Bootstrapping climate protection

I'm beginning exploration of a concept I call the "climate protection bootstrap". "Bootstrapping" is the process of bringing a diverse collection of components to a state of functioning together synergistically. Local action on climate change can be started up by focused action on leverage points, or "sustainability clusters."

A sustainability cluster is a subsystem of life activities within a particular sphere, such as transportation, food or water and wastewater systems. This cluster or subsystem is structured to be able to 1) derive its own power from sun, wind or biomass; 2) create no net waste. The sustainability cluster or "S-cluster", once set in motion, will perform its function indefinitely, without impacting or depleting planetary systems.

I will be proposing a set of S-clusters that, when put together, will form the infrastructure for a zero-carbon community. The S-clusters will be concerned with food, water, energy, transportation, wastewater, solid waste and finally and possibly most importantly, the materials S-cluster. The materials S-cluster deals with the production of materials from which other things are fabricated. This is potentially the most important S-cluster because it underlies all the others.