Transition people, transition homes, transition streets...

iam_occupy

The aim of this community project is to equip communities for the dual challenges of climate change and peak oil. The Transition Towns movement is an example of socioeconomic localisation. In 2007, the UK-based charity Transition Network started up in order to help spread the ideas of transition and support communities around the world as they adopted/adapted the transition model to turn their locale into a more resilient, lower carbon settlement... changes that are in play.

The main aim of the project generally, and echoed by the towns locally, is to raise awareness of sustainable living and build local ecological resilience in the near future. Communities are encouraged to seek out methods for reducing energy usage as well as reducing their reliance on long supply chains that are totally dependent on fossil fuels for essential items. Food is a key area, and they often talk of "Food feet, not food miles!" Initiatives so far have included creating community gardens to grow food; business waste exchange, which seeks to match the waste of one industry with another industry that uses that waste material; and even simply repairing old items rather than throwing them away.

Think global, act local in a new perspective and up for discussion on how decentralising our food chain would harm any country - that depends on foodexport. In for the long haul?

slave

I joined a Transition Town movement about one year ago. The movement has a lot of potential, but at least based on my local experience it has been flawed with too many individual projects and much lack of a "social consciousness", i.e., in total denial of the sustainability and ecological principles. Just to tell you that words mean little. "Transitions" can not become truly transitional as long as they are led by "middle class" "survivalist" "individualist" mentality, i.e., the capitalist world view. One has to ask what should be the most obvious question: transition from what to what? Unfortunately the goals stated (i.e., response to global climate change, and peak oil, and even a vague reference to the economic instability) are too disconnected, uncritical, and avoid a broad systemic analysis of the problems which should be the foundation of any discussion about sustainability. Once again the capitalist mentality miscarries despite its "good intentions".

The Transition Towns movement must be rigorously challenged, and "transitioned" to a truly transitional movement to sustainability with the aim of abolishing PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, i.e., the source of commodification, money, profit, human and environmental exploitation and destruction, and divisions. And it should aim at establishing a transitional economy based on EXPERIMENTING with sustainable economic practices including COMMON OWNERSHIP, cooperative production, common exchange and distribution based on need and ability to produce with heavy adoption of commonly / socially funded science and technology.

iam_occupy

@slave
'too many individual projects' I find all accross the board -i.e. many movements globally - we were once divided and concered, remember, let us unite... 'and much lack of a "social consciousness", I cannot judge a persons stage of enlightenment to what is going on in the world, only encourage them to keep a free mind and open their eyes. Every day.

I was interested in their permaculture approach and wondered what the difference was with organically grown fruit & veg. But such an insight response (Private Ownership) to a discussion opener, I thank you.

MundusVultDecipi

@slave the answer to your question transition from what to what..
The name of the book that catalyzed me to add this category is:
"The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience"
By Rob Hopkins (Founder of the Transition movement)

I have been meaning to get posting in here about it, thanks @Iam_occupy for the rebound :) I was hoping someone knew about the transition movement!

MundusVultDecipi

Here is a list of sites the author considers essential:

http://www.transitionculture.org - Where the concepts in this book are explored in more depth.

http://www.energybulletin.net - Essential make it the one website you visit everyday.

http://www.poweringdown.blogspot.com - An excellent blot site exploring issues around energy descent.

http://www.richardheinberg.com - Richard Heinberg's site which contains the archive of his excellent Museletters.

http://www.theoildrum.com - Quite technical, and not really one for the novice, but an excellent source of up-to-date analysis.

http://www.dynamicscities.squarespace.com - The Dynamic Cities Project, which is doing some of the most essential thinking on all this.

http://www.postcarbon.org - Post Carbon Institute

http://www.zone5.org - Permaculture and powerdown in Ireland

http://www.casaubonsbook.blogspot.com - Sharon Astyk's excellent blot

http://www.pathtofreedom.com - A great hands-on site.

http://www.livingonthecusp.org - Naresh Giangrande's website

http://www.globalpublicmedia.com - An invaluable resource, films, transcripts, and audio files of interviews and articles by many of the leading thinkers in the field.

http://www.lastoilshock.com - David Strahan's website, with some excellent intrviews and articles.

http://www.communitysolution.org - The Community Solution, a wonderful organization in the US, the people who produced the Power of Community DVD, among other things.

http://www.powerswitch.org.uk - One of the best UK peak oil websites.

MundusVultDecipi

Permaculture Discussion: http://occupii.org/group/permaculture/forum/topics/permaculture-101

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