The Transition Movement

Basically, in short, "transition", as defined by Rob Hopkins (founder of Transition Town Totnes and "The Transition Handbook"; also responsible for the very first prototype of this initiative, created in Kinsale, Ireland, as a student design project) is a direct response to the dual crises of peak oil and climate change. It is a set of general principles and guidelines, for engaging communities to become more self-sustaining, more resilient to the potential shock of decreased availability of oil in an economy that is predominantly oil-based. Rob talks about creating an EDAP, or "energy descent action plan", individualized to fit the needs of a particularly community, which looks at central categories of resources and assets as well as weaknesses or vulnerabilities (e.g., food, water, transport, buildings, economy and exchange, medicine, etc.) within a community, and begins to identify ways in which to decentralize / relocalize availability of needed resources. There is major emphasis throughout all these processes on positive and proactive visioning, on building relationships, and restoring and strengthening bonds of trust and interdependance among members of the community, with specific techniques offered from the worlds of psychology and addictions counseling to begin to accomplish that. Many parameters for transition are left open, with the understanding that each set of complete circumstances in a given area / region / city / town is going to be different and require unique adaptations.
1st meeting on transition in nashville being held next Monday, Dec. 14th, 7-9:30pm. For more info., contact us.