7 Nov 2007
Transition Bristol: The Big Event.
Possibly the biggest peak oil/climate change/Transition event yet to take place in the UK happens in Bristol in a couple of weeks. Transition Bristol’s **Big Event** brings together some amazing speakers for a busy day of talks, workshops and films all exploring the concept of Transition in the urban context. Speakers will include Richard Heinberg, David Strahan, Jeremy Leggett and Dr. Chris Johnstone. Transition Bristol began about a year ago, and this will be their highest profile event yet, and is a day not to be missed. Their press release goes as follows
Transition Bristol presents
**THE BIG EVENT**
**Sunday 25th November 2007.**
**at the Council House, College Green.**
**Can you imagine Bristol after oil?**
Participate in finding positive and practical responses to Peak Oil and Climate Change. A day of information, inspiration and ideas
on how you and your community can be part of the solution. A packed programme of talks, workshops, discussions and films including.
**Richard Heinberg** leading Peak Oil expert, author of Power Down and Peak Everything
**Jeremy Leggett** author of The Carbon War and Half Gone and climate change campaigner
**David Strahan** author of The Last Oil Shock
**Dr Chris Johnstone** author of Find Your Power
Cost £14 / £8. For details and tickets visit
www.transitionbristol.org
TRANSITION BRISTOL invites you to THE BIG EVENT to share ideas on practical responses to Peak Oil and Climate Change.
Hear the latest facts and insights into the issues and discover how people are responding to them locally and nationally.
Find out how you can get involved with shaping Bristol’s transition from energy dependence to a sustainable, resilient
and positive future.
Friendly atmosphere. Disabled access. 9.30am to 6pm.
Cost £14/£8 concessions. Please book in advance. Ticket sales online or at The Better Food Company, Fresh and Wild, Windmill Hill City Farm and other outlets for details visit www.transitionbristol.org
A packed programme of talks and workshops to include Peak Oil, Climate Change, Positive Action, Sustainable Transport, Carbon Reduction Action Groups, Community Composting, Alternative Energy, Permaculture, Community Gardeners Question Time, Local Economics, Medicinal Herbs, Sustainable Building, Restorative Justice, Community Learning, Climate Change and the Landscape,
The Work That Reconnects, Global Recession and Transition, Local Food Groups, Community Supported Agriculture, Films,
Open Space, Environmental Stalls and Bookshop.
**Unleashing the collective genius of the community.**
David Lashley
7 Nov 6:10pm
From how far can it be justified to travel to an event about peak oil, climate change and carbon reduction? I am a student in Edinburgh but really want to come to this event – if I plant a tree in the back garden then maybe I can offset the damage done by my train journey 😉
I was thinking of trying to get an article about peak oil and the transition initiative into the student newspaper – perhaps that would provide justification for going?
Jane Buttigieg
12 Nov 5:37pm
Hi,
I saw your comment and think that if you want to come by train then you should definitely come. It’s not as if you are flying down or travelling in a 4×4! The train is relatively low carbon compared to so many ways of travelling. What are you going to do, remain totally geographically bound for ever? I wouldn’t think about ‘offsetting’ with the planting of a tree, as the whole concept of ‘offsetting’ is a bit dodgy and only encourages offenders to continue with their bad behaviour. I would suggest coming down on the train and booking into the Bristol Youth Hostel. You could justify your journey by seeing it as part of the beginning of something you will do for the environment. Make contact with environmental groups in Edinburgh…I don’t think Edinburgh is a transition city yet? Could you be one of the people who starts the wheels in motion after coming to this event? Definitely write for the student paper, but having been a uni student once myself, I feel that student environments can be a bit closed off from local people in a city. So make contact with local environmental groups and you could be the start of something big…go and book your ticket!
Jane
PS Plant a tree anyway!
Eco-Cide: Exploring Ecology
13 Nov 1:45am
[…] the biggest peak oil/climate change/Transition event to take place in the UK”, Bristol’s Big Event looks set to be a huge collective exploration of the future for this city of 400,000 residents as […]
RS
13 Nov 8:35pm
David
If you think that going to the session in Bristol would help you understand how to set up a Transition Towns event in Edinburgh, go for it, as long as you travel by public transport or get a lift.
Instead of buying a tree, write for the local student paper, circulate something to friends at University (do you have people and Planet?), paint a picture, whatever inspires you most and share it.
Jennifer
19 Nov 12:06pm
Hi All,
I’m coming down (by train) from Lancaster. We’ve been struggling up here, which is why all advice and help will be welcome!
Ciaran Mundy
20 Nov 7:04pm
Hi there,
This event combined with some survey results hav got me wondering. . .
If, as infered by the Green Fiscal Commission headline report, sustainabilty as a social movement seems to be most advanced in the South West it begs the question: What about the South West brings this out in people/Why do people who feel this way live in the South West? Given the discussions Tom Crompton of WWF and I have had over the last year about being connected to the natural world and the ecological psychology studies and discussions he has been exploring on http://www.valuingnature.org, it would be interesting to see what factors people think are at play.
Maybe the proximity and accessibility of beautiful natural environment is a powerful factor in positively motivating people to look for and demand a change?
Ciaran Mundy
20 Nov 7:09pm
As far as travelling to these events is concerned, I think it is very positive thing to do once we use public transport. I will be encouraging friends to visit Bristol for the event. As for offsetting it is a major and potentially damaging distraction: see http://www.lowflyzone.org discussion of this issue.
mandy
21 Nov 10:46pm
This is my favourite piece about offsetting. Watch the film at
http://www.cheatneutral.com/
Really looking forward to this event.