10 May 2007
Inaugural Transition Network conference – 31st May 2007.
**Inaugural Transition Network conference with Richard Heinberg and Rob Hopkins – May 31st.**
We’re setting up a Transition Network conference for 31st May 2007 in Nailsworth, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, at [Ruskin Mill]((www.rmet.co.uk/rmc/rmc_menu1.htm). The purpose of the event is to add momentum to existing Transition Towns (and cities/districts/villages), increase the connections between them. We’re also hoping to be able to encourage others to embark on their own voyage of self-determined energy descent.
Because Richard Heinberg will be attending, Peak Oil will feature more heavily than Climate Change. (FYI, Heinberg is also presenting to Transition Stroud the day before at the Subscription Rooms, 7:30pm to 9:30pm, tickets at £5/£3, available from the box office or 01453 760900)
Here’s what we’re planning for the 31-May conference:
* get Richard Heinberg’s latest thinking on global resource depletion and the most effective mitigation strategies/actions
* hear Richard’s “Peak Oil briefing” to equip yourself for those difficult Peak Oil conversations
* get an update from Rob Hopkins on how he sees the TT movement developing
* learn from the successes (and less-than-successes) of other TTs
* hear about other relocalisation initiatives around the globe
* and for those groups considering adopting the TT model, get an in depth explanation of the “twelve steps and seven buts” of preparing Energy Descent Action Plans
* hear what the Transition Network is planning in order to support transition initiatives, and tell us what we’ve missed
* network informally with people in other transitioning communities
The detailed agenda for the day is being drafted right now and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready. It’ll be limited places only, but there should be plenty of space to get **up to two people from all existing Transition Towns**. For any remaining spaces, we’d like to see people from communities that are currently discussing with us the possibility of adopting the TT model.
Please put the date in your diary and forward to the relevant people in your groups. You may want to start a discussion about who are the most appropriate people to attend. There will be a film crew at the event, putting together a short documentary on community responses to Peak Oil and Climate Change.
For more information, contact Ben Brangwyn, email: benbrangwyn@transitionnetwork.org, mobile: 07904 122636
Hannah
10 May 11:11am
Hello,
I appreciate that it is most important that people already involved in TT’s come to the conference, but if you get nearer the date and think you can squeeze on more in I would be extremely interested in coming along as I would like to discuss the possibility with people when I move back to Brighton in Oct. I am more than hapy to come and volunteer with anything that needs doing if that helps at all?
Thanks,
Hannah
Ben Brangwyn
11 May 6:02pm
Hannah
Please let me know your contact details. There’s quite a lot bubbling up in Brighton right now…
Thanks. Ben.
Hannah
11 May 6:51pm
Hi Ben,
That’s realy exciting to hear – not sure how I get you my details without posting them on the web?! I entered them in the site when I posted but they’re not displayed…any ideas?
Hannah
Darin Beckett
12 May 1:45pm
Hi
I’m in a similar position to Hannah in that I’m nor related to any group as yet though will be looking to get involved in projects in Bath and/or Shaftesbury, Dorset in the near future. I intend to come to Richard Heinberg’s presentation at the Subscription Rooms and, if possible, attend the Inaugral meeting at Ruskin Mill.
Could you let me know the possibility of this i.e. places available etc, as it would be helpful to get a better understanding of the processes involved in setting up a TT group and gain an overview of TT implementation.
Email: darin at lightfootdigital dot com
Ben Brangwyn
12 May 8:58pm
Hannah,
Look at Rob’s post above and you’ll see my email address right at the end. Use that and I’ll get back to you.
Thanks. Ben.
Bill Templer
13 May 2:31am
SIMPLE DISCOURSE NEEDED
I’m a linguist based in rural Thailand and want to raise the issue about talking about transition communities and peak oil in language ordinary working class people can understand and feel comfortable with. Rich Heinberg is quite brilliant on alternative futures but he usually doesn’t write for ordinary people in clear plain language. The Gunning-Fog readibility score for his essay “Back to the post-oil future” is 25, which is advanced post-graduate student, native speaker of English; the Flesch-Kincaid grade level checks out at 16, graduating BA university student, native speaker. You can check any text easily online: http://www.ilovejackdaniels.com/resources/readability-score/
We need people writing on peak oil and transition communities and relocalisation initiatives in clear, simple discourse for the ‘social majorities’. I hope activists at the conference and in this networking can think about that a bit. This is one direction ongoing: http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/
Talk about transition communities and alternative futures and all issues on the left should be understandable to mass working family readership, for ordinary Australians and Californians and Cornwallians. Much of it today isn’t. In 1876, Johann Most published a simple down-sized version of das Kapital, for working-class German readers, OK’d by Marx. It became hugely popular (Kapital und Arbeit). Lot more of that is needed everywhere on the left today. Bill
Mike Hall
19 May 10:51pm
Bill,
Very interesting comment, & i’d never heard of Kapital und Arbeit, will google that. I think you are talking about a very important element of a transition period. I plan to speak to my family in Manchester (N of England=poss code for ‘working class’) about what may happen soon & how they might open their minds to this & do a little planning to make it easier for themselves. I might see about attending on the 31st.
Mike