How we shape our neighborhoods has far-reaching effects on the environment, our social well-being, our sense of community and connectedness. Our neighborhoods should reflect what we value as human beings. Did you know that by 2050, 75% of nearly 10 billion people will live in crowded, coastal, mega cities. These cities do not reflect our deepest values. They promote social alienation and ecological degradation. Did you also know that being socially connected can help people overcome adversity and lead longer, happier lives? Our group is called Talking Trees and our mission is to create communities in which humans can live well AND dramatically reduce their consumption and waste. We strive to redefine neighborhood development for future generations by building communities in which humans live with nature, and not separate from it. community Inside this community, you can buy or rent an energy-positive home called an Earthship; you can volunteer your time for the betterment of the community and in exchange receive food grown on the land or local goods; you can benefit from a supportive network of neighbors with whom you can share the joys and sorrows of life; you can even contribute your own talents and skills for the greatest benefit of the COMMUNITY. SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? MODERN LIVING has a dark side. It’s so easy to get our food from the store, or get clean water from the tap, that we believe there is an endless supply of resources. The production, processing, and consumption, of commodities is causing us to take our Earth’s resources for GRANTED. Meanwhile, we are quite literally hitting the physical limits of our finite planet! We are extracting and using our natural resources at a terrifying speed and this has serious repercussions. It is clear that our current human systems are unsustainable. We are supposed to be the guardians of the Earth, but we are destroying our beautiful planet. All because we want more. What happe...