Totnes leads the way

There was a poignant moment this week when - as well as wanting a solution to global warming - my youngest daughter also told me she wanted an ipod. As a kid, the former – had it been invented – would have surely featured on my wish list. The latter didn't bother me. These and other more worldly concerns were only to dawn on me in my early twenties – long after school and college.

Is it right I wonder to get schoolchildren concerned or even feeling bad about the alleged damage an industrialised minority of us are supposed to be doing to the majority of our environment? Whilst I'd love my daughter to grow up to be a responsible and useful adult, I really hate the fact that she may in any way have her childhood overshadowed or undermined by green guilt. To me, she's innocent and should in no way feel pain projected upon her by well-meaning adults.

There's a subtle, yet huge difference between being guilty and being responsible.

A local organisation living this distinction is Transition Town Totnes (TTT). Dear old funky town claims to be the UK's first to explore how we can prepare for a carbon constrained, energy lean world – in simple terms: how to survive if and when the oil starts running out, which some say could be any day now. If you consider how much of your own life is based on the consumption of fossil fuels, this is certainly a projest to keep an eye on, if not get fully involved in.

Very encouragingly, this is a community-led initiative which is working towards the creation of an "Energy Descent Action Plan" modelled on Kinsale's original idea of that name. "The thinking behind TTT 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," say the local organisers.

This is a "timetabled way down from the oil peak", add TTT who strive to be inclusive, imaginative, practical and fun. With the emphasis on being fun and easy, this approach is not about being an expert, It's more about getting involved as well as the chance to "meet lots of interesting people, strengthen your community, and learn new skills."

Initiatives so far that take shelter under the TTT umbrella include an alternative currency - the Totnes Pound , and sub-groups that are looking at building, energy use, healthcare, food, the arts, transport, local government and economics. Of particular interest to me is the Heart and Soul group which is “exploring ways to support and inspire us through these challenging and exciting times”. Taking a good look at how we can prepare our hearts and minds for the predicted ecological and social shifts, they are dealing with the “psychology of change”. And in the face of energy descent, they recommend a “consciousness ascent” – good thinking.

“Many believe that transforming our world will mean a deep change of heart and mind, as the transition to sustainability goes far beyond the immediate practical tasks”, say this section of Transition Town Totnes. “Themes that have already emerged include understanding the psychology of the industrial growth society, reconnecting with nature, expressing how it feels to be alive and engaged at such an uncertain and critical time and creating community celebrations”.

At the official “unleashing” of TTT, speaker Chris Johnstone said: “the question is whether we start being ahead of the game, and actually start adapting before the price of oil starts going through the roof, before oil becomes more difficult to get hold of, or supermarkets have problems stocking their shelves. If we can adapt before that happens, then we're in a much better position to adapt to the changes rather than being defeated by those changes.”

Echoing the words of visionary Buckminster Fuller - "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete" – it’s good to see that Totnes are leading the way and engaging themselves practically, positively and hopefully; not succumbing to the stunning effects of the many gloomy, doomy messages that bombard us daily.

All power to this transitioning Totnes elbows…

“Totnes has an opportunity here to be ground breaking internationally. I have been talking about this idea of The Great Turning, that maybe in 400 years time, if humanity finds a way through, maybe they will look back at this time at the beginning of the 21st century as a crucial time, as the last decade of the Oil Age. Maybe they will tell stories about what happened in Totnes,” adds Chris.

The Heart and Soul group holds regular open meetings, discussions, workshops, and events to explore these themes and uncover new ones. To receive updates, email sophyb@btinternet.com or call 01803 863766.