Why Local?
Thursday, September 17, 7:30 to 9 a.m.
In this presentation, “ Why Local?” David Hess will discuss the phenomenon of "buy local" and "bank local" campaigns that are emerging across the country. He'll describe what it means to call a business "locally owned and independent" and the research that has emerged to demonstrate the contributions that the independent business sector makes to job creation, regional economies, and the quality of life. He'll then discuss Capital District Local First and its affiliate national organization, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, and emerging campaigns.  As a board member of Capital District Local First, Hess has been visiting other organizations in New York State, and he will discuss some of the legislative goals and campaigns that are emerging at a regional and national level. Finally, he'll discuss some of the findings in his new book Localist Movements in a Global Economy that explores how the independent business sector can be connected with efforts to improve environmental sustainability and opportunities for diverse social groups.

Presented by:
David Hess, Author and Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s
Cost: $10 with reservations; $15 without
Location: Skidmore College, 2nd floor of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, 815 North Broadway
RSVP: Friday, September 15 to 584-3255 or click here

Who is David Hess?

David J. Hess is a professor in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Science and Technology Studies and director of the program in Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University and a master's and doctorate in anthropology from Cornell University. He is the recipient of two Fulbrights, a Social Science Research Council fellowship, and the Diana Forsythe Prize, and he has been a PI and co-PI on multiple National Science Foundation grants.

His research focuses on social movements, with a focus on scientific, technological, health, and environmental dimensions. His most recent book published by MIT Press, "Localist Movements in a Global Economy: Sustainability, Justice, and Urban Development in the United States", provides an overview of the localist movement in the United States, from "buy local" campaigns to urban agriculture, and its potential for addressing global problems of sustainability and justice.
 

To learn more about Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute visit www.capitaldistrictlocalfirst.org