Transition Network has created a way to engage people en masse to reduce oil dependency in a way which is solutions-based and action-oriented. A Transition Initiative is a community working together to assess what it needs to achieve resilience, as well as what it can do to drastically reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the economic and environmental repercussions of reaching the peak in available oil supply. These challenges must be addressed together and in a way that is “bottom-up,” community-based and with a sense of “engaged optimism.” Whilst he was teaching permaculture in Kinsale, Co. Cork, Rob Hopkins set about creating such an initiative. Along with his students, he developed the world’s first Energy Descent Action Plan, a blueprint for how the town would function without cheap oil, and the Transition concept was born. The idea is for people to make their communities more resilient by getting together to develop skills such as growing food and generating energy. Since then, the movement has spread to the four corners of the world. There are over 400 Transition Initiatives in 10 countries worldwide and many more under development. Transition Network stands as an example of a positive and constructive preparation for a post-oil world.

Problema

Two of the toughest challenges facing humankind at the start of the twenty-first century are climate change and peak oil. Currently, both are inappropriately treated as separate issues. By thinking of these issues as independent, Rob believes society runs the risk of lowering emissions without accounting for oil vulnerability as energy prices rise. Climate change supporters as well as those discussing peak oil, advocate for change but fail to inspire citizen-led action because the problems appear too large and overwhelming for an individual to tackle. However, the era of peak oil is heralding a time of ever-declining fossil fuel availability that will challenge the economic and social stability needed to mitigate the threats posed by climate change. Thus, the two must be addressed together. When faced with environmental messaging, more often than not, individual citizens react with a combination of fear, apathy and denial. The scale of the current problem is simply too overwhelming for people to handle. Often, the individual is not able to realize any immediate or localized benefit from any environmentally conscious actions they may undertake because societal and community structures are configured so that cause appears very distant from effect. Policy interventions do not provide the stimulus for the fundamental change required. Top-down policy and legislation rarely create incentives for citizens to rise to the environmental challenges facing us all and galvanize mass action. Similarly, technology on its own does not stimulate the behavioral change needed to counter the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil. In fact, there is evidence that technologies aimed at addressing climate change exacerbate the effects of peak oil, as they may reduce overall carbon emission levels while still leaving society overly vulnerable to limited oil supply. This polarized array of solutions creates no incentive or viable practical options for individuals or communities to act to address this crisis. Despite multiple well-meaning attempts at both micro and macro levels, humanity finds itself dependent on a fundamentally fragile oil supply system that is the cause of potentially catastrophic climate change.

Solución

Transition Initiatives are innovative as they work to build resilience in the local community through skills development and practical action. Resilience mitigates the risks presented by oil supply interruptions and provides fit-for-purpose local alternatives to current fragile economic structures. Between the realization of these quality of life improvements and the psychological power of transforming a problem into an opportunity, Rob has created the possibility for a rich and vibrant future.

Ejemplo

Through the Transition model, the network brings together tools and approaches that communities can use to maximize their chances of success, while also utilizing the passion and skills individuals have within their own communities. By addressing climate change on such a local level, Transitions Initiatives are working to make it more relevant and vital in community members’ everyday lives. The key components of the are the steering groups involved in each new Transition initiative. These groups plan programs to raise local awareness using the tools provided to them by the Transition Network, as well as by mobilizing and educating citizens on the relationship between peak oil and climate change. Programs often include movie screenings followed by discussion groups, talks by experts in the fields of climate change, and articles in local papers. Once interest has been established, a second round of activity is initiated, designed to stimulate a local movement, often including networking events and the establishment of working groups across many facets of community life. Ultimately, these activities culminate in an Energy Descent Action Plan that includes the views and input of a wide array of civic organizations, public and religious institutions, and opinion formers in the community. Although each initiative is focused on the specific needs of its community, groups receive practical tools and training as well as inspiration, support and encouragement through the Transition Network itself. Key community members participate in two-day Transition workshops as well as longer train-the-trainer courses. The Transition Network website (www.transitionnetwork.org) also uses an open-source “wiki” approach to gather tools and share stories, experiences and insights and thus develop new Transition Towns.