Living Locally
by Ruah Swennerfelt

Transition Towns II

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction. Albert Einstein

President Obama has asked each of us to help create a sustainable future. It’s going to take a lot of work, part of which includes scaling down our lifestyles. The Transition Towns movement is a great vehicle for helping Charlotte make the necessary changes.
Using The Transition Workbook by Rob Hopkins (available on February 16 for only $13—retails for $25), we will learn why we need to change, what the steps are for change and how to implement those steps. We’ll create a vision of our town 20 years from now, helping us to work in unity toward that vision.
A term that is aptly used in the workbook is “energy descent.” This realistically prepares us for a future where our energy resources are more finite and where it will take our creativity and ingenuity to live healthy and happy lives with less. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “less is more” and wondered what that meant. The “less” part is: less goods and possessions, less consumption and less frenetic scrambling for “more.” The “more” part is: more time for family and friends, more healthy activities (gardening, walking, biking, etc.) and more space in our lives for contemplation. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Rob Hopkins writes, “The key message here [is] that the future with less oil could be better than the present, but only if we engage in designing this transition with sufficient creativity and imagination.”
Charlotte will join other communities in Vermont (transitionvermont.ning.com) and in the U.S.
(transitionus.ning.com) and in the world in this exciting movement. Make sure your voice and your vision is part of Charlotte’s transition. We need to join together to help make this uncertain future not one filled with hopelessness, but one filled with hope.
Won’t you be part of the Transition Town discussion? We’ll be meeting on the third Monday each month (except in July, August and September). Put on your thinking cap, wear your cloak of creativity, and come with an open heart.
Monday, February 17, at 7 p.m. at Charlotte Town Hall will be our first gathering. No reading or preparation is necessary. The workbooks will be available that evening for everyone. Childcare will be available. (Children, especially fifth grade and older, would be welcome and encouraged to participate—this is their future we’re talking about.) Refreshment will be provided. Contact Ruah Swennerfelt at 425-3377 or
ruah@peaceforearth.org.

It is best to think of this as a revolution, not of guns, but of consciousness, which will be won by seizing the key myths, archetypes, eschatologies, and ecstasies so that life won’t seem worth living unless one is on the transforming energy’s side.”
Gary Snyder