An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent
Transition Culture has moved
I no longer blog on this site. You can now find me, my general blogs, and the work I am doing researching my forthcoming book on imagination, on my new blog.
Since the visit of Richard Heinberg to New Zealand, the place appears to have gone into a Transition-frenzy. James Samuel ran two workshops on the Transition approach after Heinberg’s talk at the EcoShow in Taupo, which apparently went very well. Also, Jo Duff of the Hawkes Bay Trust recently posted an excellent presentation she gave on the Transition model at an event there, which is a really heartening example of how people are taking the model and just starting to put it out there. The first part is below, the other 3 parts link from this.
In the Transition Network we are presently working on how best to support these nascent initiatives from lil’ole Devon, and given that we don’t fly. We are developing Transition Training materials, a presentation people can be trained to deliver and soon, of course, The Transition Handbook (the name has changed from ‘Small is Inevitable’) which will be out in March ’08. Who needs aeroplanes?!
The Big Melt report that caused me sleepless nights last week showed that climate change is happening far faster than anyone, the IPCC included, had predicted. Over the last week the peak oil argument has similarly sped up, exceeding predictions almost on a daily basis. It crashed through the $80 a barrel ceiling, which set experts talking about $90 a barrel sometime next year, but before the end of the week, there it was. Now the mythical $100 a barrel level could be as little as days away. It is worth remembering that when prices are adjusted for inflation, the highest oil prices we have ever had were during the last oil crisis in the 70s, and were around $102 a barrel, and that caused a major recession. Beyond $102 we are into new terrain; all bets, as they say, are off, with regards to what we might find when we get there.
Following on from the last post, I thought some good news might be in order. I was very heartened by a story in the Independent on Saturday called Spinster rejects £2m in battle to keep stars away. Near where I live in Devon is the beautiful village of East Portlemouth, which is opposite the larger town of Salcombe. It is one of the most gorgeous places in this part of the country, but as a result, has become very attractive to wealthy second home owners.
Regular readers of **Transition Culture** will know that I try not to make a habit of presenting depressing or distressing information, but today I will make an exception. Yesterday morning I read Carbon Equity’s The Big Melt report which is basically a review of all the literature and studies looking at what happened to the Arctic ice this summer. It does not make for comfortable reading, and indeed it adds enormous urgency to to need to reduce emissions. It argues that to speak of 2 degrees being a safe threshold is nonsense, that we haven’t yet reached 1 degree, but already the Arctic ice is melting 100 years ahead of when the IPCC predicted it would.
Last year **Transition Culture** was voted the 12th best green blog over at The Daily (Maybe), a fact of which we were hugely chuffed, referring often to being the “12th Best Green Blog”. This year we have leapt up the Top Twenty, to fourth! This year’s winner is Alice in Blogland, and it’s great to appear once again among such august company. The Daily Maybe is now holding its “People’s Choice Award 2007”, where you can vote for your favourite site, any votes for Transition Culture would be much appreciated! Thanks to Jim Jay for noting what’s happening here and for including us in the list.
How might our response to peak oil and climate change look more like a party than a protest march? This site explores the emerging transition model in its many manifestations
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