Transition Update Three
By Rod Weir
“If a significant petroleum crunch occurs, as is very likely, that will concentrate minds wonderfully. We are so extremely dependant on petroleum, any significant increase in scarcity or price will surely jolt people into the realization that radically different social arrangements will be turned to. Without petrol, it will be glaringly obvious that only localized economies make sense.” Ted Trainer, Renewable Energy Cannot Sustain a Consumer Society, Springer Verlag, 2007
The above statement is the reason for Transition Towns. Renewable energy will save our planet from the ravages of Climate Change, but it will never replace oil. We need a different way of life to do that. In the context of a 5000 year span, not long in the context of world history, the oil age will cover less than 200 years, a mere blip. For tens of thousands of years before, mankind survived without oil, and will need to do so in the future.
The vast majority of people agree that stronger local economies, increased local democracy, strengthened local food culture, and more local energy provision are a good idea. Most of us instinctively know that we are living beyond our collective means, and have some sense of what we need to do. At the mention of climate change and peak oil, most people have feelings of disempowerment, sadness, weariness, and of being unable to influence anything. Instead, we need to feel motivated that we can contribute to a process that will deal with this, and inspire us for the future.[1]
The first thing to do when looking towards the future is to develop a vision. It is important we realize the kind of world and environment we need to have in 20 to 30 years time. Without knowing where we are going, we are unlikely to achieve a satisfactory future. All of the successful Transition Towns around the world have started with this visioning process. It involves thinking about the country as a whole, as well as your community, and what restrictions and developments will have taken place over that time.
Food sourcing is a huge part of Transition Towns. Gardening versus farming is an interesting start point. British experience has shown that food production from a suburban acre of Londonwas worth the same as that from an acre of above average farmland, despite the huge difference in available growing area. The reason is cash value; the food grown in Londonhas a retail value, whereas the farm produce has a farm gate price. The example is even more remarkable, as only 14% of the suburban area was used for growing food, the balance being taken up by houses, lawns, flowers, paths and roads. Gardens out-produce farms by a factor of three.[2]
Tree plantations are another useful example of sustainability. Instead of planting trees solely to offset carbon, as windbreaks, or for solely aesthetic and ornamental reasons, food producing and construction quality timber needs to be extensively planted, both in the wild and in urban areas, meeting most local needs.
Energy efficient housing, achieved by retrofitting existing housing and recycling construction materials, will markedly reduce energy use and provide occupants with their own water and sewerage requirements instead of using a grid. Sharing some facilities between neighbouring properties will become the norm.
Once a vision is established, the community has to develop sub groups to swap ideas and develop the various concepts. There is no leadership system – the groups evolve organically, and become part of the community. Sometimes the groups operate autonomously; sometimes they interact with each other. The successful Transition Towns in theUKhave included councils as part of the process, and even large places, such as the city ofBristoland the largeLondonsuburb of Brixton are now operating Transition Towns with the full support of local government.
The full process for establishing a TransitionTownon the southern end of the Gold Coast, based on Currumbin, will be examined in a series of forthcoming workshops. If you would like to take part in this process, please contact Rod Weir on roloweir@gmail.com for further information
