of listeners.

Community radio can be very empowering to communities because it can inspire people to look at their needs, discuss their problems and look for solutions in a conversational manner.

Because of its conversational quality, community radio can make people become intimately involved with their own individual reality. Oral communication is deeply rooted in many African societies, and community radio can easily tap into this aspect of lived reality, and influence it to propagate environmentally friendly solutions.

Read more of this story »