‘Transition’ to ‘Sustainability’?

The words ‘transition’ and ‘sustainability’ are very much words of the moment. At last week’s Hereford in Transition Alliance (HiTA) meeting Martin Kibblewhite asked the question ‘Transition from what, to what’. Most of those at the meeting have spent decades campaigning for myriad causes, projects and policies intended to secure a more ecologically sustainable and socially just future for humanity. Of course there are differences of opinion about what that future world might look like, and what kinds of calamities and collapses will precede the necessary changes… the necessary ‘transition’, if indeed we are ever to have a future that is better for humanity and the rest of the biosphere… a sustainable future…

My work over several years has been to try and articulate my own vision of what this potential future might look like, and how we might overcome some of the immense challenges facing humanity. For about seven years, on a very on and off basis, I’ve tried to write a book, out of which developed this blog and a lot of one off talks and evening classes, and several other projects. I’ll next be speaking about this vision at the Hay Spring Fair on Saturday 12th April. I look forward to meeting some of you there: do come up and say hello and give me some face to face feedback on what you think about this blog.

Annie Leonard has a new video and in just 9 minutes manages to convey the kinds of changes we all want to see in the world. Do watch it. It’s inspirational. She hardly mentions the actual words ‘transition’ or ‘sustainability’, yet it is the best simple, quick and upbeat synopsis of the transition to a sustainable future that so many millions of us are working our socks off to help achieve!

Hay Spring Fair http://www.hayspringfair.co.uk/ and see the talks and debates section http://www.hayspringfair.co.uk/talks-and-debates/

Annie Leonard’s story of solutions video http://storyofstuff.org/movies/the-story-of-solutions/