One of the sustainability projects I have the most admiration for is The Village project in Cloughjordan in Ireland. Nine years ago when we began the Baile Dulra ecovillage project which later became The Hollies Centre for Practical Sustainability, we worked with some people who subsequently went on to become the core initiators of The Village. The people at the heart of The Village are amazing people. The project has been going for 9 years, and still none of them has got to build the house they have dreamt of every day of those 9 years. They have faced the coming and going of new people, setbacks, financial struggles, and a rate of progress which must at times have seemed interminable. Yet they are nearly there, and what they will finally create is really extraordinary. (more…)

The last two events in the Transition Town Totnes programme are two of the most exciting. We are delighted firstly to be able to welcome Richard Heinberg, the author of The Party’s Over, Powerdown and his new book The Oil Depletion Protocol to Totnes. On Wednesday 22nd November he will be giving one of only two public talks on his short visit to the UK, with the title “Peak Oil: Local Solutions to a Global Challenge”. Don’t miss it! (more…)

Notes from A Trip to the Agroforesty Research Trust’s Forest Garden, Dartington, Totnes, Devon. Friday November 3rd 2006.

Martin Crawford started his forest garden at Dartington 15 years ago. It has now reached a point where it is very developed, and was referred to in Dave Jacke’s Edible Forest Garden books as the best example of a forest garden he has seen. Martin is internationally recognised as one of the foremost practitioners of agroforestry in the world, (but amazingly very few people in Totnes have heard of him!). (more…)

The Oil Depletion Protocol - a plan to avert oil wars, terrorism and economic collapse by Richard Heinberg. (2006) Clairview Books.
See Below for a Chance to Win a Copy!

Richard Heinberg is the author of The Party’s Over, many peoples’ first introduction to the subject of peak oil. It was the first book to explain the concept in a clear and accessible way for people with no background in petroleum geology (myself included). However, while many writers are still chewing over whether or not peak oil is a reality, and haggling over the exact date when it might occur (2006? 2010? 2030?), Heinberg is moving on, exploring its implications and what can be done to prepare for this historic transition. (more…)

What Will Happen When The Oil is Gone? by Alasdair Crosby. Printed in the Jersey Evening Post on Friday November 3rd.

While I was in Jersey recently, I did an interview for the Jersey Evening Post, which appeared in the paper last Friday. Here it is, with thanks for permission to reproduce it here.

“In almost every part of our daily lives we rely on the ready supply of oil, but it is running out as a cheap form of energy. Environmentalist Rob Hopkins, who was in the Island recently, spoke to Alasdair Crosby about what life will be like when the barrels run dry. (more…)

The panel of judges debated vigorously late into the night in an expensive conference room in a hotel in downtown Totnes. There was heated discussion of the poetic virtues of one over another, but eventually they reached a unanimous decision, and I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Life After Oil limerick competition, in association with Schumacher College, is Ben Brangwyn, who wins a place on the Life After Oil course which starts next week. His limerick, which the judges admired for its consistency to the limerick form as well as for its fluency, goes thus, (more…)

“What To Do About Peak Oil? Grow Fruit!” An Interview with Bob Flowerdew. Totnes, Thursday 26th October.

Bob Flowerdew is one of the UK’s best known organic gardening writers and broadcasters. On a tour to promote his new book The No Work Garden, we were fortunate to be able to put him on in Totnes. Just before Bob’s talk at Totnes Civic Hall I met him in town, and interviewed him over a pizza and garlic bread. This is a slightly edited transcript of our chat, which was regularly interrupted by the arrival of plates of pizza and so on. Bob’s regular references to my being a vegetarian came about from observing the pizza that I ordered! (more…)

Powerdown and Permaculture - At the Cusp of Transition.
An Article by Rob Hopkins.

Here is an article about permaculture and energy descent work that I wrote which appears in the latest issue of Permaculture Magazine which is released today, a milestone for the magazine, its 50th issue. Many congratulations to Tim, Maddy and their team for making it this far and for providing us with such a wonderful magazine over the years. You can either read the article below or see the pdf of it as it appears in the magazine (here). (more…)

I was touched by the news a few days ago that geneticist and environmental campaigner David Suzuki is to retire from activism. According to an article on Yahoo News, Suzuki is to retire to the Canadian wilderness to carve wood, fish and relax. At 70, after a life dedicated to promoting environmentalism through talks, TV programmes and books, Suzuki has had enough. Energy Bulletin suggested that activist burnout was at least partly to blame for his decision. I think at 70, whatever you have dedicated your life to doing, you are more than entitled to put your feet up a bit and go fishing. For me, the news raised the issue of whether we in the environmental movement are actually very good at respecting and honouring our elders. (more…)

This week Transition Town Totnes turns its focus to building and to housing, with 2 events. This Wednesday evening at 8pm in St Johns Church in Bridgetown is an event called “Building Locally; the potential of natural building materials”. The speakers are Rob Hopkins of Transition Town Totnes, Gareth Walton of the Devon Sustainable Building Initiative, and Jim Carfrae, the builder of a gorgeous strawbale house in Totnes. The cost is £3. The second event (more…)