Julie Smith wrote to the Transition BH mailing list today:
The Transition Together initiative is all about forming small, social groups of friends, neighbours and colleagues and supporting them in taking a number of effective, practical, money-saving and carbon-reducing steps. This is achieved through using project packs provided by Transition Together, but revamped to include local information for the participating Transition initiative.
The founder of Transition Towns, Rob Hopkins, introduced Transition Together on his blog, Transition Culture.
We put in an application on behalf of Transition BH, and have heard today that we are one of ten Transition initiatives that have been successful! We will be sent the project material in late November, together with the project funding of £1,000!
This is a really great opportunity to roll out a project across our BH area. Do take some time to have a look at the link and start thinking about ways this could be implemented!
World Climate Change Day of Action – local event
Get together with friends and family to walk, cycle or bus down to Bournemouth beach to send an urgent message to world leaders in the lead-up to climate talks in Copenhagen.
We’ll be forming a giant ‘350’ (see www.350.org) and taking a photo from the cliff top.
Wear something blue. Bring a picnic. Help to build a giant sandcastle.
Local groups involved include East Dorset Friends of the Earth, B’mouth&Poole Greenpeace, local Transition Towns, Poole Agenda 21,
SE Dorset Green Party and Christian Aid.
Meet below the West Cliff cable car at 12.00 noon.
Why 350? Leading scientists and climate experts now believe that 350 parts per million is the upper safe limit of CO2 in our atmosphere. We’re currently at 386 ppm.
Why Blue? It’s the colour for “The Wave” – the big Stop Climate Chaos March in London on December 5th. Be There Too!
The BBC and the Telegraph are reporting on a new UK report about peak oil:
BBC Quotes: “The 10 largest oil producing fields in the world are all in decline… More than two-thirds of current crude oil production capacity may need to be replaced by 2030, simply to keep production constant… At best, this is likely to prove extremely challenging… the probability and consequences of different outcomes has not been adequately assessed… Despite the evidence, the report notes with some surprise that the UK government rarely mentions the issue in official publications.”
Telegraph: “The concern is that rising oil prices will encourage the rapid development of carbon-intensive alternatives which will make it difficult or impossible to prevent dangerous climate change…. If these problems are ignored and we do not make these changes ahead of time, we are heading for trouble.”
Transition Towns is largely about preparing for life with declining oil supplies, while avoiding responses that will make climate change even worse, so recognition of this issue in the press is good to see.
We’ve just joined 226 other Transition groups around the world recognized as Official Transition Initiatives.
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The next meeting of Transition Bournemouth is at the Goat and Tricycle, tomorrow, 30th September, at 7:30 pm.
All welcome!
Any queries to Theresa, on 07958 138053.
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The next Transition Poole meeting is at The Grasshopper on Monday 5th October at 7.30pm.
Saturday 24th October
World Climate Change Day of Action
Get together with friends and family to walk, cycle or bus down to Bournemouth beach to send an urgent message to world leaders in the lead-up to climate talks in Copenhagen. See www.350.org.
We’ll be forming a giant “350″ and taking a photo from the cliff top.
Wear something blue. Bring a picnic. Help to build a giant sandcastle.
Meet below the West Cliff cable car at 12.00 noon.
Local groups involved include Transition BH Hub, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Poole Agenda 21, Christian Aid.
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Transition Town Christchurch is delighted to have the opportunity to show the stunning and thought-provoking film “Earth Whisperers – Papatuanuku” from our sister town – Christchurch, New Zealand.
This spellbinding and challenging film focuses on ten quirky and inspiring New Zealanders, who love, nurture and protect their environment. Shot at breathtaking locations around New Zealand, these Earth Whisperers save heritage seeds, regenerate forests, harvest and protect wild herbs, leave the car forever to ride a bicycle, and save huge swathes of old forest. This movie combines stunning cinematography with an extraordinary sound track.
The London premiere of “Earth Whisperers – Papatuanuku” takes place on September 18, and the film will be screened at The Studio, the Regent Centre, Christchurch at 7.30pm on September 21st.
Admission will be only £3.
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The next Transition Poole meeting is at The Grasshopper on Tues 8th September at 7.30pm.
The IEA’s Chief Economist was interviewed by The Independent and says the oil peak will be in 10 years:
global production is likely to peak in about 10 years – at least a decade earlier than most governments had estimated. … chronic under-investment [...] is set to result in an “oil crunch” within the next five years which will jeopardise any hope of a recovery from the present global economic recession … decline in oil production in existing fields is now running at 6.7 per cent a year compared to the 3.7 per cent decline [IEA] estimated in 2007 … “One day we will run out of oil, it is not today or tomorrow, but one day we will run out of oil and we have to leave oil before oil leaves us, and we have to prepare ourselves for that day,” Dr Birol said. “The earlier we start, the better, because all of our economic and social system is based on oil, so to change from that will take a lot of time and a lot of money and we should take this issue very seriously”
