We ask that you reflect on your own quality of life, using some framing and support to assess where you may sit on the "sliding scale". ​ The Green Bottle was created by community healing practitioner and astroherbalist Alexis J. Cunningfolk of Worts + Cunning Apothecary. I highly recommend checking out Alexis's website for more information on sliding scale philosophy and practice.

NARRATIVE: giving both ends of the scale a place to be (from Little Red Bird Botanicals) ​ Consider paying less on the scale if you:​ have significant debt do not have regular access to healthcare receive public assistance are unsure about the stability of your income for 6+ months have immigration-related expenses are an unpaid community organizer are a returning citizen who has been denied work due to incarceration history care for additional family members in need ​ Consider paying more on the scale if you: own the home you live in have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money travel recreationally pay for services such as a nanny or housekeeper have access to family money and resources in times of need work part time by choice have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.) Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice. ​​ The scale is intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take inventory of our financial resources and look deeper at our levels of privilege. It is a way to challenge the classist and capitalist society we live in and work towards economic justice on a local level. While we ask you to take these factors into consideration, please don’t stress about it. Pay what feels right.

First published in 2012 in an Oxfam report by Kate Raworth, the concept of the Doughnut rapidly gained traction internationally. Think of it as a compass for human prosperity in the 21st century, with the aim of meeting the needs of all people within the means of the living planet. The Doughnut consists of two concentric rings: a social foundation, to ensure that no one is left falling short on life’s essentials, and an ecological ceiling, to ensure that humanity does not collectively overshoot the planetary boundaries that protect Earth's life-supporting systems. Between these two sets of boundaries lies a doughnut-shaped space that is both ecologically safe and socially just: a space in which humanity can thrive.

​Solidarity economy rests on our shared values: cooperation, democracy, social and racial justice, environmental sustainability, and mutualism. Interdependence and respect are central. The solidarity economy is a global movement to build a just and sustainable economy where we prioritize people and the planet over endless profit and growth. Growing out of social movements in Latin America and the Global South, the solidarity economy provides real alternatives to capitalism, where communities govern themselves through participatory democracy, cooperative and public ownership, and a culture of solidarity and respect for the earth.