Welcome to Space to Move Around
Lifestyle design in a circular economy
What is Space To Move Around?
It’s a lifestyle design blog about living in a city with a circular economy where all kinds of waste gets repurposed instead of becoming useless. This economic system would be housed in an ecosystem shaped like a doughnut. I know — it sounds crazy and magical — just keep reading🤗
I wanted to learn more about what’s on the horizon for black people who are interested in sustainability and the environment. Since this work has a deep history of being linked together, I was curious to see what I could find that honors the wisdom and experiences of BIPOC folks and reimagines how we live on our planet in a way that is healthier for everyone. Months of following my curiosity led me to circular and doughnut economics.
What is a “doughnut” economy?
Doughnut Economics explores how we can live within earth’s boundaries for life on this planet while meeting the social needs for humans to thrive. The imagery of the doughnut has three main elements: outside the doughnut ring, the doughnut itself, and the hole in the middle.
Outside the doughnut ring is beyond what the earth can support. It’s the danger zone for the ecological systems that support life as we know it. The actual doughnut (the part that you eat) is within the limits of what earth can support and the healthiest place for us to be. To get there we can rely on the earth’s natural cycles of regeneration and distribute all kinds of resources differently. The hole in the middle is also a danger zone because in it, quality of life is wildly diminished without clean water, housing, equity, and so much more. See the graphic below for more details.
What is a circular economy?
A circular economy is a model that designs out waste and pollution, keeps materials in use, and regenerates natural systems. Many of us are used to a linear economy of take-make-waste but that system has left many people without the things they need and with a planet that can not support this kind of production.
The infographic above might seem overwhelming because of all the arrows and sciency-words but the depiction of things moving in a circular (aka butterfly) motion is clear. It shows that our current economic systems are not the only options. Systems can be redesigned!
When paired together and adjusted as needed, doughnut and circular economics can put us on track to living more harmoniously with the earth and with each other. Not to mention we'd have to learn so much about the earth’s natural systems. And all of that really excites me🤪
What you can expect
I’ll be sharing two posts per month on the following topics:
everyday lifestyle in cities with a circular economy
letting go of our attachments to “stuff”
restoring our relationship with the earth through wisdom from BIPOC folks
Invitation
Start simple!😌 Watch this 4-minute intro video about doughnut economics and this 4-minute video about circular economies.
If you want to keep learning, listen to this 3-part podcast series called "What is the circular economy?” Each of the episodes is about 20 minutes long.
Thank you!
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