It's not often that you enter a town hall that is festooned with greenery. But then it's not often that you encounter a group of people dedicated to turning their bit of a huge city into something quite wonderful.

not sure what it is, but it's green!

a packed hall awaits eagerly

Actor Duncan Law was inspired to create the Transition Town Brixton movement after hearing Rob Hopkins speak 2 years ago. In the last 18 months he has managed to create something really quite wonderful, with over 1000 people joining the cause, and tonight was the official "unleashing" of their plans to create an Energy Descent Plan for the whole area. An Energy Descent Plan is a document put together by a number of committed people who are working on all different areas of society from transport and waste to health and food issues. It creates a vision of how society can live as we move into an era of rocketing oil prices and oil shortages combined with the devastating effects of Climate Change, and then explains how to get there. The beauty of the Transition Town concept lies in its positive attitude - and the idea that we can create a better society starting from now - by engaging communities in a localised way that ignites friendships and creates growing excitement.

the introductions

I grew up very close to Brixton and spent much of my youth hanging out in various squats. I then lived there for a few years before moving east to Brick Lane. I don't live there anymore, but I do know Duncan and his sidekick (in charge of finances) Jody Boehnert, who runs design initiative Eco-Labs. So I was there when they put on a local economy workshop day, and I was determined to see the fruits of all their hard work in the unleashing.

Duncan and Jody

Rob Hopkins, the guru who started it all (he would hate that term - he's very down to earth even though he's an absolutely amazing guy - he even wrote about the Positive Future illustrations in my current issue of the mag, issue 9, fact fans) was unfortunately unable to attend the event due to illness and sent a suitably humourous apology.

Rob's apology

In his place we had key speaker Ben Brangwyn, who helps Rob to manage the Transition Town network in Totnes. To a packed hall he gave a highly entertaining yet hard hitting speech. Some key facts - up to 9 calories of oil are used to create 1 calorie of food - does this seem like a sensible idea in this climate?! Worldwide oil production peaked in 1964, ever since it has been in overall decline. Oil production in the UK peaked in 1979. And yet we continue to guzzle the stuff at a completely unsustainable rate. However it is an anomaly to say we are "running out" of oil - we aren't - there will always be someone rich enough and crazy enough to create oil out of tar, shale and so on. But we are running out of cheap oil. To witness the devastation caused by mining tar sands in Alberta check out this map.
Agrofuels are often mooted as our saviour but this is plain ridiculous - they are grown in place of food, and they pollute, using up precious water and gas. Gas supplies in the UK are dependent on producers such as Russia, a volatile source, and Norway, which does not see the UK as a primary concern. BERR, the government department that is charged with predicting prices for business, has forecast some truly ridiculous prices for oil and gas.

combined trouble ahead

symptoms of a reality check!

Ben spoke about the wonderful example of Cuba, where the collapse of the Soviet Union (and an end to a cheap supply of fuel) prompted a complete change of life - where farmers were paid as much as engineers and 20% of the population returned to the land, even in the cities, where carparks were turned into farms. "I love the idea of digging up carparks!" said Ben. "In fact there is an unofficial competition amongst Transition Town groups to see who can dig one up first. I reckon you could do it overnight!" Apparently there are plans afoot to dig up a car park in Totnes already - and they are going to see whether human power or oil power is more effective.
Do you know what proportion of our vegetables and fruit are grown in the UK? 50% of vegetables are grown here, but a staggeringly low 5% of our fruit comes from home. Whaaaaaaaaaaat? That is shocking - we've become so accustomed to foreign fruit that we don't even realise that we have become totally unresilient en route. Ben mentionned this in respect to the fuel threat that we faced when the hauliers went on strike a few years ago. 80% of our fruit and veg is purchased through the supermarket system, and it was widely quoted that we only have four and a half days worth of food in the system if the trucks stop rolling. Yet his conversations with people in an unspecified midlands town sound even more critical - this town apparently had a mere 2 meals worth of food left if transport broke down. The Transition Town initiative is all about addressing this issue of resilience - about communities reclaiming their lives, not leaving their fates up to a far wider picture than they can possibly see.
In an amusing if worrying interlude Ben then told us about the survivalist websites in the US where people discuss whether it is better to own a club or a gun in the event of civil disruption. Apparently a gun is better - because when you run out of bullets you can use it as a club. Scary stuff. The point of Transition Towns is to look the future in the face and actually plan for it in a positive way - so there won't be any people clobbering each other over the head in Brixton, hopefully! Ben cites the fuel crisis of the 70s as a time of inspiring creativity - what tends to happen is that people discover resources that they never knew they possessed - so in the US the freeways closed on Sundays and solar power was widely adopted. There were no "hordes of people tearing around the streets eating each other." Those survivalists will be so disappointed.
A major part of the Transition concept involves "visioning" - which is precisely what I attempted to do with my Positive Futures illustrations in issue 9.

positive films!

oh shit, there's me! I helped to launch the Brixton Brick local currency a few months ago

Rob has put together an amazing book to help look at ways that communities can follow the Transition Town concept. Sharing information through training sessions is intrinsic, followed by an inclusive attitude towards business, schools and local communities. "I think there's a great future for supermarkets!" grins Ben. He goes on to describe how the biggest land owner in Brixton, Tesco, could become a new marketplace, selling veg grown in the converted car park. It's a vision which raises more than a few chuckles. Inner transition is also an important aspect of the process and groups are encouraged to create a 'heart and soul' group to deal with the changes people feel.

Ben and Duncan listening to the speeches

What is so amazing about the process is it is led from the bottom up - but also engaging with the top down policies where needed. And most of all it encourages people to follow their individual passions. "I am part of the most useless generation that ever walked this planet," laughs Ben," I'm very good at moving pixels around on a screen... and fixing bikes..." His point being that we have become totally deskilled when it comes to the most vital ones we need - and we need to relearn these for ourselves instead of relying on others to provide for us.
There are now hundreds of towns, villages and islands who are heading towards Transition, all over the world. However, only 5 have unleashed, ie. decided to really and truly go for it. And Brixton is particularly ambitious in being the only place embedded in a huge city - with this in mind there is going to be a Cities Transition Conference in November in Norwich, who also unleashed earlier this week.
Hopefully more will be encouraged to join the movement instead of feeling hopeless in the face of such enormous change.

Duncan speaking

Duncan Law then stood up to explain how he formed the Lambeth Climate Action Group a few years ago but became disillusioned with it because he wanted to head towards something positive instead of worrying about the negative. "Your seratonin levels will be enhanced when you leave here!" he told us, and went on to explain how the tidal wave of energy had to be unleashed, "or it will tow us away!" Transition Town Brixton has spent 18 months awareness raising and now is the time to design the changes that are required ahead of the curve. He spoke of the many benefits of taking part in the synergy intrinsic to the movement and noted that the famous film about Cuba's move towards a resilient society is subtitled "The Power of Community" a subtext that could be applied to the Transitions movement. When he put out a call for estates in brixton that were interested in growing their own food, 6 responded, so he feels that Transition Town Brixton is in the enviable position of being at the forefront of the inevitable. Working groups have sprung up spontaneously because people want to make it work. "We need to reconnect with our place, our planet and our people, and we can if we work together." I couldn't agree more - if you are an illustrator please do read my new brief here.
We then had a succession of brief updates from those most involved in the individual groups that have formed in Brixton - Will works with the building and energy group and wants to see a zero carbon Brixton. "It may seem pie in the sky, but it's a fast approaching pie and we can either plan to catch it and enjoy delicious organic food or we can get covered in gravy!" Wiz is part of the transport group or the "car free living project" who are working towards a more viable alternative to high levels of car usage. She urged people to attend a meeting on Oct 14th. Sophie works with waste, talking to market traders about curbing plastic bag usage, and also making rubbish tangible - so that it can be reappropriated and reused. She envisaged lots of jobs being created in the repairing industry, and talked of the lost skills we might be able to regain from the refugee community. "I would like to see an immigrant watchmaker teaching an unemployed city banker!"
Sue from Hyde Farm Climate Action Network then spoke about the importance of involving neighbourhood groups so that everybody can be reached, otherwise it is hard to start the right conversations even though so many people want to be involved. "4000 people probably live in one street in Brixton - that's the same as in the whole of Totnes!" Ben informed us that there are actually a massive 8000 in Totnes. The scale of the task was suddenly brought home to us all. Sue's group are holding a conference tomorrow as part of a wider network of Low Carbon Communities. I was supposed to go to Wales for it but I now hope to make it to the South London one instead.

the invite to the south london gathering

Mamudin spoke about economy and business - apparently it was Ghandi's birthday yesterday too - he who spoke at length about local self sufficiency.

Hannah spoke about "Remade in Brixton" which plans to bring local creative businesses together to work with waste. "There is no such thing as waste - just a resource we need to make better use of." Here here. Philippe is a businessman who owns a restaurant on Acre Lane and he is enthusiastic about the opportunities. "I think that this crisis is the best thing that ever happened to us, because it means we can look at the way we live and make it better!" He would like to make Brixton the cradle of green enterprise, with inclusive community-led regeneration, and land owned by a community trust, which got a very big clap. The communications group spoke of the many protests and campaigns they have helped to support, and their aim to stop Tesco from expanding.
Jody, who is head of communications and all else that needs sorting out, spoke of the need for a little more cash, and urged the crowd for donations in these early days when the movement is growing so fast. The ultimate aim will be for everything to be self sustaining but the realities of fast expansion are tough.
Lastly Duncan came back on to rally the troops "Are you inspired cos I am! I'm going to bounce out of bed tomorrow morning!" he exclaimed theatrically.

His energy is just fantastic. After a rousing round of applause the sparklers were lit on the phenomenal cake, made with 30 local eggs by the good folks of Transition Town Tooting.

lighting the cake!

Ben and Duncan cut the cake

okay, so I really liked this cake....

and it tasted good too...

There followed a brainstorm in small groups of ways in which Brixton could move into a positive future, which resulted in a huge board full of creative ideas.

the inspiration board before the visioning exercise...

during the exercise, deep in concentration

and after

community projects

more ideas

the Brixton windmill is getting a makeover

the board at the end of the evening - awash with creative ideas

If you would like to get involved with the Brixton Transition Town they would love to have you jump onboard. If you are interested in forming a Transition Town with your local community you can find all the resources here! Be inspired.

and did I mention that I really liked the cake?