Transition Brighton & Hove, as part of the national Transition Towns network, is a community response to the challenges of climate change and peak oil. A lengthier explanation here.
What are Transition Initiatives?
Transition Initiatives (formerly Transition Towns, but the collective name now changed to include cities and villages) are the national network of villages, towns and cities around the country and now the world who have signed up to the transition process (now numbering more than 60 worldwide, with over 600 considering signing up). The word 'transition' refers to the transition we hope to make from a city heavily dependent on fossil fuels to a city that is more resilient to a future of reduced energy suppies.
Here Rob Hopkins, the founder of the Transition process, explains about Transition Towns and the idea of resilience (in a video presentation he gave to the International Forum on Globalisation):
Part 2 | Part 3
What is TBH going to do?
TBH aims to bring about changes to our city that mean we both use less energy and are more resilient to future energy shocks. These changes will, at some point, be forced upon us by reduced energy supplies and changed climate conditions, and it will be a much smoother transition to this changed future if we change now rather than in a mad scramble at the last minute. In addition, it is believed that many of the changes we need to make, more localisation, less unnecessary travel, more community interaction, will be a more pleasant way of living than at present. It is our job to demonstrate this to the population of Brighton & Hove.
TBH is not really about the coordinating group initiating projects and recruiting help – it's more about people who want to be part of TBH both initiating their own projects, and providing help to others. This could just as well be a project that's part of an existing organisation as something completely new – TBH simply aims to be a network of everyone who has the same goal of energy resilience and reduction. If you have an energy-reducing project that you need help with, if you have a pie-in-the-sky dream and you want to throw ideas around about it with other people, please come to a meeting and tell us, and/or contact the website and let us know about it – requests will go out in the next monthly newsletter that goes out to all our mailing list.
In the long term we will be writing and implementing an Energy Descent Action Plan (an example of this here) for Brighton and Hove, in collaboration with the many other groups in the city already doing this kind of work. We have already some preliminary research in this area, the Brighton Peak Oil Report. As soon as the first steps of the Plan become clear - we won't wait until the Plan is perfect - we will be implementing them.
In the long term we will be writing and implementing an Energy Descent Action Plan (an example of this here) for Brighton and Hove, in collaboration with the many other groups in the city already doing this kind of work. We have already some preliminary research in this area, the Brighton Peak Oil Report. As soon as the first steps of the Plan become clear - we won't wait until the Plan is perfect - we will be implementing them.
What has happened in TBH so far?
We have formed a steering group ('the hub') for organising our activities, launched this website, and are currently in trying to raise awareness about transition towns around the city (step two of the transition process). Smaller Transition Interest Groups have started forming around particular subjects (Food, Transport, Waste & Recycling, etc), and they are currently holding meetings, as well as researching what existing Brighton Hove groups are doing to reduce energy use in their area of interest. We are also about to start forming Neighbourhood Groups, to encourage people to meet with and educate others in their area of the city.
How do I get involved?
• First register on the TBH forum – as well as allowing you to take part in the discussions this adds you to our mailing list for keeping you updated on activities. The website is also regularly updated with our activities.
• Come along to our TBH Forum meetings to find out more, these are always held on the last Wednesday of each month – details on the home page of the website.
• If you have an interest in a particular part of the transition process join our Transition Interest Groups (Food, Transport, Waste, etc – full list here) and attend their meetings. To have your email added to these group coordinators mailing list, join the relevant usergroup on the forum (see how here), or email the website with a request. If you wish to join/start up a Neighbourhood group, please email the website.
• ... and if you have other ideas about how to progress with the transition process, please let us know..
