New Thinking, New Tools Think globally, act locally The Transition Network is an international organization Transition Initiatives inspire communities to that aims to inspire, encourage, network, support and train communities, including existing groups and initiatives, in Can you imagine come together to explore practical action steps exploring the transition from oil dependency to relocalized for rebuilding local resilience and reducing economies. carbon emissions. Since the “unleashing” of Totnes in life beyond oil? 2006, the concept has quickly spread through the UK, Australia, Japan, and other locations around the world. Resilience is the ability to flex and adapt in the Transition Initiatives make no claim to have all the answers, face of change. It refers to the capacity of our but by building on the wisdom of the past and accessing businesses, communities, and settlements to the pool of ingenuity, skills and determination in our com- munities, we believe the solutions will emerge. deal with outside shocks, whether from fuel By thinking and acting together, the transition to a way price volatility or food shortages. Transition of living that consumes substantially less carbon energy— initiatives strive to build resilience across a yet is a happier, more fulfilling and abundant place—will become much more achievable. wide range of areas (food, economics, water, energy, etc.) Transition Network (international) Read the “Transition Primer” free online. Work in these areas eventually forms the www.TransitionTowns.org backbone of a locally-designed Transition United States Action Plan. This timetabled roadmap will offers live training events in Transition ideas define the steps leading www.TransitionUS.org towards a life that has minimal reliance on fossil Transition in Los Angeles fuels and dramatically Transition in the vast Los Angeles basin is happening via a lower carbon emis- network of local pods. Some of these local pods are orga- sions, a life that profits nized within geographic neighborhoods; others have been from the abundance founded around already-existing gathering points within the community such as community gardens, churches, or of resources and groups. Local activities include awareness capabilities within raising, holding reskilling classes, creating physical projects, our communities. and forming working groups.

Would you like to have transition activities in your local neighborhood? Transition Los Angeles offers a city hub for activities and events in the greater Los Angeles area. We can help you find like-minded people and get started. guiding our communities from www.TransitionLA.org oil dependency to local resilience [email protected] The Challenges First Steps to Transition

The toughest challenge b Raise awareness Here’s how facing humankind at the Films, events and talks can alert to start a Transition start of the 21st century the community to the potential is climate change and effects of both and initiative in your peak oil combined. While Climate Change. While climate local area... climate change is well change calls for a reduction in documented and quite carbon emissions, peak oil demands that we increase community resilience. visible in the media, there is much less public aware- b Establish a core team Solar cooking ness of Peak Oil. Gather some like-minded people to drive the project forward during the initial phases. Peak Oil is the understanding that the world’s supply b Build connections Network with existing complementary groups. When of fossil fuels is finite, and that we are currently dipping b Facilitate the “Great Reskilling” the time is right, build a bridge to local government. into the second half of that planetary supply. The brief Offer training in the vast range of practical skills which we have lost over the past 40 years—skills like Rather than duplicating their work, you’re requesting Age of Cheap Oil has come to its inevitable end. food production and preservation, repairing, water their input in a new way of looking at the future. harvesting, construction with local materials, growing The end of cheap oil will soon have a severe impact local economies, etc. b Eventually your team will... on our lifestyles. Oil is deeply embedded in our ways Tap into the collective genius of your community. Set of living, from transportation and food production to b Create physical projects up working groups to focus on all key aspects of local life such as: energy, food, water, building, transport, consumer products. We are fed, clothed and warmed which grow the resilience of your community. These business, education, health, psychology, waste. After not by the produce of the land around us, but by food, might be productive tree plantings, solar panels, or a beautiful cob structure. Demonstrate that something about a year, you’ll be ready to develop an Energy goods, and fuel transported hundreds and thousands of is happening. Descent Action Plan, and the task of transitioning to miles—a system which is entirely dependent on supplies a life beyond oil begins... of cheap oil. The full “12 Steps of Transition” are online at the The impact that burning fossil fuels has on our climate Tree planting “Transition Primer” www.TransitionTowns.org has become obvious. And yet, decreased fossil fuel avail- ability may well prevent the economic and social stabil- ity that is essential if we are to mitigate the threats posed by climate change. The future with less oil could

Transition Initiatives currently represent one of the most be better than the present, promising ways of engaging people and communities but only if we engage in in strengthening themselves against the effects of these designing this Transition with two monumental challenges. Furthermore, these efforts creativity and imagination. can be designed to result in a life that is more fulfilling, Bread baking —Rob Hopkins, founder of the Local food socially connected, and resilient. Transition Towns movement