Transition Culture

18 Feb 2009

Transition Conference 2009: Dates and Venue Announced

We are delighted to announce the details of the 2009 Transition Network conference. It will be held between lunchtime on Friday 22nd and lunchtime on Sunday 24th May 2009 at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. This is the main event in the annual Transition calendar and is the opportunity to immerse yourself in what is happening in Transition initiatives around the world. The 2009 conference will be our biggest yet, and will keep what has been best about the conferences held thus far (i.e. lots of Open Space and workshops, a football match, an Open Mike in the evening, socialising time) as well as adding some new and exciting elements…

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15 Jan 2009

The Transition Declaration of Independence

Here is something rather wonderful that emerged in late 2008 from New Zealand, thanks for Dr. Susan Krundieck (about whom more below). It is an update of the US Declaration of Independence, brought up to date for a generation facing peak oil, climate change and economic contraction, and is attributed to the Representatives of the Transition Committee of Oamaru (a town in New Zealand).  I love the list of ‘the Growth Economy has for its own sake…’ accusations statements… there is a deep, forceful power to this, a clearly spoken and resonant declaration of intent.  Prepare yourself for a goosebumps moment.

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7 Jan 2009

Five Months and Counting…. the realities of giving up driving

I often liken breaking our collective and individual addiction to oil as being like giving up any other addiction.  My family has now passed its fifth month without a car, and the process of getting used to life with no car has been very similar to giving up drinking or smoking.  I can’t for a moment say that it has been easy and hassle-free, but at the same time, we are still here, no-one has starved to death or died of boredom, life goes on, and we are, in many ways, the better for it.  What I want to do here is not to give some rosy ‘it’s been so easy’ account of the process, but rather to give a warts’n’all account of where we have got to, in order to stimulate discussion and debate. 

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9 Oct 2008

The Stirrings of Transition Los Angeles…

Here is an email I received from Joanne Poyourow in LA about the early steps that are being taken to kick start Transition ideas in the city.  Hope this is interesting/encouraging for other Transition city groups.  Just to remind you, the Transition Cities Conference takes place in Nottingham on the 27th – 28th November.  Full details to follow next week, but do put those dates in your diary. 

“Sometimes the question of “what to do about Los Angeles” seems just too big — both to those on the outside looking in, and even at times to the brave Permaculturists and Transitioners who are here working from the inside.  Los Angeles is huge. 

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3 Oct 2008

The Totnes Energy Descent Pathways Launch: report, podcasts and poem

We had a wonderful evening in Totnes last week, where we launched the Totnes EDAP process.  About 180 people turned up, and were provided with wine and nibbles, as well as with live guitar music on their arrival.  I felt it was one of those great Transition events that appeals to both sides of the brain, some talking, some chatting, some moving around, some laughter, some poignancy, some food and drink, some fun.  To set the scene, here is how the evening was reported in the Totnes Times, the first time a TTT-related story graced the front page.  Under the headline “Why Time is Running Out”, the article ran as follows;

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