His book the transition handbook gives an account of the founding of transition town totnes, and the global spread of transition towns. The transition town movement with rob hopkins resilience. At last, here is a book about our common future that we dont have to be afraid to read. That the transition town of totnes, devon was even of interest to a mexican reporter is a testament to how farreaching and inspiring. Weighing transition towns in the carbon balance by cato. Rob hopkins is the cofounder of transition town totnes and of the transition network. A sustainability group member had come across uk founder rob hopkins transition handbook and passed it around town. The argument that small is inevitable is upbeat and positive, as well as utterly convincing. Its manner of presentation is a bit repetitive but the material is good. In 2008, hopkins published the first book about the transition movement. From oil dependency to local resilience, green books 2008. By 2006 we were using 86 million barrels of oil a day.
There are now 320 transition town initiatives in 14 countries, according to a video made by rob hopkins, an ecological designer who founded the. Transition handbook from oil dependency to local resilience. They can also encourage the development of local currencies to keep money in the local area. Aug 08, 2007 the founder of a growing movement shows us around transition town totnes in devon and talks about peak oil, the origin of the transition towns concept and how to help your community develop an. Central to this book is the concept of resilience familiar to ecologists, but. He has many years experience in education, teaching permaculture and natural building, and set up the first twoyear fulltime permaculture course in the world, at kinsale further education college in ireland. Rob hopkins is a cofounder of transition town totnes and transition network, and the author of the power of just doing stuff, the transition handbook, and the transition companion.
Rob hopkins launches the transition companion at food from. The transition town movement is an effort to develop resilient, locally selfsustaining communities that can either reduce the steepness of the slope of decline from a petroleumdependent economy, or survive the crash when it comes. Rob hopkins draws upon his many years as a teacher of permaculture and natural building in the transition handbook. Rob hopkins on the spread of the transition towns movement. The information cultures series is directed toward a broad scholarly readership interested in the material and cultural circumstances that have surrounded and shaped the production, reading, and public consumption of texts, as analog material artifacts in manuscript and print, or through their transformation into digital objects within particularly meaningful contributions to the digital. Rob hopkins is an activist and writer on environmental issues, based in totnes, england. Peak oil, climate change, and a host of other convergent crises demand a new way of living on planet earth. Since then, the transition model has gone viral and has. Rob hopkins the transition handbook is a groundbreaking book that shows how we can move from feeling anxiety and fear in the face of peak oil to developing a positive vision and taking practical action to. Here is a selection of a few talks i have given, or films about transition, that might give you more of a sense of who i am and what i do. Rob hopkins of transition town totnes and transition culture. Rob hopkins author rob hopkins is the cofounder of transition town totnes and of the transition network.
If your town is not yet a transition town, here is guidance for making. From oil dependency to local resilience to write a seminal instruction manual on just how communities can go about growing their own food, generating their own power, building their own houses using local resources and materials. From what is to what if by rob hopkins chelsea green publishing. To the best of my knowledge, this book is the only one that not only acknowledges this fact but provides a clearlylaid plan to build new and better lives through this transition from our central oil, gas and coal economy to smaller local community self reliant economies. Search results johns hopkins university press books. The founder of a growing movement shows us around transition town totnes in devon and talks about peak oil, the origin of the transition towns concept and how to help your community develop an. Rob hopkins did his permaculture design course in 1992, and around the same time saw bill mollison lecture in stroud, and both of these things dramatically changed his life. He is the cofounder of transition town totnes and of the transition network. Most take direction and inspiration from the original transition town of totnes. This grew out of many years experience in education, teaching permaculture and natural building, and setting up the first 2 year fulltime permaculture course in the world, at kinsale further education college in.
This is the question that was posed by a mexican reporter to rob hopkins, founder of the transition movement. In 2006, totnes became the first of hopkinss transition towns. Handbook was published in march 2008, it has been a very popular guide to the idea. International energy crises make the case for change. From oil dependency to local resilience, which has been published in a number of other languages, and which was voted the fifthmostpopular book taken on holiday by mps during the summer of 2008.
Nicholas crane, presenter of bbc2s recent town series, recently referred to transition as the biggest urban brainwave of the century. Mar 24, 2011 a sustainability group member had come across uk founder rob hopkins transition handbook and passed it around town. Rob hopkins of transition town totnes and transition culture as lester brown recently noted on this site, the coming decline of oil will be a seismic economic event. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. He has many years experience in education, teaching permaculture, and natural building, and set up the first two yearfulltime permaculture course in the world, at kinsale further education college in ireland, as well as coordinating the first ecovillage development in ireland to be granted planning. He set up the first twoyear, fulltime permaculture course in the world at kinsale further education college in ireland, as well as the first ecovillage develop. The transition concept, cofounded by rob hopkins, who has a background in permaculture, builds upon a core thesis. This weeks interview is with rob hopkins, the independent activist and writer best known as the founder and figurehead of the transition towns movement, which he started in 2005.
Matt harvey is a wellknown uk poet and comedian, and author of the upcoming book where earwigs dare rob hopkins is the founder of the transition network and author of the transition companion, the transition handbook, and the transition timeline in this video from 2010 the two speak about the transition town movement, and why we should prepare for a world without cheap energy. Rob hopkins is a cofounder of transition town totnes and transition network, and the author of from what is to what if. The model is based around communities learning to grow more of their own food, generate their own power, and build their own homes using local materials. Based in totnes, southwest england, he is winner of many accolades including the 2008 schumacher award. The transition handbook has been published in seven other languages to date, and was voted the fifth most popular book taken on holiday by mps during the summer of 2008. This grew out of many years experience in education, teaching permaculture and natural building. The book, comprising stories harvested by rob hopkins from many transition groups around the world, and designed by jane brady, has been out of print. Published september 15th 2008 by green books first published january 1st 2008. He has many years experience in education, teaching permaculture and natural building, and set up the first twoyear fulltime permaculture course in the world, at kinsale further education college in ireland, as well as coordinating the first ecovillage development in ireland to be granted.
From what is to what if by rob hopkins chelsea green. In 2012, he was voted one of the independents top 100 environmentalists and was on nesta and the observers list of britains 50 new radicals. The transition handbook is the manual which will guide communities to begin this energy descent journey. Though hopkins denies this means isolationism, his book is an intriguing hybrid of the good life and passport to pimlico. Ive been involved with the transition movement since about 2008 and had the opportunity to meet and interview rob hopkins, cofounder of the movement and author of this book his sixth, in 2011 at the fifth transition network international conference in liverpool, england. The transition timeline lightens the fear of our uncertain future, providing a map of what we are facing and the different pathways available to us.
The book, comprising stories harvested by rob hopkins from many transition groups around the world, and designed by. It says lets roll up our sleeves, get community together, and get busy. Feb 28, 2008 founder of the transition network spreading throughout the world, rob hopkins talks about transition town totnes and moving towards a postpeak oil society. The transition handbook department of computer science. They are working with a model called transition towns. This book laid out the blueprints for other communities who wanted to start their own initiatives, and, to date, has sold over 25,000 copies and has been translated into many languages. There are now over 30 transition towns in the uk, australia and new zealand with more joining as the idea takes off. This book happily describes the british grassroots transition towns movement, the group robin mills see below called mistaken, appalling and dangerous. The transition town model was originally formulated by uk permaculture designer rob hopkins and put to the test and much improved by thousands of communities around the world.
People often accuse the greens of being nostalgic wanting to go back to the horse and cart. Apr 24, 2012 there are now 320 transition town initiatives in 14 countries, according to a video made by rob hopkins, an ecological designer who founded the network in 2005. The rapidlyspreading transition movement which he was pivotal in establishing, is an embodiment of that. Hopkins first book, published four years ago when the movement was in its infancy, sold 25,000 copies. But the cofounder of the transition town movement is determined to offer courage and inspiration, and to do that he has published a short book, the power of.
It describes four possible scenarios for the uk and world over the next twenty years, ranging from denial, in which we reap the consequences of failing to acknowledge and respond to our environmental challenges, to the transition vision, in which. Mar 27, 2007 rob hopkins of transition town totnes and transition culture as lester brown recently noted on this site, the coming decline of oil will be a seismic economic event. The movements appeal lays in several areas such as acting as a catalyst with no fixed answers, hope, optimism and proactivity as drivers of action, and targeted interventions hopkins, 2008 p. He is best known as the founder and figurehead of the transition movement, which he initiated in 2005. Jan 01, 2008 this book has so affected my life that ive begun the process of bringing transition to my home town by scheduling a training for 50 attendees. Transition towns moves communities beyond sustainability. They provide valuable experience and lessonslearned for those of us on this side of the atlantic.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the transition handbook. Rob hopkins is the gentle giant of the green movement, and his timely and hugely important book reveals a fresh and empowering approach that will help us transition into a materially leaner but inwardly richer human experience. This grew out of many years experience in education, teaching permaculture and natural building, and setting up the first 2 year fulltime permaculture course in the world, at kinsale further education college in ireland, as well as coordinating the first ecovillage development in ireland to be granted. School book wish lists quick shop we are continuing to fulfil all orders whilst rigorously following the safety advice of the government and public health england but due to the current situation you may experience longer delivery times than usual. From oil dependency to local resilience kindle edition by hopkins, rob. The basic structure and creation of a transition town initiative. The book was based on the experiences of the town of totnes where the model was piloted. That the transition town of totnes, devon was even of interest to a mexican. If your town is not yet a transition town, here is the guidance for making it one. The transition handbook was published in 2008 as a guide for any city or town in any country to make active shifts from oil dependency as an organized community.
Published on feb 28, 2008 founder of the transition network spreading throughout the world, rob hopkins talks about transition town totnes and moving towards a postpeak oil society. He became involved in the bristol permaculture group, and at the same time did a degree in environmental quality and resource management at uwe bristol. But in that time, the transition town movement has. Hopkins retain the editorial overview, the idea is that this becomes a truly. Last week hopkins published his second book, called the transition companion, which charts the growth of the movement and the experiences accumulated over the last five years. In 2012 he was voted one of the independents top 100 environmentalists and was on nesta and the observers list of britains 50 new radicals. Written by transition movement founder rob hopkins, the transition. He is a serial blogger, and author of the power of just doing stuff, the transition handbook and the transition companion. The trainers actually went to britain and trained with the founder and author, rob hopkins. Transition handbook by rob hopkins overdrive rakuten. Meant to be a guide and motivator, the handbook discusses how several u. The transition town movement is an effort to develop resilient, locally. The transition handbook by rob hopkins, 9781900322188, available at.
Since 2008, the book has been published in several languages and the concept has spread throughout the world. A documentary about a speaking tour i did in france in april 2019. Transition towns moves communities beyond sustainability to. Other communities in the us and worldwide are transitioning. He has been awarded a phd by the university of plymouth and an honorary doctorate by the university of.
Mar 06, 2008 the transition handbook is the manual which will guide communities to begin this energy descent journey. This book by the visionary architect of the transition movement is a mustread. Jun 15, 20 but the cofounder of the transition town movement is determined to offer courage and inspiration, and to do that he has published a short book, the power of just doing stuff, showing what people. In 2006, when rob hopkins moved from ireland to the small english town of totnes with his family and cofounded the first transition town initiative in the world with some friends, he surely never imagined what he was starting. I liked the transition books the moment i saw them they are welldesigned and produced, and look and feel great. In a way they mirror the transition movement itself, rolling together a mass of related ideas into an attractive package that promises a way out of the looming dead end that is peak oil and climate change.
898 679 478 611 1140 1559 57 1229 731 653 1097 898 659 102 837 274 1406 1432 356 1056 1566 1101 388 462 1309 596 1298 562 490 1011 1461 448 20