Tomorrow, November 18th, is Buy Local Day . Buying locally is an important decision that the Zerofootprint community can make to reduce their environmental impact and benefit their community. The idea is that you can vote with you dollars to encourage a greener world. By taking part in the campaign you are part of a movement that is saying it supports independent businesses and local producers.

The Buy Local Day campaign is organized by Global Exchange , which is an organization that promotes social, environmental, and economic justice. Here’s what they say about why buying locally is a critical component of moving towards a more sustainable world: • Local businesses produce more income, jobs, and tax receipts for local communities than big box stores do. • Local businesses are more likely to utilize local ads, banks and other services. •Local businesses donate more money to nonprofits and are more accountable to their local communities. •Supporting local businesses preserves the economic diversity of our communities and the unique character of our neighborhoods. •Supporting local businesses is good for the environment, because it cuts down on fuel consumption. Buying locally produced goods reduces the need to ship goods from thousands of miles away and also cuts down on the distances shoppers travel.

Check out the Rainforest Action Network as well to make a pledge to buy locally that you can forward to your networks.