The Last Inherently Green Market in the World.

The global economy relies mostly on the burning of fossil fuels in order to remain cheap and competitive. Consumers may like the idea of a green economy, but most simply aren’t willing to shell out the extra cash to those companies who are truly sustainable in their manufacturing and distributing habits. Independent arts are a subculture outside of this dilemma. Relying on human labour, elbow grease, and creativity, indie arts are an inherently sustainable market. The modern economy makes climate change difficult to fight. Sustainability starts with individual independence in all areas of human life.

It simply isn’t the nature of independent arts to be profit driven. The point being more about making a statement, expressing oneself, achieving a sense of purpose in this crazy world. Monetary profit plays a small part. This is why there is not much of a competitive market for indie arts. What the consumer of the independent craft seeks cannot be found anywhere else. Commercial options present no competition because they lack the authenticity, time, effort, and love that goes into the indie options.

The stainable qualities of the independent arts lie in the following aspects:
- Independent retail shops are less spread out (usually not part of a chain), smaller, require less heat and light, and involve little or no shipping, usually involving transport means such as the artists room mates / boyfriend / whoever they can swindle into helping them. 14% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the country come from the mass movement of goods, often by truck or airplane. There are virtually no emissions from the shipping of local, independent crafts. Not to mention that sweatshop labour is eliminated from the process and foreign trade issues don’t apply.

- Supporting local contributes to the local economy. In these tough times, we need it.

- Minimally packaged items mean less energy goes into the manufacturing, and less methane produced after use as it hangs out in a landfill for years.

- Independent arts utilize more eco friendly alternative forms of energy, as human labour, not fossil fuels, is the primary source. A strong human working at peak efficiency can sustain an output of about .8 kilowatts for a few hours a day. To employ this human as a labourer at minimum wage would be $8.75 per hour. This means that human labour is 60x as expensive as electricity, and 200x the price of gas. Carbon fuels are extremely cheap in relation to human labour. Unfortunately, the path of least resistance is the path full of gaping carbon footprints.

- Similar to retrofitting an old building to make it more sustainable, arts initiatives that repair or modify old clothes provide a creative way of reusing old materials rather than tossing it into a landfill. The repairs utilize little to no energy (save the emotional turmoil and toil of the creative labourer. But that will make him / her better, in the end). The art form of silkscreen, an increasingly popular medium in Toronto, can be done very efficiently, using the light of the sun, hand- made wooden screen frames, and recycled t-shirts. The tools for which can be re-used hundreds of times over.

- Indie arts raise awareness for other independent, sustainable initiatives. The local band may inadvertently promote the local bar, the hand - made clothing, etc.

Design and sustainability go hand in hand, and independent arts are no exception. Art mirrors life. The need to decrease our dependence on wasteful, large scale enterprises for food, energy, and shelter is increasingly evident in the rising climate. True independence starts with indie initiatives like arts and crafts. They teach resourcefulness, creativity, and self reliance.