February 2011 Network Newsletter
By Mike Grenville 5th February 2011
The February 2011 Transition Network newsletter
CONTENTS
NEWS
~ Monthly News round up of what’s happening in Transition
~ Tradeable energy quotas launched in House of Commons
~ Energyshare launches
~ Nicole Foss aka Stoneleigh April UK tour
~ Transition Network Diversity Newsletter January 2011
~ Transition as a market
COMMUNITY NEWS
ONLINE ARTICLES & MATERIALS
~ Letter to Earthlings
~ imagine Transition
~ Faith and the Environment Booklet
~ How to organise a regional gathering
~ Social Enterprise info packs
~ Transition flash cards
~ Adding a Resource
REVIEWS
~ Film Review: The Farmer and the Horse
~ Book: Navigating The Coming Chaos: A Handbook For Inner Transition
RESEARCH & SURVEYS
~ Web project survey February 2011
~ Community Energy Survey requesting your input
~ Naming the sequel to ‘Transition Handbook’
EVENTS
PROJECT DIRECTORY
FORUM
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
NEWS
Monthly News round up of what’s happening in Transition
We now have the magyar felirattal, or Hungarian subtitles, for the In Transition 1.0 film; a great little film about the Bucks Transition Group ‘Citizens Energy Forum Unconference’; Transition San Fernando Valley has started up the San Fernando Valley Time Exchange, a cooperative enabling people to exchange hours of instruction in Transition skills; Tooting recently held an event called ‘Mind How You Go’ where they celebrated their local area and the benefits of walking, and they now hope to create mini walking maps. Plus lots more so see the full round up here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-02-02/january-round-whats-happening-transition
Tradeable energy quotas launched in House of Commons
The brilliantly simple carbon rationing approach developed by the late Dr. David Fleming with the support of ‘Transition Timeline’ author Shaun Chamberlin was launched in January in the House of Commons. The event generated some amazing media coverage, being picked up in most of the press, including a big piece in the Sunday Times.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-01-24/tradeable-energy-quotas-launched-house-commons
Energyshare launches
Our friends at Landshare are launching a new social network for energy groups called Energyshare. It is specifically designed to to celebrate renewable energy projects across the UK and inspire and support more to get started with networking and information.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-01-26/energyshare-launches
Nicole Foss aka Stoneleigh April UK tour
If you would like her to come and talk to your community please contact her here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-01-27/nicole-foss-aka-stoneleigh-coming-back-uk
Transition Network Diversity January Newsletter
A collection of diversity news, what it means and discussion how to become more inclusive.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-01-12/transition-network-diversity-newsletter-january-2011
Transition as a market
Transition initiatives, sometimes lumped together into the term “Transition Movement”, are seen as a prime market/audience for organisations selling products or services that may, or in some cases may not, help us through these transformational times. For this reason, Transition Network is getting more frequent requests to partner, or promote or jointly market such products/services. We do recognise, however, that there are crucial organisations and products/services out there – and we don’t want to shut the door on providing information to users of this website who are perhaps looking for some guidance.
So, if you’re an organisation, musician or author who wants to market to a wide range of transitioners, here is what we recommend:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/transition-market
COMMUNITY NEWS
News items from initiatives’ websites around the web and the Community Microsites are collected by the Sharing Engine. The ‘Sharing Engine’ is a tool we have built to help initiatives with their own websites share their news across the web simply by adding news items to their own sites. Read the news here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/community
This is a handy illustrated guide to adding your initiative’s news to the system.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-01/adding-initiative-news-sharing-engine
ONLINE ARTICLES & MATERIALS
Letter to Earthlings
“We’ve just received a message from a rather unusual source – the Intergalactic Health & Safety Executive. Apparently, two of their operatives, Gort and Klaatu, will be visiting earth to check on humankind’s progress towards sensible stewardship of the planet. They’ve chosen Transition Network to be the conduit of their communications because we rated highly in their “willingness to learn how to look after the planet responsibly” survey. Perhaps it’s best to hand over to them to explain their project…”
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/gort-and-klaatu/2011-02/letter-earthlings
imagine Transition
The latest edition of Belgian magazine ‘imagine’ has a large piece on Transition. It is a beautifully designed full-colour publication, and you can view a page-turnable version online.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-01-26/belgian-magazine-imagine-gives-transition-big-splash
Faith and the Environment Booklet
Produced for the recent inter-faith and environment event held by Transition Kingston in partnership with Kingston Interfaith Forum and Kingston Borough Council, an excellent booklet they put together which explains different faith perspectives on the environment.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-01-19/faith-and-environment-booklet
How to organise a regional gathering
Excellent and very handy booklet from Eva Schonfeld of Transition Scotland Support on how to organise a regional gathering for Transition. Forming regional networks was explored here recently as one of the ‘Ingredients of Transition’, and this new guide offers a detailed overview of how to make regional gatherings memorable and successful. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/how-organise-regional-gathering
Social Enterprise info packs
Local United is a new group of climate change groups dedicated to sharing their experience of working on climate change issues at the community level as social enterprises. Their first piece of work has been to co-develop a series of excellent ‘diffusion packs’ to share their experience and knowledge in a variety of areas. Topics include energy, community food and transport. Download the info here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-02-02/social-enterprise-information-packs-community-groups
Transition flash cards
Transition Training & Consulting have produced a handy collection of Transition points that can either be included in presentations or printed out. Topics so far are: Peak Oil Carbon Cycle Ecology and Economics
Adding a Resource
We are very keen on people adding things that they think are important and useful for others that they found useful in their groups to the resources directory. The idea is that we all share stuff that is useful. We have made it as simple and quick as possible for you to add your resources to the directory.
Here is a handy illustrated guide to adding your own resource to the Transition Resource Directory.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-01/adding-resource
REVIEWS
Film Review: The Farmer and the Horse
In a world where the production of food is hugely dependent on the availability of cheap liquid fuels and where, in the UK, the average age of farmers is 58, this film follows 3 young people trying to get into agriculture in New Jersey in the US, each of whom has a passion for working with horses. Rob says he “can’t recommend this film highly enough.” Read his review here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-01-25/film-review-farmer-and-horse
Book: Navigating The Coming Chaos: A Handbook For Inner Transition
Carolyn Baker says of her book that while the Transition model offers a brilliant map for transforming the conditions of the external world, and even though the Transition Handbook contains a section on the psychology of change, the focus of the movement remains on external Transition. She feels passionately that external Transition cannot succeed without a transformation of consciousness and has written her book to fill the gap and offer specific tools to facilitate inner Transition. She hopes that this book will become an intimate companion of the Transition Handbook as well as a map of inner transition for individuals who are completely unfamiliar with the Transition movement.
You can read the Introduction to the book on the Transition Heart website:
http://transitionheart.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=3lr8ebi143seu
RESEARCH & SURVEYS
Web project survey February 2011
Since the Transition Network’s website launch in March 2010, we’ve seen some great action on the site. We’ve done a lot of work and it looks like it’s doing its job. Some of the stats about the website:
Initiatives on the site: Official 343 Muller 358
Total projects on the site: 112
Resources on the site: 48
Newsletter subscribers: 9,849
To celebrate being be one year old we’re doing a survey to see how you are finding it. We’d like to know which bits you think can be improved and what to focus on in 2011.
Please you help us improve the web project by completing our survey:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-02/web-project-survey-february-2011
Community Energy Survey requesting your input
A research project to figure out the demand and capabilities for local energy in the UK. This short survey explores the latent demand for Community Energy; who has done it, who hasn’t, and why? What technologies are being used, how much energy do they generate, and who is it being generated for? If you’re working in this area in your transition initiative, please support this research effort.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/communityenergy
Naming the sequel to ‘Transition Handbook’
With a publication date in September, we need to already be designing the book’s cover, hard to do when you don’t have a title. So we’d like to ask for your thoughts… what do you think it should be called? It needs to be something that appeals beyond the movement, that uses little in the way of jargon, but which also captures a sense of something dynamic and of significance underway around people. Add your thoughts to the growing list of ideas on Rob’s blog
http://transitionculture.org/2011/01/10/your-help-needed-with-naming-the-sequel-to-transition-handbook/
EVENTS
The events section is growing and some of the current events include:
~ Seed Swap in Minehead,
~ Courses for Community Composters in Sheffield starting with What if making compost was only the beginning?
~ Dragon Dreaming: Creating outrageously successful projects in Norwich in February
~ Awakening the Transition in New Zealand
~ In London there is a Bike Power Workshop and How to set up a food co-op or buying group in your community
~ A workshop on community owned renewable energy in Bristol
~ Training for Transition in Switzerland & Germany in March
More details and more events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events
PROJECT DIRECTORY
Looking for a bit of inspiration? Check out the project directory. There are well over 100 projects already on the projects directory on this site. They make an excellent resource for dipping into when you want to get some new practical ideas. If you’re involved in a project in your transition initiative, how about writing it up for others around the world to adopt/adapt?
For example Newport Fruit & Vegie Swap. More here: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/
There is now a handy guide to adding a project profile here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2011-01/adding-project-profile
FORUM
Some recent topics in the forum include:
~ Growing Grains at Home
~ Creating an Index of local skills
Join in here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/forum/recent
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
I do Transition because:
…it focuses on making things fun, and integrating art/music/elders/youth/dance/spirit into activities as an important component. (Judy Skog)
…it’s more important to think about ‘what could be’ than ‘why we can’t’. (Pete North)
… it’s what being alive and a part of community is all about. (Ken Eidel)
Some of the contributions towards Rob’s new Transition book:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/02/03/why-do-you-do-transition/
Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns
Find back editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter