My hometown, Totnes, has rebranded itself, not intentionally, of course, for the third time since I came to live here in 1982. It’s in transition, too. I knew next to nothing about Totnes when I came to live here with Gwanwyn Williams and our year-old daughter, Nshorna. Two friends Murray Feldman and his wife Shanti Adams, and their three-year-old daughter, Mitra, arrived a few weeks before we arrived… We moved into a winter let next door to them – a thinly walled place at the top of town.
The cards and posters in the town, the small natural health centre, the women’s bookshop, Dartington College and a small Steiner School suggested there were thoughtful people in the area. We settled in quickly.
During the 1980’s, the media referred to Totnes as “Britain’s New Age capital.” In the 1990’s, the media referred to Totnes as the town for “alternative” values – community, retreat centres, organic farming, mind/body therapy, environmental campaigns, peace initiatives, “small is beautiful” lifestyle and a deep sense of the spiritual. We featured regularly in Sunday magazine articles about people fleeing the city for a different way of life in the rural environment.
In the past five years, Totnes residents have drawn on the wisdom of the past generation of commitment to deep values. Totnes has now become known as the foundation movement for “Transition Towns.” This movement makes the important point that we can live a wise and enjoyable life through changing our mind set from selfish consumerism and myths of perpetual growth to inner wealth. Transition town offers a programme and training in developing community life, wise approach to peak oil, climate change, carbon emissions and severe economic contractions. It all started in Totnes with a population of around 10,000 people.
A Transition Initiative – a town, village, university or island – is a community-led response to political, corporate and global pressures. The Totnes model has generated worldwide interest. There are 299 official initiatives of town and cities, or suburbs of cities, worldwide that have become transition towns and 151 muller initiatives who are in the process towards becoming a transition town. Thousands of other towns worldwide meet together to what might be possible in their area.
People are learning by doing – and learning all the time. We can’t sit back and wait for governments.
From Transition Towns to Transition Streets. This is the latest project launched in recent weeks in Totnes. As part of its steps towards meeting international agreements on environmental issues, the government has backed this new scheme in Totnes with a £625,000 (730,000€, $902,000), grant which Totnes won last year.
Residents in streets in and around Totnes meet together regularly to discuss how to live in a sustainable way. On April 23, 2010, we had our first meeting – with cups of tea and cake, of course – of those interested in making transitions in Denys Road. We met in the kitchen of my next-door neighbour, Chris. I’m getting to know some of my neighbours other than a short greeting on the street.
All participants in transition streets receive a comprehensive and illustrated 140 page action plan that gives practical steps on conserving energy at home, lights, droughts, insulation, use of water, buying food, waste, recycling, travel and holidays. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you know all this already. Even the most mindful householder has much to learn from the programme, as well as make significant financial savings. Look at the websites below. See if your village, city or town has joined up. If not, take the steps.
http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org/