Buy Local

Buy local! The Economist is catching up with this trend, citing studies that say local businesses pump more into the local economy than chain businesses owned by corporations far from the community. There's also a green argument to be made, because the carbon footprint of products made and sold within a small radius tends to be lower than items that must be transported long distances to market.

Meanwhile many cities and towns are marketing their own "buy local" programs. Here are a few organizations involved in this movement. Note the emphasis on independently-owned business participants and "shop local first" activities:

• Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) -Actively supporting "buy local" sustainability in 60+ communities
  
• Sustainable Connections - N.W. Washington state (member of BALLE)
  
• Cambridge Local First - Cambridge, MA (member of Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston)