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.
Been a bit of a break in the usual service, due to my computer dying. Should be rectified very soon. In the meantime, I gave a talk the other day to the “Environment, Economy and Culture Overview/Scrutiny committee” at Devon County Council, invited by them to explain what Transition is and what the Council might do in order to support it in Devon. At the end of the meeting, they voted unanimously to investigate further and prepare a resolution on the subject. Sitting at the back was Carl Munson, formerly of Traydio.com, now presenting on a radio programme in Exeter. After the talk, we walked back through Exeter together, and following our walk and our chat, mostly about music, he penned the following blog post, in which he tries to weave in as many Smiths songtitles as possible.. how many can you spot?
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 Local Government Association recently published a paper called ‘Volatile Times: transport, climate change and the price of oil”, which you can download here. It looks at the challenges faced by local authorities through the lens of peak oil and climate change, and is a very useful document for any Transition groups working with their local authorities. It starts with a clear setting out of the peak oil concept, and then looks at what Councils can do to respond. Transition initiatives, and Nottingham in particular are cited as case studies, the ‘Oil Independence in Oakland’ report is cited, including the great quote “quite simply, if Oakland is to reduce its dependence on oil, its residents must drive less”. A very useful document.
Every Christmas one of my children gets a copy of the Guiness Book of Records, which offers a fascinating insight into the more demented and extreme aspects of 21st century life. Today of course is the day when Barack Obama is inaugurated as President Obama, the something-or-other-th President of the USA. I think the question the world should be asking though, on this historic day, is how would President Obama deal with a 7 tonne rotten whale?
One of the most appalling betrayals in recent history slipped by unseen by most people in last week’s media. The UK Government stated that Tibet has actually always been a part of China, and that it has no claim whatsoever to be viewed in anyway differently from the rest of China. For the Tibetan people, who have suffered genocide, the suppression and erosion of their cultural and religious identity, huge population transfer, famine and police brutality, this is the final kick in the teeth, the final glimmer of hope snuffed out. The fact that that the Olympics are over, and China can stop pretending again that it gives a toss what the rest of the world thinks about anything, coupled with Western governments’ decision that the way out of crippling recession is to spend, spend, spend in order to encourage us to spend, spend, spend, means that no-one needs Tibet. It is dispensible and can now officially crawl away and die slowly. This is a disgusting betrayal.
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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Been a bit of a break in the usual service, due to my computer dying. Should be rectified very soon. In the meantime, I gave a talk the other day to the “Environment, Economy and Culture Overview/Scrutiny committee” at Devon County Council, invited by them to explain what Transition is and what the Council might do in order to support it in Devon. At the end of the meeting, they voted unanimously to investigate further and prepare a resolution on the subject. Sitting at the back was Carl Munson, formerly of Traydio.com, now presenting on a radio programme in Exeter. After the talk, we walked back through Exeter together, and following our walk and our chat, mostly about music, he penned the following blog post, in which he tries to weave in as many Smiths songtitles as possible.. how many can you spot?
