Rob Hopkins talks about Transition Initiatives

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Comment by Kat on February 13, 2009 at 11:42am

Since I know we have some here who can't play the videos, here is a brief summary.

Rob brings up the question,What is a transition initiative?

"It's basically a process that acts as a catalyst within a community to get people to explore for themselves responses to peak oil and climate change. It comes from a position of trying to develop a really attractive, enticing vision of how the town could be, beyond its current dependence on oil and fossil fuels."

He discusses some of the primary things his town did (and this could be duplicated within our neighborhoods and communities, which are closer to a "town" in size than our entire city would be. Totnes has a pop. of 8k) –

- develop a local currency among the vendors in the town
- prepare a local food directory to help educate individuals about food supply alternatives
- visiting local schools with a "Transition Tales" program to help children get involved in visioning
- talks and think tank days, emphasis on unlocking the collective genius of individuals in the various communities about what they can do within their neighborhood and community

"Change need not be a hair shirt exercise. It can be something which is exhilarating, has a feel of being a historic process, and as a collective call to adventure."