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talk by Andrew Knox at Post Carbon Toronto meetup Sept 30, 2009
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Transition Towns and TorontoFrom oil dependency to urban resilience
Andrew Knox 30 September, 2009
Introduction
• My Background• What is the Transition Towns
Movement?• How Does it Work?• Successes in Totnes and Elsewhere• How might Transition look in Toronto?
The Transition Towns Movement:Origins
• Climate Change• Peak Oil• Permaculture
Permaculture
• Approach to Sustainable Design• Permaculture = Permanent Agriculture• Permaculture = Permanent Culture• Internal aspect• “The problem is the solution.”
The Transition Towns Movement:Transition Towns
• Make your town/city/island/forest a Transition Town
• Community based Transition group(s)
• Use group(s) to build resilience, educate, etc.
• Preparing for a different future
Barbarisation WorldAtlantis
Urban Colonies
Last One Standing
Conventional Worlds
Green Tech Stability
Powerdown
Enlightened Transition
Good Intentions
“War that will never end in our lifetime”
Techno Explosion
Perpetual Motion
Waiting for the Magic Elixir
Business as UsualCarbon Trading and Pricing
Fair Shares
The Great Transition
“visionary solutions to the sustainability challenge, including fundamental changes in the prevailing values as well as novel socio-economic arrangements.”
Earth Stewardship
Enforced Localization
Building Lifeboats
Tribal Trading
“use energy which is much cheaper now than it will ever be again to develop [domestic] energy sources and reduce the amount of energy required to maintain and run the…economy”
Transition Scenario in Context
The Transition Towns Movement
• “By unleashing the collective genius of the community we can design ways of living that are more enriching, satisfying and connected than the present.”
• Aims for local resilience• Energy lean• Sustainable society
The Transition Towns Movement:Transition Towns
• Transition Town Totnes, UK• Transition Forest of Dean, UK• Transition Exeter, UK• Transition Sunshine Coast, Australia• Transition Waiheke Island, NZ• Transition Boulder County, Colorado• Transition Fujino, Japan• Transition Berlin, Friedrichshain Kreuzberg, Germany• Transition El Manzano, Chile• Transition Victoria, BC• Transition Peterborough, ON
How Transition Works
• 12 Steps (that no one follows)• Local Scale• Build Recognition and Political
Capital• Energy Descent Pathways• Being Positive, Creative• Taking Care of Each Other
How Transition Works:Formative Steps
1) Start a Kamikaze Steering Group
2) Raise Awareness (show movies, etc.)
3) Lay Foundations – network, design
4) Organize a “Great Unleashing”
5) Form sub-groups – e.g. Heart and Soul
IT
Admin + fin
Housing
Energy
Arts
Transport
Publicity
Project support for TTT
TTT Ltd
Heart & Soul
Publicity
Fundraise
Food
Proj support
home groups
events
ceremonies
TRESOC
Solar challenge
Retrofit
Core group
IT
Training
EDAP
TT national network
Other TTs
Vols
Reprs, forum?
EDAP/ timeline
Training
Outreach
Local govt
Education
Other National Transition Networks
TTT ltd rep
Groups:
How Transition Works:Step 6 – Open Space
• No agenda, but structure
How Transition Works:Step 7 – Visibility
• Develop Visible Manifestations of the Project
• Avoid Image of Transition Talk Shop• Further Profile Boosting• Tree planting, community gardening,
libraries, alt-construction
How Transition Works:Step 8 – Great Reskilling
• Our Skills Won’t Cut it• Run Courses• Insulation, Tool-making,
Bike maintenance, Energy, Herbalism
• Effective meetings, Community co-operation, Permaculture, Local government
How Transition Works:Step 8 – Great Reskilling
Wild Foods, natural building, seed saving, hand made paints, stove building, forest gardening, food growing, bread making...
How Transition Works:Step 9 – Bridge to Local Government
• Need Government Good Will• Integrate EDP with Existing Gov’t
Plans• Keep Within Relevant Context• Helpful Friends
How Transition Works:Step 10 – Honour the Elders
• Advice From the Pre-Globalized Age
• Not “Going Back” or Retrograde
• See More Connection to Life Forces
• Take Forward
How Transition Works:Step 11 – Let it Go Where it Wants
• Steering Group has Met Demise• Remaining Groups are Strong• Do What Makes Sense• Grow Organically
How Transition Works:Step 12 – Energy Descent Pathways
Prof. Peter Newman
The first thing cities should do is to make their own climate change and peak oil strategy
How Transition Works:Step 12 – Energy Descent Pathways
• Plan for Transition to Sustainable Energy
• “Back-casting”• Long-term (decades)• Mirror to Official Plans
How Transition Works:Attitudes
• Creativity• Broad Base of Talent• Internal Work “Change More Than
Lightbulbs”• Permaculture• Holistic• Social
Successes in Transition• Totnes
• Councilors World Café• “Nut Tree Capital of Britain”• Totnes Pound
• Exeter• “Love Local Food”• Smart meters in Schools• “Corporate Games”
Successes in Transition• Peterborough
• Officially Recognized by City Council• Guelph
• Sold out showing of “In Transition”• Ottawa
• Community Development Framework Learning Forum
• Transition Training
Transition in Toronto• Not a Town, No problem• Transition NYC
• Focus on Education• Painting Roofs White
• Transition is like Weather• Cap on Community Engagement?
• Transition Villages Toronto• Transition Leslieville, Danforth, etc.
Transition in Toronto• EDP link with Realistic Energy Plan• Work with Existing Groups• Work with you• Go Where it Wants to Go!
Conclusion
• Transition Aims to Solve Global Problems• Established Suggested Framework• Underpinning Values• Been Successful, but Still Early Days• Definitely Would Work for Toronto
Thank you!
Let’s work together for a Transition in Toronto
Resources• The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience – Rob Hopkins
– Green Books• The Transition Timeline: For a local, resilient future – Shaun Chamberlin – Green
Books• In Transition 1.0 (Transition Movie)• Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide – Harrison Owen – Berrett-Koehler
Publishers• The Change Handbook, Second Edition: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best
Methods for Engaging Whole Systems - Peggy Holman , Tom Devane , Steven Cady – Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change – Peter Newman – Island Press