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.

Archive for “Research on Transition” category

Showing results 26 - 30 of 49 for the category: Research on Transition.


28 Jun 2011

David Fleming’s ‘Lean Logic’ finally sees the light of day

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…

Read more»


16 Jun 2011

A day exploring values, policies and practices…. and silly signs…

Yesterday I attended a conference in London organised by the University of Surrey’s RESOLVE (the ESRC Research Group on Lifestyles, Values and Environment) called “Living Sustainably: values, policies, practices”.  But before I tell you more about that, I must show you this wonderfully silly sign I saw on my way to the venue:

As one respondent put it after I posted the picture on Twitter, “had an idea: ask someone their birth date, calculate how long ago that was, there’s your body age”.  Just saved you 15 minutes (plus a few quid I imagine…).  I love the idea of their being a “registered official test centre”.  Anyway, I digress…

Read more»


10 May 2011

Does engagement with Transition make people happier and healthier?

Does engaging in Transition lead to people being healthier and happier?  This is a question that has often been speculated on, and one that Janet Richardson, Professor of Health Service Research, Faculty of Health of the University of Plymouth has explored before, but as part of the Transition Together and Transition Streets initiatives happening in Totnes, she has just produced ‘Assessing the potential health impacts of a Transition town initiative: a health impact assessment of Totnes Transition Together and Transition Streets: a short report prepared for Transition Town Totnes, May 2011’, the first piece of research I know of that looks at this question.  It is very short, and largely speculative, but it opens the door for more detailed study of this most fascinating of areas.

Read more»


11 Apr 2011

The Local Passivhaus: an interview with Justin Bere

We are now in editing mode for ‘The Transition Companion’ (out in September).  The draft is way too long, so some bits are being cut.  The following piece has been cut way down, so I wanted to post it in full here, as I rather liked it (!).  First there is the piece from the book, and then the interview I did with Justin Bere, in full, a riot of delights for passivhaus/local building materials fans out there….

The 'Larch House' in Ebbw Vale, Wales.

The ‘holy grail’ in terms of the construction of new sustainable buildings is homes that reach the highest level of energy efficiency, whilst also using as high a proportion of locally sourced materials as possible, what we might call ‘The Local Passivhaus’.  Two buildings, recently completed in Ebbw Vale, known as ‘The Lime House’ and ‘The Larch House’ have moved this concept forward significantly. 

Read more»


5 Apr 2011

Announcing ‘In Transition 2.0’ and inviting your support….

‘In Transition1.0’ was a huge success.  Shown thousands of times around the world, the film has done a huge amount to support initiatives and give them a good “so this is what Transition is” resource.  Things have moved on a lot since then, so we are going to make a second one… provisionally titled (imaginatively) “In Transition 2.0”.  Emma Goude (see below right), who directed the first one, is back at the helm, so here is her first guest blog setting out her plans for the new film…

“In Transition 2.0 is underway.  Transition Network have green lighted the budget and formed a dream team to make it happen: Emma Goude, Beccy Strong and Emilio Mula.

Read more»