Simeon Brody
We are social beings and function best in groups or as part of a community. Of course there are a few solitary individuals but most of us want friends, family, and a sense of belonging and we actively seek the company of others who share our values.
These days it is less common to feel that our neighbours are our community. But we easily connect with like-minded people much further afield, because of cheap travel and communications, especially the internet.
It may be fun and fulfilling to foster relationships with people from afar, but I wonder whether this is at the expense of strong local communities.
Modern society, with its reliance on fossil fuels and mass marketing, could be considered as less than healthy. Even with lots of "stuff", we can feel as if we're lacking something.
Some people are therefore choosing to live in low-impact settlements, communities which aim to be in sympathy with nature, living off the land, sharing resources, re-using and recycling and looking after each other. Communes sprang up in the 1960s and 1970s, and many are still going today.
I've visited Laurieston Hall near Dumfries several times and can see the attraction, although I am living in a 1930s semi with my wife and two children.
Many "intentional communities", such as Findhorn on the Moray Firth, and Tinker's Bubble near Yeovil are thriving, and more are being set up. Recently I learned about Lammas, a planned eco-village in Pembrokeshire, where the enlightened council has a policy of giving permission to low-impact settlements which are off-grid (no mains electricity) and live off the land in a sustainable manner.
This way of living not only generates a sense of community for residents, but is truly sustainable, using far fewer fossil fuels and finite resources.
Most of us won't be able to live in an eco-village - plenty wouldn't want to - but we should wish them well as they are trying to "do the right thing" and live in harmony with each other and the planet.
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