Surprise! Human ingenuity is exerting itself yet again in a remarkable social experiment known as the Transition Initiative (transitiontowns.org). The first few “transition town” initiatives originated in Ireland and England and quickly inspired other towns. In a short few years the experimental movement has now grown to encircle the globe.
Inspired by Rob Hopkins, author of The Transition Handbook, a longtime student of sustainability, and a permaculture design teacher and practitioner, a local Transition Initiative begins with a few committed people, readily available resources, and agreement that, when it comes to cultural transformation,
- if we wait for governments, it will be too little, too late;
- if we act as individuals, it will be too little;
- but if we act as communities, it might be just enough, just in time.
All of this is framed by the compelling context and interconnectedness of the following dynamic issues that are reshaping our world:
- Accelerating global warming and climate change
- Diminishing fossil fuel supplies (Peak Oil)
- A global economic system predicated on growth that has overshot the earth's carrying capacity.
What is so appealing about this kind of project? People work together at the community level, asking important questions and actively pursuing solutions. Transition weaves the bigger picture--a social experiment on a massive scale--with the necessary human scaled efforts at the local level (localism), adding the capabilities of the internet to facilitate learning.
Transition is shaped by people engaged in what works, paying attention to applied living patterns, skills and practices and building a social movement with an underlying understanding of the psychology of change.
Transition Central Ohio, our local group, engages and inspires people in Central Ohio to learn about Transition Initiatives and to collaborate in local actions that strengthen our communities. We meet bi-weekly. Please contact us if you'd like to be added to our announcement listserv and/or to get involved!
