Transition Culture

An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent

Transition Culture has moved

I no longer blog on this site. You can now find me, my general blogs, and the work I am doing researching my forthcoming book on imagination, on my new blog.


12 Sep 2012

Transition Network conference 2012 preview: No:17 – Michaela Richter and Rob McGhee on “What happens when Transition says no?’

The workshop called “What happens when Transition says no?” will bring together Joe Ryle and Rose Music from Transition Heathrow, Holly Tiffen from Totnes’ ‘NoToCosta’ campaign, and Michaela Richter and Rob McGhee (see above, Michaela couldn’t make the photo-taking) from Transition Cowbridge in South Wales to explore this important question.  I asked Michaela and Rob to tell the story they’ll be bringing to the conference and what they hope people will get out of the workshop:

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Discussion: Comments Off on Transition Network conference 2012 preview: No:17 – Michaela Richter and Rob McGhee on “What happens when Transition says no?’

Categories: Climate Change, Community Involvement, Energy, Politics, Resilience, Storytelling, Transition Initiatives


11 Sep 2012

Transition Network conference 2012 preview: No:16 – Sue Milner on conflict and diversity

Sue Milner will be co-presenting two workshops at the Transition Network conference 2012 with Iona Fredenburgh.  The first is called ‘Conflict: Gateway to Community Tools to Practice and Use in Impossible Moments’, and the second is called ‘How on earth can we get along together? Tools for unlocking the creative resources from our diversity issues’.  I asked Sue to tell us more:

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Discussion: Comments Off on Transition Network conference 2012 preview: No:16 – Sue Milner on conflict and diversity

Categories: Diversity, The 'Heart' of Energy Descent, Transition Network Conference 2012


11 Sep 2012

My letter in support of Totnes Renewable Energy Society’s wind planning application

The Totnes Renewable Energy Society (TRESOC) have just submitted their planning application for two 2.3MW wind turbines on the edge of Totnes.  It’s very exciting.  TRESOC began life at a Transition Town Totnes Open Space meeting about energy, and now has over 500 members from the local community who have bought shares in it.  To support their application, TRESOC are asking for as many people as possible from the local area to write letters of support before the public consultation period closes on September 26th.  In the hope that it might encourage others to do so, here is the letter that I just submitted:

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Discussion: Comments Off on My letter in support of Totnes Renewable Energy Society’s wind planning application

Categories: Community Involvement, Energy, Social enterprise, Storytelling


10 Sep 2012

Transition Network conference 2012 preview: No:15 – “Should we be reshaping Transition for times of austerity?”

One of the workshops in the Saturday morning workshops session is called ‘Should we be reshaping Transition for times of austerity?’, and will feature Filipa Pimental, International Coordinator of the Transition National Hubs, Juan del Rio from the Spanish National Hub, and will be chaired by Transition Network’s Rob Hopkins.  The workshop will aim to explore how Transition is emerging differently in places where the economic crisis is impacting severely, and in places where its impacts are yet to be strongly felt.  In the former, Transition is emerging more along the Gift Economy kind of model, in the latter the REconomy approach is felt to be most suitable.  How do those two sit alongside each other, and what does this mean for the role of Transition Network?  Expect discussion, debate and dialogue.  The three presenters recently joined by Skype to discuss their plans for the workshop:

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10 Sep 2012

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall visits Totnes and lends his support to Atmos Totnes

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was in Totnes last week to throw his weight behind Atmos Totnes and to visit other Transition Town Totnes initiatives.  Hugh is the fifth Patron of Atmos, joining Dr. Sarah Wollaston MP, Jonathan Dimbleby, Kevin McCloud and Tim Smit.  Atmos Totnes is working to bring the former Dairy Crest site adjoining Totnes station into community ownership to develop it as ‘the heart of a new economy’.  It is currently negotiating with Dairy Crest, the site’s owners, for an Exclusivity Agreement for the site, a process that has entered a critical stage.  

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