Transition Towns
Molly Scott Cato


Living Experimentally
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A brief history . . .
•Transition Towns launched in Totnes in September 2006
–if we wait for the governments, it'll be too little, too late
–if we act as individuals, it'll be too little
–but if we act as communities, it might just be enough, just in time.
•Transition Stroud launched in January 2007

Three key concepts
•Resilience: ‘the property of a material to absorb energy when it is deformed elastically and then,
upon unloading to have this energy recovered.’ •Ecological citizenship: intrinsic and ethical
motivations towards protecting the environment
•Critique: the importance of political economy

Psychological aspects
•‘Moving from probabilities to possibilities’ •http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q90_phxAOk


Locality: Walking the Land

Landscape and walking provide the catalyst for Walking the Land’s creative activities. Based in the
Gloucestershire countryside, Walking the Land comprises three lead artists, Richard and Tom Keating
and Kel Portman. Each share a passion for the landscape, using artworks to bring landscape and
environmental issues to a wider public audience. As painters, sculptors, photographers,
videographers, curators and educators we produce work which refers to specific places, localities
and environments.

Accountability: Stroud Community                       Agriculture
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Built on cooperation and mutual support the risks and rewards of farming are shared between the
farmers and consumers. The consumers commit themselves to supporting the farm and providing a fair
income for the farmers. The farmers can then develop the health and fertility of the farm, its
wildlife and environment. All the produce from the farm is shared between the supporting consumers
or sold locally if there is a surplus. Rent 46 acres of land on two sites near Stroud. Feed 185
families throughout the year with seasonal organic vegetables.

Community: Stroud Pound

The Stroud Pound was launched in September 2009. In the first year a total of £10,066 were
exchanged for Stroud Pounds. By the end of the year slightly over half of those (£5940) had been
redeemed, which meant that £290 had been allocated to the ten local good causes which people had
chosen. A year after the launch of the scheme SP4,126 were in circulation. The scheme had around
180 consumer members and 44 outlets or service providers where the local currency could be spent.

Conviviality: Stroud Farmers’ Market
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The Seeds of a Greener Future?

Flourishing within limits
A new consumption ethic
Re-embedding

Open Homes and Gardens