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WELCOME TO TRANSITION NORWICH...

We're part of a world-wide community movement in response to peak oil and climate change. This site gives you details of our up and coming events and meetings, as well as reports and related matters that are going on in Norwich and East Anglia.

NEWS AND RELATED EVENTS... Common Room - Low Carbon Cookbook - Magdalen-Augustine Celebration - Norwich FarmShare - Transition Free Press 4 - Visions for Change -On the Blog Harvest: Looking in the Archive 2009-2013 - Flight of the Butterflies - Where We Are Now

Monday, February 1, 2010

Reskilling Survey

The Reskilling group's new year's resolution is to teach people skills! So to gauge interest we have made a one question survey. Please do respond if you have a skill you would like to learn or teach even if you are not a member of the Reskilling group. The survey can be found here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WFPMFQV

TRANSITION CIRCLES: Transition Circle West and Strangers' Circle - 22 February, 8 March


We met up at Tully and Angie's in January for the Strangers' Circle meeting and the subject was FOOD. What we ate, where we bought it and how we cooked it.

Everything was on the table, as we spoke frankly about our food. We discussed the ethics and advantages of eating local food in season and how you enjoy the food much more knowing it's there for that time only.

Food is tricky to monitor since there are so many factors involved, not least the role fossil fuels play in the industrialised food system, from agricultural fertilisers and pesticides to global transport (let alone our eating habits that cause the destruction of the oceans and forests and thus affect the amount of carbon in the atsmosphere). The more local and organic and less processed our food is the more chance the soils and eco-systems of the world have to recover.

With this in mind Charlotte brought a list with full details of our weekly food shopping, Naomi told of her experience keeping chickens and sheep, Elena why she doesn't eat fish. Tully spoke of his supermarket habit and his meat and dairy reduction and we investigated where the flour in my sourdough loaf could have come from. William talked about the vital role of humus ('degraded organic matter') in any fertile soil.

For more on food check out the TN blog where I wrote about this meeting http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2010/01/people-in-room-three-meetings.html (22nd January) as did Tully http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2010/01/today-i-burned-marmalade.html (28th January). (Mark Watson/Stranger's Circle) .

The Transition Circles meet regularly in people’s houses (see calendar for full details). If you would like to join a neighbourhood circle or start one up do get in touch with any of the following people. TN2 and Stranger’s Circle - contact Tully at tully@transitionnorwich.org. Transition Circle West (NR2) - contact Helen Wells heavenwells@mac.com . Transition Central - contact Christine at transition@innerspace.co.uk.

Carbon Conversations

January saw the start of two Carbon Conversations courses at Inner Space with a wide range of members from those who knew little about low carbon living to those who were already on the journey. In the first session we considered what a low carbon future might look like and our feelings associated with that. Ideas, books, dvd’s and energy monitors were shared and members left with a sense of enthusiasm and tasks to complete before the next meeting. The Low-Carbon House game played in the second session triggered such concentration and thoughtful discussion that everyone, including me, went away with new ideas for jobs to tackle around their homes.

I was pleasantly surprised to find both these groups oversubscribed and people from around the county contacting me about groups in their own area. At the moment only Tully and I are running groups but we hope to have more facilitators as people complete the course. We are now compiling a waiting list so if you are interested in doing the course or having one in your area please email: training@transitionnorwich.org with your name, phone number and where you live. (Christine Way/Core Group)

COMMUNICATIONS: This Low Carbon Life


How does Transition feel? asked Helen at the beginning of the year. A bit like a snowy day. One day when the whole of Norwich abandoned their cars and stayed home. Home was the key subject of the month on the TN blog. Mark explored Permaculture, the natural design system that lies at the heart of the Transition Movement, Tully scrutinised his family’s consumption of energy, transport and food. Jon wrote a star piece on the glowing kettle in his kitchen. Weekend bloggers John and Erik riffed on woodcutting and food preservation.

Meanwhile behind the scenes there was a flurry of emails about the largest low-carbon elephant in the room, flying. So much good prose was going on we decided to have a Topic Week once a month (starting in March). At our first blog-in at John’s we met together for the first time and discussed the merits of comments, widgets and stats. The true value of this comunity blog however is not in its tech but in the creative free space it provides as we attempt the tricky task of cutting carbon and a dash at the same time. Showcasing real lives, honouring everyday tasks in a world which is rather better at having its big important say than acting small. As Elena put it concisely: I don’t want to know someone’s opinion about local shops, I want to hear someone telling me about the vegetables at the greengrocer. We’re creating a new culture, I said. Reporting from the edge.
Read about how we’re doing http://www.transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/. (Charlotte Du Cann/Communications)

FILMS AND BOOKS

Heat - How to Stop the Planet Burning by George Monbiot

Although published in 2006, I find myself still having reason to quote or suggest reading from George Monbiot's excellent resource book, Heat - How to Stop the Planet Burning. Since the failure of Copenhagen, and a 'climategate' happening in our own backyard, even more reason to take a sober look at the denial industry so carefully and thoroughly exposed by Monbiot. The corporations funding research to fuel the doubters, that feed the household names like David Bellamy and Michael Crichton in their public refutations that there is anything to worry about.

Although a technical book in many ways - for the scientific reader there is much to feed the mind - for the non-scientific, Monbiot actually explains what a terrawatt is! One by one, Monbiot looks at each and every collective and individual carbon-based activity and shows how we can reach the target of a 90% reduction in emissions by 2030 by a mixture of behaviour change and technical innovation. Some of the solutions are indeed funny too, although he finds no solution to the highly carbon-intensive habit of flying..... so sorry guys, you'll just have to make that next trip to The Seychelles in a helium balloon. (Chris Hull/Core Group)

Social Change 2.0 by David Gershon

This book has done a lot to re-inspire me about our prospects for averting disaster. It sets out a bold vision for social change in the face of climate change and the other urgent problems facing the world. It also offers a set of tools and approaches which Gershon believes can bring about these changes.

In the first part of the book, Gershon recounts his own lifetime of experience of taking up seemingly impossible challenges, and making them work. He talks about "second-order change" - change that goes beyond the current rules and assumptions of our society, change that demands a change in culture and beliefs. He says that if people don't tell you that you're naive and your vision is impossible, you're probably not being bold enough. And he describes in practical terms how to turn that vision into a reality - by engaging other people, by focusing on the area where growth is needed next, by constantly turning around the voices in our heads that say it's not possible.

Gershon created Eco-Teams in the USA in the 1980s. Eco-Teams are similar to our Transition Circles and Carbon Conversations groups - small groups of people looking at what they can change in their own lives, and then replicating the groups so that they reach many more people. Other projects he ran had a similar approach - small groups designed to multiply. For me, reading this book has reaffirmed my personal belief that this is a really important approach for bringing about the scale of culture change we need, if we're going to solve problems like climate change and peak oil. I enthusiastically recommend this book to you! (Tully Wakeman/Core Group).

The Turning Point - A Return to Community - UK 2009

This documentary came out of the conference "positive energy", which was held in Findhorn in Scotland in 2008. It showcases many examples from the conference, the Findhorn ecovillage and its surrounding area. Practical examples include 4 community owned windmills, the ecological sewage treatment system, a car club, a CSA, and a local currency. It also presents peak oil and climate change as setting the boundaries, community as providing the impetus for change, spirituality as a way of valuing this over the consumer society, and permaculture as the glue that connects the different pieces.

In addition, the DVD contains four interviews with Joanna Macy, deep ecologist and buddhist, Megan Quinn, co-producer of The Power of Community, Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Towns movement, and Richard Heinberg, peak oil commentator. What won't surprise anybody who has been to Findhorn is that the film is permeated with not just a can-do attitude, but indeed the joy of community and connection to the cycle of life. Rob Hopkins in his interview talks about a concept I have been hoping for, but for which I hadn’t heard a word before: peak car. How I hope that also occurred in the summer of 2008. (Erik Buitenhuis/TN2)

Norwich Consultation on Climate Change

The Norwich Independent Climate Change Commission has been created by the City Council and others to consider how the city should respond to the threat of climate change. And they want to know what we think. The consultation ends on Feb 12th - quite soon! Please do consider making your own response. There's a consultation document which you can download from the City Council website (http://www.norwich.gov.uk/) - click on the "eco issues" link and then on the NICCC link. You can respond to one, a couple, or all of the themes and send them to thebigquestion@norwich.gov.uk. Also do mention that you're part of Transition Norwich - it can only help to raise our profile!

In addition we are hoping that, as Transition Norwich, we will get an opportunity to present in person to this Commission. In particular we will tell them about our early experiences with Transition Circles and Carbon Conversations (groups in which people support each other in looking at reducing their individual carbon footprints), and we may propose a big expansion of these (see book review of Social Change 2.0, below). We will of course also tell them about the work of our theme groups, the development of the Resilience Plan, and all the other great work you've all been doing (Tully Wakeman/Core Group)

TRANSITION EAST: Transition Talk Training - Colchester - 9 February


Colchester Borough Council is hosting a 1 day "Transition Talk Training" course for those wishing to learn how to give an effective talk on Transition.

When - 9th February 2010, 9am – 5pm
Where – Old Library, Colchester Town Hall, High Street, CO1 1FR

The cost of the course is £50 per person (including lunch, tea/coffee, cold drinks).

The course is aimed at people in a Transition Initiative* to help them raise awareness and inspire others.

The training will cover:
Peak Oil
Climate Change
The mechanics of Transition
The inner transition
Skills for good and effective public talks.

By the end of the training day, you'll be armed with a solid presentation that you can adopt to your own style, a set of facts and figures to underpin your talk, an understanding of some of the deeper aspects of transition, and a new level of confidence to deliver presentations with flair, authority and maybe a bit of humour too.

*A Transition Initiative is a community working together to respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change - http://www.transitiontowns.org/.
The trainers are from the Transition Network, further details can be found on
http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionTraining#TransitionTraining
To book a place please contact Sam Preston on samantha.preston@colchester.gov.uk or 01206 282707.

Sustainable Bungay: Introduction to Permaculture

In 2010, Transition initiative Sustainable Bungay will begin transforming the courtyard at Bungay library into an inviting and sustainable green space and ‘living library’ with raised beds, compost bins, wormery and rainwater harvesting. As a kick-start we invited permaculture teacher and author Graham Burnett http://www.spiralseed.co.uk/ from Southend in Transition to run a weekend introduction to permaculture at the library.

15 of us from Bungay and other local Transition initiatives immersed ourselves in two full-on days of theory and practical group exercises. The basis of the Transition movement (Rob Hopkins taught permaculture for many years), this approach is about “designing sustainable human communities by following nature’s patterns”. It works with the shapes of the living world (e.g. branches, waves, the spiral of snail shells, the scattering of dandelion seeds), rather than imposing artificial straight lines and boxes on it. Key before starting our project was to take time to observe nature’s rhythms and cycles, rather than rushing for a quick fix. During the course we also learned how this ecological design system offers low carbon and energy saving solutions to food growing, transport, waste, the economy and community spaces.

Since the weekend the Library Courtyard Subgroup has got together a design outline for the preliminary steps, which will be on display from next week until 20th February with suggestions invited.

See my entries on the Transition Norwich community blog (18-22 January) http://www.transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/, for more about the weekend. (Mark Watson/TN2)

Transition Cafe - 15 February

A small group of Transitioners gathered early in the new year in the Alexandra Tavern to have a talk and a catch up on what we had been up to over the break. It was lovely to see people without having a specific agenda to talk about and we even left with plans for constructing a Transition Roadshow trailer!

The cafes are on the 15th of every month at 7pm and the February one will be in the Workshop Cafe on Earlham Road. Maybe see you there! (Kerry Lane/TN2) For further details contact Erik http://lgmacweb.env.uea.ac.uk/green_ocean/positions/Buitenhuis/feedback.html (Kerry Lane/TN2)

Carbon Conversations

January saw the start of two Carbon Conversations courses at Inner Space with a wide range of members from those who knew little about low carbon living to those who were already on the journey. In the first session we considered what a low carbon future might look like and our feelings associated with that. Ideas, books, dvd’s and energy monitors were shared and members left with a sense of enthusiasm and tasks to complete before the next meeting. The Low-Carbon House game played in the second session triggered such concentration and thoughtful discussion that everyone, including me, went away with new ideas for jobs to tackle around their homes.

I was pleasantly surprised to find both these groups oversubscribed and people from around the county contacting me about groups in their own area. At the moment only Tully and I are running groups but we hope to have more facilitators as people complete the course. We are now compiling a waiting list so if you are interested in doing the course or having one in your area please email: training@transitionnorwich.org with your name, phone number and where you live. (Christine Way/Core Group)