Transition?

Values and Beliefs   History

Transition Towns are an emerging and evolving approach to community-level sustainability that is starting to appear in several parts of the world. They are "scalable microcosms of hope."

Transition Town Initiatives are based on four key assumptions:

1. Life with dramatically lower energy consumption is inevitable, and it is better to plan for it than to be taken by surprise.
2. Our towns and cities presently lack the resilience to weather the severe resource shortages that will accompany post-peak oil, climatic changes, and so on.
3. We have to act collectively, and we have to act now.
4. By unleashing the collective genius of those around us to creatively and proactively design our energy descent, we can build ways of living that are more connected and enriching.

The aim of these initiatives is largely, but not exclusively, to equip communities for the dual challenges of climate change and peak oil. Communities are encouraged to seek out ways to reduce energy usage as well as increase their own self reliance and consequently resiliency.

Initiatives so far have included creating community gardens to grow local food; business waste exchange, which seeks to match the waste of one industry with another industry that uses this waste; and even simply repairing old items rather than throwing them away. A favourite slogan of the movement is "Food feet, not food miles!"

Currently there are several hundred member communities in a dozen of countries worldwide (including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Chile) involved in the movement. Hundreds of more communities are "thinking hard" about it and these numbers are growing.

TransitionKW values/believes:

• An efficient and thoughtful use of our resources so we are able to sufficiently react to a dwindling source of these resources, both globally and locally.
• A rebuilding of a more connected, more resilient society is needed not only for the purpose of addressing potential environmental resource shortages, but to create vibrant, healthy communities.
• Our citizens, leaders and businesses have the ability to meet and overcome the serious challenges in lessening our destruction of, and over-dependence on, environmental resources.
• The importance of engaging all individuals, due to the interconnectedness of all action in our aim to create an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable future.
• Building a more connected and engaged community will in itself serve as a resource, for by tapping into our collective strengths we can meet the challenges that face us.
• Empowering each person
to enjoy the benefits of our efforts, for reasons of equity, compassion, and justice.

The "Transition Towns" movement was founded in Totnes, England and Kinsale, Ireland during 2005 and 2006. The movement was spearheaded by environmentalist and permaculture designer Rob Hopkins.

Specifically, the Transition concept emerged from work Hopkins had done with the students of Kinsale Further Education College in Ireland. Out of their efforts, the town produced an "Energy Descent Action Plan". This looked at across-the-board creative adaptations in the realms of energy production, health, education, economy and agriculture as a "road map" to a sustainable future for the town.

Eventually, thanks to one of his students, Louise Rooney, the Transition Towns concept was presented to Kinsale Town Council. This resulted in the historic decision by Councillors to adopt the plan and work towards energy independence.

The idea was adapted and expanded in September 2006 to Hopkins' hometown of Totnes where he is now based. The initiative since then has spread quickly. While referred to as “Towns”, the communities involved range from villages (Kinsale), through council districts (Penwith), to cities and city boroughs (Brixton).