Climate change is forcing us to rethink our lifestyles, but green consumerism won't save the planet. Mainstream approaches simply cannot deliver the radical changes we need for a sustainable society. This book, now available in paperback, offers a fresh look at sustainable consumption, presenting a holistic "New Economics" approach. It explores how grassroots community actions for sustainability are experimenting with new ways of working, measuring value and progress, and expressing ecological citizenship. Local organic food systems, low-impact eco-housing, and complementary currencies are examined to measure their success at delivering localized economies and inclusive communities, enabling people to reduce their ecological footprints, harnessing collective energies and building new forms of social organization. Viewing these activities as innovative "green niches," the book explores the opportunities for grassroots innovations to spread and influence wider society, and the barriers preventing them achieving their potential.

1. Introduction: A Consuming Issue 2. Sustainable Consumption: A Mainstream Agenda 3. Sustainable Consumption and the New Economics 4. Grassroots Innovations for Sustainable Consumption 5. Sustainable Food: Growing Carrots and Community 6. Sustainable Housing: Building a Greener Future 7. Sustainable Currencies: Green Money from The Grassroots 8. Conclusions: Seedbeds for Sustainable Consumption References Index