| Ecovillage |
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Ecovillage members are united by shared Ecological , social or spiritual values (''see'' Intentional Community ). An ecovillage is often composed of people who have chosen an alternative to centralized power, water and sewage systems. Many see the breakdown of traditional forms of community, wasteful Consumerist lifestyles, the destruction of natural habitat, urban sprawl, factory farming, and over-reliance on fossil fuels, as trends that must be changed to avert ecological disaster. They see small-scale communities with minimal ecological impact as an alternative. However, such communities often cooperate with peer villages in networks of their own (''see'' Global Ecovillage Network for an example). This model of collective action is similar to that of Ten Thousand Villages , which supports the Fair Trade of goods worldwide. In 1991, Robert Gilman set out a definition of an ecovillage that was to become a standard. Gilman defined an ecovillage as a:
Note: In recent years, Gilman has stated that he would also add the criterion that an ecovillage must have ''multiple centres of initiative''. The principles on which ecovillages rely can be applied to Urban and Rural settings, as well as to developing and developed countries. Advocates seek infrastructural independence and a sustainable lifestyle (for example, of Voluntary Simplicity ) for inhabitants with a minimum of trade outside the local area, or Ecoregion . Rural ecovillages are usually based on Organic Farming , Permaculture and other approaches which promote Ecosystem function and Biodiversity . Some ecovillages integrate many of the design principles of Cohousing , but with a greater ecological focus and a more "organic" process, typical of permaculture design. An ecovillage usually relies on:
Its organization also usually depends upon some Instructional Capital or Moral Code s - a minimal Civics sometimes characterized as Eco-anarchism :
The term ''ecovillage'' should not be confused with Micronation , a strictly legal, not infrastructural, concept. SEE ALSO
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