1. An Overview of Transition

2. What’s going on in the world?
Economic Instability & Inequity
Global Warming
Resource Depletion

3. What does it mean for communities?
Climate Change responses cost $:
Impacts on food production, water, infrastructure, transportation, carbon offsets!
Economic inequity & instability:
More debt & more volatility = less control
More poverty pushes service demands
Resource depletion:
Forest & fisheries sectors decline
Ecosystem disturbance & stress
Peak oil = rising fuel costs
Land competing demands and price

4. How’s the system working?

5. How did we get here?
What are the actions and behaviours that have contributed over time to the conditions that we are now facing? (Peak Oil, Climate Change, Economic Instability & Inequity)

6. Resilience – can we adapt to change?
65 years from now?
65 years ago:

7. Transition towards resilience:
From global to local
From centralized to diverse (connected)
Tight feedback: learn/adapt/learn/adapt
From growth to steady state
From consumption to self-reliance (re-use, repair, borrow, grow, make, share)
From depletion to stewardship
From individual to collective …

8. The 4 Recognitions of the Transition Movement.
Life with less energy is inevitable and it is better to plan for it than be taken by surprise
We have lost the resilience to be able to cope with energy shocks
We have to act for ourselves and we have to act now
By unleashing the collective genius of the community we can design ways of living that are more enriching, satisfying and connected than the present.

9. CONVENTIONAL ENVIRONMENTALISM THE TRANSITION APPROACH
Individual behaviour
Group behaviour
Single issue
Holistic
Tools: lobbying, campaigning and protesting
Tools: public participation, eco-psychology, arts, culture and creative education
Sustainable development
Resilience and re-localization
Fear, guilt and shock as drivers for action
Hope, optimism and proactivity as drivers for action
Changing national and international policy by lobbying
Changing national and international policy by making it electable
The person in the street is the problem!
The person in the street has the solution!
Blanket campaigning
Targeted interventions
Single level engagement
Engagement on a variety of levels
Prescriptive – advocates answers and responses
Acts as a catalyst – there are no fixed answers!
Carbon footprinting
Carbon footprinting + resilience indicators and actions
Belief that economic growth is still possible, albeit ‘green’ growth.
Designing for economic renaissance, albeit a local one!

10. 1st Principle: Build & Hold Positive Visions for the Future
Our popular culture offers future visions like star trek or star wars, mad max and the disaster theme (earthquake, insects, etc.).
There is no positive vision that speaks to a gradual descent in energy use over time – that is oriented to stewardship – we need to create one!

11. 2nd Principle: Make it real!
“Totnes, the Nut Tree Capital of Britain”. Tree Planting, January 2007.

12. 3rd Principle: Work with Special Interest Groups & other Partners
Estates in Transition conference.
June 11th 2007.

13. Example - Build a Bridge to Local Government
World Cafe on Peak Oil and Climate Change with Local Councillors
City staff on transportation, food (etc.) working groups
Contributions to Local Development Framework.

14. 4th Principle: Include everyone - honour the elders – youth ...

15. 5th Principle: Attend to inner transition as well as outer
Inner world individual psychology, world view, beliefs
Outer world society, behaviour, institutions
transition

16. Understanding ourselves – and each other
What are our beliefs, assumptions and values that underlie the actions that have contributed to our current situation?
Everyone thinks of changing the world, no one thinks of changing himself.
Leo Tolstoy.

17. How can Transition movement support inner transition?
Meet people where they are – encourage comfort zone – doing, planting, organizing
Reconnect with nature
Home groups – peer support
Celebration, ritual, healing, encourage abundance views

18. 6th: Let It Go Where It Wants to
Solar projects
Farm markets
Car share co-ops
Bike trails
Housing retrofits
Local currency
Tree planting
Car Share Club
Green Music Festival…
Recycled art show
Transportation policies ?

19. And always – have fun!

20. Step One: Form an Initiating Group and Do Your Homework

21. Second Step: Awareness Raising…

22. Who needs what? Talks, films, information! Peak oil films, 11th hour
Pre-contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Change
Talks, films, information!
Peak oil films, 11th hour
Is there a problem?
What needs doing?
Detailed reasons for change, and solutions
“What will I do? and how?”
Re-skilling; transition teams; take the bus
Support, company, celebrations, deepening work
“Keep going?” “Something else?”
Stages of Change

23. Some towns: The Official Unleashing
“Maybe they will tell stories about what happened in Totnes. Maybe this evening will be something that is the beginning of one of those stories”.
Dr Chris Johnstone – TTT Unleashing Sept ’06.

24. Step Four: Form Working Groups
Key to engaging citizens – let it go where it wants to
Key to making it real
Key to representing the depth & scope of the “transition”
Scope: regional, neighbouhood, “bio-region”?
Eventually working groups form the core group – the “governing” body & initiating group disolves.

25. Example: Local Food Directory

26. Example: The Totnes Pound

27. Example: Facilitate the Great Reskilling
Skilling Up for Powerdown.
Peak Oil / Climate Change, Permaculture Principles, Preserving Food, Building and Housing, Gardening, Water Conservation, Bike Maintenance, The Psychology of Change, Energy Descent Planning… etc.

28. Other group examples:
Energy Food Government Policy Health and Wellness Heart and Soul Housing Introduction to Transition Local Economy Meaningful Work Outreach/Education
Media Transportation Urban Design Business Neighbourhood Groups Regional Relationships Art and Celebration Green Building

29. Step Five: Establish Core Group
Strategic Focus: Reps from working groups, government & …. ?
Geographic: Regional Hubs – reps from areas, villages, urban “hoods”
Blended: A bit of both at the table
New hybrids are evolving

30. Step Six: Energy Descent Pathways
Engage the community!!
Start with a vision and then backcast
Use scenario planning to work with uncertainty
Incorporate creative activities – Transition Tales
Integrate with municipal planning?

31. Where to from here?
Send reps to a Transition workshop near you:
Powell River April 9/10:
Read the Transition Handbook
Watch Rob Hopkins on You Tube

32. Victoria Transition
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