Transition Wolverton News, March 2009
Hello everyone,
Here is this month's round up of news, events, recomendations, interesting links and suggestions...
Transition Wolverton events
TW Film: 'Power of Community'
Sunday 29th March @ 7pm. Foundation House, The Square. Free Admission.
How Cuba transformed itself in the face of rapidly diminished energy supplies'. Cuban food and music – a celebration of positive change!
TW Open Space Workshop: 'How can we feed ourselves in a world without fossil fuels?'
Sunday 5th April 12-4pm, Foundation House, The Square. Free Admission.
Following on from the Power of Community film, this workshop will explore how Wolverton could become more resilient in terms of the food we eat. Food, drink and great conversations. Bring your ideas & enthusiasm (and cake too!)
All Transition Wolverton's events can be seen online here: http://transitiontowns.org/Wolverton/Events
Other things coming up
In Stroud...
Stroud Communiversity returns this year with a fresh feast of Stroud's finest projects being showcased and explored over three packed days – 15th to 17th May 2009.
With Land, Food and Money at the heart of this recession, our response is an examination of practical, creative and innovative solutions to support the growth and development of a resilient local economy. As well as offering the experience of Stroud projects, the Communiversity is keen to for you to share your experiences.
Details at http://www.stroudcommonwealth.org.uk/
Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.
Details at http://www.stroudcommonwealth.org.uk/
Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.
In London...
"Cafe Diplo" meetings at The Gallery at Farringdon in the City of London on selected Monday evenings
http://monde-diplo-friends.org.uk/
Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique is a UK-based affiliate of the Les Amis Le Monde Diplomatique which supports the writings and tradition which has evolved over 50 years of publication of the Le Monde Diplomatique Newspaper. Our "Cafe Diplo" meetings are presented (in English) in the context of our global anti neo-conservative-liberal tradition, and give an opportunity for lively debate between speakers and audience.
Interesting reading...
Books
Hungry City, by Carolyn Steele
There is probably a library worth of books to recommend - this one brings together Transition related themes looking at the central thread of food:
"The relationship between food and cities is fundamental to our every day lives. Food shapes cities, and through them, it moulds us – along with the countryside that feeds us. The gargantuan effort necessary to feed cities arguably has a greater social and physical impact on us and our planet than anything else we do. Yet few of us are conscious of the process and we rarely stop to wonder how food reaches our plates.
Hungry City examines the way in which modern food production has damaged the balance of human existence, and reveals that we have yet to resolve a centuries-old dilemma – one which holds the key to a host of current problems, from obesity, the inexorable rise of the supermarkets, to the destruction of the natural world. Carolyn Steel follows food on its journey – from the land (and sea) to market and supermarket, kitchen to table, waste-dump and back again – exploring the historical roots and the contemporary issues at each stage of food’s cycle. She shows how our lives and our environment are being manipulated but explains how we can change things for the better. Original, inspiring and written with infectious enthusiasm and belief, Hungry City illuminates an issue that is fundamental to us all"
Accompanying website http://www.hungrycitybook.co.uk/
Online
The Slow Food movement
You may have heard of the Slow Food movement which originated in Italy. Slow Food UK is a catalyst for positive and lasting change in the seeking and preserving good, clean and fair food.
"We are a unique, not-for-profit education and research based voluntary organisation. We aim to protect and preserve traditional foods and food cultures in the UK, preserve biodiversity, promote food and taste education and raises awareness about high quality and taste, environmental sustainability and social justice in the food we eat."
Visit their site here:
http://www.slowfood.org.uk/Cms/Page/home
http://www.slowfood.org.uk/Cms/Page/home
The Landshare Scheme
As publicised by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on his River Cottage programme
Sign up to the database to:
- Find land where you can grow your own
- Offer land in return for produce
- Identify land suitable for planting
- Build a growing community
Who needs a garden?
"Fed up with waiting for an allotment? What about growing food on a verge, in a cemetery - or even on a canal boat. Jane Perrone reports"
Away with the grey
"Leading ecologists say that the greening of cities is not only good for our health, but will also cut public costs and spur economic growth."
The New Economics Foundations e-news
Collection of news and updates related to the 'triple crunch' times we are experiencing from The New Economics Foundation
Films
The Age of Stupid
Read a review by The Transition Network here:
http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/age-of-stupid/
and visit the film's related site here:
http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/age-of-stupid/
and visit the film's related site here:
Eat the Suburbs
"This short film follows Melbourne’s “permablitzers” as they prepare for the end of the oil age… one garden at a time.
The 9 min film made by Tanya Curnow in 2006 about ‘permablitzing’ and edible backgardening is now available online. It includes an introduction to Peak Oil by Richard Heinberg focussing on food."
The Transition Network provides links to the film in various formats:
http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/eat-the-suburbs/
http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/eat-the-suburbs/
The Great Squeeze
Looks at the impact of Peak Oil the coming together of wider resource depletion, climate change, water systems and their combined impact on the whole of our interdependent civilisation.
The Transition Network has reviewed it and you can see what they thought here:
http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/the-great-squeeze-film-review/
http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/the-great-squeeze-film-review/
And finally...
The official document from the Transition Network detailing what the Transition Network is all about is complete and available online here:
That's it for March, again, if anyone would like to circulate any information throughout the Transition Wolverton group in our newsletter please send it along. If anyone does not want to receive this newsletter please reply to this email with 'Remove me from the Newsletter' in the subject line.
All the best and look forward to seeing you at the next TW event,
Nicola
On behalf of Transition Wolverton