“Tackling Peak Oil and Climate Change, together”

Yesterday evening I attended a Transition Town meeting in Stroud. I’ve not been aware of particular Liberal Democrat interest in the Transition Town initiative, but it is definitely something we should be involved in.

The idea originated with Rob Hopkins; there is more information at <http://transitionculture.org> – yes, no ‘www.’ needed, apparently – and has been taken up by communities all over the country. The structure has been described as ‘chaordic’- a portmanteau word combining ‘chaos’ and ‘order’ originally coined to define the way VISA cards are run. Sounds like community politics!

Yesterday they discussed the local structure, concerned that it was seen locally as exclusively a Green Party initiative,  and agreed that it needed to be visibly accessible to all political and religious viewpoints. Looking at the main website – http://www.transitiontowns.org – I can see that there is potential for a great deal of LibDem involvement.

Mention of Transition Towns on The Archers has raised the profile, though I was surprised at the emphasis on bikes. I believe Borsetshire is a lot less hilly than this part of Gloucestershire! However, there is enthusiasm for cycling within Transition Stroud.

This idea is catching on and we Liberal Democrats need to be seen to be involved.

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