Sustainable Investing
Moving Wealth from Wall St. to our Local Communities
Many observers argue that genuine, long-term sustainability requires a re-localization of our economy. Investment and enterprise must work in harmony with natural systems, rather than exploit them from a distance for maximum financial gain. Decisions about resource use should be made by those more connected to communities and ecosystems. Here are some resources for learning about this way of thinking. Consider making your own personal investments more local and sustainable.
An excellent new resource on investing in Vermont
Post Carbon Institute, in collaboration with Vermonters for a New Economy and other organizations, has published a concise, accessible, and very useful overview of local investing: Vermont Dollars, Vermont Sense. This guidebook is available free online at scribd.com.
Some key books that explain the problem with the current global economy and benefits of relocalization:
Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth by David Korten (2010)
Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity by Michael Shuman (2012)
Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered by Woody Tasch (2008)
Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit from It by Amy Cortese (2011)
Owning Our Future: The Emerging Ownership Revolution by Marjorie Kelly (2012)
Online resources
Green America provides practical resources and background information on social investing.
Slow Money is a growing national network of visionary investors
Slow Money Vermont is building a network here
The Vermont Community Loan Fund is a well-established vehicle for putting money to work in communities around the state
BALE (Building a Local Economy) in the White River Valley is launching a local investment group
Resilience.org contains numerous informative articles on building stronger local economies
The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment provides information and resources for investment professions and others