Darren

Now we need to get District and Town Council recognition to carry things forward.

This could be initiated by each Local Authority in the form of a Statement on Peak Oil and by establishing Peak Oil Task Forces to identify vulnerabilities within the communities they serve with the view also of creating appropriate Energy Descent Action Plans and a strategy for a low-carbon economy within each District.

While this will help raise awareness of the Transition Movement and Peak Oil throughout Local Government, we also need to raise awareness within the general public, build their enthusiasm for the Transition ethos and thus create a groundswell of support to implement projects in earnest.

We have the strategies and methodologies explained in Rob’s Transition Handbook, now we need to put them into practice.

We also need to keep the pressure up on Councilors to make sure that any Local Government Resolutions are not forgotten and are actually put into practice. Here is a superb opportunity for our Councilors and the Councils that are accountable to them to set an example and lead the way forward with the participation of Stakeholders, Strategic Partners and the general public.

It is therefore up to all of us to continue lobbying our representatives in government to raise awareness and respond to the twin threats of energy and climate uncertainty.

Get in touch with your Councilors, friends and neighbours about this.

All the best,
Alex Malcolm
Tel: +44 (0) 1373 462158 or +44 (0) 207 100 7283
Mobile: +44 (0)7798 572665
Blog website: http://www.alexmalcolm.co.uk/

You can see the SCC committee resolution at http://www.somerset.gov.uk/council/meetings/results.asp?ccode=1&Input2=Submit&SMonth=June&SYear=2008&EMonth=August&EYear=2099&searchpage=1&sort=Meeting_Date+DESC

Here is the wording;

(2) Transition Town Movement

The Council RESOLVED to adopt the following resolution:

That this Council

1. acknowledges the work done by communities in
   Somerset on Transition Towns and that the
   independence of the Transition Movement is key to
   its grass roots appeal
2. as demonstrated in its Climate Change Strategy,
   fully endorses the Transition Town Movement and
   subscribes to the principles and ethos of the
   organisation’s goals to reduce dependence on fuel
   oil and create more sustainable communities
3. commits to providing support and assistance to all
   towns in Somerset that wish to join this initiative to
   help them achieve the goals they set for themselves
   as local communities, as demonstrated under the
   ‘Community Initiatives’ section of the Climate
   Change Strategy
4. therefore, requests the Scrutiny and Executive
   Committees to consider through the council’s
   strategic planning process:

• allocating funds to assist in achieving the
outcomes of the Transition Towns Movement in
Somerset.
• requiring all directorates to engage with and
provide support for Transition Initiatives in
Somerset
5. through the work outlined above, seeks to become
the first Transition Authority in the UK

1. agrees to undertake a review of its budgets and
   services to achieve a reduction in dependence on
   fuel oil and produce an energy descent action plan
   in line with the principles of the Transition Initiative

This is the wording of the actual motion I put forward – I have to say that it was only possible due to the inspirational work on the ground of so many fantastic initiatives, the brilliance of the dreams Rob and Bob have put before all of us, and the challenge that we all face in doing our best at all levels to bring about a future truth – a better world for all of us.

(2) Transition Town Movement

That this Council

1. acknowledges the work done by communities in Somerset on Transition Towns and that the independence of the Transition Movement is key to its grass roots appeal.

2. as demonstrated in its Climate Change Strategy, fully endorses the Transition Town Movement and subscribes to the principles and ethos of the organisation’s goals to reduce dependence on fuel oil and create more sustainable communities.

3. commits to providing support and assistance to all towns in Somerset that wish to join this initiative to help them achieve the goals they set for themselves as local communities, as demonstrated under the ‘Community Initiatives’ section of the Climate Change Strategy.

4. therefore, requests the Scrutiny and Executive Committees to consider through the council’s strategic planning process;

· allocating funds to assist in achieving the outcomes of the Transition Towns Movement in Somerset.
· requiring all directorates to engage with and provide support for Transition Initiatives in Somerset

1. through the work outlined above, seeks to become the first Transition Authority in the UK.

2. agrees to undertake a review of its budgets and services to achieve a reduction in dependence on fuel oil and produce an energy descent action plan in line with the principles of the Transition Initiative.

 We have a Transition Initiative Group (TIG)

called Economic Localization that is proposing a Peak Oil And Climate Change Resolution principally to move City and County infrastructue dollars in support of ecologicl needs rather than perceived social and economicand in support of the business as usual car centric market economy .This motion will help are efforts a lot

Fred

Any more details about the actual motion that was voted on would be great.

I went to the LSP green event last month, ‘ENVIRON’ in Leicester, no one had heard of peak oil and the academic in the chair dismissed the idea.