Status: In Progress

Steps to Realization

1. Set up a steering group. – Establish a core team to drive the project forward during the initial phases.
2. Raise awareness. – Films, events and talks can alert the community to the potential effects of both peak oil and climate change.
3. Lay the foundations. – Build connections to existing complementary initiatives and network with existing groups.
4. Organise a grand launch. – A memorable event that announces your Transition Initiative to the entire community.
5. Form working groups. – Set up groups to focus on all key aspects of local life, tapping into the collective genius of the community, such as energy, food, building, transport, business, education, health, psychology, waste, local government.
6. Facilitate the great reskilling. – he Transition Initiative can reverse the “great deskilling” of the last 40 years by offering training in the vast range of lost practical skills – repairing, construction, growing, local economics, etc.
7. Build a bridge to local government. – When the time is right, get your local council on board and they’ll provide significant support.
8. Honour the elders. – Crucially, these may be the only people in your community who know what a lower energy life is like.
9. Create an energy descent action plan. – Each working group will have been focusing on practical actions to increase community resilience and reduce the carbon footprint.

Publications

• "Introducing the Transition Towns Initiative", HOPE Australia
• “Transition Initiatives Primer – becoming a Transition Town, City, District, Village, Community or even island”,  Ben Brangwyn and Rob Hopkins
• “The Transition Handbook: from oil dependency to local resilience”, Rob Hopkins
• “The Transition Timeline: for a local, resilient future”, Shaun Chamberlin
• “Local Food: how to make it happen in your community”, Tamzin Pinkerton and Rob Hopkins
• “Local Money: how to make it happen in your community”, Peter North
• “Local Sustainable Homes: how to make them happen in your community”, Chris Bird
• “Local Communities and Local Councils: working together to make things happen”, Alexis Rowell
• “Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. IPCC’s Fourth Assessment RReport(AR4)”, IPCC
• “Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, & Risk Management”, Hirsch, Bezdek & Wending
• “World Energy Outlook 2010“,International Energy Agency