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LINKS Transition Westcliff photostream
Transition Westcliff Blog
Images of Resilient Westcliff
Transition Town Westcliff Wiki pages
Newsletter
Transition Towns
Transition
Culture
Transition Towns - the '12 Steps'
Transition Initiatives Primer
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TRANSITION TOWN WESTCLIFF
Welcome to the home of Transition
Town Westcliff,
an exploration of how the people of Westcliff on Sea and the
surrounding area can prepare for a carbon constrained,
energy lean world. TTW is a community-led initiative which is working
towards the creation of an Energy Descent Action Plan
for the town. The thinking behind TTW is simply that a town using much
less energy and resources than we presently consume could, if properly
planned for and designed, be more resilient, more abundant and more
pleasurable than the present.
TTW also believe that only by involving all of us
- residents, businesses, public bodies, community organisations and
schools - will we come up with the most innovative, effective and
practical ideas, and have the energy and skills to carry them out.
Please note that this website, as well as the TTW initiative, is in
very early stages of development at the present time and is very much a
'work in progress'.
SOME
BACKGROUND - PEAK OIL AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Cheap oil has made possible much of what we take for granted. However
many experts now agree that world oil production is reaching its peak
and that the age of cheap oil is drawing to a close, a phenomenon known
as ‘peak oil’. Oil and Gas Journal reports that;
- For every 6 barrels of oil we consume, we are
only discovering one new one.
- Nearly all the world’s large
oilfields are in decline
- World oil production reached its all time high
in 2004, and has declined since
- It takes 10 calories of oil to put 1 calorie of
food on our table
From scientists to economists, activists to businessmen,
politicians to campaigners, there is now universal consensus that
Climate Change is perhaps the single greatest environmental challenge
in our
history.
- Our world is hotter than it has been in two thousand years
- All ten
of the hottest years on record have occurred since 1990
- Already
150,000 people die each year as a result of climate change and the
problem is getting worse. Floods in Mozambique, forest fires in
Indonesia, hurricanes in Florida, storms in the UK – these are all
exacerbated by climate change
LIFE BEYOND OIL - THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY?
Climate Change and Peak Oil can cause us to feel
confronted by something overwhelmingly huge that we cannot do anything
about. The central message of the Transition Movement is that this state of mind
is not the place to start from if we want to achieve something, do
something or create something. Indeed, by shifting our mind-set we can
actually recognise the coming post-cheap oil era as an opportunity
rather than a threat, and design the future low carbon age to be
thriving, resilient and abundant – somewhere much better to live than
our current alienated consumer culture based on greed, war and the myth
of perpetual growth.
SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
- What would a low energy society look like?
- How would Westcliff house and power itself?
- How will we meet our food and health needs?
- What will our transport look like?
- Where will business and economics fit in?
- What about education, arts and culture?
If
these
issues concern you and you would like to find out more about how
communities can respond and plan proactively and positively for the
future, please come
along to our forthcoming meetings, events and presentations. Our Blog site is also regularly updated with reports from meetings and events, articles and other resources.
CONTACT TRANSITION TOWN WESTCLIFF
Kamil kamilpac@googlemail.com
Tel 07707 676308
Skype kamil.pachalko3
Graham graham@spiralseed.co.uk
Steve stephen.jordan2007@blueyonder.co.uk |
NEWS and EVENTS
Transition Town Westcliff - Time To Get Involved! - Strategic planning meeting. All welcome but limited spaces, 8.00pm, 19th November, Hamlet Court Road area, Westcliff on Sea.
Come and share your feeling and ideas and share in the work of developing positive and
practical responses to the challenges of climate change and peak oil.
Space is limited so call 07707676308 or email kamilpac@googlemail.com now.
Meetings are held every 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Autumn and winter events
As
well as focussing on strengthening our 'core group' and relationships
with potential partners, we are currently developing a program of
events over the next few months that will focus on issues such as peak
oil, climate change, relocalising food, transport and economics, as
well as the 'Head, Hands and Heart' of how we transition to a resilient
low carbon future. Bookmark this page and watch this space for updates!
Transition Town Westcliff Wiki
We now have our own Wiki Page
at the main Transition Towns web site, which we intend to explore as a
model for more interactive collaboration amongst TTW supporters and our
partners. If you would like to become involved in this project please email Kamil for more details.
RECENT EVENTS
Keep an eye on our regularly updated Blog site for reports and photos from recent TTW happenings. Just a few highlights include;
Where next for Transition Town Westcliff?
Read about our first visioning event at Southend Library Here
Wood energy for a low carbon future
View a report from the recent presentation and social evening by Jason Scarlett
Here
'Grow Your Own' film night at Springfield Drive allotments
Read about our celebration of (nearly) the Summer Solstice here
Food Security when the Oil has Gone
View our reports and photos from our first 'Open Space' workshop held as part of WEN's 'Earth Day' at Porters here and here
Updated October 8th 2008
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