eco-municipalities and transition towns: sustainability and community development community...
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Eco-municipalities and Transition Towns:
Sustainability and Community Development
Community Development Society Annual
International Conference
July 26, 2010
JERRY HEMBD
State SpecialistCommunity and Economic Development
University of Wisconsin-Extension
Associate Professor of EconomicsDepartment of Business and Economics
University of Wisconsin-Superior
Overview
• Relate to conference theme• Personal interest• Eco-municipalities and The Natural Step• Transition Towns and the Transition Initiative• Community development connection
The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery
“We’ve changed the planet, changed it in large and fundamental ways. . . . We need . . . increased engagement. Some of that engagement will be local: building the kind of communities and economies that can withstand what’s coming.”
Bill McKibbenSource: McKibben, Bill. Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. New York: Times Books, 2010.
The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery
“Disaster demonstrates . . . the factors determining whether you live or die are the health of your immediate community and the justness of your society. . . If paradise now arises in hell, it’s because in the suspension of the usual order and the failure of most systems, we are free to live and act another way.”
Rebecca SolnitSource: Solnit, Rebecca. A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster. New York: Viking, 2009.
Personal Background and Interest
• Eco-municipalities and The Natural Step (TNS) in Wisconsin
• Training in both approaches• Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum• Regional (NCRCRD) Extension sustainable
communities curriculum development• Sustainable Twin Ports• Potential links between such approaches and
community developers
Eco-municipalities
Background
• Origin – 1989 in Sweden• Key figure – Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt• International
Sweden, US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, UK
• 60 eco-municipalities in Sweden; 40+ in US
Background
• Key text: The Natural Step forCommunities by Sarah James andTorbjorn Lahti (New Society, 2004)
• Web resources: http://www.naturalstep.org/ http://www.thenaturalstep.org/en/usa http://www.thenaturalstep.org/en/canada
Distinguishing Characteristics
• Systems framework – “preanalytic vision”• Science-based with solid research support• Open source; non-proprietorial • Four key principles or system conditions• Fundamental human needs (Max-Neef)• “Backcasting” from principles• Participatory, process-oriented, non-
prescriptive
Four Sustainability Principles
...concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust,
...concentrations of substances produced by society,
...degradation by physical means,
...people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.
In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing...
and, in that society...
Fundamental Human Needs
Subsistence Protection Participation
Idleness Affection Understanding
Creativity Identity Freedom
ABCD
Awareness
Baseline
Creative Solutions
Decide on Priorities
Present
Future
Does it move us in the right direction?Is it a flexible platform?Is it a good return on investment?
Seven Steps to Success
1. Finding the Fire Souls2. Initial education/awareness raising3. Official endorsement4. Involving the implementers5. Applying the sustainability framework6. Whole plan endorsement7. Keeping it going (institutionalization)
Source: The Natural Step for Communities by Sarah James and Torbjorn Lahti (New Society, 2004)
Transition Towns
Background
• Origin – 2005-2006 in Ireland (Kinsale) and England (Totnes)
• Key figure – Rob Hopkins• International
Ireland, Scotland, US, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Holland, New Zealand
• 321 “official” initiatives; 198 “mulling” initiatives
Background
• Key text: Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins (Green Books,
2008)• Web resources:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/ http://www.transitionus.org/ http://www.transitiontowns.org/ (wiki)
Distinguishing Characteristics
• Peak oil and climate change as drivers• Power of a positive vision• Psychology of change (and addiction)• Permaculture concept as a principal foundation• Energy descent plans• Building resilience• Participatory, process-oriented, non-prescriptive• Community-level origin and focus
Climate Change and Peak Oil as Fundamental Drivers of Change
Indu
stria
l Asc
ent
(Mod
erni
sm)
Indu
stria
l Asc
ent
(Mod
erni
sm)
Energy & Resource Use Population Pollution
ClimaxClimax
Techno-explosion(brown tech)
Techno-stability (green tech)
Techno-stability (green tech)
Earth stewardship
Collapse/lifeboats(civilization triage)
Great Grand Children
Agriculture10,000 yrs BP
Industrial Revolution
Baby Boom
Pre-industrial sustainable culture
Pre-industrial sustainable culture
Historical Time Future Time
Creative Descent
(Permaculture)
Creative Descent
(Permaculture)
Where are we going?
Source: www.futurescenarios.org
The Four Energy Descent and Climate Scenarios
Peak Oil and Climate Change
PLANNED RELOCALISATION
• local resilience• carbon reduction• consume closer to home• produce closer to home• play closer to home• decentralised energy
infrastructure• the Great Reskilling• localised food• energy descent plans• local medicinal capacity• local currencies
CLIMATE CHANGE(a la Stern et al)
• climate engineering• carbon capture and
storage• tree-based carbon
offsets• international
emissions trading• climate adaptation• improved
transportation logistics
• nuclear power
PEAK OIL(a la Hirsch et al)
• coal to liquids• gas to liquids• relaxed drilling
regulations• massively scaled
biofuels• tar sands and
non-conventional oils
• resource nationalism and stockpiling
12 Steps of Transition
1. Set up a steering group and design its demise from the outset
2. Awareness raising3. Lay the foundation4. Organize a Great Unleashing5. Form sub-groups6. Use Open Space
12 Steps of Transition
7. Develop visible practical manifestations of the project
8. Facilitate the Great Reskilling9. Build a bridge to Local Government10.Honor the elders11.Let it go where it wants to go12.Create an Energy Descent Plan
Community Development Connection
• Community as context or unit of analysis place based, asset based, action oriented
• Localization and resilience• Systems thinking or approach (holistic)• Theory and practice to build knowledge base• Process comparability science-based context• Local government involvement • Sustainability imperative and community
development?
