Well, I missed it, but this past Thursday night at Quail Ridge Books, Lyle Estill spoke about his book Small is Possible - Life in a Local Economy. Lyle is VP of Stuff at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro. Small is Possible is the story of how one small town in Chatham County NC figured out how to cultivate a vibrant local economy:

“Unwilling to rely on government and wary of large corporations, these residents discovered it is possible for a community to feed itself, fuel itself, heal itself and govern itself.”

Given the current cost of transportation, I don’t see how local economies can’t become stronger, including the increase in density of urban development and efficient space design. Kind of ironic in the whole ‘Global Economy’ that’s been so forefront since the ’90’s.

Quail Ridge Books is a great independently owned bookstore in the Ridge Road shopping center on Wade Avenue in Raleigh. There are always interesting events there - this past spring, Sarah Susanka spoke. I really have got to stop missing these things!

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