Bioregions and bioregionalism in economic thought

Bioregions and bioregionalism
by David Haenke

Part 6 of Ecological Economics and Bioregionalism, a cornerstone document for creating a regenerative economy.



Throughout our exploration of ecological economics, we have emphasized that if humanity
to survive, there is no question that our economies and systems of production and distribution of vital physical goods must come under a new regime of ecological decentralism. I am positing
that the ultimate locus of ecological economics is the "bioregion", and its practice is "bioregionalism".

A bioregion is a geographical area whose boundaries are
determined by nature and not solely by humans. One bioregion is
distinguished from another by characteristics of flora, fauna,
water, climate, rocks, soils, landforms, and the human settle-
ments and cultures these characteristics have given rise to.

Bioregionalism is a comprehensive "new" way of defining and
understanding the place where we live, and of living there sus-
tainably and respectfully. In truth, what Bioregionalism repre-
sents is only new for people who come out of the Western indus-
trial-technological heritage. Its essence has been reality and
common sense for native people living close to the land for thou-
sands of years, and remains so. At the same time, bioregional
concepts are rigorously defensible in terms of science, technology,
economics, politics, and other fields of "civilized" human
endeavor.

Using ecology as the discriminator, Bioregionalism takes the
best and most presently relevant of the old, and synthesizes it
with most appropriate of the new. Bioregionalism is the most
ecological of systems of social organization, excepting the life
ways of native and indigenous peoples who still live traditionally
in intact ecosystems. It is a complete and all-inclusive way
of life, comprising the whole range of human thought and endeavor.
Bioregionalism offers a comprehensive restructuring of most
human systems using ecological design principles.