You can hear an in-depth interview with Greene at Radio Ecoshock – http://www.ecoshock.org I just did a one hour feature program on the film for CFRO radio in Canada (find that at http://www.ecoshock.org/cfro) – all free mp3 downloads of course.
Alex.

In regard to the local or national approach, I don’t think they are mutually exclusive. In fact they can be very complementary.

National leadership via Tradeable Energy Quota’s (TEQ) will guarantee reduced emissions and ensure access to energy for all in an energy constrained world. There are already plans for implementing TEQ in 2011. Naturally there will be hurdles before this can happen.

One of the key hurdles is political will. If there was a way to beautifully demonstrate to government that we are aware of the problem and willing to make the lifestyle changes needed we would be well on our way to overcoming this hurdle. I believe Transition Towns is that incredible demonstration of community ability.

However government can’t lead nationally without a clear Energy Decent Plan for the UK.

In a TEQ world the importance of transition towns would be greatly increased. As everyone would be increasingly aware of the issues and have a personal energy allowance.

Rob discusses Local verses national including support for carbon rationing in his interview from Lewis available on youtube. TEQ where also listed as part of the solution in his great presentation at the Big Green Gathering.

It is an incredible document and well done to all involved in it. Very impressive. This document cannot be read widely enough.

There’s always a ‘but’, isn’t there? The but is the optimism in the report. Twenty years is a very short time and of course the clock’s ticking. (Or is it a bomb?) There’s a great use of the auxiliary verb ‘will’ where other reports would have used ‘would’ or, more likely ‘could’.

Examples? “Virtually all vehicles will be electrically powered,” “the year 2027 when emissions will drop to near zero.” Fair play to them for being so positive!

While reading it, I kept thinking, these lads should be in government. At the top. This is exactly the up-beat assessment and proposal that the planet required. I kept shaking my head, telling myself this paper is serious.

Sadly, like Tom, I simply cannot be so optimistic. The magnitude of what is required of this paper means it needs to be implemented yesterday and tell me, what is really happening as we speak?

Apart from a few local initiatives, zilch.

I guess the only thing I don’t share is any belief that even a fraction of this vision will be realised. So much of it needs top-down coordination. Better to stay focused on localised resilience projects like Transition Towns than getting excited that something inspirational will be instigated at a national or international level.