22 Dec 2010
Context
The design of STRATEGIC LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE (5.5) is, in the Transition context, ultimately about the allocation of scarce resources to create a resilient, more localised infrastructure more appropriate to a future of diminishing resources. It is vital therefore that a Transition initiative, whether in its AWARENESS RAISING (2.9), STANDING UP TO SPEAK (1.8) or when designing its PRACTICAL MANIFESTATIONS (3.9) or researching its ENERGY DESCENT ACTION PLAN (5.1), does so based on good evaluation of the evidence available.
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15 Dec 2010
Context
The actual practical work of implementing STRATEGIES FOR PLUGGING THE LEAKS (5.6), making LOCAL FOOD INITIATIVES (3.10) a reality, creating a community culture of SOCIAL ENTERPRISE/ENTREPRENEURSHIP (5.2) and enabling the COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS (5.8) and COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE/FARMS/BAKERIES etc (5.9), all ideally in a way that has, perhaps, been identified in your ENERGY DESCENT ACTION PLAN (5.1), will require new infrastructure, whether physical or notional, to be put into place.
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2 Dec 2010
In June 2008, David Fleming was in Totnes to teach on the ‘Life After Oil’ course at Schumacher College, along with Richard Heinberg, myself and others. One afternoon, David and I slipped away so I could interview him for this website. In memory of his passing away this week, I am reprinting it here. We discussed peak oil and Tradable Energy Quotas, among other things. It was a joy.
How do you see the unfolding events of the past few weeks? (ie. the runaway price and it starting to make the price of petrol/diesel rise, with the impacts being felt acutely by those on lower incomes and in rural areas)?
Well, this is the beginning of the breakdown of the energy market. High prices are a sign that some people are having to forgo some or all of the oil which they would have expected to buy. In some cases, those purchases are absolutely essential to their livelihoods, and if they are priced out of the market in the oil auction, they will not be able to do really fundamental things like buying the kerosene they need to power their irrigation pumps. So far, most of those who have been affected to this extent are the poor – third world farmers, for instance. But it is coming our way.
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23 Nov 2010
Transition Town Totnes has been running now for just over 4 years, and recently a group of us sat down to try and capture what has actually been achieved by the process. It has been a very illuminating process, one that is very useful to do in terms of being able to get a sense of what has actually been achieved on the ground (I highly recommend it). The name of the report, ‘So, what does Transition Town Totnes actually do?‘, comes from the question often asked by visitors to the town who come to see a Transition town, wander round the High Street and wonder why there are still cars and not windmills everywhere. This report is designed to explain all that is going on below the surface (as well as on top of it…).
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23 Nov 2010
Context
Engaging creatively with local businesses will be a key part of your STRATEGIES FOR PLUGGING THE LEAKS (5.6). It can also be key to BUILDING LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS (2.12) and can greatly strengthen and bolster your AWARENESS RAISING (2.9) efforts.
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