The Transition Towns Concept. Rob Hopkins Transition Town Totnes * Plymouth University * TransitionCulture.org.

The Hirsch Report “...the peaking of world oil production presents the US and the world with an unprecedented risk management problem. As peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and without timely mitigation, the economic, social and political costs will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation options exist on both the supply and demand sides, but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking” (emphasis added) (Hirsch 2005).

Industrial Ascent (Modernism) Energy & Resource Use Population Pollution PollutionClimax (post-modern cultural chaos) Climax Techno-Fantasy Green-Tech Stability Earth stewardship Atlantis Great Grand Children Agriculture yrs BP IndustrialRevolution Baby Boom Old Growth Forest Pre-industrial sustainable culture Historical Time Future Time Creative Descent ( Creative Descent (Permaculture)

The “End of Suburbia effect”. “Healthy functioning requires that we have faith that our needs will be met in the future; without this confidence, our trust in the world is damaged. Damaged trust can lead to four neurotic reactions that are likely to impact environmental behaviour: narcissism, depression, paranoia and compulsion”. Winter, D.D. & Kroger, S.M. (2004) The Psychology of Environmental Problems. New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

What is our Role? “our role is to compassionately assist in its death process, trying to ease the burden and pain of its passing. This includes restraining the impulse for revenge among those who see their foundations undermined by the new. For the emerging … society, our role is to compassionately assist in the birth of a new way of acting in the world. As with any birthing process, there will be some pain and trauma associated with the … birth. Our role is to minimise the pain and nurse the new society to full health”. “a dual role, hospice and midwife”. Korten, D.C. (2000) The Post Corporate World – Life After Capitalism. San Fransisco, Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Abdullah, S. (1999) Creating a World That Works for All. San Francisco, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.

Lessons From Kinsale Avoid “Them and Us”. Avoid “Them and Us”. Create a Sense That Something is Happening. Create a Sense That Something is Happening. Create a Vision of an Abundant Future. Create a Vision of an Abundant Future. Design in Flexibility. Design in Flexibility.

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #1. Awareness Raising. Talks and Film Screenings Imaginative Facilitation Keep it Positive!

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #2. Lay the Foundations. Draw in Existing Groups Value what’s already there Jointly organise events

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #3. The Official Unleashing. Invite Key People Propels the project forward Inspirational and Historic Get People Talking to Each Other.

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #4. Form Groups. Make them happen Self-organising Steering Group Training

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #5. Use Open Space. Precede with an Event Networking Projects will Emerge Live OnLine Title as Question

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #6. Develop Visible Practical Manifestations of the Project. Develops a Sense that Something is Happening Enhances Willingness to Engage Balance Observation and Action Team Building.

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #7. Facilitate The Great Reskilling Draw from Oral Histories Utilise Local Skills Where are the Gaps in peoples’ skills? Build a Sense of ‘Can Do’

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #8. Build a Bridge to Local Government Draw them in as much as possible Draw them in as much as possible Avoid any sense of ‘them and us’. Avoid any sense of ‘them and us’. Invite them to events Invite them to events How can your plans integrate with theirs. How can your plans integrate with theirs.

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #9. Honour the Elders Oral History Interviews Local History Comparative Skills Inventory.

10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #10. Let it Go Where It Wants to Go… Every one will be different Every one will be different Design in Flexibility Design in Flexibility Plan for Uncertainty Plan for Uncertainty

Tools for the Job #1. Participatory Tools … “there is an urgent need for pilot community-based schemes using participatory tools”. Jackson, T. (2005) Motivating Sustainable Consumption – a review of evidence on consumer behaviour and behavioural change. Centre for Environmental Strategy. University of Surrey.

Tools #2. Creative Teaching Approaches…

Tools #3. Despair and Empowerment. “the ecological crisis is real and pending. We cannot overlook its seriousness, nor minimise the importance of grieving as a point of transformation” Macy, J. & Brown, M.Y. (1998) Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World. Gabriola Island, New Society Publishers. “if (people) listen to the shock rather than blot it out, this stirs up the will to change. This becomes their call to adventure”. Johnstone, C. (2006a) Find Your Power. Boost your inner strengths, break through blocks and achieve inspired action. London, Nicholas Brealy Publishing

Tools #4. Parallel Public Infrastructure. “Parallel public infrastructure aims to provide necessary systems that individuals can’t provide themselves. In addition to locally produced products, services should include energy storage, public transport, local money, seed storage, grains, reforestation, general municipal services, information sharing, and other structures that support relocalization and shorten supply chains”. Post Carbon Institute.

Tool #5. Art. "Art does not lie down on the bed that is made for it; it runs away as soon as one says it's name; it loves to be incognito. Its best moments are when it forgets what it is called". Jean Dubuffet.

Tools #6. Local ESCOs. Installing Renewable Capacity. Local Investment Mechanism. Creates and backs a local currency. A Localisation Agency in disguise.

Tools #7. Local Carbon Offsetting. Carbon offsets used to fund local infrastructure Carbon offsets used to fund local infrastructure Change made visible Change made visible Business and usual no longer possible Business and usual no longer possible