The following article is from The Observer by Lucy Seigel (link at foot)

Totnes in Devon might be the most forward-thinking eco settlement in the world. As fossil-fuel reserves dwindle and the economy contracts, will resident-led Transition Towns become the way that we all live?

Totnes is an ancient market town on the mouth of the river Dart in Devon. It has the well- preserved shell of a motte-and-bailey castle, an Elizabethan butterwalk and a steep high street featuring many charming gift shops. All of which makes it catnip to tourists. A person might initially be lulled into the belief that this was somewhere with as much cultural punch as, say, Winchester.

But bubbling below the surface is a subversive hub of alternative living, a legacy of the radical goings-on from Dartington Hall, just down the road, where Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst's vision of a rural utopia gathered steam in the 1920s. Indeed, there are more new age "characters" than you can shake a rain stick at, more alternative-therapy practitioners per square inch than anywhere else in the UK and the town was once named "capital of new age chic" by Time magazine.

My family moved here when I was 10. A child of relentlessly suburban mindset, I found the town's granola outlook unsettling. I balked at the indigenous footwear worn by Totnesians – multicoloured pieces of hand-stitched leather called "conkers" – and longed for a world where it was not atypical to own a TV and talk about Dallas rather than nuclear disarmament. My fear growing up in this neck of the woods was that people would continue to get even weirder. So it was probably just as well that I had left when Rob Hopkins arrived in 2005 and let loose the Great Unleashing, aka the launch of Transition Town Totnes (TTT).

Six years on, the Transition initiative, which attempts to provide a blueprint for communities to enable them to make the change from a life dependent on oil to one that functions without, seems to me one of the most viable and sensible plans we have for modern society. I write this on the day it is announced that the UK economy shrank by a "shock" 0.5% in the last quarter of 2010. Everyone is blaming the weather. Hopkins isn't. Neither is he particularly shocked.

"I think the unravelling of the debt bubble has only really started," he says. "Up until 2008 it was all about a growing economy and cheap energy. Then we had expensive energy plus economic growth, then we had cheap energy and economic contraction. So the next phase is volatile energy and economic contraction. It's not rocket science."

Hopkins was in Kinsale, Ireland, working as a teacher of permaculture – a sustainable, design-based horticultural technique where growing systems mimic the ecology of the natural world – and establishing an eco village, when he attended a lecture on "peak oil" in 2004. It was his Damascene moment. According to theorists such as Richard Heinberg, whose tome The Party's Over charts life without oil, we have passed the point at which oil supplies peak (that was back in May 2005). From there on in oil production declines and we attempt ever more audacious land grabs to get it. But oil remains the lifeblood of our economy and lifestyle. What happens when the oil runs out or is disrupted? In 2000 UK truck drivers brought the UK's food chain to its knees by blockading oil terminals. At the height of the protest the UK was 72 hours away from running out of food. If there were scant emergency measures in place, there was absolutely no vision of a life after oil.

Hopkins began to see how dependent he was on his car, to ferry his kids around and get to work. As a constructive response he began to develop an Energy Descent Action Plan for Kinsale with his students. They looked for historical examples of when the area had been more robust, more resilient to shock changes, such as when it had possessed a more localised food system. The plan split life up into categories – energy, food, transport, homes – all of which had their own solutions.

Critically, it dealt with practical considerations – for example, how much well-managed woodland would it take to heat a town? Central to the whole plan was the idea that permaculture gardening could be scaled up to bring food resilience to town centres. It offered Plan B, because Plan A was doomed to failure.

In search of a town big enough for the plan to have a wider effect, Hopkins moved back to Totnes, with its population of 23,000, with his wife Emma and their four children, and he worked on a version of the Energy Descent Action Plan with local resident Naresh Giangrande. "After I'd been involved in Kinsale I wanted to live somewhere where there were examples of a more resilient community already up and running, pieces of the jigsaw such as a good local food system, so that people could envisage how we could develop a community."

Ben Brangwyn, a relatively recent arrival to Totnes who was to become co-founder of the Transition Network was sold as soon as he heard Hopkins giving a lecture. "It was pretty clear to me, having studied re-localistion efforts around the world, that what Rob and his students had developed in Kinsale was pretty much the smartest bottom-up response to climate change and peak oil that we had seen," says Brangwyn. He wasn't the only person that thought so. Word that there was a man with an actual plan had spread fast and Hopkins was deluged by interest from all over the world. It was clear his ideas needed to be worked up into a more formal movement. "The leap of brilliance in the energy plan was the idea that you can segregate responses to these pressures into energy, food, education, use of transport, local economics, etc," explains Brangwyn. "That's one of the secrets of transition: anybody who has a passion can find a place."

"It's not my movement," Hopkins explains, clearly uncomfortable at being portrayed as the face of the Transition Towns movement. "We're not Coca-Cola, we don't send out a franchise model. It's up to individual communities to interpret Transition however it works best."

The Transition movement works on the basis that if we wait for government to act on issues such as climate change we'll be waiting until hell freezes over; and if we only act as individuals, that's too little. So it's working together as communities where the real change will happen. In offices on that steep high street, squeezed between the pet shop and a travel agency, Transition Town Totnes was formed, swiftly followed by the Transition Network, to support the growth of the movement outside Totnes.

There are now more than 350 Transition movements, 200 of them in the UK. Last month the first Australian region, Sunshine Coast, became an official Transition Town. Hundreds more communities are mulling over the idea of embracing Transition (they are known as mullers). While there has been some debate among greens as to whether Transitioners are right to put so much emphasis on peak oil, and whether climate change should really be the main driver for change, it is clear that the strategy laid out in the latest Energy Descent Action Plan is one that will protect communities in the event of both oil shocks and climate change (and possibly economic shocks, too). It certainly beats stockpiling tinned food and buying a firearm.

As I leaf through the neat action plan, it brings order to apocalyptic scenarios and creates a vision of how Transition Town Totnes could be in 2030. Some strategies are niche, but some strategies are the stuff of market-town revolution. George Heath ran a flourishing market garden in the 1920s; his son inherited the business, opening a shop on the high street to sell the local, fresh produce. Today David Heath, his grandson, shows me the site of the market garden and large urban greenhouse in the centre of town. Since 1981 it's functioned as one of the town's main car parks. The Transition plan is to convert it back to a market garden by 2030. How close is the town to realising its alternative narrative?

"We did have a German visitor who was very disappointed," says Brangwyn, "because there were still cars in the town and there were no goats on the roof." Totnes hosts an increasing number of Transition pilgrims who want to see what's going on, and, says Brangwyn, "People have different expectations. We're not going to make big visual changes overnight. Transition is ground up, it's about people doing the work for themselves. So the culture has to change first.'

I look for visual signs of change regardless. Walking through town, the most obvious is the 74 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the civic hall. I wander down an alleyway in the centre of town to observe some gardens belonging to householders who were previously too busy or lacking the green fingers to make them productive. They are now little engines of town-centre production, part of the Transition Network's garden-share scheme run by Lou Brown.

"I began the project because I spent a long time in rented accommodation wandering around the town with my husband, coveting bits of garden," says Brown. "We have up to 30 gardeners across 16 gardens producing a lot of food. A quarter to a fifth generally goes to the garden owner. Kale, flowers, beetroot, you name it, it gets grown. Obviously this is great for developing local food resistance, particularly because we have a shortage of allotments in Totnes and a big waiting list. The allotment society is trying to find new land all the time, and the garden share is like a seedbed for some growers while they are waiting."

I find resident Steve Paul delighted with his ten 1.85 kW photovoltaic panels, bought through Transition's Street Scheme. "I've already avoided 0.55lb of carbon this morning," he says, checking the monitor. One notable aspect of Transition Town Totnes is that you find renewables on perfectly normal housing. Last year the Transition Street Programme was one of 20 projects to win funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change. It invited streets to get together to change behaviour, improve energy efficiency and then to install renewable energy systems. What's more it provided quantifiable data: more than 500 households became part of the scheme, 70% were households on a limited income, and every household cut their carbon by an average of 1.2 tonnes, saving £600 a year.

Not everything has gone as swimmingly. A local currency is central to the Transition plan. "Think of a leaky bucket," explains Brangwyn. "Any time we spend money with a business that's got more links outside the community than in it, we leak money from the local economy. What local currency does is allow that wealth to bounce around in that bucket. We've barely touched the surface of systems that will benefit the local economy. We don't just need our own pound note but a credit union, electronic means of transaction, a time bank." And although you can detect a certain fondness for the Totnes pound note on the local high street, it hasn't been as successful as Transition currency in Lewes, Brixton and Stroud. There's still work to be done.

But Hopkins reckons TTT is still ahead of schedule. "When I wrote The Transition Handbook (published in 2008) I was working up to the Energy Descent Plan, a sort of blueprint for the development of any community. But we did that in Totnes a year ago. So strictly speaking we've finished and we can pack up and go home feeling good about ourselves. But that was just the beginning. The aim of Transition is to try to relocalise the economy where it's happening, and be a catalyst for that process of intentional relocalisation."

There is a fine line between making residents aware of initiatives such as the Transition Street Project and haranguing them until they sign up. Transitioners seem of the opinion that the latter would be fruitless; the drive needs to come from the community to join up. So at the moment it is perfectly possible to visit Totnes and not be aware it's a Transition Town at all. But that will inevitably change. Local councillors already report that when they introduce themselves at national conferences and say "from Totnes", other delegates comment, "Ah, Transition Town Totnes." Word is spreading.

Hopkins is keen to stress that this is very different to David Cameron's interpretation of localism, devolving power from central government. "It doesn't mean putting a big fence up around Totnes and not letting anything in or out. It doesn't mean Totnes will be making its own laptops and frying pans. But it means in terms of food, building materials, a lot more of that can be done locally. Which in turn makes the place much more resilient to shocks from the outside."

And funnily enough Transition principles seem to appeal to politicians. As the Guardian journalist Madeleine Bunting put it, in May 2009: "If you want to catch a glimpse of the kinds of places outside the political mainstream where that new politics might be incubated, take a look at the Transition movement. Ed Miliband… was one of the first to spot its potential… and last year The Transition Handbook came fifth in MPs' lists of summer reading… The Transition movement is engaging people in a way that conventional politics is failing to do." But what of David Cameron's coalition government? "I think Transition could be part of a genuine Big Society," says Hopkins, "but only where initiatives really give power and assets to the community."

The great plan in Totnes included the planting of 186 hybrid nut trees around town. You can just walk around and help yourself to free nuts, which can only help community cohesion. But John Crisp, a local farmer who in his spare time heads up Transition Town's new Food Hub project, is keen to point out that the vision extends beyond nuts and that, come April, Totnesians will be able to order their weekly shop online and collect it on a Saturday from the local school. "This is an initiative that connects local farmers to Transition, automatically engaging us with the farming community, of which I am one. And consumers get to buy local produce at prices comparable to those at the supermarket. Our overheads are so small that while shops and supermarkets charge a 30-40% mark up, we'll be at 10%. Meanwhile we give producers a fair return for their produce – more than they would get anywhere else."

More change is coming. Totnes Renewable Energy Society (TRESOC), an offshoot of TTT, has two applications in for wind turbines on nearby Kingsbridge hill and recently issued shares so Totnesians will be able to power-down, saving their own energy. And the TTT has designs on the old Dairy Crest building near the station as part of its bid to get more assets into community ownership. When these totemic Transition symbols are up, they should invite the German guy back.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/06/totnes-transition-town...

Oh Jeez! This article really touched my heart, I so miss England and so want to be in a community like that! Thank you for your excellent post and sharing the article Trinity, probably I should start looking for ways going back to the UK. I'm feeling constrained in China, nothing is going on here..

We must be on the same wave length then. This really stirs my soul, as does what we eat, what we wear etc. I'm sometimes surprised that such passion doesn't arise in everyone.
I find what they are doing in Totnes absolutely incredible. A powerful model, when we need it most. It's great to know that there are others out there who feel the same.
x

Trinity, thank you so much for putting this article on the site. I have been struggling with the balance of what is happening to me spiritually, and how I balance it with my life as part of this world of awakened and non-awakened people. Trying to find my truth, and live in it.
You and Chris and the other Openhander's put so much helpful information on the site, and it often appears at just the right time to help me deal with something I am trying to understand, or to inspire, or challenge.
This morning I thought, 'I feel like I am on a record turntable (showing my age!) and spinning round, knowing I need to get off, but wondering where and when.'
During my lunch break at work I went onto the site and read this inspiring story. It really energised me and I have just ordered Rob Hopkins book!

I am delighted to hear that you've ordered Rob Hopkins book. Keep flowing with - let it all unfold.

With Love
Trinity

I actually get to really touch the opposite nowadays. I'm being brought to the most dense places you can only get here - like the center of Tel Aviv, which I wouldn't call city even but one continuous shop with neon lights and noise and people all concentrated on how they look, even if the message is "I don't care how I look and I don't care what you will think about me", so amusing.

I can really feel this agiotage, hyperactivity in the air, people are going around with round eyes, like in some kind of 'shopping trans'. And I can tell that it works even on me. Even though I don't go and buy, but actually I can really feel this effect, my body even turns to enter to certain places involuntarily. This is creepy!

It's like a big surreal dream - just HOW MANY SHOPS???!!! It just can't be! Then the bus I was on was passing super-pharm, full of plastic bottles, THOUSANDS of them!!! And there are decades of branches of it in Israel. Really shocking

And it seems this will never ever end, how will all these countless shops cease? where these people who feed from them go? Just how long will it take to all this mess to decompose and degrade?? AGES!! And then I just feel I trust it will be fine.

And now you write here about all these 'contra' processes that happen, or more correct to say forward processes, so it gives some optimism to me.

And then after I take train and move gradually from the center north, I can feel how this densness begins to decay and by the time I get to Binyamina I'm all surrounded by stillness, it's unbelievable this contrast. Everything stops.

In the beginning I even felt depressed and lonely, but then I understood that I misinterpret SILENCE. It is silence I feel here, despite of course here too there are cars, and a few small periphery shops here and there, garbage spread occasionally (cats and people ), but this is nothing like what's going on there...

Well, everything is moving...

Also yesterday I saw a movie "The road", I won't spoil, I'll just say that I really 'enjoyed' it with some messages here and there... I also was glad to see apocalyptic picture in a realistic atmosphere, without special effects and all this fireworks around this topic, just bare 'optional' reality, but I don't think it will go in this direction in terms of environment, I trust Nature to take care of 'her own' before humans destroy it completely.

Hi Trinity, yes, I totally loved your post and the article! The old way of living in the matrix simply no longer appeal to me, there's much more joy, abundance and harmony to be found in aligning ones life with nature. But I remember there was a time when I thought being vegan and living a self-sufficient lifestyle is crazy. most people in society simply do not see such a life is possible or believe they would have to give up so much in order to live that way, but truth is that by living our lives conscious and aligning with mother earth will provide us far more than most people can imagine, and that's why the Totnes model is so important, it really shows people what is possible!

I am so pleased to know that you are aligning yourself with what you feel in your soul.

The way our societies live, the world over, are perfect examples of how anaesthetised mankind can be. Totnes is the forerunner in the Transitions Towns movement. I would love to see the model spreading rapidly. There is still a lot of resistance to this type of movement here (and everywhere). It seems that people are so entrenched in the ways that they are accustomed to. It normally takes a serious crisis to evoke such radical change in humankind. I feel it coming though.

Trinity
x

While we can feel and excited about the transition around, I also wanted to maybe just also talk a little about being ready to all the 'side effects'. Transitions are accompanied by all kinds of turbulence and destruction.

For example, when USSR broke apart, already the day after it all begun. We coudn't get out the houses after it got dark. Women, small girls got raped...People were hiding there belongins in trousers and it still didn't help, people got killed for ridiculous amounts of money or even there was a case when a man was killed for a hat!!!, there was no food or clothes to buy in the 'usual' stores. People went out to the streets to sell and buy. I was 12, standing there and selling all kinds of stuff and next to me was standing my school teacher who sold clothes.

Many began to drink or went down to drugs. It was chaos! Scary things! People were lying on the streets, peeing and shitting under themselves, all the criminals floated up and ran the house all around. People with guns/knives/blackjacks were everywhere. People can shoot you, beat you, rape you and nobody will interfere, no police...

Then we didn't have power/water/gas, sometimes one of them, sometimes all of them, when it is -20 degrees cold outside. We were wearing coats inside our homes, sleeping with coats and gloves...

Then, because it was hunger actually there, like my neihbour had only water and some bread for months, and we ourselves after finishing EVERYTHING we had, I mean empty shelves, imagine...and were two weeks without any food (mom's friend brought us some apples here and there), so people began to get sick and we had two epidemy strikes in one year - cholera that took about 1500 of people in my town only, and then that form of syphilis that passes through touching objects, then scratching/touching eyes, etc

And I believe that nothing less should be expected. So while all this is very exciting, I also get prepared to keep the presence when I see THIS kind of things happen, and even worse.

I guess the light within must be really strong for holding space when you see things like that.

Hi Yulia,

I really feel you. I have seen unimaginable things happening! I also see how things could get much worse in ways as you describe and more.

Although...

We cannot anticipate what will happen. Nobody knows our future on the Earth. There are many possibilities. For the worst, I don't think anyone can be prepared. So how do we prepare???

The only thing we can do right now is to "self realise" and allow that to permeate outwards to inspire others to do the same. The only thing we truly have is the power to choose to feel the Light within our Soul or not.

It is not meant to be easy. To hold the space and allow Light of Unity Consciousness to flood from the centre of our beingness is a powerful way of inspiring higher harmony.

Trinity
x

Self-realisation is what I mean when I say 'preparation': find this Light within we both talk about

So that no matter what comes I don't loose myself in it, and then I'll be able to help others too...

Hi Yulia,
Thanks for the clarification. I must admit that I am often finding your longer posts quite confusing at the moment. But from your short comment above I see that we are on a similar page
x

Yeah, I know this is another thing for me to 'work on'

I often get misunderstood because of that bla bla bla around, that I do because I think that then it will be more understandable, but aha, short and to the point... I even sometimes forget what I wanted to say in the beginning myself, heehee.

And now I hope I won't jump to the opposite extreme...

Like...Preparation. Light.
hhhhhh

"‘In Transition’ is the first detailed film about the Transition movement filmed by those that know it best, those who are making it happen on the ground. The Transition movement is about communities around the world responding to peak oil and climate change with creativity, imagination and humour, and setting about rebuilding their local economies and communities. It is positive, solutions focused, viral and fun.

In the film you'll see stories of communities creating their own local currencies, setting up their own pubs, planting trees, growing food, celebrating localness, caring, sharing. You’ll see neighbours sharing their land with neighbours that have none, local authorities getting behind their local Transition initiatives, schoolchildren making news in 2030, and you'll get a sense of the scale of this emerging movement. It is a story of hope, and it is a call to action, and we think you will like it very much. It is also quite funny in places."

In Transition 1.0 from Transition Towns on Vimeo.

I enjoyed this presentation of deeper aspects of the 'transition towns' movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQHxRzBnTmU
It feels to me a powerful aspect of the transition movement - I haven't always resonated with the transition's focus on practicalities etc! So this presentation feels like a balancing - it feels quite aligned and balanced, gentle, yet also powerful. It seems the 'spiritual' side of the transition movement isn't often addressed, and it feels so valuable to me. so I felt to share...