Transition Towns

U.S. Solidarity Economy Network 

Building an economy for people and planet

The U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (http://www.ussen.org/) stands in solidarity with the Occupy Wall St. movement. As a network of groups, activists and solidarity economy practitioners, we seek to transform our economic system into one that puts people and planet front and center. Another World is not only possible, it already exists, in many, many forms. The solidarity economy, grounded in principles of solidarity, participatory democracy, sustainability, equity in all dimensions, and pluralism (not a one-size-fits-all model) is a fast growing global movement. We offer these Solidarity Economy briefs to provide a glimpse into some of the aspects of the solidarity economy that exist all around us. This is what economic democracy looks like:

Transition Towns

Tamara Stenn

tstenn@keene.edu

What is its aim?

Transition Towns is a temporary verb.  It is a breeze that flows over communities and knits together related events, existing organizations, diverse individuals, and shows where there are missing areas that need coverage.  Transition comes with its own language and models and is supposed to be just that, a transition.  There is no headquarters, directors, or president in Transition Towns.  Rather it is a way for citizens to connect and learn to live more sustainably by working together. 

The aim of Transition Towns is to enable citizens to work together creating resilient communities that are more self-reliant in their use and distribution of resources, food, and energy.  It was created by Rob Hopkins, a permaculture instructor from the UK while teaching a course to students in Ireland in 2004 that touched upon issues of Peak Oil.  He later moved to Totnes in Devon, UK. 

The ideas that formed the Transition Network were realized in Totnes through an “unleashing” a large gathering and networking of community members and organizations.  A course at Schumacher College, “Life after Oil,” solidified it and resulted in the development of a Transition handbook.  This handbook was quickly embraced by enthusiasts in the Netherlands and soon spread to many parts of the world.  Training programs which accompanied the handbook were also developed and have been offered in the US, Germany, Sweden. Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia

Transition Towns is supported locally by volunteerism, grants, and private and public funding.  Internationally it exists as books, an organization, and website http://www.transitionnetwork.org/

What is it?

Author M. Scott-Cato referred to Transition Towns as a, “social innovation in response to climate change” (Scott-Cato, 2010, p. 869).  Leeds University professor, Paul Chatterton, called it a “…permaculture-influenced model for a transition to a low carbon society” (Chatterton & Cutler, 2008, p. 2).  Transition Network on its website explained, “It's a place where there's a community-led process that helps that town/village/city/neighbourhood become stronger and happier” (Transition Towns, 2012)

How does it work?

Transition is an empowering and accessible way for individuals to get involved with their own communities, know their neighbors and make new friends.  The main premise of Transition Network (or Transition Towns, TT, as it has become more commonly known) is that we are or will be soon entering into a time of oil scarcity while we are still living with a strong oil dependency.  To understand this dependency, models of addiction are used – showing the steps one goes through as they acknowledge their addiction and make a consciousness decision to accept it and move beyond it.  Models of change are also used to help community members understand what they and their neighbors are going through as they realize their current way of living will need to change.  People react with varying degrees of resistance or acceptance of the peak oil scenario.  The final part of Transition is the working collectively to find energy alternatives, create stronger community, help and know neighbors and needs, be prepared for natural (and other) disasters, create food security, health and safety systems, holistic education where book as well as practical knowledge is shared, develop green businesses, and form a complex, creative, interconnected way of sustaining together.  Transition Towns often create Energy Descent Plans which map out a five to 10 year phase out of oil and gas based systems.  An example of one such plan can be found here: http://totnesedap.org.uk/

Transition Network explained that, “communities have started up projects in areas of food, transport, energy, education, housing, waste, arts etc. as small-scale local responses to the global challenges of climate change, economic hardship and shrinking supplies of cheap energy. Together, these small-scale responses make up something much bigger, and help show the way forward for governments, business and the rest of us” (Transition Network, 2012)

There are 3 main components of Transition:

The Head:  Explains the facts and figures about peak oil, carbon emissions, climate change and the importance of scaling down, or “re-localization.”  Relocalization is the development and use of local energy, food production, services, and skills to meet community needs.

The Heart:  Explains the psychology of change, the resistance that people express when confronted with evidence f peek oil and climate change.  Some reactions include denial, anger, and hopelessness.  Heart focuses on understanding ourselves and each other in times of change and creating a positive vision of the future.

The Hands: Explains how to begin.  It includes concepts such as “re-skilling” the re-learning of old skills such as growing, storing, and preserving food.  And also looks at local industry, green businesses, places where collaboration would result in a healthier environment and more vibrant community.  The hands develop programs such as ride sharing, local currencies, new opportunities for green businesses, workshops, work groups, weekly meetings, elderly story gathering, teach ins, and more.

TT and SEN

Like SEN, Transition is looking to work with both people and governments in developing new, safe, sustainable collaborative ways to make a better, happier, more fair, just and integrated community and places.

References

Chatterton, P & Cutler, A. (2008) The Rocky Road to a Real Transition: the transition towns movement and what it means for social change. 

Scott-Cato, M. (2010) How could we study climate-related social innovation? Applying Deleuzean philosophy to Transition Towns. Environmental Politics. Volume 19, Issue 6, 2010

Transition Network (2012) What is a Transition Initiative?  Retrieved from: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/support/what-transition-initiative