February 2012 – Transition Network Newsletter
Transition Network Newsletter – February 2012
This month we start off with more news about the 2.0 movie before our regular news round ups; a poetry competition, inner transition survey; a bumper edition of social reporting stories with thoughts on looking forward, plus skill share of building benders and making bread and more; 2012 Training dates and a great deal more to inspire.
In Transition 2.0Last night preview screenings took place in locations included in the film that will be released at the end of March. It was watched simultaneously in a fire station in Moss Side in Manchester, a community centre in Lyttelton in New Zealand that was one of only a few buildings there to survive the earthquake (theirs started at 9am), a Hindu temple in Tooting in London, a ‘Cinema Paradiso’ in a village in rural India, and in a village hall in Japan. A website dedicated to the film goes live in the next few days where you will be able to pre-order copies of the DVD, plus there will be a blog with feedback from the film and videos/audio responses.http://www.intransitionmovie.com Initial responses to the film have been glowing. If you haven’t seen it, you can view the trailer at http://youtu.be/XKN3RLkEGfMIn the run-up to the previews, Rob Hopkins asked 5 quick questions to the 4 key people involved in making the film:Rebecca Mayes, whose beautiful and entrancing music runs through the film. http://transitionculture.org/2012/02/01/five-questions-for-rebecca-mayes-composer-of-the-music-for-in-transition-2-0/Beccy Strong who filmed most of the UK-based sequences in the filmhttp://transitionculture.org/2012/01/31/five-questions-for-beccy-strong-who-filmed-much-of-in-transition-2-0%E2%80%B2/Producer Emma Goude http://transitionculture.org/2012/01/27/five-questions-for-emma-goude-producer-of-in-transition-2-0/Emilio Mula, In Transition 2.0’s animatorhttp://transitionculture.org/2012/02/02/five-questions-for-emilio-mula-in-transition-2-0s-animator/‘Turn the Lights Out’ and you could be in a music video! A song specially written by Rebecca Mayes, who wrote all the music for the film, wants clips of YOU turning out the lights for the video of the song. Any lights. It can be creative/unusual ways of turning lights out, or just plain looking into camera and turning lights out. You can do it alone or with your Transition community (preferably both!) Five second clips maximum. Send them before February 19th.http://transitionculture.org/2012/01/26/your-chance-to-be-in-a-music-video/Introducing ‘The Transition Companion’ widgetHere’s a great ‘The Transition Companion’ widget created by Green Books, which offers an immersion into the book, complete with audio bits and all sorts. It’s easily embeddable, so if you have anywhere on-line it could go, that would be wonderful. Click on it and it blows up into a flip-throughable selection from the book. http://transitionculture.org/2012/01/24/introducing-the-transition-companion-widget/
NEWS ROUND UPSThe January Podcast In this edition you’ll hear about how Transition Chesham’s local produce market was recently voted the greenest market in Britain, how Transition Town Whitehead are planning to plant 60,000 trees over the next few weeks, and how Transition Town Shrewsbury stepped in when the local council announced that it was stopping collecting cardboard for recycling, and did it themselves. http://transitionculture.org/2012/01/20/its-the-january-podcast-award-winning-markets-60000-trees-and-cardboard-cafes/Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of Transitionhttps://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/news/2012-02-01/january-round-what-s-happening-out-world-transitionUS Round-up Edition http://transitionus.org/stories/january-round-whats-happening-out-world-transition-us-editionTransition US Annual Survey 2011: the resultsThe aim was to get a sense of how Transition is evolving in the US and what kind of support is needed. Questions were focused on finding out some background info about Transition initiatives, how Transition initiatives are doing overall, and insights on how the Transition movement can be most effective.http://transitionus.org/stories/transition-us-annual-survey-2011-results
BITS AND BOBSInner Transition Survey We’ve been wondering what Inner Transition groups are doing and to help find out we invite you to take part in an on line survey.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/news/2012-02-01/call-inner-transitionersRob Hopkins appears on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Four Thought’‘Four Thought’ bills itself as “a series of unscripted thought-provoking talks in which the speakers air their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society”. The episode that airs on February 15th at 8.45pm features Transition Network’s Rob Hopkins speaking about community resilience and the Transition approach. Recorded at the RSA in London in front of a live audience, it is thought (well, by Rob anyway) to be the first ‘Four Thought’ to use props (a Brixton Pound and a bottle of ‘Sunshine Ale’ from Lewes). Unwise on radio perhaps, but hopefully it will work! It will be listed here shortly http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010q0n0The Transition Voice In and Out List, 2012A take on the pulse of a nation dealing with the Great Recession and facing peak oil, climate change and the limits to economic growth.http://transitionvoice.com/2012/01/whats-really-in-and-out-for-2012/Poetry Competition on Climate ChangeAs part of its Arts and Climate Change programme, community energy charity in Wales, Awel Aman Tawe, is sponsoring the poetry competition for adults and children in English and Welsh. Closing date: 31st March 2012http://www.awelamantawe.co.uk/FILM REVIEW: Peak kitsch: “The Crisis of Civilization”The most accessible peak oil film since The End of Suburbia?http://transitionvoice.com/2012/01/peak-kitsch-review-crisis-of-civilization/Web Project End of Project Report Here’s our report on what we’ve been doing the last three years on the web at Transition Network. Recommended for small organisations thinking about the web, web co-ordinators, webmasters, managers looking for a way through the web forest https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2012-01/end-project-report-transition-network-web-projectBicycle Use for Community Buildingproject is to better prepare myself and my neighborhood for the transition to a lower energy use, simplified society. It creates community resilience by helping and providing alternative transportation to a culture, utterly addicted to cars, and through that, the extensive and unsustainable use of fossil fuels.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/projects/bicycle-use-community-buildingMore projects here https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/projects
SOCIAL REPORTING PROJECTLooking ForwardMapping the FutureVisioning for a future we want, or don’t want, is not the same as visioning for a future that might actually happen.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/charlotte-du-cann/2012-01/mapping-futureThis hugely hopeful momentEven though the oil tanker of economic growth is fast developing huge holes that no billions of dollars can plug;Even though, or should we say, because of this, we are living in a hugely hopeful moment.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2012-01/hugely-hopeful-momentStepping Out with Plants for Life in 2012“I have not led a transition project before – I’ve been very much a committed participant in some great ones thought up by others.” https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/mark-watson/2012-01/stepping-out-plants-life-2012The End of the WorldWhither the world, who knows? There’s no predicting what effects the ripples of our actions might create. Chaos theory offers hope and no more. Maybe this will be remembered as the year when the worldwide We took a giant leap? Or not.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jay-tompt/2012-01/end-worldThis is a photograph of meThere I am trying to distance myself from Transition and the frisky little minx is trying to lure me back in. She buttonholes me on the street. “Without you I’m fading away,” she says. https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jo-homan/2012-01/photograph-meStepping out in 2012It’s only when you sign up to write a blog on the future that you discover there is nothing but empty space in the mental drawer labelled “What’s happening in Transition this year.”https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/caroline-jackson/2012-01/stepping-out-2012Saturday News StoriesDispatches from the FieldThe journalistic aspect of the Social Reporting pilot often goes unsung.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/charlotte-du-cann/2012-01/dispatches-fieldFive Meet Up in Finsbury ParkThe social reporters are flung far and wide in all directions in the UK but five writers from the crew converged to discuss the schedule for winter/spring and all things editorial. Meeting means you can play and work with a subject amongst you, so it moves and changes and becomes a clear and dynamic springboard. https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2012-01/five-meet-finsbury-parkChanging the Social Logic through DesignAn exploration of low-carbon design in relation to A Pattern Language.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2012-01/changing-social-logic-through-designSkill ShareSharing a skilled futureSkillshare is the idea that you can learn anything from anybody, anywhere…such as building a bender.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2012-01/sharing-skilled-futureA Sourdough Baking JourneyBread that doesn’t need industrial baking aids nor is it reliant on high energy consuming systems and is a great tasting bread might be the bread for the future.https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2012-01/sourdough-baking-journeyI love ReskillingEmpowering, social, cheaper and fun!https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories/kerry-lane/2012-02/i-love-reskilling
TRANSITION STORIESKeep Making Sense – How Transition Changed My Life http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2012/01/keep-making-sense-how-transition.html A Day in the Life of a TransitionerIf you embrace what it does, , it will turn your life upside down – like a love affair.http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2012/02/day-in-life-of-transitioner.htmlEconomics and Livelihoods – Transition’s response to Occupy’s concerns?http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2012/01/transition-themes-economics-and.htmlTransition Dad and Other Unofficial InitiativesHe talks as a lifelong craftsman and maker about his own experiences of rebuilding, repurposing and reusing.http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2012/01/transition-dad-and-other-unofficial.htmlWaking up in Forest RowThe story of energy.http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2012/01/waking-up-in-forest-row.htmlConnecting with our roots – a plants for life talkAbout time, thyme, roots, rooted and connections. http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2012/01/connecting-with-our-roots-plants-for.htmlFull archive of storieshttps://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/stories
ENERGY NEWSCongratulations to the 82 winning communities around the UK who will share the £4million Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF) for community energy projects. At least ten of them were Transition initiatives including West Bridport, Barcombe and Ovesco in East Sussex, Monmouth in Wales, Penwith, Totnes, Eynsham and Peckham. A new initiative from The Co-operative in the UK being launched by the Centre for Sustainable Energy called the Co-operative Community Energy Challenge will provide 12-18 months of enterprise development, mentoring, technical advice and community facilitation for six to eight communities, enabling them to initiate co-operative renewable energy projects at a significant scale. https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/news/2012-02-01/get-support-your-renewable-energy-projects-uk
TRAININGNetwork Training Which training is right for you? Click on links for more detailsor send us an email: training@transitionnetwork.orgTransition LAUNCH:Totnes, 21-22 Aprilhttps://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/training/courses/launchTransition THRIVE:London, 17-18 MarchTotnes, 16-17 Junehttps://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/training/courses/thrive MA in Economics for TransitionSchumacher College is offering an MA in Economics for Transition, a full-time one year programme https://archive25.transitionnetwork.org/news/2012-01-06/ma-economics-transition-achieving-low-carbon-high-well-being-resilient-economies
QUOTE OF THE MONTH“The more the world crises come to a head, the greater the need for Humanity to come to a heart.”Swami Beyondananda http://www.wakeuplaughing.com/
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Newsletter Editor: Mike Grenville, from Transition Forest Row for the Transition Network
Contact: mgrenville@gmail.com
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