The Transition Handbook

Move from feeling anxious about the oil crisis to developing a positive visions and taking traction action to create a more self-reliant existence with this ground-breaking book. We live in an oil-dependent world, and have become reliant in a very short space of time, using vast reserves of oil in the process - and without planning for when the supply is not so plentiful. Most of us avoid thinking about what happens when the oil runs out (or becomes prohibitively expensive), but the reality may not be as bad as we think. The Transition Handbook shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead could have a positive effect. Written by permaculture expert Rob Hopkins, he discusses the possibility of a rebirth of local communities, which will generate their own fuel, food and housing. These will encourage the development of local currencies, to keep money in the local area, and unleash a local 'skilling-up', so that people have more control over their lives. The growth in interest in the Transition model continues to be exponential. There are now more than 35 formal Transition Initiatives in the UK, including towns, cities, islands, villages and peninsulas, with more joining as the idea takes off. With little proactivity at government level, communities are taking matters into their own hands and acting locally. If your community has not yet become a Transition Initiative, this upbeat guide, filled with beautiful black and white photographs, offers you the tools to get started. The Transition Handbook is the perfect manual to guide communities, as they begin this 'energy descent' journey.

Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Town Totnes and of the Transition Network. His achievements include setting up a permaculture course at Kinsale Further Education College, and coordinating the first eco-village development in Ireland to be granted planning permission. He is author of The Transition Handbook and The Transition Companion, among other publications. Rob is the winner of the 2008 Schumacher Award, is an Ashoka Fellow and a Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute. He previously served as a Soil Association Trustee, and was named by the Independent as one of the UK's top 100 environmentalists. Rob is the winner of the 2009 Observer Ethical Award in the Grassroots Campaigner category, and was voted the Energy Saving Trust / Guardian's 'Green Community Hero'. He has completed a PhD on Transition and Resilience at Plymouth University.

Foreword by Richard Heinberg Introduction: tantalising glimpses of resilience Part 1 - The Head: why peak oil and climate change mean that small is inevitable Part 2 - The Heart: why having a positive vision is crucial Part 3 - The Hands: exploring the transition model for building local resilience Some closing thoughts Appendices Resources