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.
Come find me at robhopkins.net
Archive for “General” category
Showing results 411 - 415 of 506 for the category: General.
16 Jun 2008
I guess, as what Albert Bates terms a ‘post-petroleumologist’, you would imagine that I would be philosophically opposed to diggers, earthmovers, and other forms of fossil fuel powered equipment. I think it would be fair to say that until I encountered permaculture, I saw them, mostly due to seeing the extraordinary damage that such machines can wreak on road-building protests, as inherently wicked. When I sat down to read Bill Mollison’s Permaculture, a Designer’s Manual, I was surprised to find that a book on earth repair had an entire chapter dedicated to earthmoving. Seemed somewhat incongruous. Now, however, I am a convert, and I was honoured that my garden was visited by one this weekend.
Read more»
13 Jun 2008
The winners of the ‘Using Natural Finishes’ competition are Angie C, Tom Atkins, Vivian Hayes, Nick Lishman and Alistair Farrell. They answered correctly that ‘pargeting’ is “the formation of three-dimensional raised designs on external walls, traditionally created by forming relief work in the lime render finish”. Disappointingly no-one got it wrong.
Read more»
9 Jun 2008
This post was prompted, a few months ago, by a return to a place in Italy where I lived between 1988 and 1990. I was returning for the funeral of a very dear friend of mine. I hadn’t been there in the intervening years, and much had changed. While I was there, I came across this photo, of an 18 year old me (left), and my friend Dan, standing in the farmyard of this extraordinary man, Guido Vannini (centre). Seeing the changes to the place I had known so well, and being reminded of Guido, prompted me to write the following;
Read more»
5 Jun 2008
Transition Stroud (check out their wonderful new website here) are launching their Communiversity initiative, which provides a wonderful opportunity to experience the wonderful diversity of initiatives that have been running in the town for many years. Stroud has, for a long time, been one of the UK’s leading ‘alternative’ towns, experimenting with local currencies, CSAs, farmers markets and so on, before the rest of the country even thought of it. Taking 6 days out in August to head over to Stroud would be very instructive and inspiring for anyone involved in Transition projects or for anyone who takes an interest in this kind of thing. It all kicks off with a launch event on June 13th (see below) and the Communiversity itself will be held over 6 days in August, and you can read the brochure for it here.
Read more»
31 Mar 2008
This has been an extraordinary week, one I feel privileged to have been a part of. The design of the week worked very well, taking the participants on a journey through inner work to setting an intention and then exploring practical responses. In many ways Findhorn was a perfect setting for it as, as a community, it continues its own transition from a focus mainly on inner work to one also on outward engagement and applied Earth Repair. As a laboratory of sustainability, or as Jonathan Dawson put it, a monastery, it provided the perfect venue for the week, a place to unwind, relax, refresh and reinspire.
Read more»
I guess, as what Albert Bates terms a ‘post-petroleumologist’, you would imagine that I would be philosophically opposed to diggers, earthmovers, and other forms of fossil fuel powered equipment. I think it would be fair to say that until I encountered permaculture, I saw them, mostly due to seeing the extraordinary damage that such machines can wreak on road-building protests, as inherently wicked. When I sat down to read Bill Mollison’s Permaculture, a Designer’s Manual, I was surprised to find that a book on earth repair had an entire chapter dedicated to earthmoving. Seemed somewhat incongruous. Now, however, I am a convert, and I was honoured that my garden was visited by one this weekend. 
