3.5 - Transition Towns

Question 1

Why is more food and resources required?

Answer 1

• Global consumption of food and goods is at an all time high, costs of products have fallen
• UN predicts global population will hit 10 million by 2050
• an increase of 3 billion from now and so more food and resources are requred

Question 2

How have patterns changed over the last century?

Answer 2

• higher incomes have changed consumer patterns
• global meat production has more than quadrupled in the last century - high environmental costs due to water, feed grains, antibiotics and grazing land
• since the 1960s, coffee production has doubled
• cards worldwide now exceed 1 billion
• 270 million tonnes of plastic produced in 2013, recycling is low and most end up in a landfill site

Question 3

What is localism?

Answer 3

Goods that were once sourced locally but are now imported. Consumers don’t know the footprint of what they’re buying

Question 4

What is local sourcing?

Answer 4

Some groups promote local sourcing as a response to globalisation to increase sustainability. It supports local production and consumption of goods, local government control and promotion of local culture and history

Question 5

What is a transition town?

Answer 5

A community project that builds resilience in response to issues with climate change and economic instability by creating local groups

Question 6

What did the transition towns idea begin?

Answer 6

Totnes, UK in 2006 and has now spread to more than 1000 communities world-wide, such as Albuquerque in the USA

Question 7

What is the purpose of transition towns?

Answer 7

• raise awareness of sustainable living
• build ecological resilience in the future
  be less reliant on peak oil by reducing dependence on fossil fuels

Question 8

What are some things communities have done?

Answer 8

• gardens and tree plantings
• repairing old items rather than throwing them away
• a life without oil could be far more enjoyable and fulfilling

Question 9

What do transition towns aspire to be?

Answer 9

They aspire to be somewhere much better to live in than places built on consumerism. Rebuild relationships between communities and the natural world. Transition initiatives include the global financial crisis as a further threat to the local communities and promote local complementary currencies as a way to create sustainable economies