WiserEarth Suggestions

In response to the twin pressures of Peak Oil and Climate Change, some pioneering communities in the UK, Ireland and beyond are taking an integrated and inclusive approach to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their ability to withstand the fundamental shift that will accompany Peak Oil.

The two toughest challenges facing humankind at the start of this 21st century are Climate Change and Peak Oil. The former is well documented and very visible in the media. Peak Oil, however, remains under the radar for most people. Yet Peak Oil, heralding the era of ever-declining fossil fuel availability, may well challenge the economic and social stability that is essential if we are to mitigate the threats posed by Climate Change. "To support community‐led responses to peak oil and climate change, building resilience and happiness".

 

Peak oil and climate change have rapidly moved up in people's awareness in recent years, but often, particularly in relation to peak oil, solutions tend to be thin on the ground.  Since its initial emergence in, Kinsale in 2005, the Transition idea1, has spread virally across the UK and increasingly further afield, serving as a catalyst for community -led responses to these twin challenges.  As the Transition network, has grown, questions have been raised regarding how this emerging movement might structure itself, which this document is the first formal attempt at answering.  We have already been seeing a structure, emerging organically over the last two years and what we propose in this document is based on a deepening and a supporting of this emergent model, on the principle that self‐organization, innovation and action are to be encouraged and supported where they arise, supported by a distinct set of principles and clear guidelines.

 

- Continuing to co‐ordinate and co‐develop materials to assist those on the ground doing Transition work.

 

- Radically improving our delivery of our "enabling sharing and networking" by, for example, setting up a much improved web platform.

 

- Producing 'The (First) Transition Movie', a film about the Transition concept which will be developed as a collaborative process supporting the emergence of a quarterly publication, 'Transition Times', which would begin online but which could evolve into a regular magazine.  This would be complemented by a blog on the new website where individual initiatives are invited to post their successes and failures, events and news

 

- Support the production of a series of books on different aspects of Transition, i.e. food, energy and so on... The Transition Guide to Food is already in development

 

- Tools to facilitate EDPs, up‐to‐date presentations and examples of best practice, as well as a forum for people to post their own resources, be it links, papers, short films or their own powerpoints, which they think others will find useful

 

- Producing clearer 'maps' of how Transition Initiatives might evolve over time, how to: assemble the 12 Steps and how a variety of Initiatives have designed different ways through them, drawn from the experience of various initiatives

 

- Hosting, moderating and editing the collaborative rewrite of 'The Transition Handbook' using a wiki approach, with the original book serving as the basis for a gathering of tools, stories, experience and insight from across the Transition Setting up an online registry of Transition speakers.

 

- Supporting and enabling action research and evaluation at a national/international level -

 

- Partnering with universities where appropriate Organising (in the UK)bi‐annual national Convergences alternating with regional Transition Convergences.

 

- Supporting new emerging areas of Transition by designing specific events, i.e. Transition

in Cities conference (November '08)

 

-  Supporting national and regional transition organizations as set out in the principles

 

- Thinking strategically about the emerging context in which Transition Initiatives grow

 

 

 

 

 

The Initial Stage:  typically, a group of people start to meet each other, start to discuss the Transition concept, and begin the process of enthusing each other to initiate the process

The 'Mulling' Stage:  Currently here contact is made with the Transition Network Ltd, the individuals or group enter themselves into the Googlemap of Transition initiatives, download the Transition Primer, and let the Transition Network Ltd know of their 'mulling' status (although in time this will devolve to regional/national Transition networks).
 
Formal Transition Initiative:  the 'mulling' stage can last for a few weeks or for many months, depending on the group.  In order to proceed to formal status, the group completes a declaration of intention, which lists the guidelines and asks for information about the initiative, as well as checking that the initiative is in the best possible position to proceed successfully. Many initiatives have told us that they cherish their formal status, and are very proud of having reached that point. 

 

 

1.  An agreement with the core Purpose and Principles set out above: this includes an assumption that the group will contribute to the ongoing development and updating of these principles.

 

2.  Life is Easier if we don't Reinvent the Wheel: there are now hundreds of initiatives out there, from their mistakes rather than your own!  Transition Training is extremely helpful for this, as is ensuring that your, initiative contains, at the earliest possible opportunity, some people who have long been embedded in the local community.

 

3. Start with a Initiating Group That Designs Its Demise: the initiating group exists to navigate the first few steps of the process, but always with an intention of dissolving itself as the project, evolves (with the caveat that early experience indicates that this guideline may be more, appropriate at the local level than the larger scales)., 4.  Interdependence: Transition initiatives are far stronger where they work supportively with the, initiatives around them.  Communication is key, as is supporting newer emerging initiatives, around them, inspiring and encouraging them where possible.  

 

5.  Openness to Feedback and Learning:  Implicit within an acceptance of these principles is an openness to feedback from others also working in this field.  This would generally be feedback which questions whether we are starting to, run our Transition initiatives in such a way as to no longer embodies these principles.  This kind of feedback is most effective when it emerges from our peers, but an openness to being challenged is vital, as feedback can be highly, affirming and can generate confidence.

6.  Start in Your Own Back Yard:  Local Transition Initiatives will identify for themselves the scales that feel most appropriate for them to work at, but this principle encourages them to work at the scale that feels comfortable and over which they can have an influence, rather than leaping straight in to regional scale work. Don't bite off more than you can chew.