March 11, 2009
After peak oil
Peak oil is the point when the world begins to produce less oil than the amount we consume. Some people say we have already reached that point, others say it is near at hand. Few would deny it is approaching. The Transition Towns movement is one of the fastest growing in the country as more and more communities wake up to the reality of peak oil and start to prepare for a less oil-dependent lifestyle. The communities that have started to move in this direction are
What is a Transition Town (or village / city / forest / island)?
It all starts off when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?
They begin by forming an initiating group and then adopt the Transition Model (explained here at length, and in bits here and here) with the intention of engaging a significant proportion of the people in their community to kick off a Transition Initiative.
A Transition Initiative is a community working together to look Peak Oil and Climate Change squarely in the eye and address this BIG question:
“for all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly increase resilience (to mitigate the effects of Peak Oil) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?”
In date order here are communities from across the UK and beyond (Australia, New Zealand and USA) that have become official Transition Initiatives. Growing number of Scottish names on the list :
1. Totnes, England
2. Penwith, England
3. Kinsale, Ireland
4. Ivybridge, England
5. Falmouth, England
6. Moretonhampstead, England
7. Lewes, England
8. Stroud, England
9. Ashburton, England
10. Ottery St. Mary, England
11. Bristol, England
12. Brixton, England
13. Forest Row, England
14. Mayfield, England
15. Glastonbury, England
16. Lostwithiel, England
17. Forest of Dean, England
18. Nottingham, England
19. Wrington, England
20. Brighton&Hove, England
21. Portobello, Scotland
22. Market Harborough, England
23. Sunshine Coast, Australia
24. West Kirby, England
25. Llandeilo, Wales
26. Bro Ddyfi, Wales
27. Whitstable, England
28. Marsden & Slaithwaite, England
29. Frome, England
30. Brampton, England
31. Isle of Wight, England
32. Waiheke Island, New Zealand
33. Orewa, New Zealand
34. Dunbar, Scotland
35. Rhayader, Wales
36. Seaton, England
37. Bath, England
38. Exeter, England
39. Isle of Man
40. Canterbury, England
41. Kapiti District, New Zealand
42. Carbon Neutral Biggar, a Transition Town, Scotland
43. Presteigne, Wales
44. Wolverton, England
45. Leicester, England
46. Holywood, Northern Ireland
47. Westcliff-on-Sea, England
48. Isles of Scilly
49. Liverpool South, England
50. Norwich, England
51. Tring, England
52. Crediton, England
53. Boulder, CO, USA
54. North Howe, Scotland
55. Lampeter, Wales
56. South Petherton, England
57. Armidale, NSW, Australia
58. Chichester, England
59. Bell, VIC, Australia
60. Bellingen, NSW, Australia
61. Berkhamsted, England
62. Forres, Scotland
63. Sandpoint, ID, USA
64. Opotiki Coast, New Zealand
65. Newcastle, NSW, Australia
66. Chepstow, Wales
67. Coventry, England
68. Bungay, England
69. Nelson, New Zealand
70. Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia
71. Dorchester, England
72. New Forest, England
73. Mersea Island, England
74. Maidenhead, England
75. Ladock & Grampound Road, England
76. Leek, England
77. Horsham, England
78. Tynedale, England
79. Stafford, England
80. Chester, England
81. Exmouth, England
82. Cambridge, England
83. Hereford, England
84. Kingston-upon-Thames, England
85. Buxton, England
86. Taunton, England
87. Eudlo, QLD, Australia
88. Cotati, CA, USA
89. Kildare, Scotland
90. Ketchum, ID, USA
91. El Manzano, Chile
92. Sydney, NSW
93. Lyons, CO, USA
94. Whanganui, New Zealand
95. Langport, England
96. Sidmouth, England
97. York, England
98. Katoomba, NSW, Australia
99. Louth, England
100. Santa Cruz, CA, USA
101. Fujino, Japan
102. Monteveglio, Italy
103. Arran & Holy Isle, Scotland
104. Ely, England
105. Monmouth, Wales
106. Sampford Peverell, England
107. Berlin, Friedrichshain Kreuzberg, Germany
108. Tunbridge Wells, England
109. Hastings, England
110. Deventer, Netherlands
111. Brooklyn, New Zealand
112. Kilkenny, Ireland
113. Wingecarribee, NSW, Australia
114. Kenmore, QLD, Australia
115. Newton Abbot, England
116. Peterborough, ON, Canada
117. Montpelier, VT, USA
118. Portland, ME, USA
119. Belsize, London, England
120. High Wycombe, England
121. Lancaster, England
122. Sebastopol, CA, USA
123. Bassingbourn, England
124. Leamington Spa, England
125. Sevenoaks, England
126. Chesterfield, England
127. Sheffield, England
128. Woodbridge, England
129. Laguna Beach, CA, USA
130. Pine Mountain, CA, USA
131. Ashland, OR, USA
132. Kirkbymoorside, England
133. Downham Market, England
134. Berea, KY, USA
135. Pima, AZ USA
136. Dorking, England
137. Hawick, Scotland
138. Los Angeles, CA, USA
139. Cooran, QLD, Australia
140. Castle Ward, Bedford, England
141. Tayport, Scotland
142. Redland, Bristol England
143. Barraba, NSW, Australia
144. Denver, CO, USA
145. Newent, England
146. Whatcom, WA, USA