Transition Culture

15 Sep 2006

Unleashing Transition Town Totnes Feedback #2. Our Vision.

Then people were invited to reflect in pairs on the following question, “my vision for Totnes after peak oil is…�. Thanks to Karen for typing them all up. They are reproduced below.

Town gardens – Sense of community achievement – model spreading globally – sense of responsibility and pride – caring relationship with the Earth – Support, consequences beyond expectation
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That Totnes can provide an inspirational example to other places, so that people see us as genuinely ‘alternative’ and not just as wacky weirdoes
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More localised way of life – Educate our young people to cook more, re-establish rural science in schools – To make my own home more energy efficient
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Social and cultural harmony and beauty – Conscious joyful actions
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Urban gardens – Locally produced food – Recycled clothing – Design using materials made without using oil power – Out reach work to education to other communities
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To work together as a community to prepare ourselves for change – Establishment of support systems and alternatives to oil fuelled society
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Energy descent to become the only realistic economic, social, political debate
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Improved public transport – No supermarkets – No SUV’s – Assistance for people trying to cut down on energy
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Increased awareness of problem – More public pressure on governments and companies to change policies – More responsibility amongst individuals to change habits and live a more ‘eco-responsible’ life
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I can positively influence people who cause climate change/environmental destruction
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Re-discovering old systems of gardening (Compost, heated greenhouses, Victorian style)
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Totnes community becomes a functional family, we share!!!
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Simplified lives – Communities – Living within the limits of place
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Empowered responsible individuals/communities generating their own power, consuming less, educating others, polluting less, growing own food
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A sense of community, everyone has a role – Centres within communities to aid change and help others feel valued within society
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People working together – We are a magnificent raw material – A huge co-operative workforce of US. Easy!
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Share knowledge, educate – Permaculture solutions, explore and teach – Landmatters and Transition Town to work together and inspire
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To help set up a community micro-generation project on an ‘all-electronically heated’ estate in Totnes
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Totnes to take a lead in the UK and worldwide, a catalyst!
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Resourcefulness – People really growing to earth stewardship – People working together to survive – More green lanes for bikes
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Education for life – Business as part of the solution
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For more people to begin to see the low-carbon future as attractive
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Food, Everywhere! – Renewable energy generators everywhere!
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Carbon rationing – Local production – Local consumption – Food production – Local insulation grants for all – Solar panels for all – Wind Turbines for all if possible – Co-operation
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Awareness – Self-Sufficiency – Wave powered machine!
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People sharing skills and resources in a community
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Communication – Supportive networks – Sharing of resources and energy (including human energy) – Stronger communication – Fun! – Health! – Kids Learning to grow food and make the things they need
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Community based support and encouragement
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Community sharing – Growing food organically together in small local plots
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More community events, out doors – Working on the land – Everyone sharing their own wisdom instead of living alone
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Practical steps for transport and energy use reduction – Food productions allotments
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Totnes as a place where cars are unwelcome and unnecessary (except for true need)
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Education – Participatory democracy – Empowering people – Holding media and government accountable
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That people take note, learn together, enjoy the learning, become community – Caring for one another and therefore share what resources we have :- knowledge, food, land, housing, caring
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Sharing – Broad scale permaculture – Fun – Tree Planting – Effort – Opening up the community for the people in it through work
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Less need for transport – Conserve heat and electricity
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More educational opportunities – Meetings – Pedestrian High Street
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Energy conservation – Discouraging outside heaters (popular because of smoking bans in pubs) – Shops not leaving lights on all night etc
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The Transformation of Civilisation
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Mass Car Share – Mass farming at home – Happiness
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A change which is inclusive and integrated – An education for change which is accessible and non-judgemental and does not resort to eco-colonisation
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An ongoing education information centre in centre of Totnes for Transition Culture promotion and a free coffee/tea (maybe in The Old Community/ DOS Shop near St Marys in High St)
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Free Solar – Wind for everyone – Free training for growing – Support ideas – Manufacturing – Exploring
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Centre of Excellence at Dartington College
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South Dartmoor people meeting regularly and creating our own original response ‘The S Dartmoor Future Forum’
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Forest gardens springing up all over and around town – Overcoming the ‘nature isn’t me’ attitude
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Permaculture and local agricultural production – New education with practical orientation – Community building through localisation
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Cycle lanes, cycle group – Stronger small community feeling – Easy to feel part of and contribute to community – Sustainable living the new standard
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Teaching the importance of change – Pedestrianising the High Street – More workshops and public garden areas
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Using horses – Buildings – Inspiring young people my age and letting them know that they are needed!
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Meetings like this all over the country, the world – Massive ground swell of action
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More community feeling – Local production of our needs – Response similar to Cuba – Concrete torn up to grow food
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Sustainable communities – Community gardens
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Local food production – Language that invites people to participate in positive vision
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People actually talking to each other about their concerns and organising – See more changes in attitude and more action
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Change my life – Five year program to phase out Morrisons
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I’d like to initiate projects in Totnes to empower young people – I’d like to plant up forest gardens with them and create a centre for sustainability and creativity
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Strong emphasis on localisation
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All round social change, stronger local communities – Bicycles – Vegetables – Local arts – Empowerment of individual
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Joined communities – A friendly peaceful world – Adapting/converting friends and family – Living/working/socialising in same locality
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Everybody riding bike and driving less
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Localised economy and money system – Local food production – Local Energy
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Community being pulled back together by communal activities, gardening etc, sharing skills, bartering, exchanging skills, helping each other for real
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Lively community discussion – Knowing my neighbours – Lots of people working on the land together – People smiling at each other – Community celebrations
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Co-operative community
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A working example of things we can all do to assist in the easing of the pain of transition
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Community rises to occasion
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Fruit tress growing everywhere – Nut trees growing everywhere – Organised community food production and sharing – Skill sharing – True community land freed up for production – Cellars used for mushrooms – Woods managed for local use – Become an example to others
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Community owned power source that backs a currency
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Electric cars – Windmills – Solar power
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Communities to risk what they know now and have the courage to learn to work together for a better world
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Self sufficient community, production and distribution of food
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A sharing of knowledge about available edible local produce, about medicinal plants found locally, edible fungi, local sources for building fresh water supplies
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Everyone in my street getting to know each other and spending time together – More time to grow food with others and to sing and dance and play songs – More companionship
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Form sub groups to cover each of the actions in the plan – Inspire all the time – Loads of appropriate publicity that people can hear
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Veggie plots and fruit orchards instead of car parks and large supermarkets – More community events where people DO things together
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Local decentralised energy supply, wind turbines on hills – Fields growing enough food to feed local population – People of Totnes and surrounding area pulling together – Pedestrianise the High Street
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People working together to have an abundant future – To share relevant skills freely – Transport sharing – Growing more of own food
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People more aware and thinking about what they use and how necessary it really is
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Living a simpler life closer to the earth – Re-building of community around Western countries – Allowing areas of Britain to re-generate into wilderness – Being responsible for ourselves and each other, both on a practical support level and an emotional level
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We are drawn together as a community and look after one another – We have more community living in Totnes – We have more bicycles and less cars
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No cars on High Street – Food growing everywhere – A web of relationships – People learning to build their own homes from local materials – Shops stocking local and UK produce only
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Transition Totnes to be such a transformation in attitude, bringing community together, internationally recognised and used across the world – An inspiring tool
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More forest gardens and forest farms – Company which converts cars to electric
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A demonstration project in an urban setting to show that this is not just for those who live in the country side
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Localisation – Reconnecting with the earth (as in food supply) – Sharing and co-operation
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Better community – Community gardens – Less is more – Re-evaluate money and commerce
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Community gardens in town – ‘Peddle Power’ – Cinema and Laundry juice bars – Slow Down, Connect
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Local council to support eco-affordable homes and land use – Support for eco-sustainable business and services etc – Use of art and creativity to get Decent Plan across to schools, colleges, communities and home educated children – Trams for Totnes!
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That the Government will demand change soon
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Mounds of earth in Ivybridge High Street – New meeting groups in Ivybridge – Getting more groups in Ivybridge aware of the situation
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Links between peak oil and climate change and radical social/political change, personal spiritual awakening – Link personal, political, social and spiritual – Develop awareness of those who have a different agenda
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More equal society – Emphasis on sharing/community – End of consumerism status/greed – Acceptance of self worth
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Fantastic public transport – Complete local food production – Responsible supermarkets supporting community – Farming organic – Only small/slow cars
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More sharing – More gardening and the food and spiritual benefits it has – No Cars – More bikes/walking – Better health – Local knowledge – Rural and urban balance and connection
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Collaboration now for local production and creative life
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Greater opportunities for low impact dwellings integrated into society – Growing more veggies – Totnes High Street pedestrianised
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Life less frenetic and pressures – UK a world leader in the managed descent
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Finding our humility as a human race
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Energy Descent – Local food production – Stopped personal transport allowing fuel for public transport – Education for lower power use
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Increase in conviviality – Reduction in unnecessary rubbish – Quieter streets – Better air quality
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Local Food – Local Jobs – Retro-fitting business – Localised energy (micro/household production and Totnes power station)
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More sharing, community interaction – Locally produced goods/economy – Local eco-builds, cob, straw bale, co-operation, affordability
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Lots of gardens for food – Coppice woodlands for food – Micro power generation in all homes
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Becoming more conscious and involved
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Majority of us acknowledging peak oil and being willing to make change
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Listen to voice of environment – Slower speed of life – Local food production – Local medicine production
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Groups supporting each other facing up to the impact and practicalities of change
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The community getting together – Our whole way of thinking how we live must change by thinking beyond ourselves
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Sharing community – Improved transport system – Alternative and sustainable energy sources – Public participation
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People talking to each other in the evening instead of watching Coronation Street – Lots of groups where we support each other – Local, empowered, skilled, activities – Transformation of consciousness
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Slower, easier lifestyle with more respect for the environment and a reconnection with each other and nature
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A greater sense of community – A will to see for ourselves that every individual action affects everyone else and to consider before we do anything
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For Totnes to be a role model for the other towns and cities in the UK and work with them to implement the changes
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People slow down – Become aware and insightful – Live simply – Live with equal respect toward each other, animals, the earth – Get creative – Live joyfully
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People working in or near their homes – Community action, sharing skills, tools, growing vegetable gardens etc, growing most of our own food, move towards perennials, self seeders – Houses fully occupied – More cycle paths – Better public transport for those living in villages – District CHP
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Responding to concerns and spreading a positive attitude about potential changes – Keep using the positive energy that considering possible futures can bring, its not all bad!
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Localised living – Happier people – More time with friends and family – Better food, grown locally and organically – No need for oil
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Less use of resource – Grow more – More independence – Less reliability on food miles
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Ever more people using bikes and legs to get around – Totnes to be car free – High Street pedestrianised – Local power station
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Surrender – Set up Energy Descent Plan thinking and action in Exeter – Set up demonstration of ideas/action/techniques with involvement of local authority
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Go Local – Eat Local – Drink Local – Meet Neighbours
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Working together – Bringing inner psychological and spiritual perspectives together with clear practical steps
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A non-fossil fuel based production site of Needed Items – Recycled shopping trolleys made from Totnes plastic waste – Wooden crutches for injured people – Zero waste for Totnes
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Go Local – People knowing how to be interdependent
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Totnes to be less reliant on private transport, a clean public transport options in the region – Large scale de-escalation of consumerism – Introduction of alternative energy sources on a local level
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Resources to grow on doorstep – Wonderful momentum already apparent in Totnes
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Horses worked with beautifully again
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Community action! – Education of all re issues and possible interventions (permaculture teaching energy generation and conservation, energy efficiency – Community self sufficiency, land put aside for town farms, decentralising water supply, local appropriate transport to reduce isolation
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Ban to plastic bag use in Totnes
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Low energy new build – Green spaces for vegetable growing – Park and ride – A wind turbine
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People sharing – People learning practical skills – Creating gardens – Helping each other
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Totnes car free – Totnes food independent – Zero Waste
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National government overthrown (not fit for purpose) – ‘Money’ linked to energy (Local) – Long term planning for health and education
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Local communal food production – Alternative economics – Local energy production – Local water harvest – Bring back horse and cart
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Spending more time on my allotment – Sharing my skills as a gardener – Encouraging others to grow their own vegetables
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Community shop(s) selling local produce with opportunities for barter/trade
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People won’t need fuel to heat their homes they will stay warm on their own
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Good public transport – Subsidies for fully using/sharing vehicles – People getting skills to be more self sufficient – Better community more decentralisation
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More co-operation with fellows
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Buildings are ecologically sound and a sense of community is built in – Green, social, community
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Increase in local food production – Horse drawn transport – No rubbish in the shops – Gardens instead of car parks – Increased education
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Return to sustainable community – Co-operation, skill sharing – New economy based on localisation – Nationwide debate
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Totnes grows food Cuba style
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To see empty spaces where I live and the surrounding areas are used productively within the communities and for the community – To grow food for, create buildings for, small business – To use locally produced veg and fruit – Carbon rationing
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Very low use of car transport
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Positive thinking – Focus on creating a beautiful, harmonising present
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Heat house with affordable solar panes/wind turbines – Community hospital larger so I could nurse there and not drive to work
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‘Higher’ life based on community – Self sufficiency
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Grass roots community example of a sustainable town
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Rebirth of community, all people really need to work together again
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Government action to support and supplement local action – Investment in renewable energy and public transport – Public information to practical steps people can take – Funding for local initiative
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Creative descent – Community – Communication
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Attitude changing becoming value changing resulting in new beliefs – Pedestrianise of main street! – Shopping locally and not buying more than we need
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Using donkey and carts and being safe on the roads because there are no cars – Lots more people living the farm buildings and sharing food production – No noisy tractors
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Local food available – More cycle tracks
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Co-operation between people in community – A lot of mutual help offered – Work-parties helping individuals in turn – Regular meetings between people to share information, gain skills needed, look at problems and offer help
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Community strength – Local food, no miles – Coming together of people – Reduction in oil use
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Pedestrianise the main street – Create more vegetable growing land and share amongst community and all share produce
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More market gardens, fewer cows/sheep – More workshops for people to make things by hand – People in trust filled groups that they work with, groups coming together when more power needed – Different type of local government mandate to take more radical action – Tourists arriving by fab public transport system – Woodland around town to provide for needs of Totnes
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Re-localisation, local food, local production of clothing, fuels (wood), etc – Large increase in horse drawn transport – More sense of togetherness and unleashing of creativity
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People helping one another – Waste systems e.g. seed beds in ‘waste places’ like bottom of Copland Meadows – Car parks dug up for food production/waste systems – People helping one another with skills (dress making, gardening, transport choices) – Farms used only for local food – LET bartering system
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Community project and support – Practical guidance to making changes – Locally produced food/allotments – Better public transport/car sharing
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Creative advertising/events, art, music, performance, done sustainably in public and events to help collective energy descent
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Recreation to ones around each town and city to reduce travel for vacations and adventure – These could be created by intergenerational teams of all ages, but especially teenagers
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Another revolution (like industry) a way of uniting the world against the biggest threat to US., a positive thing, a challenge – Buddhist philosophies learned – Love over £ – Totnes a flagship for change! Go for it
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Replace toilet water with rain water – Bicycle system in city as in Oslo, Berlin – Diversified field gardening supplying the need for the town
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A come together in positive action and all the great ‘community’ bonding ideas in Totnes – Where the population moves towards living for the ‘good of all’ rather than for individual advantage
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Significant reduction in the way we use hydra and carbon fuels – Higher utilisation of locally produced food
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Close high street to cars – More green space and diversify food resources – Involving children and raising their awareness as they will powerfully influence their parents and grandparents
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Life as it was 60 years ago, living as community – Less greedy society – Wildlife flourishing – Age of change
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Sharing remaining commodities – Being more conscientious and mindful – Enjoy process rather than as a means to an end
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Cut out short car journeys (foot or bus) – Long journeys by train – Local wind/water power sold locally in limited supply as reflected in prices – Park and ride
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Utilising local farms & markets for local food – Buying local produce/clothing – More shops providing local produce/goods
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Local community empowerment, the onset of oil scarcity is good for learning and local community empowerment – Action on climate change – Localisation of everything – Community involvement and sharing of transport food and resources generally
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Community spirit – re-examine war time mentality, time to talk and work and play without electric distraction – Re-establishing community values
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