Many of you are already aware of the benefits of buying local. It is well known that when buying local, a greater percentage of the money circulates throughout the surrounding community and helps create, you guessed it, local jobs, rather than being shipped across the country to the accounts of business people and shareholders who may never set foot in New Hampshire.  Additionally, local businesses are more likely to have a vested interest in their communities, by supporting local non-profits or little league teams, for example.  Local businesses also play a large part in making New Hampshire communities unique and more desirable, serving as much needed alternatives to the commercial strip-malling of America.  What you might not know are some of the environmental benefits of keeping things local.

Local businesses generally have less of a negative impact on the environment in a number of ways, most notably from a far lower transportation requirements.  As many goods are not able to be manufactured or produced locally, this benefit pertains mostly to food.  In his worthwhile and bestselling book, Deep Economy, New England environmentalist Bill McKibben points out that the average bite of food travels over 1,500 miles before reaching us.  This means that most transported food takes much more energy to grow and move than the energy that food contains, calorie-wise.  Of course, when packaging is taken into account, it gets even worse.  McKibben cites a study that found that if we ate local, we would be reducing our energy consumption by an amount equal to that we would save by reducing our household energy use by 20%.  It is also worth noting that local usually foods have much less packaging, thus further conserving energy and materials.

There are environmental incentives to support local businesses that sell products other than food as well.  For one, local businesses are able to make more local purchases, further reducing energy consumption and emissions and continuing to keep the money in the community.  Local businesses are also more likely to be closer to their customers than the alternatives, meaning it reduces the amount of time and fuel spent shopping.  Shopping locally also invariably strengthens the tax base of communities, which leads to an increased revenue to potentially further strengthen the community and increase its environmental practices.

We all know the type of community that we enjoy, the kind that attracts visitors and potential residents.  There are many such communities of various sizes scattered throughout New Hampshire.  I would almost guarantee that the type of community you enjoy is not made up of department stores, giant plastic signs, strip-malls and parking lots.  I’m willing to bet your ideal community would consist of a more pedestrian and bicycle friendly area with character and charm, containing unique businesses where relationships between the customers and the businesses, and between the businesses and the communities, are facilitated.  And hey, saving the earth a little can only help, right?  New Hampshire has made considerable headway, and certainly has the potential to go further.  Buying locally would be a great way to start.