DUNCAN BARKES Why money does not need to be our god...

Fear not, I have not morphed into some new-age radical with a penchant for hessian underwear, nor have I been puffing on iffy herbal tobacco.

No, it merely occurs to me that given the current economic difficulties, the time has come to rethink the nuts and bolts of day-to-day living.

I have listened to hours of debate and read thousands of column inches regarding who is to blame for the global money mess we find ourselves in.

Predictably, the politicians blame each other, using it as a tool for the usual point scoring. Some blame the capitalist society we are part of; where money rules and the Gordon Gekko attitude of greed is good.

Life in the western world is driven by a desire to become wealthier; the better job with the bigger pay packet buys the bigger house, the flashier car and the latest 3D plasma TV.

Whether it’s getting older or the spending cuts focusing my mind, alternative living is an area I find increasingly fascinating.

I recently read about people who live ‘off-grid’. This means embracing self-sufficiency to the best of your ability: growing your own food, extreme recycling and taking the make-do-and-mend mantra to the max.

I was also intrigued by the article in this paper a couple of weeks ago about the latest brainwave from Transition Chichester.

A community organisation whose main aim is to persuade us to consume less energy, they have just launched a new currency for Chichester and the surrounding areas.

Branded the ‘TCHI,’ it takes the form of a paper note. Each note is worth a nominal One Hour of Time, which members of the scheme offer or ‘buy’ from each other for a variety of different services.

Everyone’s time is equal in value, according to an egalitarian ethos, so whether you are a surgeon or an unemployed school leaver, your ‘price’ is exactly the same.

It is certainly an inspirational concept, and one that takes us away from the cash-is-king modus operandi and a great initiative to help rebuild communities.

Find out more at the website www.transitionchichester.org