Transition Towns and TorontoFrom oil dependency to urban resilience

Andrew Knox 30 September, 2009

Introduction

• My Background• What is the Transition Towns

Movement?• How Does it Work?• Successes in Totnes and Elsewhere• How might Transition look in Toronto?

The Transition Towns Movement:Origins

• Climate Change• Peak Oil• Permaculture

Permaculture

• Approach to Sustainable Design• Permaculture = Permanent Agriculture• Permaculture = Permanent Culture• Internal aspect• “The problem is the solution.”

The Transition Towns Movement:Transition Towns

• Make your town/city/island/forest a Transition Town

• Community based Transition group(s)

• Use group(s) to build resilience, educate, etc.

• Preparing for a different future

Barbarisation WorldAtlantis

Urban Colonies

Last One Standing

Conventional Worlds

Green Tech Stability

Powerdown

Enlightened Transition

Good Intentions

“War that will never end in our lifetime”

Techno Explosion

Perpetual Motion

Waiting for the Magic Elixir

Business as UsualCarbon Trading and Pricing

Fair Shares

The Great Transition

“visionary solutions to the sustainability challenge, including fundamental changes in the prevailing values as well as novel socio-economic arrangements.”

Earth Stewardship

Enforced Localization

Building Lifeboats

Tribal Trading

“use energy which is much cheaper now than it will ever be again to develop [domestic] energy sources and reduce the amount of energy required to maintain and run the…economy”

Transition Scenario in Context

The Transition Towns Movement

• “By unleashing the collective genius of the community we can design ways of living that are more enriching, satisfying and connected than the present.”

• Aims for local resilience• Energy lean• Sustainable society

The Transition Towns Movement:Transition Towns

• Transition Town Totnes, UK• Transition Forest of Dean, UK• Transition Exeter, UK• Transition Sunshine Coast, Australia• Transition Waiheke Island, NZ• Transition Boulder County, Colorado• Transition Fujino, Japan• Transition Berlin, Friedrichshain Kreuzberg, Germany• Transition El Manzano, Chile• Transition Victoria, BC• Transition Peterborough, ON

How Transition Works

• 12 Steps (that no one follows)• Local Scale• Build Recognition and Political

Capital• Energy Descent Pathways• Being Positive, Creative• Taking Care of Each Other

How Transition Works:Formative Steps

1) Start a Kamikaze Steering Group

2) Raise Awareness (show movies, etc.)

3) Lay Foundations – network, design

4) Organize a “Great Unleashing”

5) Form sub-groups – e.g. Heart and Soul

IT

Admin + fin

Housing

Energy

Arts

Transport

Publicity

Project support for TTT

TTT Ltd

Heart & Soul

Publicity

Fundraise

Food

Proj support

home groups

events

ceremonies

TRESOC

Solar challenge

Retrofit

Core group

IT

Training

EDAP

TT national network

Other TTs

Vols

Reprs, forum?

EDAP/ timeline

Training

Outreach

Local govt

Education

Other National Transition Networks

TTT ltd rep

Groups:

How Transition Works:Step 6 – Open Space

• No agenda, but structure

How Transition Works:Step 7 – Visibility

• Develop Visible Manifestations of the Project

• Avoid Image of Transition Talk Shop• Further Profile Boosting• Tree planting, community gardening,

libraries, alt-construction

How Transition Works:Step 8 – Great Reskilling

• Our Skills Won’t Cut it• Run Courses• Insulation, Tool-making,

Bike maintenance, Energy, Herbalism

• Effective meetings, Community co-operation, Permaculture, Local government

How Transition Works:Step 8 – Great Reskilling

Wild Foods, natural building, seed saving, hand made paints, stove building, forest gardening, food growing, bread making...

How Transition Works:Step 9 – Bridge to Local Government

• Need Government Good Will• Integrate EDP with Existing Gov’t

Plans• Keep Within Relevant Context• Helpful Friends

How Transition Works:Step 10 – Honour the Elders

• Advice From the Pre-Globalized Age

• Not “Going Back” or Retrograde

• See More Connection to Life Forces

• Take Forward

How Transition Works:Step 11 – Let it Go Where it Wants

• Steering Group has Met Demise• Remaining Groups are Strong• Do What Makes Sense• Grow Organically

How Transition Works:Step 12 – Energy Descent Pathways

Prof. Peter Newman

The first thing cities should do is to make their own climate change and peak oil strategy

How Transition Works:Step 12 – Energy Descent Pathways

• Plan for Transition to Sustainable Energy

• “Back-casting”• Long-term (decades)• Mirror to Official Plans

How Transition Works:Attitudes

• Creativity• Broad Base of Talent• Internal Work “Change More Than

Lightbulbs”• Permaculture• Holistic• Social

Successes in Transition• Totnes

• Councilors World Café• “Nut Tree Capital of Britain”• Totnes Pound

• Exeter• “Love Local Food”• Smart meters in Schools• “Corporate Games”

Successes in Transition• Peterborough

• Officially Recognized by City Council• Guelph

• Sold out showing of “In Transition”• Ottawa

• Community Development Framework Learning Forum

• Transition Training

Transition in Toronto• Not a Town, No problem• Transition NYC

• Focus on Education• Painting Roofs White

• Transition is like Weather• Cap on Community Engagement?

• Transition Villages Toronto• Transition Leslieville, Danforth, etc.

Transition in Toronto• EDP link with Realistic Energy Plan• Work with Existing Groups• Work with you• Go Where it Wants to Go!

Conclusion

• Transition Aims to Solve Global Problems• Established Suggested Framework• Underpinning Values• Been Successful, but Still Early Days• Definitely Would Work for Toronto

Thank you!

Let’s work together for a Transition in Toronto

Resources• The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience – Rob Hopkins

– Green Books• The Transition Timeline: For a local, resilient future – Shaun Chamberlin – Green

Books• In Transition 1.0 (Transition Movie)• Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide – Harrison Owen – Berrett-Koehler

Publishers• The Change Handbook, Second Edition: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best

Methods for Engaging Whole Systems - Peggy Holman , Tom Devane , Steven Cady – Berrett-Koehler Publishers

• Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change – Peter Newman – Island Press