What's new
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3-Aug-08, Transition Handbook now available at volume discounts in US
Chelsea Green Publishing is making the Transition Handbook available at volume discounts to US based Transition Initiatives.
Please contact mweaver[AT]chelseagreen[DOT]com for more details - and ask him when the Handbook is going to be the featured book on his site!!
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24-July-08, This week on BBC2 - Climate Change and Peak Oil thriller - UPDATE
It's a very impressive piece of work. If you missed the first installment (of two), you can get it here from the BBC i-player site here.
Can't wait for Friday's finale...
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21-July-08, This week on BBC2 - Climate Change and Peak Oil thriller
If you and your friends have done the smart thing and thrown your tv onto the scrapheap of brain-addling tat, then you may need to find a tame cathode ray tube addict for Wednesday 23-Jul and Friday 25-Jul at 9pm both nights on BBC2.
"Burn Up" is a 2-part thriller written by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty) about the lies and duplicity of the denial industry pitched against people desperate to prevent runaway climate change.
Here's a truly brilliant article from, would you believe, the Mail On Sunday, written by Beaufoy.
Somehow I don't think we'll be getting an anodyne Gore-style third act in which the hero drives off into the sunset in his Prius hybrid having saved the world with a rucksack full of ecobulbs and toilet hippos.
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18-July-08, Universities OF Transition development day
Universities and educational establishments everywhere are going to need to play their part in the Great Reskilling. Some people at the forefront of planning for this are putting together a development day, provisionally booked for 11-October in Hereford in the UK.
Here's the program for the day. If you're interested in attending, please contact stephbradley[AT]transitionnetwork[DOT]org.
For further info about this, check out the opening few paras of this page and take a peek at the Education and Universities forum.
Any predictions for when the first "Chair of Transition" will be set up at a forward thinking University in the UK, or beyond...?
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15-July-08, Transition bubbling up in Hong Kong!
Don Latter in Lantau (the biggest island in the Hong Kong territory) is kicking off a transition initiative. It's good to start off with some positive press, and he achieved that big time with this article in the Sunday Morning Post. Read the article (thankfully in english!) and find out what Galileo and Don Latter have in common.
I shall be taking a slow boat to China to attend Don's permaculture course for exotic climates very shortly (in my dreams)...
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12-July-08, Transition Events Forum
If you are part of a transition initiative and you want to advertise a transition related event, feel free to use the Transition Events forum.
Check out the posting protocol (it's the first post on that forum) for guidelines on promoting the event.
Happy pluggage.
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9-July-08, Transition Presentation in Italian
A message from Ellen Bermann from Italy:
And here's the presentation. Big thanks to Ellen for her work.
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19-June-08, Academic Researchers protocol
We're seeing a steadily increasing stream of academics approaching Transition Initiatives around the world, hoping to build their dissertations around the work that's being done in those communities.
The effort required by Transition Initiatives can be quite onerous, so it's important that:
- initiatives don't go into this without a clear idea of what may be asked of them
- researchers understand they need to establish a symbiotic relationship with these initiatives where the benefits flow in both directions
- action-based research is most likely to yield a mutually beneficial outcome
To that end we've put together a page for academic researchers that gives the wider context and a (draft) protocol for them to follow. If you get approached by any academic researchers, you'll find your life a little easier if you direct them to that page from the outset.
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17-June-08, Additional Spanish translations
Doly Garcia, a member of the Brighton&Hove transition group, has translated a significant part of the Transition Handbook into Spanish. Please recommend this link to all your spanish-speaking amigos. El Concepto De Transición Δ may help build up resilience and reduce carbon emissions across the most widely spoken language in the world.
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14-May-08, Bringing together the Climate Change and Peak Oil camps
Embryonic transition groups often emerge from Climate Action groups. Typically, there's a lively debate on how relevant Peak Oil is - some think it's crucial, others think it's a distraction. The discussion is often based on "either/or" thinking.
I truly hate the "either/or" mindset that is rooted in Malthusian scarcity theory. Far better is permaculture's "both/and" principle of abundance - achievable if we work with the natural cycles rather than against them.
It's easy to understand how people find it hard to see how peak oil can be relevant in the planetary emergency being precipitated by climate change. However, given that the key to responding to climate change is getting people to change their behaviours, to adopt lower carbon ways of living, then peak oil can be seen as a crucial tool in accelerating that action.
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23-Apr-08, Transition initiatives and the spirit of inclusivity
Concerns regarding extreme political groups getting involved in transition initiatives arose at both the conference and the recent strategy day. In response to this and also to a specific instance within one initiative, we're suggesting that the core transition groups explicitly support (probably through their constitutions) the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
There may be more elegant ways of making sure that extreme political groups that have discrimination as a core value are excluded from the decision-making bodies of transition initiative's, and there's a small team within the network looking at this.
We've added this point to the checklist for initiating groups.
It's true that certain actions taken by individuals belonging to these extreme groups may well end up contributing to rebuilding resilience and reducing carbon - after all, it's going to take a global effort. But regardless of how useful these individual actions might be, it's important to ensure that decision-making bodies within transition initiatives aren't influenced by views that fly in the face of the spirit and letter of the Human Rights Declaration.
We're updating the Transition Initiative Primer to reflect this key development.
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9-Apr-08, Transition Network conference
The bookings for this have gone over 200, and if you take a look at the conference programme, you'll see what they're letting themselves in for.
It's a heady mix of open space, workshops and meaningful conversations.
There will be quite a few people from outside the British Isles, and we're hoping that the carbon cost of their visits will be offset by the spirit and experiences they bring back to their home countries as they initiate projects that rebuild resilience and reduce carbon.
Full details of the conference are here.
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24-Mar-08, The Archers runs a story on "Transition Communities"
It took them 15,000 episodes (starting during WWII), but they finally did it. Pat Archer has got the transition bug and, if her usual levels of determination apply, this story may run and run.
Follow these links to get the scoop at Rob's blog.
Alternatively, go to Radio4's listen again for the Archers. The section on "transition communities" is at about 7mins 50secs after the unforgettable theme tune starts running.
Now, if you're from foreign climes, you may not know just how popular the Archers is (are?) - over 4million people a week listen to it. What's the betting that those figures go through the roof if they write an episode which has Rob addressing the community in Ambridge village hall :¬)
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12-Mar-08, Transition Town Totnes is recruiting an "Energy Descent Pathways Coordinator"
This has got to be one of the most exciting jobs on the planet, bar none. Here's the job advert:
- Funded for 1 year initial contract
- Remuneration £25,000 pa with 20 days paid leave
- Email: transitiontowntotnes@gmail.com
- Tel: 01803 867358
- Address: 43 Fore St, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5HN
Heck, if I wasn't enjoying myself so much working on Transition Network, I'd apply for it myself!
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05-Mar-08, Heinberg and Quinn available for talks in UK - grab 'em while you can
Transition Town Market Harborough is organising a UK mini-tour for Megan Quinn and Richard Heinberg after they've attended the Findhorn conference towards the end of March.
For those of you who haven't already been exposed to the wonderful work these two have done, please click on the links. We wholeheartedly recommend them both as being outstanding speakers, educators and in Richard's case, violinists.
Currently Megan's itinerary is:
- March 28th - Brixton - confirmed
- March 29th - Falmouth - confirmed
- March 30th - Lostwithiel - mulling it over
- March 31st - Bristol - confirmed
- April 1st - Hereford/Gloucester - confirmed
- April 2nd - Market Harborough - confirmed
Richard Heinberg's itinerary is:
- March 29th - open
- March 30th - open
- March 31st - Leicester - confirmed
To find out the possibility of one of these two giving a talk in your community, please contact Darren Woodiwiss of Transition town Market Harborough either on his mobile: 07974 220102 or by email.
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01-Mar-08, The book we've all been waiting for - The Transition Handbook
In his magnum opus, Rob Hopkins weaves his hallmark magical weft, intertwining the three threads of the practical, emotional and logical - blending in frequent sparkles of humour.
The result is a cloth of the finest quality, and one we might all try on for size.
Launched this week (1-Mar-08), much anticipated - it sold 30% of its first print run even before it had been launched - and exceedingly needed in a world that'll find itself in great stress if we don't start acting immediately to reduce carbon emissions and increase resilience dramatically. And this book will tell you how.
It's heavy content but light reading.
Buy it here.
And if it's your mother's birthday soon, buy one for her too. Heck, if anyone you know has a birthday in the next 6 months, get one for them as well. The more people who understand this stuff at a deep and practical level, the better off we'll all be.
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12-Feb-08, Peak Oil for cities - alert your own city officials (UK specific hedzup)
If you want to gently shove a firework beneath your city planners, here's your chance.
Daniel Lerch, author of Post Carbon Cities Handbook and programme manager at the Post Carbon Institute is visiting the UK and Ireland in March. He's available around the end of March to beginning of April (travel plans are being worked out) to talk to city planners anywhere in the UK and Ireland.
Here's Daniel's bio:
To start a conversation with Daniel, send him an email, then light the blue touchpaper...
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7-Feb-08, Training the trainers for transition
There's a huge demand from core teams within existing transition initiatives for Transition Training - the 2-day training course that helps them broaden, deepen and accelerate their project. So much that we need now to build a team of people who are capable of delivering that training.
We've therefore devised a "train the trainers" course and the first one will be held in Totnes in June.
Take a look at the details of this "train the trainers" course and muse on the possibility building up your own skill set to make a dramatic contribution to the ability of this country (and beyond) to make a viable response to peak oil and climate change - and you can get paid for doing it!
Sound interesting?
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27-Jan-08, Leamington Spa - local council support of Transition Initiative
We often get contacted by local authorities who want to get an initiative started in their community. Our response is always that the role of the council is to support, not drive. Looks like Leamington Spa are embracing the transition concept and providing a lot of support.
We'll watch with great interest as this initiative develops to see how best a council can provide that support without jumping into the driving seat.
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24-Jan-08, Newsletter3 available
Lots of interesting stuff about new communities reaching full "transition" status, others mulling it over, transition training and more. Lightweight reading, heavyweight content.
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18-Jan-08, Annual Conference dates announced
This year, from Friday 11-April to Sun 13-April, we'll all be gathering in the UK at the Royal Agricultural College near Cirencester for the annual conference.
We're still finalising the details of the programme, but in the meantime, here's the scoop so far.
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27-Nov-07, Tour of Scotland
Ben Brangwyn is all set for a rather remarkable tour of Scotland - 15 talks/meetings, 9 days, 9 towns! Here are the details:
- 2-Dec: Aberdeen, 8.00pm
- (carolinekemp1 "AT" googlemail.com for details)
- 3-Dec: Falkland, 6.00 - 7.30pm, Stables, Falkland Estate
- 01337 858 838
- 4-Dec: Stirling, 7.30 - 9.30pm
- (rachellnunn "AT" yahoo.co.uk)
- 5-Dec: Dunbar, evening, Hallhill Healthy Living Centre
- (philip "AT" templelands.freeserve.co.uk)
- 6-Dec: East Kilbride, 7.30 - 9.30pm, East Kilbride Arts Centre
- (johnnie.wales "AT" googlemail.com)
- 7-Dec: West Kilbride, 7 - 9:30pm, Community Centre
- (robsewell909 "AT" yahoo.co.uk)
- 8-Dec: Glasgow
- Phoenix Centre, 10 - 12.00 noon, Our Climate Our Future, general open space
- Phoenix Centre, 4 - 6.00pm, open space - "Transition City Glasgow?"
- (butlerlarry "AT" talktalk.net)
- 9-Dec: Edinburgh, 2 - 4.30pm, The Melting Pot
- (evaschonveld "AT" yahoo.co.uk)
- 10-Dec: Biggar, evening
- (john "AT" saocc.org.uk)
Kudos to the people who have put so much effort into setting this up. We're expecting a lively 9 days and to learn much from a country where the subject of "land reform" actually means something.
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05-Nov-07, updated Transition Initiatives Primer
We're up to version 23b for this essential read. Just updated to include the most tedious section ever researched, entitled "Setting up your Transition Initiative – formal structures and constitutions". It now has the full baloney on different types of charities and associations, including CICs and Industrial & Provident Societies, along with sample constitutions - I told you it was boring! More excitingly, there's a new section on producing the EDAP, an explanation of "resilience indicators" (more thrilling than they sound) and a few minor tweaks that none of you will notice but make me feel a lot better.
Go here to get it.
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26-Oct-07, Newsletter
Latest newsletter now available here. Includes information on the latest transition training dates.
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14-Oct-07, High definition video of Rob
Rob didn't fly to Washington for the International Forum on Globalisation’s Teach-in: "Confronting the Global Triple Crisis - Climate Change, Peak Oil, Global Resource Depletion & Extinction". Instead he sent a video, thereby saving nearly three tonnes of CO2.
If you'd like the high definition version of this for showing at an awareness raising event, follow the link here. The file is called "Rob Hopkins Washington Conference (cut).mpg" and it's 330 MB, so don't expect it to download in a twinkle. You'll need the password - it's "sweden".
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20-Sep-07, Politics
Andrew McNamara, Queensland's newly appointed Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation talks about the importance of relocalisation in the face of oil depletion.
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17-Sep-07, Web content: Transition Italy online
I don't know what the word for "viral" is in Italian, but that's what's happened recently. Our grandly named contact in Italy - Umberto Astolfi - has translated:
- 7 barriere sulla strada di una iniziativa transition
- 12 passi chiave per imbarcarvi nel vostro percorso transition
- Test per diventare una transition town
You might not be able to translate any of it, but check out the wonderful picture featured on the pages. I think the appropriate response is, "Ciao bella, Umberto, mio buon amico"!
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13-Aug-07, Radio interview: David Strahan on peak oil
One of the best interviews on Peak Oil that I've encountered involves David Strahan talking to Electric Politics. However, typically the mp3 files of radio interviews contain loads of puff at the start and the end and can be peppered with monologues about local issues, traffic news etc. So I've tidied up the mp3 file to keep just to the relevant material - just click on the link above.
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11-Aug-07, Radio Programme: BBC Radio Scotland on Transitions
BBC Radio Scotland recently sent a crew to Totnes to find out more about TTT (Transition Town Totnes) and Transition Network. The programme was broadcast on 6-Aug-07 and unfortunately the BBC Radio only keeps their "listen again" links for a week on their website. But don't worry, the link above is to an mp3 I made of the programme. It's outstanding, full of excellent soundbites, healthy scepticism and inspiring phone-ins.
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7-Aug-07, Article: Quantifying the leaky bucket economy
Just posted an article on how local economies haemorrage cash and how local currencies can stop the bleeding (adapted from Forest of Dean Local Food Directory 1998)
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1-Aug-07, Article: Peak Oil & Dentistry
Just posted an article based on interviews with two Peak Oil aware dentists. This looks like being the first anywhere on the web - and high time it was done. Mebbe we'll see some action from the British Dental Association and the Dental Practitioners Association - I sent them both an email on 29-Jul-07.