There is a one-word reason for my involvement in Transition,
and that is Permaculture. Permaculture, to me, has the best toolkit for
changing the various elements of our worlds for the better, and for facing the
challenges posed by peak oil, climate change, and societal instability. The
Transition movement is firmly rooted in the ethics, principles, and practices
of Permaculture.
One of the definitions of Permaculture (which means both
"permanent culture" and permanent agriculture") is: a design
system for creating sustainable human settlements. It is founded on three core
ethics, which are care for the earth, care for people, and equal shares all
around. It is guided by a set of principles largely developed from a close observation of how nature works. For a powerful
demonstration of Permaculture in practice, see greening the desert
Transition was begun as an class exercise in a Permaculture
course taught in Ireland by Rob Hopkins. It is the response to the question of
how can we best prepare for the impacts likely to come from the one-two punch
of peak oil and climate change. Both of these developments have the potential
to seriously, seriously disrupt what we think of as normal life, and to do it
in the near future. We don't know and can't know exactly what these disruptions
will entail, but we can make some pretty good guesses. It seems smart to
prepare.
As part of the preparation Transition emphasizes the building
of community. We become more resilient when we have strong bonds with diverse
people with varied outlooks, talents, and knowledge. It encourages localization
because the long supply lines for goods and services are likely to be damaged
when fuel becomes expensive or scarce. It promotes self-development in skills
necessary for the functioning of a society and culture. There is much more, and
you can read about some of it here: TransitionUS. Or, start by reading about the our own local efforts at TransitionOKC.
John Michael Greer has recently suggested (Archdruid)
that we get over our infantile projections onto the future by using the mantra
"There is no brighter future ahead." I agree. But there is a
worthwhile future, and we have a responsibility to make it as good as possible
for those who come after us.
Life requires that we are always in transition. Big events
are likely to conspire to make transition dramatic and compelling. Transition
aims to make that transition as bright for the planet and its citizens as
possible.
Posted by Randy Marks, Transition OKC initiating group, Sustainable OKC board member, and owner of Land+Form, whole systems land use planning and design.
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