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.
Here is an excellent update on the nut tree plantings taking place in Totnes, those of you doing similar things in your communities might find this useful…. my thanks to Wendy for documenting this.
Background:
TTT started a nut tree planting scheme in Totnes in March 2007, with the planting of a few varieties of nut trees on Vire island. The vision behind this scheme is to provide another source of nutritious food for the community in the future.
Here is a great film from Australia about ‘permablitzing’, and about edible backgardening. It features Asha Bee, who is currently working here with Transition Network doing a book about Transition in cities. Enjoy.
You can download a hi-res version for screenings in your local initiative here.
The discussions that followed the publication here of the Transition Declaration of Independence, the story emerged of the list of 200 skills needed in Victorian times that appeared in the last 2 pages of appendices from “Victorian Oamaru : A vision For The Future” by Michael O’Brien, which was printed by hand and not available electronically. Thanks to Corinne for typing this up and to Ted for finding it. I’ve got my name down for pie-maker. Insurance salesmen take note. It is interesting to read this in the context of Richard Morrison’s comment in his column in today’s Times: “I think we may be on the cusp of the most surprising social change in our lifetimes: a rediscovery of the pleasures to be had in thrift, in simplicity and in parochialism…I wouldn’t wish the return of Spam on anyone. But the rest? A New Age of Austerity might be quite refreshing.”
We had a fantastic day on Saturday with the first Transition Tales and Wondermentalist creative day, held here in Totnes. Wondermentalist is a local poets/performers collective, who do monthly cabarets in Totnes, which are quite wonderful. Matt Harvey, one of its founders, can be seen today, on BBC South West at 7.30pm, doing a piece about Transition for a programme called ‘Inside Out’. For those of you outside the South West (or within the South West but with no telly, or who are in the South West and do have a telly but who have an important appointment at 7.30), it will be available on the i-Player. I’ll let you know, and we’ll try and get it onto YouTube as soon as we can. Anyway, back to the workshop, which was fantastic…
I love my town. Its not something we say a great deal in England. In the US, people write songs about their towns and cities (Box Elder MO, Put Your Hands Up for Detroit, New York, New York…), as well as about the roads that join them together (Highway 61), but not here. Other than bands like the Smiths, who sang songs about rented rooms in Whalley Range and other parts of Manchester, and one or two other bands (such as It’s Immaterial’s song about driving across England from the 80s), we don’t have a strong tradition of celebrating where we come from.
How might our response to peak oil and climate change look more like a party than a protest march? This site explores the emerging transition model in its many manifestations
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Here is an excellent update on the nut tree plantings taking place in Totnes, those of you doing similar things in your communities might find this useful…. my thanks to Wendy for documenting this. 
