Sherwood Forest Transition

Shewood Forest:: Transition Network Newsletter November 2011

2011-12-02T10:44:00.000Z

A November Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of Transition
Everyone is talking about money, so this month we start in Cornwall where the suggestion that Cornwall should set up its own currency made the national news; Prince Charles went shopping with Brixton Pounds!; Transition Town Cheltenham held a Transition festival to celebrate their first year of community, environmental and creative activities in town; In Monteveglio in Bologna they have revived an old tradition of planting a new tree for every child born in the town that year; In a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, an open evening invited people to “create the community we want to live in”. These are just a small taster of the many Transition activities - read more here:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/30/a-november-round-up-of-what%E2%80%99s-happening-out-in-the-world-of-transition-2/
US Edition Round-up
Some highlights of what's keeping Transition Initiatives busy across the US.
http://transitionus.org/stories/november-round-whats-happening-world-transition-us-edition-2011
The Introduction to ‘The Transition Companion’
This book seeks to answer the question: “What would it look like if the best responses to peak oil and climate change came not from committees and Acts of Parliament, but from you and me and the people around us?” It’s a big question, which is why it requires this relatively big book to address it. Read the rest of the Introduction to the book here:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/14/the-introduction-to-the-transition-companion/

SOCIAL REPORTING
A round up of some social reporting articles from November, from the big picture to the small print, with everything you wanted to read about transition and more!
Food and Health
The Seeds of HealingThe easy part of Transition is all that attractive busy-ness about food and energy, local currency and sustainable business.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/caroline-jackson/2011-11/seeds-healing
Inner Transition
Culture for a Healthy WorldCulture both expresses something of who we are and also shapes us – tells us what’s expected in order to belong.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/culture-healthy-world
Under the Rocks and Stones
To quote the post-punk classic Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads, ‘You may ask yourself: “Well, how did I get here?”’
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/catriona-ross/2011-11/under-rocks-and-stones
Cenedl heb iaith yw cenedl heb galon*
You cannot live in Wales for any length of time and not be aware of the deep cultural wounds this country has suffered under the occupation of the English. [*A nation without a language is a nation without a heart.]
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2011-11/cenedl-heb-iaith-yw-cenedl-heb-galon
Economics
OccupyTransition, or ‘this Halloween I dressed as the economy’
Most of those I have met at OccupyLondon hadn’t previously heard of Transition, and that got me thinking about the parallels and differences between the two movements…
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/occupytransition-or-halloween-i-dressed-economy
Our Money Our Future - Money for the 99% by the 99%
Helping to create the Bristol Pound is in part because I love Bristol.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ciaran-mundy/2011-11/our-money-our-future-money-99-99
Time to Get to Work
“it’s the economy, stupid” could join “let them eat cake” in the double irony Hall of Fame.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jay-tompt/2011-11/time-get-work
Navigating Community Chaos
Navigating Change Evolution or mutation? From 'hungry caterpillar' to 'beautiful butterfly'?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/navigating-change
All Hands on Deck - from Control to Relationship
What does chaos look like? an inability to respond in the face of an overwhelm of stimulus?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/mark-watson/2011-11/all-hands-deck-control-relationship
People Get Ready, There's a Crisis Coming!
Communities with active Transition initiatives will fare undoubtedly better than those without because already there will be a committed group of people who is used to meet and work together
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2011-11/people-get-ready-theres-crisis-coming
People and Connections
People and Connections - David Fleming
The legacy of the many life changing and life enhancing conversations that occurred there, and ideas that found form under its eaves.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/people-and-connections-david-fleming
The Fire Stealers - a love story
Some of us can see in the dark, and we know what's coming if we don't pass on the fire.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/charlotte-du-cann/2011-11/fire-stealers-love-story
Consensus
There's something a bit childish about the traditional adversarial style of making decisions.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jo-homan/2011-12/consensus
More Social Reporting here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories

THINKING ALOUD
The Seven Ages of TransitionSometimes it is suggested that Transition only appeals to older people, whereas Occupy, for example, tends to attract more younger people. But is that the case?
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/25/the-seven-ages-of-transition/
Community resilience, Transition, and why government thinking needs both
The latest “national statement for how individual and community resilience can work”, published by the Cabinet Office in March of this year refers explicitly to the Transition movement, and as such deserves a post reflecting on it.
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/22/community-resilience-transition-and-why-government-thinking-needs-both/
Transitioners debate how to engage Occupy movement
Not all Transitioners agree that Occupy is a good angle for local groups devoted to making their communities more resilient.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/11/transitioners-debate-how-to-engage-occupy-movement/
Rob Hopkins Reflections at OccupyLSX St Paul’s Cathedral
What Occupy is doing that matters so much is that it is holding a space.
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/10/some-reflections-on-a-day-at-occupy-lsx-at-st-pauls-cathedral/
The October Transition podcast
Local currencies, Transition Councils and Declarations of Food Independence
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-11-08/local-currencies-transition-councils-and-declarations-food-independence
Life after the end of economic growth
A continually rising GDP is not necessarily possible – or even desirable. So why do policymakers obsess over it?
Richard Heinberg comments in the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/30/end-of-growth

RESOURCES
The Low Carbon Cookbook
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/one-planet-community-kitchen-low-carbon-cookbook

PROJECTS
Himalayan Permaculture Centre, NepalNepal's first "Transition Project" entitled "Building Household and Community Resilience" began in April.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/himalayan-permaculture-centre-nepal
Church 10 kW solar PV system
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/church-10-kw-solar-pv-system
Cornish Diet
A campaign to source 85% of food from Cornwall.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/cornish-diet
More projects here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects

TO DO
New funding opportunity for Transition initiatives (UK)The ‘Communities Living Sustainably’ is framed as being about supporting communities in England to live and work in a more sustainable way. Grants of up to £1 million are being distributed between 10 successful projects.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-11-29/new-funding-opportunity-transition-initiatives-uk
Publishing Opps for Transitioners
Two Ravens Press: The Outer Hebrides, a working croft, a publishing house and a new magazine
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/transitioning-ethical-eco-publishing-and-birth-new-magazine

REVIEW
Shut Down: A Story of Economic Collapse and HopeCollapse could happen, literally, overnight! I didn’t imagine that the most powerful and complex civilization in world history could collapse in 24-72 hours. That is, until I read this book.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/11/collapse-could-happen-literally-overnight/

COMING UP
Transition in PracticeJanuary 3 – 13, Schumacher College
This two week course, taught by pioneers and leaders of the Transition movement looks at what it is about Transition that has created such widespread engagement around changing how we live. The course has a special focus on the emerging economic innovations being pioneered in Totnes. The ambitious aim of this course is to bring together models and practices from many different fields to create a synthesised working map of the transition to a healthy, sustainable, thriving way of life. Based on direct experience of community change from the Transition movement we will explore understandings of how change happens from economics and permaculture as well as social movements, psychology and spiritual traditions. And we will visit and learn from people who are putting these understandings into practice as businesses and community projects.
http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/transition-in-practice
Fundraising for Environmental Projects
25-26th Jan, Chester
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2012-01-25/fundraising-environmental-projects
More events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Love is the felt experience of connection to another being.
An economist says ‘more for you is less for me.’
But the lover knows that more of you is more for me too."CHARLES EISENSTEIN
Sacred Economics: Money, Gift, and Society in the Age of Transition
http://occupylove.org/occupy-wall-st-the-revolution-is-love/

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Be a Friend on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/transitionnetwork
Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter
Read this newsletter online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-12-01/december-2011-transition-network-newsletter

Sherwood Forest Transition October: check out new resources

2011-10-27T15:43:00.000+01:00

Transition model leaps ahead with book and ingredients

Published on October 27, 2011 by Ed Mitchell

Today sees the launch of three exciting new developments and outputs from Transition Network, the results of many months of work, that finally emerge blinking into the daylight.
We are sure that they will greatly deepen your understanding of Transition, bring depth and richness to your work, re-inspire and energise you. They represent a radical shift in how Transition is understood and communicated.
They are, in no particular order,

Together, they represent a sea-change in how we understand what Transition is and how to do it. So, let’s have a look at those things one-by-one.

No. 1. The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times.

This new book, which replaces ‘The Transition Handbook’, is the result of 18 months of a collaborative process involving people from Transition initiatives around the world. It reframes Transition as a collection of ‘ingredients’ and ‘tools’ which each initiative assembles in its own way. It is rich with stories, artwork, case studies and photos contributed by Transition initiatives themselves. It is rich with insight and the kind of wisdom that can only come from an open-source 5 year global experiment such as Transition. It represents a quantum leap forward in the Transition movement, a deepening, a maturing, and a very tangible vision of where all of this might go and how we might be most confident of actually getting there. It has 320 pages, and is in full colour, It’s probably got a picture of you in it somewhere…

How to order the book

You can order it from me (which would be great), from Green Books, from Beetroot Books, from Amazon (if you must), or even better, from your much-endangered local bookshop, or order it through your local library. If you are in the US you can order it from the US publisher Chelsea Green. There are no plans for an audio book. I’ll also be speaking about the book, answering questions, and picking some of my favourite records (Desert Island Discs-style) on the Transition Show on StroudFM, 2pm this Friday.

No. 2. The Ingredients Directory

As well as being gathered together in the book, the ingredients have also been put online in an interactive, interlinked, technologically dazzling kind of jamboree.

Our Transition Network Vebmasters have excelled themselves with this, their finest creation to date.

You will notice the homepage now looks rather different, with the ingredients as a major theme. All the ingredients, and all the tools, are now online, each with space for comments and feedback.

There is also the “Transition Ingredientator”, otherwise known as “Add your own ingredient”, which will give you the opportunity to draft any that you feel we have neglected.

These will be moderated over the coming months.

You can either view the ingredients in the 5 stages as set out in the book:

… or see them in a directory format:

See the ingredients directory in a directory format.

This is an invaluable resource, I hope you find it really useful and link to them often.

No. 3. The Transition Ingredients Card Game

At the 2011 Transition Network conference we trialled a card game based on the Ingredients.
The idea was that they might help you to familiarise people with them, to better understand the ways in which your group is working, and also to identify ways in which it might be more effective.
They were very popular, and so the wonderful Marina Vons-Gupta has produced a set of beautiful cards which you can download for free, print out (instructions are provided) and use.
Some games are suggested, but they are made available on the basis that you are invited to create you own games and share them, so that in the future we can update them. They should hopefully prove to be a really useful resource.

Download the full set of ingredients cards

Download the full set of ingredients cards here

Let us know what you think.

Explaining Transition in a new way

We have also reworked the Why do Transition? page on this site, and what was the Transition Primer and other pieces has now been condensed into the link-tastic ‘What is a Transition initiative’ page.
The above projects have been inputted into by thousands of people, but I would particularly like to thank a few people who have put an amazing amount of work and creativity into them, namely Marina, Ed, Laura, Amber, Helen, Ben, Naresh, Sophy, Jim and everyone at Green Books.
It is five years since we kick started this whole Transition thing, which is now active in 34 countries around the world in thousands of communities.
These new iterations of what Transition is represent as deep a shift as the emergence of the whole idea was in the first place. They are a distillation of all the bravery, innovation, generosity, kindness, success, failure and genius that everyone involved in this has poured into it for the past 5 years.
As a result, they embody a richness and a maturity that is quite extraordinary, yet they remain intensely focused and practical, indeed far more practical than what went before. Today is a landmark, a key milestone, and I’ll leave the last word to Denise Levertov, the poet, who captures how I feel about this:

Brilliant, this day — a young virtuoso of a day.
Morning shadow cut by sharpest scissors, deft hands.

Rob Hopkins, October, 2011 (original article on Transition Culture)

Sherwood Forest Transition October Newsletter

2011-10-08T07:31:00.000+01:00

NEWS
September Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of TransitionThere is news of food from West Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Tooting, Leytonstone, Stroud, Rotterdam, Turkey. applepluking in Holland and Toronto. Plus
energy in Worcestershire, Hebden Bridge, Worthing, High Wycombe, Bath and the launch of the Brixton Pound as an electronic currency and a whole load more here:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/10/05/a-september-round-up-of-what%E2%80%99s-happening-out-in-the-world-of-transition-2/
US Round-up Edition
Some highlights of what's keeping Transition Initiatives busy across the US.
http://transitionus.org/stories/september-round-whats-happening-world-transition-us-edition-2011
Nearly 100
In just three short years the number of official Transition Initiatives in the USA are about to pass 100.
http://transitionus.org/initiatives
Article in the Sunday Independent
The Transition movement: Today Totnes... tomorrow the world
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/the-transition-movement-today-totnes-tomorrow-the-world-2364355.html
Read more Direct News from Initiatives around the world
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/community

THE TRANSITION COMPANION
'The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times’ is due to be published by Green Books on October 27th. It’s a big book! 320 pages, in full colour and large format, and much time and attention has been lavished on it to produce something that really does justice to what has become one of the most fascinating world-wide social experiments of our time, It is the result of a collaborative process involving thousands of people, possibly yourself included, over the past 18 months, and picks up where ‘The Transition Handbook’ left off. It sets out what Transition has become, packed with stories and photos from around the world, of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Launch Timeline
October 12th: the London launch at Food from the Sky, Crouch End.
October 13th: Twitter Book Launch
October 27th: The official launch date from when it is available in all good bookshops
October 27th: Transition ingredients available online.
Books ordered now below will be shipped on October 13th, (2 weeks before Amazon)
Transition initiatives are able to get great discounts for bulk orders.
http://transitionculture.org/shop/the-transition-companion/

THINKING ALOUD
Welcome to the Social Reporting PilotWe've begun a grand experiment in Transition – a national blog created and compiled by 12 writers around the country that aims to communicate the real-life issues and experiences of being in Transition. We’ll be posting every day for the next three months on subjects ranging from economics to food to inner change. Guided by Charlotte Du Cann, each Sunday a guest editor will write on a chosen subject and set the theme for the following week. Peter Lipman (chair of the Network) is kicking off October, writing on The Big Picture, Sophy Banks (Transition Training) November, with a post on Inner Transition.
Our intent behind the Project is to provide a friendly and intelligent space for this reflection and appraisal, where we can pay attention to all things great and small, from the greatest metaphysical questions to the humblest vegetable on the allotment. To link up and show the pattern of Transition culture across the country - what it looks like, sounds like, feels like. All those invisible connections that make us a resilient people. What the future might hold if we can walk down the mountain together.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-09-18/welcome-social-reporting-pilot
A liminal Song of Thanks from Ed Mitchell, Transition Network web co-ordinator
It's a story about how technology and what it represented used to bother him, and how much change he has gone through working on the Transition web project, how he learned to accept the paradoxes, and why the stories project is so important to him.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-09/liminal-song-thanks
Transition and I - A love story
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jo-homan/2011-09/transition-and-i
Finding the People
A tale of the stirrings of Sustainable Bungay and Transition Norwich
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/mark-watson/2011-09/finding-people-sustainable-bungay-and-transition-norwich
The Slow Journey to Change
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2011-09/transition-bro-ddyfi-trawsnewid-and-slow-journey-change
How the transition town movement found Transition Heathrow
Transition Heathrow jumped on board the transition town movement at a very different stage to most. Where did it all begin?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/joe-ryle/2011-09/how-transition-town-movement-found-transition-heathrow
The Big Picture
In this guest editorial from Transition Network chairman, Pete Lipman shares his version of “the” big picture, taken to be the context in which the transition movement is experimenting, responding to the challenges we face, while we live through the unfolding of an extraordinary story.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-10/big-picture-and-transition-response
Deep Time
The evidence is there, in our media, in our daily lives. Yesterday was the hottest October day on record in the UK. The cost of filling our community car is going up. Our income is going down. And yet we remain focused on what’s in front of our noses.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/adrienne-campbell/2011-10/deep-time
The Big Picture View from Totnes
Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and recently famous for his civil disobedience outside the White House where he and thousands of activists were protesting the Keystone XL pipeline project, described the fight against carbon, as a fight. "We have to do Transition and we have to do direct action…we have no choice.”
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jay-tompt/2011-10/big-picture-view-totnes
There isn't space for all the Social Reporting articles published so far, plus there is more to come here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories

Who’s Storing Food Now?
If you’re considering starting to store some of your own food, why not start by learning from the experts?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/transition-voice/2011-09-16/who-s-storing-food-now
How To Reflect On How an Initiative is Doing
In the forthcoming ‘The Transition Companion’, one of the ingredients is called ‘How are we doing?’ and it looks at how groups can pause and reflect. Transition Town Totnes held an event to celebrate and reflect on the journey so far and on where we might go from here - your Transition initiative might find it useful for having similar reflections.
http://transitionculture.org/2011/09/06/happy-birthday-ttt-tools-for-stopping-to-ask-how-are-we-doing/

DIVERSITY
Final Diversity Newsletter and ending of Diversity Coordinator role at Transition Networkhttp://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-10-03/transition-network-diversity-newsletter-october-2011
Inequality as a central driver of Transition?
Following our call out for people to send in their thoughts on including "inequality" alongside climate change and peak oil in the Transition Network purpose statement, we publish the responses to generate further discussion.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/catrina-pickering/2011-09/inequality-transition-network-purpose-statement-discussion/
Diversity, Leadership and Patience in Transition
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/catrina-pickering/2011-09/louis-alemayehu-some-thoughts-diversity-leadership-and-patience

ENERGY
Japanese Researchers Venture Onto Harveys RoofWith the move away from nuclear power in Japan, Japanese researchers visited the community solar power station in Lewes.
http://www.transitiontownlewes.org/news.html#item373
Work Starts on Solar Bridge
The first of more than 4,400 solar panels are being installed by Solarcentury above the new Blackfriars station and will be the world's largest solar bridge when it opens next year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/04/solar-bridge-blackfriars-station
Switch to Ethical Energy and Earn Money For Your Initiative
Local United has teamed up with a number of leading ethical energy suppliers to offer community groups the chance to benefit financially from their members switching to one of these suppliers.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-09-12/switch-ethical-energy-and-earn-money-your-initiative

MATERIALS
Introduction to Permaculture Videoshttp://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/introduction-permaculture
Peak oil explained graphically
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/09/peak-oil-explained-graphically/

PROJECTS
Turkish Mums on BikesBelieving that the best way to get children on bikes is to teach the parents, Transition Finsbury Park is running a bike project which aims to get parents cycling, particularly Turkish mums.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/mums-bikes
Projects Sharing Engine Update and Invitation for Webmasters
We now have an 18 month project to start to bend some virtual boundaries and build some bridges between Transition Initiative websites, enabling their visitors to read and add to the projects directory all from the comfort of their own local websites.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-09/projects-sharing-engine-update-and-invitation-webmasters

COMING UP
~ Transition Tales Training
~ GrowthBusters Documentary- Global Release
~ Compassionate Communication Workshop - Oxford
~ Transition:THRIVE Sustaining Momentum 19-20th November
These and more events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events

QUOTE(s) OF THE MONTH
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome becomes bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
Cicero, circa 55 BCE
"This economic crisis is like a cancer. Get prepared. It's not a time right now to wishful think the government is going to sort things out. .... Be prepared and act now. The biggest risk people can take now is not acting."
Alessio Rastani, trader
http://youtu.be/lqN3amj6AcE

Sherwood Forest Transition September Newsletter

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

EXPLORING THE TRANSITION WORLD
An August Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of TransitionAustralia, Japan, Spain, Kinsale, Canada, Italy and the UK and more are included.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-08-31/august-round-whats-happening-transition
US Edition Round Up
Some highlights of what's keeping Transition Initiatives busy across the US.
http://transitionus.org/stories/august-round-whats-happening-world-transition-us-edition-2011
Let it go where it needs to go
A status report about Transition in Los Angeles
http://transitionus.org/blog/let-it-go-where-it-needs-go
Ruah Swennerfelt recounts her travels visiting Transition Initiatives in Belgium, Netherlands, and Sweden
http://transitionus.org/blog/visiting-transition-initiatives-belgium-netherlands-and-sweden
and then on to exploring Transition in England in Chesterfield and Bristol.
http://transitionus.org/blog/exploring-transition-england-part-one
A journey home – Seeking the essence of Transition in England
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/08/a-journey-home-seeking-the-essence-of-transition-in-england/
Transition Fujino — Prospects for a better future
In these difficult months following the 11 March quake and tsunami, it has been a time for reflection and an opportunity to ponder what the future holds in store for Japan.
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/transition-fujino-%E2%80%93-prospects-for-a-better-future/
Cycling to raise money for Transition and Sustrans
A 4,500 mile bicycle ride around the coast of Britain.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-08-31/cycling-raise-money-transition-and-sustrans

THINKING ALOUD
Coming Round The Dark Mountain Part 1: UncivilisationLast month Charlotte du cann went to Uncivilisation, a festival organised by the Dark Mountain project. Below is a writer’s cut of article she wrote for The Independent newspaper.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/09/coming-round-dark-mountain-1.html
Coming Round The Dark Mountain Part 2: the Shaman and the Village
Here Charlotte explores the idea that Dark Mountain is something you can visit, Transition is something you live.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/02/coming-round-dark-mountain-part-2.html
Why do so many people believe in the fantasy of infinite growth on a finite planet?
There are three honest (but bogus) reasons why we pursue economic growth past the point of effectiveness and reason.
http://energybulletin.net/stories/2011-08-29/why-do-so-many-people-believe-fantasy-infinite-growth-finite-planet
Five bummer problems that make societies collapse
A TED talk Jared Diamond gave has examples from the Greenland Norse. These were the unlucky Vikings who missed the boat to Normandy, where their more fortunate countrymen set up colonies.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/08/five-bummer-problems-that-make-societies-collapse/
A Different Kind of Tea Party
What kind of teatime conversations are you having?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/transition-norwich/2011-08-30/different-kind-tea-party
Why I Don't Read Like I Used To
I have a confession. I don’t read books anymore. Or rather I read books very rarely, is this just me, or is it a symptom of our age?
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/08/benchmarks.html
Economic Resilience
In Sacred Economy, Charles Eisenstein poses the seemingly outrageous idea that money should be sacred
http://www.transitionus.org/blog/economy-possible-scenarios-future-3
Panic on the streets of London
Now is the time when we decide what sort of country it is that we want to live in.
http://energybulletin.net/stories/2011-08-09/panic-streets-london
A Discussion on Resilience
What does it mean, and what it looks like in practice? This video of a panel discussion at Sunrise Off Grid took a good hard look at the subject.
http://transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-09-01/panel-discussion-resilience-what-it-means-and-what-it-looks-practice

NETWORK TRAINING
New Training section on the websiteThe how, what, where and how of Transition Training but didn't know where to look is now online.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/training
Transition Training survey: the results
Since October 2007 Transition Training has been offering a two day training course and a survey in May assessed the impact it has had.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-08-23/training-survey-results
A follow on to the 2 day course: Transition;Thrive
A positive, no-nonsense exploration of the Transition model and process, tailor-made to fit the requirements of those people attending that we will be piloting shortly.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-09-02/follow-2-day-course-transitionthrive
Your thoughts needed: Where does equality fit in Transition?
We’ve come up with a possible new purpose statement to reflect which says: “Transition Network supports community-led responses to climate change, inequality and shrinking supplies of cheap energy, building resilience and happiness.” Do you feel strongly about this either way? If so, we want to hear your thoughts.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/catrina-pickering/2011-08/your-thoughts-needed-where-does-equality-fit-transition
The Road to Resilience in Low Income Communities,
23-25th September Chester
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-07-27/training-road-resilience-low-income-communities-23-25-september-2011

PROJECTS
Linen ProjectA group in Australia has set about developing the skills and knowledge to produce and process fibre flax locally.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/linen-project
Project sharing engine funding bid
Like the News Sharing Engine, its intention is to distribute the movement's project information to Initiatives' websites, enabling webmasters to easily embed all the functionality of our projects directory into their own sites.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-05/project-sharing-engine-funding-bid
More projects and add yours herehttp://www.transitionnetwork.org/node/add/project-profile

RESOURCES
Exploring Community ResilienceThis new free publication from Nick Wilding and the Fiery Spirits CoP gathers a mix of experience and academic insight into how local communities are learning how to cope – and even thrive - through difficult times. Written in an accessible style its stories highlight experience from Cumbria to the Scottish Highlands, and from New Orleans to Tooting, London. Web links direct readers to topical references, and a practical guide shows how to run a community workshop on the topic.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/exploring-community-resilience
The End of Growth; Adapting to Our New Economic Reality
Review of Richard Heinberg's new book
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/08/economics-has-failed-us-but-there-is-life-after-growth/
German military analysis of peak oil now available
The Bundeswehr has posted an English version (112 pages) of their extraordinary analysis of peak oil. The original German document was approved for public release last November, yet neither the complete German version nor the partial English translation has attracted interest from mainstream media.
http://t.co/lsENYBY

COMING UP
Transition CompanionAt the end of October 'The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times by Rob Hopkins will be published. The launch timeline is here including the ‘Twitter Book Launch'!
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/transition-companion
Exploring the Ingredients for Transition
12th September - 3:00pm (BST)
An online conversation with Rob Hopkins where he will go more deeply into the "ingredients of Transition" as well as answering questions supplied by participants.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2011-09-12/exploring-ingredients-transition
Bill McKibben: Building Social Movements and Organising for Change
3-7th October Schumacher College, Totnes
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2011-10-03/bill-mckibben-building-social-movements-and-organising-change
Transition Camp south east
7-9th October
http://there.is/transitioncamp/
German/Austrian/Swiss Transition (Un-)Konference
14-16th Oct. in Bielefeld/Germany now open for booking
Program, details and booking (in German) here:
http://www.transition-initiativen.de/page/2011-un-konferenz
More events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events

Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns

The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times

2011-09-19T13:59:00.000+01:00

Transition Network Special Announcement

Click here to view this announcement online

Hello,

This is a special announcement about Rob Hopkin's new book, the Transition Companion. You are receiving this mail as you have bought something on Transition Culture in the past, and we hope that you will be interested in the new book...

I thought you might be interested to know that my new book, ‘The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times’ is due to be published by Green Books on October 27th.
It is the result of a collaborative process involving thousands of people, possibly yourself included, over the past 18 months, and picks up where ‘The Transition Handbook’ left off. It sets out what Transition has become, packed with stories and photos from around the world, of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

What’s it about?

The Transition idea has gone viral around the world, from Italian villages and Brazilian favelas to universities and London neighbourhoods. In contrast to the ever-worsening stream of information about climate change, the economy and resource depletion, Transition focuses on solutions; on community-scale responses; on meeting new people and having fun.
The Transition Companion sets out what Transition is and how to do it in a far deeper, richer and more useful way than the Handbook did (fond of it though we are). It presents a collection of ‘ingredients and tools of Transition’, suggesting that Transition is like cookery, each initiative assembling ingredients in a way most suited to their culture and their community. Changing the world as a process that is delicious and self-organised? Why not. You’re going to love it...
It’s a big book! 320 pages, in full colour and large format, and much time and attention has been lavished on it to produce something that really does justice to what has become one of the most fascinating world-wide social experiments of our time, what Nicholas Crane, presenter of the recent BBC2 series ‘Town’, called “the biggest urban brainwave of the century”.

When’s it coming out?

The book will be officially released on October 27th, but you can already pre-order your copy from Transition Culture, as of today! Just follow this link, where you will also find endorsements from the likes of Richard Heinberg, Tim Jackson and Bill McKibben, as well as from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who has also written a beautiful foreword.

Here is an idea of the timeline of events around its release:

Tuesday October 4th: The official launch of the book will take place at Totnes Civic Hall (do come along, it’s free, and you’re very welcome).
Thursday October 13th: I will be doing a ‘Twitter Book Launch’ (Green Books wanted to call it a ‘Twinterview’, but you’ll be glad to hear I put my foot down) where you will be able to ask questions about the book (keep an eye on Transition Culture for details)
Thursday October 27th: The official launch date from when it is available in all good bookshops (and Amazon (boo hiss))
We have also made a series of 10 short promotional films called ‘The Story of Transition in 10 Objects’ which will be posted over the days running up to the launch of the book. The first one, celebrating a jumper from Taunton, is already online.

Please use this book as an opportunity to support independent booksellers, to keep your High Street alive, to put localisation into practice, or if you buy The Transition Companion direct from TransitionCulture.org you can do so safe in the knowledge that you are supporting the website (which is funded only out of my pocket) and the author.
Many thanks for your support.
Rob

Newletter Contact

Rob Hopkins

Transition Network: 43 Fore Street, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5HN.
Email: info@transitionnetwork.org
Tel: 05601 531882
www.transitionnetwork.org

Shewood Forest:: Transition Network Newsletter August 2011

2011-09-03T17:22:00.000+01:00

EXPLORING THE TRANSITION WORLD
An August Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of Transition
Australia, Japan, Spain, Kinsale, Canada, Italy and the UK and more are included.
http://bit.ly/august11-roundup
US Edition Round Up
Some highlights of what's keeping Transition Initiatives busy across the US.
http://bit.ly/august11-roundup-USA
Let it go where it needs to go
A status report about Transition in Los Angeles
http://transitionus.org/blog/let-it-go-where-it-needs-go
Ruah Swennerfelt recounts her travels visiting Transition Initiatives in Belgium, Netherlands, and Sweden
http://transitionus.org/blog/visiting-transition-initiatives-belgium-netherlands-and-sweden
and then on to exploring Transition in England in Chesterfield and Bristol.
http://transitionus.org/blog/exploring-transition-england-part-one
A journey home – Seeking the essence of Transition in England
http://bit.ly/England-transition-essence
Transition Fujino — Prospects for a better future
In these difficult months following the 11 March quake and tsunami, it has been a time for reflection and an opportunity to ponder what the future holds in store for Japan.
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/transition-fujino-%E2%80%93-prospects-for-a-better-future/
Cycling to raise money for Transition and Sustrans
A 4,500 mile bicycle ride around the coast of Britain.
http://bit.ly/fundraising-cycle-coast

THINKING ALOUD
Coming Round The Dark Mountain Part 1: Uncivilisation
Last month Charlotte du cann went to Uncivilisation, a festival organised by the Dark Mountain project. Below is a writer’s cut of article she wrote for The Independent newspaper.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/09/coming-round-dark-mountain-1.html
Coming Round The Dark Mountain Part 2: the Shaman and the Village
Here Charlotte explores the idea that Dark Mountain is something you can visit, Transition is something you live.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/02/coming-round-dark-mountain-part-2.html
Why do so many people believe in the fantasy of infinite growth on a finite planet?
There are three honest (but bogus) reasons why we pursue economic growth past the point of effectiveness and reason.
http://bit.ly/infinite-growth-finite-planet
Five bummer problems that make societies collapse
A TED talk Jared Diamond gave has examples from the Greenland Norse. These were the unlucky Vikings who missed the boat to Normandy, where their more fortunate countrymen set up colonies.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/08/five-bummer-problems-that-make-societies-collapse/
A Different Kind of Tea Party
What kind of teatime conversations are you having?
http://bit.ly/different-tea-party
Why I Don't Read Like I Used To
I have a confession. I don’t read books anymore. Or rather I read books very rarely, is this just me, or is it a symptom of our age?
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/08/benchmarks.html
Economic Resilience
In Sacred Economy, Charles Eisenstein poses the seemingly outrageous idea that money should be sacred
http://www.transitionus.org/blog/economy-possible-scenarios-future-3
Panic on the streets of London
Now is the time when we decide what sort of country it is that we want to live in.
http://energybulletin.net/stories/2011-08-09/panic-streets-london
A Discussion on Resilience
What does it mean, and what it looks like in practice? This video of a panel discussion at Sunrise Off Grid took a good hard look at the subject.
http://bit.ly/resilience-debate

NETWORK TRAINING
New Training section on the website
The how, what, where and how of Transition Training but didn't know where to look is now online.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/training
Transition Training survey: the results
Since October 2007 Transition Training has been offering a two day training course and a survey in May assessed the impact it has had.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-08-23/training-survey-results
A follow on to the 2 day course: Transition Thrive
A positive, no-nonsense exploration of the Transition model and process, tailor-made to fit the requirements of those people attending that we will be piloting shortly.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-09-02/follow-2-day-course-transition-thrive
Your thoughts needed: Where does equality fit in Transition?
We’ve come up with a possible new purpose statement to reflect which says: “Transition Network supports community-led responses to climate change, inequality and shrinking supplies of cheap energy, building resilience and happiness.” Do you feel strongly about this either way? If so, we want to hear your thoughts.
http://bit.ly/does-equality-fit-transition
The Road to Resilience in Low Income Communities,
23-25th September Chester
http://bit.ly/Road-to-Resilience-training

PROJECTS
Linen Project
A group in Australia has set about developing the skills and knowledge to produce and process fibre flax locally.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/linen-project
Project sharing engine funding bid
Like the News Sharing Engine, its intention is to distribute the movement's project information to Initiatives' websites, enabling webmasters to easily embed all the functionality of our projects directory into their own sites.
http://bit.ly/project-sharing-engine-funding-bid
More projects and add yours here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/node/add/project-profile

RESOURCES
Exploring Community Resilience
This new free publication from Nick Wilding and the Fiery Spirits CoP gathers a mix of experience and academic insight into how local communities are learning how to cope – and even thrive - through difficult times. Written in an accessible style its stories highlight experience from Cumbria to the Scottish Highlands, and from New Orleans to Tooting, London. Web links direct readers to topical references, and a practical guide shows how to run a community workshop on the topic.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/exploring-community-resilience
The End of Growth; Adapting to Our New Economic Reality
Review of Richard Heinberg's new book
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/08/economics-has-failed-us-but-there-is-life-after-growth/
German military analysis of peak oil now available
The Bundeswehr has posted an English version (112 pages) of their extraordinary analysis of peak oil. The original German document was approved for public release last November, yet neither the complete German version nor the partial English translation has attracted interest from mainstream media.
http://t.co/lsENYBY

COMING UP
Transition Companion
At the end of October 'The Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times by Rob Hopkins will be published. The launch timeline is here including the ‘Twitter Book Launch'!
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/transition-companion
Exploring the Ingredients for Transition
12th September - 3:00pm (BST)
An online conversation with Rob Hopkins where he will go more deeply into the "ingredients of Transition" as well as answering questions supplied by participants.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2011-09-12/exploring-ingredients-transition
Bill McKibben: Building Social Movements and Organising for Change
3-7th October Schumacher College, Totnes
http://bit.ly/bill-mckibben-building-social-movements
Transition Camp south east
7-9th October
http://there.is/transitioncamp/
German/Austrian/Swiss Transition (Un-)Konference
14-16th Oct. in Bielefeld/Germany now open for booking
Program, details and booking (in German) here:
http://www.transition-initiativen.de/page/2011-un-konferenz
More events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events

Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns

Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter

Read this newsletter online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-09-02/september-2011-transition-network-newsletter

Transition Network Diversity Newsletter July 2011

2011-08-07T13:12:00.000+01:00

Published on July 26, 2011 by Catrina Pickering in diversity

Transition Network Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter

WELCOME to the Transition Network’s Diversity and Inclusion newsletter. This newsletter is compiled by Catrina Pickering, Diversity Coordinator, Transition Network. I aim to get this newsletter out to you approximately every two months.

TRANSITION NETWORK DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION NEWS

Training: The Road to Resilience in Low Income CommunitiesFriday 23rd – Sunday 25th September 2011, National Communities Resource Centre, Chester
This two day workshop at the National Communities Resource Centre in Chester is for people involved in Transition who want to strengthen their work with low income communities. It will include sessions on: Understanding resource problems in low income communities; enterprising case studies presented by the people doing them; exercising Transition talents - practical, outdoors session to reflect on Transition strengths for working in low income communities; supported action planning process to take ideas home. The workshop is being facilitated by Anne Power, Chair of the National Communities Resource Centre and is a one-off opportunity for Transition to receive tailored training from an organisation that has an outstanding twenty year record of building resilience in low income communities.

Further information and bookings.

Transition Network Conference: Diversity Highlights
The recent annual Transition Network conference held in Liverpool gave us all much to think about, explore and expand on in relation to diversity. Here's a snapshot of some of the workshops, discussions and people that really stood out.

Report back from Quaker and Transition Event
What do Quakers and Transition have in common? On Friday 24th to 26th of June, around forty Quakers met at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre to find out. We had a lively time looking at the links and potential synergies between Quakers and the Transition movement. Overall there was a sense of urgency, an abundance of interests, initiatives and enthusiasms, and a call to get more people involved in Transition.

Read Gail Parfitt’s report on the event.

Call for Stories for Diversity and Social Justice Recourse
The Transition Network is currently putting together a resource on diversity and social justice and we want to include your stories of projects from Transition and beyond. Whether it be a story about a food growing project on a housing estate or a project that alleviates fuel poverty in a local community, please send your stories to catrinapickering@transitionnetwork.org.

Transition Pittsburgh: Witney Avenue Urban Farm
In a boarded up street of Wilkinsburg (United States), Chris Condello, a local resident and Transition Pittsburg member is clearing the front yards, establishing gardens and involving the local children in the process. Litter has been reduced to almost nothing and the children who used to chase people from their homes are now getting involved, learning new skills and contributing to the growing sense of pride and belonging in the street.

Read article on Transition Network website.

Read Chris Condello's blog.

Putting Social Justice at the core of Transition Stratford
How do we ensure that our work in Transition meets the needs of the most vulnerable in our local community and builds solidarity with communities overseas? How important is social justice in the Transition movement and what might a strong social justice approach look like? Transition Stratford upon Avon might have some interesting answers.

Read article on Transition Network website.

NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES FROM ELSEWHERE

Islington Fairness Commission: Closing the rich-poor gap
Why focus on inequality at a time when public services are crumbling? Islington’s council has an answer: The problems that public services address — from crime to mental health — all get worse as the gap between rich and poor widens. The newly elected members of Islington Borough Council last July created what they called a “Fairness Commission” and asked this new panel to help “make Islington a fairer place to live and work.” Their new report, Closing the Gap, includes an impressive set of recommendations from improving environments and growing food on housing estates to paying at least the London Living Wage to all staff employed in the area.

Read article on Transition Network website.

Escalating fuel costs pushes thousands more UK households into fuel poverty
Nine million customers will see their gas bills rise by an average of 18 per cent next month, after British Gas announced massive increases in its energy prices. Some customers face a 24 per cent rise in their gas costs, depending on where they live and how they are charged. The increases will almost certainly push many thousands more UK households into fuel poverty where they will be spending 10% or more of their household income on electricity and heating.
National Energy Action news report
The Independent news report
Channel 4 news report

A Little Patch of Ground: Growing Food and Performance in East London and Dartington
A Little Patch of Ground is a rural/urban food growing and performance project run by Encounters Arts taking place in Dartington, Devon and East London.

Each week, beginning in May, 25 local people from the South Devon area meet at Dartington and 25 local people from the East of London meet at Toynbee Studios. The project involves an intergenerational group meeting in each area to create a permaculture inspired vegetable garden, eat together, explore thoughts on food, climate change, sustainability and interdependence, and use creative methods to share stories about our relationship with the natural world. The project will culminate in the creation of a multi-media performance in the autumn which will take place in each location as well as touring within the local area.

Read a summary of the project on the Transition Network website.
Read the “Little Patch of Ground” blog.

Over to you...
If you’ve got news items, events or something you’re proud of that you’d like to include in the next Diversity Newsletter edition, please let us know: catrinapickering@transitionnetwork.org.

Sherwood Forest Transition June Newsletter

2011-06-03T10:26:00.004+01:00

TRANSITION NETWORK CONFERENCE, 8-10th July Liverpool
Why should you come to the 2011 Transition Network conference?
Imagine immersing yourself for 3 days in the latest thinking on Transition, hearing from the most ground-breaking projects, going deeper into what it’s all about, putting faces to names you only know from reading them online, meeting hundreds of other Transitioners from all over, and going home revitalised, refocused and refreshed.
There will be 3 sessions of workshops, 10 in each. The workshops are also, of course, only a small part of the overall programme. There will also be many opportunities to meet other Transitioners and find out what they are up to, including the chance to meet in theme groups, so you can, for example, connect with all those who share your passion for local energy, food or education. There will be some large group activities, which were, for many, the highlight of last year’s conference.
Also, this year we are trying a different approach, substituting Open Space, which has been a focal point for each of our previous conferences, with the Fishbowl technique, which will allow a much deeper exploration of some of the more charged and pertinent issues that you bring to the conference.
Please book accommodation and meals as soon as possible as we have to give final numbers to the venue around two weeks before the Conference. There are still plenty of concession spaces left. If you need one, please contact us at transitionconference@googlemail.com
Here is more of what is being planned:
http://tinyurl.com/TTconf2011-whycome

COMMUNITY NEWS
May Transition World Round-up
We start with a bio-waste project Kinsale in Ireland which was the first ever Transition Town in the world; Marlow's project to get 100 homes fitted with solar panels is on target; Bridport in Dorset joined forces with a local school and helped them grow their own vegetables, plus many more here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-30/may-round-whats-happening-transition
US Edition - May Transition World Round-up
In Texas, Transition Houston held their 5th Permablitz
In Colorado, volunteers from Grow Local Colorado (a project of Transition Denver converged on the Colorado State Governor's lawn
In Minnesota, Transition Northfield celebrated their annual Earth Day Celebration indoors with music and treats and learned how to install a rain barrel
http://transitionus.org/stories/may-round-whats-happening-world-transition-us-edition-2011
Draught-Busting Workshops
In North London Transition Belsize Draught Busting workshops are helping the community stay warm, save money and tackling fuel poverty.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/catrina-pickering/2011-05/draught-busting-phenomena-saving-money-saving-carbon-and-staying-war
Bicycles for Community Building
A project exploring all the ways bicycles can be used in our lives in transition has built a facility for bicycle maintenance, repair, and building special bicycles.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/bicycle-use-community-building
Transitioner selected for Yellow Pages cover
Big cheer for Sandra Murray, founder of Transition Launceston in Tasmania, for being on this year's cover of their local Yellow pages. The theme for the book cover this year is "Australians creating a better future".
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-24/transitioner-selected-yellow-pages-cover
Transition Network Diversity Newsletter May 2011
Includes Launch of Transition Network Diversity Sub-Site; Celebrating Heroes with the Brixton Pound; Research on Diversity and Inclusion in Durham and more:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-25/transition-network-diversity-newsletter-may-2011

COMING UP
Social Reporting Pilot Call To Action
Calling all writers, photographers citizen journalists, community blog editors and everyone who has a story to tell. This September we’re launching an innovative and ambitious Social Reporting project that sets out to explore and communicate the different issues and experiences of being in Transition. And we’re looking for 12 correspondents in the UK to tell their initiatives' story from the front-line, on line, over a three month period between August and December 2011.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-06/social-reporting-project-call-reporters
An update on 'In Transition 2.0' - the film
The ‘In Transition 2.0' team have had a sneak preview of Rob’s now-complete manuscript and meetings are well underway to co-ordinate this huge film effort. We’ve heard from filmmakers and Transitioners in Argentina, Australia, California, Canada, France, Isle of Man, New York, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, and Spain.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-24/update-transition-20-film
UK Allotment Waiting Lists 2011 Report
Transition West Kirby have just finished their annual survey of allotment waiting lists across the country. The report demonstrates that demand for allotments remains high, and there seems to have been little increase in supply - the number of plots in new allotment sites brought into use by local authorities in the last year represents only about 1% of the number of people on local authority waiting lists.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-18/uk-allotment-waiting-lists-report
Free Trees For Communities
The Woodland Trust is offering free trees for communities to plant in their neighbourhoods in order to double the number of native trees in the UK.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-05/free-trees-communities

THINKING OUT LOUD
No More Need to Talk to Talk About Peak Oil?
Has everybody has now heard so much about climate change, peak oil and sustainability that there is nobody left who can genuinely call themselves undecided?
http://transitionculture.org/2011/05/19/might-peak-oil-and-climate-change-outlive-their-usefulness-as-framings-for-transition/
Transition and Activism
Charlotte Du Cann from Transition Norwich and Bungay agreed to write us an article 'Transition and activism'. She sees it as a working document, designed to inspire conversation, and it's certainly done that. The question is if Transition embraced activism “as a dynamic force within the whole pattern of Transition ” as Charlotte writes would it be strengthened or, as Rob Hopkins has replied, would it in fact it do just the opposite? Join the discussion here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-31/transition-and-activism
Transition and Entertainment
What does a resilient entertainment industry look like?
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/05/transition-and-entertainment.html
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting?
Once upon a time in a small artist's studio three people who live in the north of Norwich were sitting round a table trying to work out what to do. They loved Transition Norwich, and they loved where they lived, but no one came to their meetings. After half an hour wondering they came up with the only legal answer: A PARTY!!
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/05/once-upon-time-not-very-far-away_20.html
Toads Talk Transport
One wet night in February I picked up a large, old female toad on her way to the pond and she asked me why there were so many more cars going through the village now.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2011/05/toads-talk-transport.html

OTHER EVENTS
Quaker and Transition conference: 24 - 26th June, Birmingham
Real Farm Festival: 17-19th June, near Stevenage
Building Community in the Long Emergency: 27 June - 2nd July, Schumacher College
London Permaculture Festival - 16th July
The Green Gathering 28th July - 1st August
Uncivilization: The Dark Mountain Festival 19-21st August
Economics for Transition -a masters degree course - September
'On The Money': Currency Design Workshop at Findhorn - September, Schumacher College
These and many more here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
The triple crunch won't be pretty. ATMs freeze up, the planet warms up and the lights go out. [However] the prevailing belief is that the global economy had a narrow escape in late 2008 but has emerged pretty much unscathed. Job done. Time to go back to sleep. Only wake us again if there is another chance that the banks might run out of money.
Larry Elliott, The Guardian 1st June 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/31/triple-crunch-economic-torpor

Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns
Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter
This newsletter is published on the first Friday of each month.
Newsletter Editor: Mike Grenville, from Transition Forest Row
Contact: transitionnetworknews@googlemail.com
+44 (0)7974 924289 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +44 (0)7974 924289

Transition Network Diversity Newsletter May 2011

2011-05-27T15:27:00.000+01:00

Transition Network Diversity Newsletter

Bi-Monthly Newsletter May 2011

View this newsletter online

WELCOME to the Transition Network’s Diversity and Inclusion newsletter. This newsletter is compiled by Catrina Pickering, Diversity Coordinator, Transition Network. I aim to get this newsletter out to you approximately every two months.

Transition Network Diversity and Inclusion News

LEYTONSTONE: Report from Winter Faiths Festival
Report on a faith inspired weekend celebration of sustainable living, with food, hospitality and entertainment held by Transition Leytonstone (East London) in partnership with Sacred Roots, a Muslim-led organisation promoting interfaith dialogue through arts and culture. Aiming to make the events programme socially inclusive, culturally varied and engaging, we strove together to deliver a mixture of environmental information and entertainment.
Read more on the Transition Network site

The Draught-Busting Phenomena: Saving money, saving carbon and staying warm

16% of UK households are in fuel poverty which means that they spend more than 10% of their income on energy in the home. Transition projects that help people to save money by boosting home energy efficiency meet a fundamental need of staying warm in winter while also lowering carbon emissions. Draught-busting teaches people the skills needed to fit cheap draught proofing products that insulate against cold draughts in their homes. Since 2009, Transition Belsize in London have held more than 20 workshops that have bought local people together to have fun, learn skills, reduce carbon and combat fuel poverty.
Read more on the Transition Network site
Transition Network Conference, Liverpool, 8-10th July
The Transition Network conference 2011 will take place from 8-11th July in Liverpool and is now open for bookings. This year's conference theme is living well in uncertain times. Through workshops, discussions and skill-sharing, there will be lots of opportunities to explore themes around diversity and social justice. For example, how can we all live well in changing times? What is the role of power in Transition? How can all people in a community contribute and have their needs met while transitioning to a low carbon, post oil world? How do we create inclusive social enterprises?
We’re also working hard to maximise accessibility through:

Ensuring that we have a venue that is physically accessible to all. Read the conference page for information on access needs
Concessions for those who would otherwise not be able to attend as well as a concessions fund for those who wish to donate to help someone else with the cost of their ticket.
A family friendly kids' conference that will run alongside and mesh together with the main conference.

Hope to see you there!
Transition Movie the second: In Transition 2.0
The Transition movie 1.0 was a roaring success. The Transition movie 2.0 is now in production and we’re looking for your stories and videos. We want to make a movie that yes, looks at how communities are building resilience against climate change and peak oil. We also want to make a movie that shows how communities are doing this through a lens of social justice that enables everyone in a community to live well in changing times. If you are doing activities around this then we’d love to hear from you and have your project included in the forthcoming film. Please get in touch by emailing Catrina.
Launch of Transition Network Diversity Sub-Site
The diversity sub-site brings together all the news, projects, people and blogs related to diversity and inclusion in one page on the Transition Network site. So whether you want to find inspiration for diversity projects or find people in Transition that are working on social justice, this is the place to find it.
See the Diversity sub-site on the Transition Network site
BRIXTON: Celebrating Heroes with the Brixton Pound
Transition Brixton in South London is based in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community, with history and achievements to be proud of. They’re working to engage members of their very diverse local community, to make their stories heard, and to involve them in the design of the second issue of the Brixton Pound notes. They’re competing for a £5,000 Co-op grant. If successful, they will collect people’s stories about local unsung heroes and their thoughts about Brixton. With the Brixton Heroes project, they seek to counteract negative stereotypes, and to give Brixton’s local people and communities a stronger voice to talk about their experiences and what matters to them.
Read more on the Transition Network site
Read more about the project on the Brixton Pound site, and vote for them to win the Coop Join the Revolution award.
DURHAM: Action Research on Diversity and Inclusion
Transition Durham is undertaking action research on the topic of diversity and inclusion within the initiative. Firstly, they will be reflecting back over our history and our current activities to identify any unintentional barriers they may have created. Secondly, they will begin investigating new avenues to becoming more involved in and building or extending links in the community. The research is being managed by Louise Senior from Durham University as part of her MSc Development Anthropology dissertation and should be completed by September 2011.
If you’re interested in the research and want to know more, or think you have something to offer to this research, please email her or comment on the Forum on the Transition Network site.

News, events and resources from elsewhere

Workshop on Rank, Power and Conflict Facilitation, 15-17th July, Totnes
Process Oriented Psychology, founded by Dr. Arnold Mindell, offers powerful tools for making group life flow more smoothly in connection with an earth based approach to life. It recognises that anyone can help facilitate a group, whether you are a participant facilitator or an official leader. This seminar is for anyone interested in improving their understanding of groups and in gaining methods to use as facilitators, participants, therapists or in organisational development.
Cost £180 (£160 if £50 deposit received by 1st June 2011). Some concessions/ scholarships available for those active in Transition. Registration & info email Sue Milner or call 01364 643108 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01364 643108 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
See the workshop on the Transition Network site
Quaker and Transition conference: 24 - 26th June, Birmingham
A weekend for Quakers involved in Transition Initiatives. If you are a Quaker already engaged, or just starting to get involved, in Transition activity (or other similar low-carbon communities), this weekend is for you. Come as an individual, or come representing your meeting’s involvement. We aim to share and learn from each other’s experiences, and look at what Quakers can both contribute to, and learn from, collaborative work in our local communities. Is there something unique that Quakers can bring, from our processes and testimonies?
See the workshop on the Transition Network site

Over to you...

If you’ve got news items, events or something you’re proud of that you’d like to include in the next Diversity Newsletter edition, please let us know by emailing Catrina Pickering.

Veolia Lose Rainworth and Sherwood Forest Win - NO to Incinerator

2011-05-27T13:46:00.000+01:00

We keep our Landscape and move on to a Regional Park fit to live in.

Pickles rejects Sherwood Forest Incinerator

Following a public inquiry, the Secretary of State Eric Pickles has refused planning permission for Veolia’s proposed 180,000 tonne waste incinerator in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire. The public inquiry, which was presided over by Inspector Rupert Grantham, opened in October 2009 and was adjourned twice at the request of Veolia to allow them time to submit further evidence.

The greenfield site, owned by UK Coal and subject to a planning condition requiring restoration to heathland and woodland, is in the heart of Sherwood Forest, and is used by rare and protected bird species such as woodlark and nightjar.

Local campaign group People Against Incineration (PAIN) were joined by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Newark & Sherwood District Council in opposing the application at the public inquiry. There was also a community evening where local residents voiced their opposition to the incinerator.

In the Planning Inspector’s view: “...Veolia have failed to show use of the Rufford facility would not prejudice further movement up the waste hierarchy...Recognition that the site is not previously developed land would have ruled it out at an early stage in the site selection process. I have also identified significant shortcomings in the subsequent assessment of this and other shortlisted sites. To my mind, the appraisal of alternative sites has not been robust”.

PAIN’s Chairman, Bernard Thompson, said: “This is a happy day for the people of Rainworth, and for all who care about Sherwood Forest. I would like to thank everyone involved. Local support remained solid over many years of campaigning. We have utmost respect for the Planning Inspector, Mr Rupert Grantham, who treated all parties fairly and arrived at the right conclusion.”

Shlomo Dowen, who gave evidence on behalf of PAIN at the inquiry, said: “It is unfortunate that Veolia and Nottinghamshire County Council have squandered so much time and public money on this misadventure. Now that this distraction is over PAIN looks forward to working with our County Council to ensure that Nottinghamshire’s ever-decreasing quantity of waste is managed sustainably.”

Newark & Sherwood District Councillor Linda Tift said: “I am overjoyed to hear that this beloved site will be protected from development. The site is clearly important to nature conservation and is surrounded by Sites of Special Scientific Interest. I hope that UK Coal will now honour their promise to return the site to heathland so that the community’s vision for the area to be restored and included in a Sherwood Forest Regional Park can be realised.”

Sherwood Forest May 2011 Transition Network Newsletter

2011-05-06T16:35:00.000+01:00

May 2011 Transition Network Newsletter

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-06/may-2011-transition-network-newsletter

CONTENTS

THE 2011 NETWORK UK CONFERENCE

LOCAL STUFF

~ April Round Up of What's Happening in Transition

~ People of Tottenham Street

~ Free Trees for Communities

VIDEOS

~ Movie 2.0

~ How Can We Grow More Food Locally?

THINKING ALOUD

~ Inconvenient Truths About the Coming Transition

~ Activism and Transition

PEAK OIL

~ Oil Crunch Video

~ ASPO 9 Conference Presentations

~ On Peak Oil, You Are Not Alone

~ How Many Days Work in A Litre of Oil?

ELECTRICITY

~ Community-owned Solar Powers Brewery

~ Linlithgow’s Solar Bulk Buying Scheme

EVENTS

~ Green Gathering is back

~ Sunrise Festival

~ London and Thames Valley Transition Gathering, 11-June

~ Plus lots more

TRAINING

~ Grow your Group

TECH BYTES

~ Syndication and Social Media

~ What is the best way for Transition Initiatives to use Facebook and Twitter?

~ Facebook page.

QUOTE OF The MONTH

~ And Finally....

THE 2011 NETWORK UK CONFERENCE

Liverpool Hope University 8th - 11th July.

The programme schedule is underway. The programme design team consists of Rob Hopkins, Jo Hardy, Steph Bradley and Pete Lipman. We will publish the programme as it emerges with an update in June's newsletter. You can be sure it will be a veritable smorgasbord of knowledge, activities, experience and discussion on topics close to our practical experiences on the ground. If you want to suggest a workshop, please email workshops@transitionnetwork.org with the following:

~ Title

~ Description: maximum one short paragraph

~ Benefits for Transitioners

~ Time needed for workshop

Please note that we welcome all workshop proposals. However, we can't guarantee you a slot as time is tight! So if you don't get a slot, please don't feel bad, and remember that there's always next year.

Read more about it and book your ticket here

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/conference-2011-uk

LOCAL STUFF

April Round Up of What's Happening in Transition

Our tour this month starts in Australia, across to South Africa, then around the UK from Worthing, to Maidenhead, Amersham, Lewes and London plus more but we must also mention Germany, Ireland before we hop across to North America.

http://transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-04/april-round-whats-happening-transition

People of Tottenham Street

How well do you know your neighbours? Having lived in Fitzrovia for over 48 years Fiona Green decided it was time to pay a tribute to all her lovely neighbours.

http://transitionnetwork.org/projects/people-tottenham-street

Free Trees for Communities

The Woodland Trust is offering free trees for communities to plant in their neighbourhoods in order to double the number of native trees in the UK.

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-05/free-trees-communities

VIDEOS

Movie 2.0

Shown thousands of times around the world, ‘In Transition1.0' 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.“

http://transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-04-05/announcing-movie-transition-20

How Can We Grow More Food Locally?

Transition Bath made a film from an excellent talk they hosted

http://bit.ly/localfoodbath

THINKING ALOUD

Inconvenient Truths About the Coming Transition

Skill-swapping, gardening, knowing your neighbours – these are brilliant and vital parts of a hopeful future. But all the warm and fuzzy feelings we get from sharing bran muffins in the local town hall can sometimes obscure rather than highlight the reality of the situation we’re in.

http://transitionvoice.com/2011/04/inconvenient-truths-about-the-coming-transition/

Activism and Transition

There are some very interesting stories of Transition Initiatives finding themselves coming closer than expected to activist groups and activism in general. Do you have any thoughts or experiences about it? We're looking into this as it's clearly quite controversial, and going to be increasingly important for Transition Initiatives in times to come. Join the discussion here:

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/forums/process/general/transition-and-activism

PEAK OIL

Oil Crunch Video

An excellent new 12 min video available online (and to download) about Peak Oil. Jeremey Leggett decribes it as "the best short TV account I have yet seen on the peak-oil problem". He notes that "In it the IEA's chief economist is teased into going as far as I have ever seen or heard him go in saying that a crisis of global oil supply is near." Leggett adds that "a poll of oil-and-gas industry leaders shows that the majority now think that the biggest share of world energy in 2025 will be held not by oil or gas, or coal, but renewables."

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3201781.htm

ASPO 9 Conference Presentations

The ninth international conference of the Association For the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) took place at the end of April in Brussels. The presentation slides & videos are online.

http://www.aspo9.be/presentations

On Peak Oil, You Are Not Alone

While the signs are all around us nobody knows, and nobody cares. At least that’s how it seems. But people know something’s up.

http://transitionvoice.com/2011/05/more-of-us-than-we-think/

How Many Days Work in A Litre of Oil?

Having often quoted “1 litre of oil equals 35 days of human work”, Rob Hopkins found his number challenged which sparked a lively discussion about what the real number is.

http://bit.ly/1litrepetrol

ELECTRICITY

Community-owned Solar Powers Brewery

A project to put solar panels on the roof of Harvey's brewery in Lewes is tantalisingly close with only about £20,000 still to be raised this weekend.

http://transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-06/community-owned-solar-powers-brewery

Rob Hopkins has written a 'Transition Ingredient' about "Investing in Transition" which covers the many ways Transition Initiatives can invest in their local communities
http://transitionculture.org/2011/05/03/ingredients-of-transition-investing-in-transition/

Linlithgow’s Solar Bulk Buying Scheme

In 2010 Transition Linlithgow began ambitious bulk buying project for solar thermal heating systems for over 160 homes.

http://bit.ly/LinlithgowSolar

EVENTS

Green Gathering is back - smaller but perfectly formed with a Transition area 28 July - 1 Aug

http://transitionnetwork.org/events/2011-07-28/2011-green-gathering

Sunrise Festival will again be featuring the Transition Tin Village with
a full programme of workshops and films. 2 - 5th June

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2011-06-02/sunrise-festival

London and Thames Valley Transition Gathering, 11-June

Grow Heathrow is hosting a gathering for Transition Towns based in
London & the Thames Valley area.

http://www.transitionheathrow.com/2011/04/london-thames-valley-transition-network-gathering/

Plus there are lots more in the directory including:

~ 'Imagine There’s a Future' short story competition for writers resident in SW England.

~ A weekend for Quakers in local Transition initiatives

~ Dragon Dreaming Training

~ London Permaculture Festival 2011 - Sat 16th July

http://transitionnetwork.org/events

TRAINING

There are a couple of places left in the training in London on May 14/15, and we can do those for a discounted price and also places left on Wivenhoe, Essex training 4/5th June.

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/support/training/training-transition

Grow your Group

How thriving is your group? Is it in the first flush of action and enthusiasm? How will you
keep it so? Is it shrinking into a small core of overwhelmed people? GROW YOUR GROUP consultancy and training believe that successful groups need the same sort of care and attention as a garden.

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-06/grow-your-group

TECH BYTES

Syndication and Social Media

We now have a page to explain where else we live on the web; to provide the more 'social network-y' types with our social network locations, and the initiative webmasters among you with tools to connect your sites with ours, and the most popular feeds to embed on your sites and aggregators.

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/syndication-and-social-media#social_networks

What is the best way for Transition Initiatives to use Facebook and Twitter?

Join the discussion here

http://bit.ly/FBtwitForum

And of course, we must mention that we now have an
Official Transition Network Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/transitionnetwork

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Happiness and good conversation are carbon-negative technologies that deserve re-discovery.

http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-05-05/conversation-leads-positive-connections

Energy Bulletin Editor

And Finally....

Gort and Klaatu's blog

Our poor specimen earthling continues his adventures into possible futures.

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/gort-and-klaatu

Follow Transition Network on Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns

Find previous editions of the newsletter here

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter

Read this newsletter online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-05-06/may-2011-transition-network-newsletter

This newsletter is published on the first Friday of each month.

Newsletter Editor: Mike Grenville, from Transition Forest Row

Contact: transitionnetworknews@googlemail.com

+44 (0)7974 924289 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +44 (0)7974 924289 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Special Trees of Sherwood Walks May 2011

2011-05-01T16:18:00.000+01:00

Saturday 14th May 10-30am - 1.00

Thynghowe Trail

A gentle Stroll along forestry boundaries and tracks to the Viking Assembly of Thynghowe

Sunday 15 May 10.30am - 1.00pm

King's Wood & St Edwin's Chapel

An easy stroll around the sweet chestnut and oak wood witk owners and foresters Stuart Reddish and Lynda Mallett. Hear the story of centuries of woodland management including medieval deer leaps and ancient coppicing, then visit the site of St Edwin's Chapel.

Booking Details

For further details, contact the Trust on 01623 821490 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01623 821490 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01623 821490 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01623 821490

Greenwood Community Forest Nottinghamshire Handbook

2011-04-15T18:39:00.000+01:00

The Greenwood Community Woodland Handbook is packed with information for groups who are, or want to be involved in woodlands and green space. Tips include finding resources, setting up a group and ideas for
involving the whole community.

Sherwood Forest Transition Network Newsletter April 2011

2011-04-02T12:22:00.002+01:00

April 2011 Transition Network Newsletter
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-04-01/april-2011-network-newsletter
CONTENTS
~ Transition Network 2011 UK conference
~ March News Round Up
~ Transition Network Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter March 2011
~ Somerset Council Transition Reversal Raises Questions Over Localism Agenda
~ Otesha Project UK: young people's cycle tour
TALKS & VIDEOS
~ A New World View - Naomi Klein in Totnes
~ The End Of Growth - Richard Heinberg in Totnes
~ Confronting Change
~ Beyond the Brink 
~ Film Review: The Economics of Happiness
ENERGY
~ UK First Community Owned Solar Power Station 
~ Ten reasons why new nuclear was a mistake – even before Fukushima
~ Nuclear: We get the power but future generations get the waste 
~ Nuclear power’s last ditch effort 
RESOURCES
EVENTS
And Finally....
Transition Network 2011 UK conference: 
8th - 11th July, Liverpool, UK
The  Network conference this year will be at Hope University in Liverpool on  the Hope Park campus. Most accommodation is onsite, with self catering  an option. No onsite camping - we asked and cajoled, but they wouldn't  budge. Provisional timings are registration opens on Friday evening with  the main conference programme starts Saturday morning and finishes  Monday lunchtime. Planning has started for a full programme of  workshops, themes and events. More details will be announced soon  starting with full accessibility info next week.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-03-23/transition-network-2011-uk-conference-8-11-july-liverpool

March News Round Up
This  month there is a report from Colombia where they recently held their  first Transition Trainings; in Japan there was an all-Japan Transition  Town meeting plus they’ve started a bilingual wiki site called  ‘Transition Town in Asia’. Meanwhile down in Australia Riddell launched  with a local food fare. Projects around the UK include refurbished bikes  in Grangemouth, a ‘Big Green Day’ in Abbots Langley, South Ribble  clothes swapping party, and a light bulb amnesty in Andover. In North  America, there was a 2-day Economic Summit in Putney and a conference on  localised food systems in Colorado. Transition Guelph held a Resilience  Festival combined with their Great Unleashing.
Details on these and many more:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-04-01/march-round-whats-happening-transition

Transition Network Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter March 2011
This  month's newsletter includes an in-depth resource on 'Islam and  Environment', a report from the recent 'Interfaith Seminar on  Environment and Sustainability' and listening to the community in  Lockerbie.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-03-28/transition-network-diversity-newsletter-march-2011

Somerset Council Transition Reversal Raises Questions Over Localism Agenda
In July  2008, Somerset County Council passed a resolution supporting its local  Transition initiatives. Since then it has become clear that what started  so boldly and with such great promise has since fallen away. In the  spirit of learning from such reversals, this piece explores what we can  learn from recent developments in Somerset, and also what we might draw  from them in relation to the government’s current ‘localism’ agenda.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-03-11/somerset-transition-reversal-raises-questions-over-localism-agenda
Otesha Project UK: young people's cycle tour

Two groups of 18-28 year-olds will be cycling across the UK this  summer, living as a sustainable, consensus-based community, delivering  workshops and performing a play in schools and youth clubs. Check out  their route in case they are coming near you plus there are a few spaces  left to join them.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-03-29/otesha-project-uk-young-peoples-cycle-tour-workshops-and-plays


TALKS & VIDEOS
A New World View - Naomi Klein in Totnes

Author of 'No Logo' and 'The Shock Doctrine and activist Naomi Klein  recently visited Totnes to find out more about the Transition movement.  She gave a talk looking at the various crises going on around the world,  the challenges ahead and the opportunities that you can see online  here:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/03/25/naomi-klein-in-totnes-the-movie/
At the end of Klein's visit Rob Hopkins interviewed her. In part one  she says that our “… world view is killing us and needs to be replaced with another world view…”  while in part two she emphasised that “we must address inequality if we’re going to deal with climate change”:
[1] http://bit.ly/fFhxL0  [2] http://bit.ly/gAavHt

The End Of Growth - Richard Heinberg in Totnes

Author of "The Party's Over" and leading peak oil educator, Richard  Heinberg recently gave talk in Totnes about the future of our 'growth'  society. The talk can be viewed online:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/03/11/something-for-the-weekend-richard-heinberg-in-totnes/
During  his visit, Heinberg was interviewed jointly by Rob Hopkins, Ben Brangwyn  of Transition Network and Frances Northrop of Transition Town Totnes.  “I think 2011 is going to be an interesting year… in the Chinese sense…”   he said.
Interview part one: http://bit.ly/heinberg-part1
Interview part two: http://bit.ly/heinberg-part2  

Confronting Change

An inspirational event last December on the South Bank with Polly  Higgins, Michael Meacher MP and Rob Hopkins has now been released on  film and written up on Rob's blog here:
http://bit.ly/ConfrontingChange-blog 
and videos of the talks can be viewed here:
http://bit.ly/ConfrontingChange-videos

Film: Beyond the Brink

18-year-old Ross Harrison spent a year chasing up experts, studying the  news and filming to create a short documentary that answers the  ever-pressing questions: are we really causing climate change, and who  cares? The result is a 40 minute film available to download about the  knowns and the unknowns of the science, about the risks, and about being  hopeful for the future too.
www.beyondthebrink.org

Film Review: The Economics of Happiness

The film covers eight arguments against globalisation and explores some  of the less tangible benefits of localisation. Rob ponders on  whether it is the film we need to raise the issue to the next level of  the debate.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-03-28/film-review-economics-happiness

ENERGY
UK First Community Owned Solar Power Station

Transition Town Lewes's energy company, Ovesco, is planning to build  Britain's first community-owned solar power station this summer. It's  launching a share issue at Lewes Town Hall on 19 April to raise £306,000  from investors to pay for 544 solar panels on the warehouse roof of the  town's favourite brewery, Harveys. They need raise at least £250,000 by  9 May in order to get the scheme installed and registered for the full  FITs by 1st August. Your chance to invest in renewable energy.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-04-01/uk-first-community-owned-solar-power-station
Three views on nuclear power:
Ten reasons why new nuclear was a mistake – even before Fukushima
It’s hardly a surprise that building nuclear power stations on seismic  fault lines, as Japan has done, turns out to be a foolish thing. In the  pause for reflection about the safety of nuclear power that the  Fukushima disaster is bound to create, here are ten reasons why it’s a  mistake to build a new round of nuclear power stations in the UK.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-03-15/ten-reasons-why-new-nuclear-was-mistake-even-fukushima-guest-post-alexi
Nuclear: We get the power but future generations get the waste
We should always act to avoid harming all living beings, not only those  living now but especially those who will live in the future, who will  be far greater in number. Nuclear energy is a uniquely risky enterprise  precisely because its consequences are so long-lasting and so difficult  to deal with if catastrophe ever strikes nuclear power plants.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/03/we-get-the-power-but-future-generations-get-the-waste/
Nuclear power’s last ditch effort
The industry began generating electricity as a side business to its  main political role of creating the material for nuclear weapons.  Neither the public nor the markets were involved. In communications  terms the nuclear industry has to do two things: make sure that the  public does not get to decide AND create the impression that renewables  don’t work.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/transition-voice/2011-03-24/nuclear-power-s-last-ditch-effort

RESOURCES
Community Energy Group Tools
The Cente for Sustainable Energy has developed a series of tools and  guidance for community groups thinking about installing their own  community owned renewable energy systems.
This includes a fairly extensive set of films which are available free online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/community-energy-group-tools

Resources added recently to the website include:
~ Hythe thermal imaging
~ Ealing Transition Initiative Local Food Distribution Project
~ People of Tottenham Street
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources

Recent Forum discussions include:
~ Chesterfield Libary looking for recommendations of transition-relevant books;
~ What strategies are working in big cities?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/forum/recent

EVENTS
~ Quaker and Transition Conference
~ 9th International Peak Oil Conference of ASPO - Brussels
~ EarthHeart Weekend (The Work That Reconnects) with Chris Johnstone
These and more details here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events

And Finally....
Gort and Klaatu's blog
Our poor specimen earthling continues his adventures into possible futures.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/gort-and-klaatu

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"The crisis of human ecology is much greater than either the nuclear or carbon issue."
Paul Mobbs (responding to George Monbiot's nuclear conversion)
http://www.fraw.org.uk/f.html?monbiotcritique

Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns
Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter

This newsletter is published on the first Friday of each month.
Newsletter Editor: Mike Grenville, from Transition Forest Row
Contact: transitionnetworknews@googlemail.com

Sherwood Forest Thynghowe Birklands BBC Radio 4 Open Country

2011-04-01T12:25:00.001+01:00

For this week's Open Country, Richard Uridge is in the Birklands area of Sherwood Forest finding out about its ancient past when he visits Thynghowe, an ancient open-air meeting place where hundreds of Vikings gathered to make important decisions.
Presenter: Richard Uridge
Producer: Helen Chetwynd.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0103z1x

Sherwood Forest Regional Park Feasibility Study

2011-03-22T23:24:00.000Z

Report Published by Nottinghamshire County Council and can be found with other documents at http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/environment/countryside/regionalpark.htm

Mansfield District Council Public Statement Climate Change Week

2011-03-21T23:17:00.000Z

Sustainable Community Plan Public Statement from Mansfield District Council Sherwood Forest Nottinghamshire

Open publication - Free publishing - More climate change

Transition Towns - a Future for a Sherwood Forest Regional Park?

2011-03-17T12:57:00.000Z

Poet and broadcaster Matt Harvey takes a sympathetic look at the Transition Town movement. He talks to Transition Town movers and shakers in Totnes, Stroud and Brixton, including Rob Hopkins, author of the Transition Town Handbook, and shares his discoveries .....

What exactly is a Transition Initiative?

2011-03-17T12:38:00.000Z

A Transition Initiative (which could be a town, village, university, island or a Heritage Forest etc) is a community-led response to the pressures of climate change, fossil fuel depletion and increasingly, economic contraction. There are thousands of initiatives around the world starting their journey to answer this crucial question:

"for all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly rebuild resilience (to mitigate the effects of Peak Oil and economic contraction) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?"

Welcome to the Transition Movement Sherwood Forest

2011-03-13T14:01:00.000Z

Welcome to the Transition Movement for Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.
Below you will find some links to essential reading.