The Founding Group of TTB

We just thought we'd post a picture of ourselves taken at our latest meeting of the steering group.

We are all about community building and what better way than to relate to one another as people, rather than as 'an organisation'. So here's our community face to put to the name of Transition Town Borooondara!

We welcome you to join us, please contact us if you are interested in doing so.

South Gippsland Futures

I just listed to a great radio (RN 360, Nick Franklin) documentary on Lloyd Morcom and South Gippsland Futures. Lloyd's into preparing his local community (Foster) for the end of cheap, abundant oil. Sounded exactly like the the aims of a Transition Initaitive.

Lloyd has a blog here with a lot of information on peak oil.

Some great characters in there, I highly recommend a listen to the podcast (while it is still available), or visit the website (which also has some good links at the bottom of the page).

"In a world confronted with climate change, financial crisis and peak oil, this is the story of a highly individual response to the challenges ahead. Lloyd Morcom, a former oil man and ex hippy, has not only made radical changes in his own life, he's also encouraging friends and neighbours in his small, rural home town to reconsider their lifestyles.

However, when he calls a public meeting to outline his fears for the future he knows deep down that his message won't make him universally popular. Wary of what he calls 'doomer porn', Lloyd believes small communities should adapt housing, transport and food production to survive the coming storm."

People Power

People Power a talkback program on Radio National's Life Matters, in which one of our group (Cara Sandy) managed to get a call into to make a comment. Last phone call at the end of the program.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2009/2520578.htm

Synopsis
Is people power alive and well in the 21st century?Whether you're boycotting brands or signing petitions, is the art of demonstrating becoming more passive? In the twenty first century people are exploring new ways to speak out through online advocacy groups like Get Up or clicking on a Facebook cause. Is this online activism as effective as taking to the streets?

Upcoming presentations, talks and workshops

At this stage, Transition Town Boroondara is spreading the word about our presence and the basics of what Transitioning is about.

We want to encourage the uptake of the Transitioning approach elsewhere in Victoria and invite interested parties to join in or partner with us in Boroondara.

This is a list of the upcoming talks - we look forward to seeing you on our journey. Our presenter at this time is Razia Ross, convenor of the steering group.

1. New International Bookshop,
now underground at Trades Hall, cnr Victoria & Lygon Sts, Carlton
Entry: a small donation to cover drinks and nibbles, and help our favourite co-operatively run bookshop.

Join us for a drink and nibbles.
5.30 Friday 22nd May

TRANSITION TOWNS
Razia Ross will be joining us to lead discussion on Transition Town - an exciting new initiative, now spreading around the world.
Razia will talk about the philosophy behind it : - creating localized sustainability, developing resources and skills, re-skilling, moving from corporations and the big end of town to self-reliance and resilience.

More on the topic
Transition towns started in Kinsale, Ireland and Totnes, Devon about 5/6 years ago and the concept has grown enormously since then. It is a community development model that helps people and communities to develop skills and resilience so they can transit from peak oil and climate warming into a different powered down and more sustainable world.
For more information on the Transition Town in Boroondara, see www.transitiontownboroondara.org

2. Next Boroondara Greens Forum
– new venue Home Dining Room (upstairs),
Wednesday, 17 June, 6.30pm for drinks,

7.00pm for speaker Razia Ross, the convenor of Transition Town Boroondara, will speak about the Transition Town concept and world-wide community initiatives aimed at preparing for global warming and peak oil.

Razia has a background as a psychotherapist and Alexander teacher and is actively involved in the climate change action movement. For more information see www.transitiontownboroondara.org

The Home Dining Room Café, at 601 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, serves tapas as well as full meals so come early for a snack and a drink or stay on for dinner. Invite your friends or family. It’s located west of the corner of Auburn and Burwood Roads.

3. Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre
2-12 Derby Street. Kew Wednesday 27th May at 10:30 am
Razia Ross will talk about Transition Towns and the Transition project in Boroondara. Find out how you and the Boroondara community can meet the challenges of Peak Oil and Climate Change.

Interview with Rob Hopkins

Rob 'founded' the Transition movement. Here he talks at length about the concept and how it's put into practice.



Please go to this website to download the Flash plugin if you cannot see the above video.

Library

The 'Library' is a list of reading materials relevent to Transitioning.

Introduction to Transition:

• The Transition Handbook - Creating local sustainable communities beyond oil dependency* - Rob Hopkins - the 'must-read' on Transitioning. This is the newly released (2009) Australian and New Zealand edition which is the same as the UK version, but with some added information on what's happening in these two countries. Watch a video by the author, Rob Hopkins, which explains some of the basics.
  

• Transition Initiatives Primer - a PDF document frequently updated by the Transition Network

• Kinsale Energy Descent Plan - a PDF document of the orginal EDP (as an example) and integral part of a Transition initiative.

Related topics:

• Visioning for the Future

• Ideas for the New Millenmium - Peter Ellyard.

• Can we live with zero emissions? - Matthew Wright - a piece he wrote for ABC's Unleashed.

• Resiliant Cities - responding to peak oil and climate change -Peter Newman et al.
  

*Available in Boroondara from:
Tim's Bookshop Kew (and possibly their Maling Rd, Cantebury branch?)
121 High Street, Kew, Victoria
Tel. 03 9853-5634
Fax. 03 9853-5434
kew@timsbookshop.com.au

'Readings' also seem to have copies (1 April 09).

Our eMail List

We have an email list/discussion group for anyone interested in our Transition Town.

As a subscriber, will receive occasional updates about progress and meetings etc. This will be an open list to which any subscriber can also post questions or comments.

To join the list:

1. send an email to ttbnews-subscribe@googlegroups.com No need to write anything in the title or the email body, just leave them blank.
2. Google will send an email to you to ask for your confirmation, you simply reply to that email.
3. That's it, you are subscribed and can now send emails to the group at ttbnews@transitiontownboroondara.org or wait to hear from us.

Send questions to 'tony at transitiontownboroondara.org' (replace the ' at ' with an @)

Contact or Join Us

If you wish to contact us or join our group, please send an email to:

• 'razia [at] transitiontownboroondara.org' or
• 'raziar [at] spin.net.au' if the above address is temporaily unavailable
  
• (you must replace the [at] with an @)

Transition Town Boroondara

Transition Town Boroondara was initiated by Razia Ross today, 7 March 2009 in Kew, Melbourne, Australia.

The founding members met and agreed to form a steering group. First action - go and read "The Transition Handbook" before our next meeting.

The newly released Australian version of the book is currently available here:

Tim's Bookshop Kew
121 High Street, Kew, Victoria
Tel. 03 9853-5634
Fax. 03 9853-5434
kew@timsbookshop.com.au