[Peakoil] Gearing up for future change - Local News - News - General - Donnybrook - Bridgetown Mail

[Antony Barry]

http://www.donnybrookmail.com.au/news/local/news/general/gearing-up-for-future-change/2260477.aspx

Gearing up for future change
NINA SMITH
16 Aug, 2011 04:02 PM
A group of realists or pessimists, depending on your point of view, are preparing themselves to cope with the time when fossil fuels runs out — and for even more severe climate change.

A NUMBER of Balingup locals are embracing a global movement that aims to prepare at a community level for climate change, economic contraction and peak oil.

Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.

In 100 countries people are working towards making their communities Transition Towns, and the movement is strong throughout the south-west.

Jesse Humphries, one involved Balingup local, said the movement recognised fossil fuels were not going to last forever, and the economic system was volatile and could simply collapse.

“We recognise these things are real, and we can either allow it to happen and for there to be a big crash, or we can start to do things now, positively, so the fall is not as harsh on the community – that's what we mean when we talk about resilience,” she said.

“Transition Towns also works on creating resilience in communities towards climate change.”

The Transition Towns movement first came to Balingup locals' attention when speakers including a, Edith Cowan University sustainability lecturer, who was also a part of the Bunbury Transition Towns group, spoke to a meeting of 20 people at the Origins Centre.

The group has since held public screenings of Transition Town movies around Balingup.

“Since then we've noticed we've been doing more networking, and we've realised there's quite a movement in the south-west – although it's in the early stages compared to over east, where it's thriving,” Jesse said.

“Now we're networking as far as Denmark and Fremantle.”

A conference to discuss the future of Transition Towns in the south-west is now in planning stages.

“We're hoping for more sustainability workshops to branch out of that,” Jesse said.
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