7 Jul 2011
I was reading through the Executive Summary of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks 2011 this afternoon (as you do) and the chart on page 3 (see above) caught my eye (click on it to enlarge it). In it, the authors set out all the risks they see in the world on a matrix which positions the various risks by their perceived impact on the global economy and by the perceived likelihood of their happening. What you might expect to be at the top, given recent media reports, would be the threat of terrorism or perhaps some hideous computer virus that knocks out nuclear power station. But no. There at the top, leading the pack, are climate change, ‘extreme energy price volatility’ and fiscal crises.
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4 Jul 2011
Things are moving along well with ‘The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times’ which is due to be published in early October. We are currently doing the fine editing and sorting out all the pictures. As part of the run-up to the publishing, Green Books have produced what’s called a ‘blad’ (“Book Layout And Design”), which gives a taste of the layout, style and contents in a little 16 page booklet. You can download it as a pdf here. A free printed copy of the blad will be given to everyone who attends this weekend’s Transition Network conference in Liverpool. We think it’s going to be gorgeous, and is in a quite different style from the previous Transition books. You can keep up to speed with developments either here or over at Green Books’ website. We are currently planning a few launch events for the book… if you have any ideas for one, do get in touch…
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30 Jun 2011
Local Transition groups put in a strong showing at Hillbrook school's local Sustainability Day, Brisbane, Australia.
It’s time for the monthly roundup of all things Transition from across the globe. We’ll start down under in Brisbane, Australia where a Sustainability Day was held at a school in Hillbrook. The all-day event included music, speakers, practical demonstrations and workshops. Local Transition groups were one of many represented at the event which encouraged people to connect, enjoy and celebrate the school’s 25th year.
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28 Jun 2011
When I reported here the recent death of my dear friend Dr. David Fleming I wrote, “and he never did get his bloody book finished!” Everyone who knew David will have seen one or other iteration of his book, whether it was known as ‘The Lean Economy’ or ‘Lean Logic‘, tucked under his arm, adorned with much scribbling and crossing out. Following his death, his family and friends have set to the task of making sure that his life’s work does finally see the light of day, and I’m delighted to announce that copies will soon be available. I’m delighted, as would he have been, to know that his insights, his humour and his brilliance, are now more widely available. Here is the text from a flyer I was recently sent announcing the publication. I’ve already ordered mine…
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22 Jun 2011
Transition Network empowers local groups to promote sustainable issues by Rob Hopkins (appeared today in the Guardian’s online Sustainable Business section).
Last week it emerged that the Department of Energy and Climate Change, whose official position remains that “we do not have any contingency plans specific to a peak in oil production”, was actually stating in internal documents released under the Freedom of Information Act that “it is not possible to predict with any accuracy exactly when or why oil production will peak”.
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