Sustainable Development Organizations:

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a nonprofit research and

Educational organization that provides technical assistance and

Information on environmentally sound economic development strategies.

Since 1974, ILSR has worked with citizen groups, governments and private

businesses in developing policies that extract the maximum value from

local resources. Does excellent work on non-chemical economies and

ideas for new economies.Great links.

Contact:

Michelle Carstensen

Address:

1313 5th Street SE

Minneapolis, MN 55414

USA

Phone: (612) 379-3815

Fax: (612) 379-3920

E-mail:

Website:

Natural Step

working internationally on a set of principles referred to as the Natural Step. (see Rachel’s Newsletters #676, 667, 668, 670)

Currently there are offices in Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands,

Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, groups are starting in South Africa and New Zealand.

Resources:

Centre for Sustainability Studies - Centro de estudios para la

Sustentabilidad

The purpose of the Centre is to develop capacity and tools for

sustainability and to continue the development of the ecological footprint

concept, created by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees at the

University of British Columbia. Its main research activity currently is to

update and improve the ecological footprint accounts of nations. The 1995

updates, commissioned by the "Union des Banques Privées" from

Geneva, will be completed by June 1999. In 1998, the Centre gave over 70

presentations, seminars and courses on sustainability and ecological

footprint applications in 10 countries. Starting January 1999, Mathis

Wackernagel will also be directing the indicator program of Redefining

Progress, an activist think-tank in San Francisco.

Address:

Universidad Anáhuac de Xalapa,

Obreros Textiles 57

dep.6 Col. M.A. Muñoz

Xalapa, Veracruz 91060

México

Phone: (52) 28-18-48-43

Website:

GEO

Grassroots Economic Organizing

RR 1, Box 124A

Stillwater, PA 17878

Website:

They provide news and a bi-monthly forum on grassroots organizing to build

and finance worker-owned, democratically run, community based, ecologically

sustainable enterprises.

Sustainability Indicator Web Sites:

Redefining Progress

Does a lot on developing indicators for sustainability.

Sustainable Community Indicators Website

Designed for volunteers and community residents this site explains how indicators relate to sustainability, how to identify effective indicators, what data sources are available, and how indicators can be used to measure progress toward building a sustainable community. 100’s of indicators listed.

Other Useful Web Sites:

Sustainable Development Virtual Library

description: A comprehensive list of internet sites dealing with sustainable development, including organizations, projects and activities, electronic journals, libraries, references and documents, databases, directories or metadatabases

INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Key issues, such as global warming, trouble in the Middle East, trade conflicts, and cancer are linked to how we grow, process, market, consume, and dispose of food. And the impacts are global. Converting land in Mexico that once grew food for local consumption into megafarms for vegetable exports affects the ecological and the social conditions around the planet. The International Forum on Food and Agriculture (IFA) was created to address these global concerns. This site will provide you with very useful information. Some information is available in other languages.