Transcript Overview of Transition for Groups

An Overview of Transition
What’s going on in the world?
Economic Instability & Inequity
Resource Depletion
Global Warming
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
How’s the system working?
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)
Resilience – can we adapt to
change?
65 years from now?
65 years ago:
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 (reuse, repair, borrow, grow, make, share)
From depletion to stewardship
From individual to collective …
The 4 Recognitions of the
Transition Movement.
1.
2.
3.
4.
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.
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!
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!
2nd Principle: Make it real!
“Totnes, the Nut Tree Capital of Britain”. Tree Planting, January 2007.
3rd Principle: Work with Special
Interest Groups & other Partners
Estates in Transition conference.
June 11th 2007.
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.
4th Principle: Include everyone
- honour the elders – youth ...
5th Principle: Attend to inner
transition as well as outer
Inner world
individual
psychology, world
view, beliefs
Outer world
society, behaviour,
institutions
transition
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.
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
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
?
And always – have fun!
Step One: Form an Initiating
Group and Do Your Homework
Second Step: Awareness
Raising…
Who needs what?
Pre-contemplation
Contemplation
Is there a
problem?
Talks, films,
information!
Peak oil films,
11th hour
What
needs
doing?
Detailed reasons
for change, and
solutions
Preparation
Change
“What will I
do? and
how?”
Stages of Change
“Keep going?”
“Something
else?”
Re-skilling;
transition teams;
take the bus
Support, company,
celebrations,
deepening work
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.
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.
Example: Local Food Directory
Example: The Totnes Pound
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.
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
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
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?
Where to from here?



Send reps to a Transition workshop near
you: www.cedworks.com//transition.html
Powell River April 9/10:
[email protected]
Read the Transition Handbook
Watch Rob Hopkins on You Tube
Victoria Transition
http//www.transitionvictoria.ning.com
Email: [email protected]
http://twitter.com/Transition_Vic