Transition Towns

[Tracey]

Hello everyone

Do any Grapes live in a Transition Town?

Kind regards

Tracey

[TonyF]

What is a transition town?

[SueA]

Think it's something to do with towns trying to become carbon neutral by using fewer fossil fuels but not sure. No I don't live in one though, we've only just got around to recycling round here.

[JanieB]

Ah. In that case proberly yes. We've just signed the "Nottingham Declaration".

Why ?

[HeyWayne]

I thought it meant like Luton, where generally you don't really want to stop, you're just passin' through.

[Tracey]

A Transition Town is a town, village or city that is trying to become self sustaining to cope when the fossil fuels run out. Totnes was the first in the UK and it has a 20 year plan for this purpose. More and more towns have started the transition and loads are mulling it over, including my nearest town, Guildford. If you google Transition Towns you will get loads more information.
We here in Cranleigh had a power cut on Sunday and it makes you think about all we take for granted. I’ve also been reading a few books on peak oil and they suggest a managed reduction on reliance on fossil fuels is what the world should be aiming for as the alternative will be chaos.
I wondered if any Grapes have any experiences of life in a Transition Town?

[Alison]

Ah. In that case proberly yes. We've just signed the "Nottingham Declaration".

Why ?

Pretty sure that, although related (ie climate change stuff) this is a different thing. Think Nottingham is a transition town tho too to confuse things. All the Nottingham Declaration thing is that your council have signed up and pledge to actively tackle climate change in your area and work with others to reduce emissions country-wide. To be a transistion town is much more far reaching and a whole community thing.

Oh yeah, and I don't live in one either!

[Tracey]

Hello Alison

I used to live in Warrington and my mum, sisters and inlaws still live there. Where abouts in Warrington do you live?

[seasprout]

Would we know if we were already living in a transition town..?

[Tracey]

If you look at transitiontowns.org it has a list of the towns currently in transition and a long list of towns that are mulling it over.

I should think that you would know if you were already living in one but not necessary know if your town is thinking about it.

[piskieinboots]

Wallingford is very big on sustainability - if that counts

[Tracey]

Wallingford is very big on sustainability - if that counts

Wow, Wallingford must be a great place to live. Thanks for the link, very inspirational.

[Two_Sheds]

A Transition Town is a town, village or city that is trying to become self sustaining to cope when the fossil fuels run out. Totnes was the first in the UK

I love Totnes, lots of lovely little eco/veggie/ethnic type shops, but posh too. I couldn't afford to live there.

[JanieB]

Ah! This causes me a bit of a problem re the British thread. I have a branch of ancestors that emanate from Totnes. They were Belgian lacemakers that settled there during the pogroms in Europe.

[vegnut]

Nope, I don't live in one. But Brighton & Hove is near by and they are, so there's hope for us yet.