Open Space write up (UK conference May-07)

Specific Topic How to put together the Energy Descent Action Plan

 

Overarching question How do we sustainably expand and support the network of communities working on transition?

Proceedings

Editor note: More accurately, this question was phrased, "How the **** do we pull off an Energy Descent Action Plan?"

Well, here's how...

Research

  • Kinsale EDAP - download from www.transitionculture.org. Useful starting point.
  • [There are two other places to look: Edinburgh's Portobello district's own EDAP, modelled on the Kinsale approach, and The Post Carbon Institute has materials regarding relocalisation. - Ed]

Preparating the people and the team

Observation

Permaculture principles recommend observing a piece of land for a year before starting on the design. A period of observation is critical piece of the three stage process of:

  • Observe: establish the current state and what projects are already in place locally
  • Design: EDAP
  • Implementation: putting the EDAP into action

Producing the EDAP

This process needs to maintain a balance between the emergent viral creative "chaos" and strategic planning. The process is as follows:

  1. Focus: break up into groups that reflect the passions and interests of the members
  2. Visioning: after the observation phase, next is visioning 20 years (for example) ahead
    • imagine a localised community free from the addiction of fossil fuels
  3. Backcasting: working backwards, establish what practical actions needs to happen year by year between then and now in order for that vision to be achieved

Components and characteristics of an EDAP

  • A roadmap that needs to be visited every few years [surely a working document revisited constantly - Ed?]
  • A linear plan
  • Includes elements to bring it alive:
    • stories from the future, eg Transition Tales project in Totnes
      • this involves drafting up a timeline with likely events, such as oil peak in 2010, and then getting people to tell stories from different points along the timeline
    • reports from the future
    • imagineering
  • Resilience indicators to measure success
  • Community "branded", bringing out the strengths of the community

Working with Government

There was a whole page devoted to this subject.

  • Totnes has a local government and liaison group that reports back to TTT on the council's plans and consulation process. It also makes sure the council gains kudos and press exposure as a result of working with TTT.
  • TTT had a very successful World Cafe day with local politicians where they invited to review the assumptions regarding abundant and cheap fossil fuels underpinning their current plans
  • This approach indicates that a respectful questioning of the individuals and the politics behind their positions can yield results
  • Politicians love it when you give them ideas
  • The EDAP can be produced along the lines of a community plan so that the council are immediately familiar with it, and recognise it getting increasingly more appropriate as peak oil starts to bite

Other resources

Other points

  • There was some contention over whether the term "descent" implied that we would be following rather than leading...
  • The councils need to respond to national policy but can be swayed by a grassroots response. Not a "them and us", but a "they are us" approach
  • Energy suppliers will see themselves as energy managers