ABSTRACT
Exploiting the apparent abundance of unconventional fossil fuels, thus, not only contributes to the very real risk of runaway climate change. This chapter looks at examples of collective action now underway to reduce present and future dependency on fossil fuel extraction. It focuses on the importance of community control over land and political processes, and on the concerns and commitments that motivate alternative visions for the future. The two case studies considered in the chapter occupy very different locations, with distinct social histories, political realities, and cultural identities. The chapter shows how communities reassess and redesign relations with the fossil fuel industry, challenging the underlying imperatives of contemporary extractive economies. The basis of the global hydrocarbon economy has hitherto been defined by reserves of conventional fossil fuels. Eigg's story of reassigning property ownership through land reform has had consequences beyond those quantified in economic terms, and these changes continue to enable the pursuit of an alternative energy future.
