Transition Town: a flawed self organising system?
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emordnilap
- Posts: 14814
- Joined: 05 Sep 2007, 16:36
- Location: here
We have two transition town movements in our locality; one active and thriving, the other much less so.
I've got to know some people in the first one and have been quite impressed. Very hands-on and practical. It's not really based in a town, but in a defined geographical area of around 100 sq miles. The area has a couple of small towns and some villages. I think part of its success is down to:
- Very fertile area, with strong tradition of market gardening, small-holdings and crafts
- Connections and networking with the Scottish Crofting Federation
- Big enough to encompass a wide diversity of skills and producers, but small enough to allow low cost, sustainable travel and inter-trade
- Close enough to our regional city for city-folk to come out to the farmers' markets, pay high margins for organic/artisan produce and therefore inject cash into the system.
Another big part, I think, is down to very enthusiastic people.
We attended one of the farmers' markets last Saturday. (They have one a week, rotated around three locations). Interesting to see what was in the car park. Plenty of bikes (some with trailers, and some electric), a few Land Rovers, some regular city-cars. No sign of a Prius!
There was some pretty upmarket produce on sale (especially "artisan" bread) at fairly high prices. The sort of thing you might find in Clerkenwell, or some other hip part of London. Wife made an interesting observation. She noted that the kind of people in that area, that might frequent the market, would just as likely make their own bread. But there was nobody selling flour or other ingredients. So the market seemed to some extent like an interface between the community and the outside, rather than a forum for exchanging goods and services WITHIN the community.
Having said that, a lot of the traders clearly knew each other well and there was plenty of banter. Some good ideas as well, such as a jam-making lady selling preserves, but offering a barter of her preserves in return for excess fruit.
The transition movement was well represented, with leaflets, books, etc.
I've got to know some people in the first one and have been quite impressed. Very hands-on and practical. It's not really based in a town, but in a defined geographical area of around 100 sq miles. The area has a couple of small towns and some villages. I think part of its success is down to:
- Very fertile area, with strong tradition of market gardening, small-holdings and crafts
- Connections and networking with the Scottish Crofting Federation
- Big enough to encompass a wide diversity of skills and producers, but small enough to allow low cost, sustainable travel and inter-trade
- Close enough to our regional city for city-folk to come out to the farmers' markets, pay high margins for organic/artisan produce and therefore inject cash into the system.
Another big part, I think, is down to very enthusiastic people.
We attended one of the farmers' markets last Saturday. (They have one a week, rotated around three locations). Interesting to see what was in the car park. Plenty of bikes (some with trailers, and some electric), a few Land Rovers, some regular city-cars. No sign of a Prius!
There was some pretty upmarket produce on sale (especially "artisan" bread) at fairly high prices. The sort of thing you might find in Clerkenwell, or some other hip part of London. Wife made an interesting observation. She noted that the kind of people in that area, that might frequent the market, would just as likely make their own bread. But there was nobody selling flour or other ingredients. So the market seemed to some extent like an interface between the community and the outside, rather than a forum for exchanging goods and services WITHIN the community.
Having said that, a lot of the traders clearly knew each other well and there was plenty of banter. Some good ideas as well, such as a jam-making lady selling preserves, but offering a barter of her preserves in return for excess fruit.
The transition movement was well represented, with leaflets, books, etc.
Engage in geo-engineering. Plant a tree today.
Nothing wrong with the theory. The basic flaw it seems to me is exactly the same as politics, focus groups, school governors, J of the P etc. Normal people don't have time for it, as they are busy trying to earn a crust. That leaves early retired, self employed, public servants in cushy jobs, crusties and baby farmers. The same mix as any voluntary group. If we end up with mass unemployment they could be useful, but at this moment in the UK, basic needs come first.