Cumberland BC: The Cumberlander Articles Section
Local · 12th November 2008
Dwayne Rourke
The debate over whether or not the world is running out of cheap oil is widespread and by no means conclusive. Experts from many fields are convinced that "peak oil" is upon us and that it will have disastrous effects on a world not ready for its dramatic onset. Other experts, especially those from within the oil patch, claim that we are not staring an oil shortage in the face and that there are still countless untapped reserves.
What are we to believe?
If the price of gas at the pump is any indication, the supply of petroleum and its products has a lot more to do with who is supplying it than with how much is present on the planet. Any way you look at it, the ownership and distribution of fossil fuels has become one of the key issues of our time and has been seriously impacted by the recent global financial collapse.
In the U.K., a grass-roots movement has arisen that takes a decidedly pro-active stance in relation to globalisation in general and to peak oil in particular. Rather than wait for what many believe will be the inevitable collapse of the global, fossil fuel based economy, a small yet increasingly diverse and interconnected group of citizens from all walks of life have socially networked themselves into a vital movement aimed at making the transition from oil dependency to local resilience.
Resilience
Resilience is a key concept of the Transition Town movement. As indicated in the Transition Town Handbook, resilience, in the context of communities such as Cumberland, refers to "the capacity of that community to absorb disturbances and reorganize while undergoing change. It "refers to their ability to not collapse at first sight of oil or food shortages, and to their ability to respond with adaptability to disturbance."
"It's easy to dismiss the principle of self-reliance by pointing to many complex products that communities cannot manufacture on their own. The goal of a self-reliant community , however, is not to create a Robinson Crusoe economy in which no resources, people or goods enter or leave. A self-reliant community simply should seek to increase control over its own economy as far as is practical".
Michael Shuman (2000) Going Local, Simon and Schuster
How can we build resilience into our community?
The options are many but most center on the notion of relocalisation. According to the TT Handbook, relocalisation can be defined as " the process by which a region, county, city or even neighbourhood frees itself from over-dependence on the global economy.
Based on years of experience in the field, Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town movement and author of The Transition Handbook outlines twelve key steps in the successful manifestation of a transition movement in a community such as ours. I have summarized them as follows:
The Twelve Steps of Transition.
#1. Set up a steering group and design its demise from the outset.
Put a core team in place to drive the project forward during the initial phases. "We recommend that you form your Steering Group with the aim of getting through stages 2 – 5, and agree that once a minimum of four sub-groups (see #5) are formed, the Steering Group disbands and reforms with a person from each of those groups. This requires a degree of humility, but is very important in order to put the success of the project above the individuals involved. Ultimately your Steering Group should become made up of 1 representative from each sub-group."
#2. Awareness raising
Educate your community about peak oil, climate change, global financial collapse, etc. Screen movies such as The Power of Communnity and Peak Oil: Imposed by Nature.
#3. Lay the foundations
Network with other groups and organizations. Find out how you might support each other.
#4. Organise a Great Unleashing
Fulfillment of the first three stages will result in a groundswell of support for your initiative. A "Great Unleashing" is meant to bring that support to a common point of focus and propel the Initiative forward into the next stage.
#5. Form sub groups
The whole of a Transition Town project is aimed at formulation of an Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP) and the most effective wasy of doing this is to tap into the collective genius of the community. This is done most effectively by setting up smaller groups to focus on specific aspects of the process.
#6. Use Open Space
Open Space is a technique for facilitating effective group engagement at any scale. Watch a YouTube video about Open Space HERE.
#7 Develop visible practical manifestations of the project
Examplecould range from such things as productive tree plantings to solar panel to creation of an alternative currency used for a defined period
#8. Facilitate the Great Reskilling
We have lost much of the knowledge our ancestors had around self-sufficiency. Link up with existing groups, local sustainability centers, colleges, etc to empower citizens with practical problem solving skills. Make it fun.
#9 Build a bridge to Local Government
No Transition initiative will go far unless it is supported by local government authorities. Therefore, seek to engage local political reps in your efforts. Invite them to participate in events. Make a determined effort to educate them about your Initiative.
#10 Honour the elders
Elders within the community, especially those who lived through difficult periods of its existence, can be invaluable sources of wisdom in dealing with some of the most basic challenges to be faced in relocalisation. Draw on them through interviews and invitations to participate.
#11 Let it go where it wants to go
The nature of the Transition process is that it is emergent In other words, it has a life of its own and no one knows exactly how it is going to turn out. TT facilitators are catalysts who need to be open to and supportive of those who show up.
#12 Create an Energy Descent Action Plan
An EDAP sets out a vision of a powered-down, resilient, relocalised future, and then lays out a series of practical steps mapping out in detail how to get from here to there.
___________________
A Transition Town Cumberland initiative is now underway and a steering group is forming. Anyone interested in stepping forth to be a part of this core group is invited to do so now. Please contact Dwayne at 250 336 2070 for more information.
P.S. Ron Hansen has purchased a copy of The Transition Handbook for community use. Contact him at 250 336-2867 to borrow it.
What are we to believe?
If the price of gas at the pump is any indication, the supply of petroleum and its products has a lot more to do with who is supplying it than with how much is present on the planet. Any way you look at it, the ownership and distribution of fossil fuels has become one of the key issues of our time and has been seriously impacted by the recent global financial collapse.
In the U.K., a grass-roots movement has arisen that takes a decidedly pro-active stance in relation to globalisation in general and to peak oil in particular. Rather than wait for what many believe will be the inevitable collapse of the global, fossil fuel based economy, a small yet increasingly diverse and interconnected group of citizens from all walks of life have socially networked themselves into a vital movement aimed at making the transition from oil dependency to local resilience.
Resilience
Resilience is a key concept of the Transition Town movement. As indicated in the Transition Town Handbook, resilience, in the context of communities such as Cumberland, refers to "the capacity of that community to absorb disturbances and reorganize while undergoing change. It "refers to their ability to not collapse at first sight of oil or food shortages, and to their ability to respond with adaptability to disturbance."
"It's easy to dismiss the principle of self-reliance by pointing to many complex products that communities cannot manufacture on their own. The goal of a self-reliant community , however, is not to create a Robinson Crusoe economy in which no resources, people or goods enter or leave. A self-reliant community simply should seek to increase control over its own economy as far as is practical".
Michael Shuman (2000) Going Local, Simon and Schuster
How can we build resilience into our community?
The options are many but most center on the notion of relocalisation. According to the TT Handbook, relocalisation can be defined as " the process by which a region, county, city or even neighbourhood frees itself from over-dependence on the global economy.
Based on years of experience in the field, Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town movement and author of The Transition Handbook outlines twelve key steps in the successful manifestation of a transition movement in a community such as ours. I have summarized them as follows:
The Twelve Steps of Transition.
#1. Set up a steering group and design its demise from the outset.
Put a core team in place to drive the project forward during the initial phases. "We recommend that you form your Steering Group with the aim of getting through stages 2 – 5, and agree that once a minimum of four sub-groups (see #5) are formed, the Steering Group disbands and reforms with a person from each of those groups. This requires a degree of humility, but is very important in order to put the success of the project above the individuals involved. Ultimately your Steering Group should become made up of 1 representative from each sub-group."
#2. Awareness raising
Educate your community about peak oil, climate change, global financial collapse, etc. Screen movies such as The Power of Communnity and Peak Oil: Imposed by Nature.
#3. Lay the foundations
Network with other groups and organizations. Find out how you might support each other.
#4. Organise a Great Unleashing
Fulfillment of the first three stages will result in a groundswell of support for your initiative. A "Great Unleashing" is meant to bring that support to a common point of focus and propel the Initiative forward into the next stage.
#5. Form sub groups
The whole of a Transition Town project is aimed at formulation of an Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP) and the most effective wasy of doing this is to tap into the collective genius of the community. This is done most effectively by setting up smaller groups to focus on specific aspects of the process.
#6. Use Open Space
Open Space is a technique for facilitating effective group engagement at any scale. Watch a YouTube video about Open Space HERE.
#7 Develop visible practical manifestations of the project
Examplecould range from such things as productive tree plantings to solar panel to creation of an alternative currency used for a defined period
#8. Facilitate the Great Reskilling
We have lost much of the knowledge our ancestors had around self-sufficiency. Link up with existing groups, local sustainability centers, colleges, etc to empower citizens with practical problem solving skills. Make it fun.
#9 Build a bridge to Local Government
No Transition initiative will go far unless it is supported by local government authorities. Therefore, seek to engage local political reps in your efforts. Invite them to participate in events. Make a determined effort to educate them about your Initiative.
#10 Honour the elders
Elders within the community, especially those who lived through difficult periods of its existence, can be invaluable sources of wisdom in dealing with some of the most basic challenges to be faced in relocalisation. Draw on them through interviews and invitations to participate.
#11 Let it go where it wants to go
The nature of the Transition process is that it is emergent In other words, it has a life of its own and no one knows exactly how it is going to turn out. TT facilitators are catalysts who need to be open to and supportive of those who show up.
#12 Create an Energy Descent Action Plan
An EDAP sets out a vision of a powered-down, resilient, relocalised future, and then lays out a series of practical steps mapping out in detail how to get from here to there.
___________________
A Transition Town Cumberland initiative is now underway and a steering group is forming. Anyone interested in stepping forth to be a part of this core group is invited to do so now. Please contact Dwayne at 250 336 2070 for more information.
P.S. Ron Hansen has purchased a copy of The Transition Handbook for community use. Contact him at 250 336-2867 to borrow it.
