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Transition Penwith - working towards a sustainable future....Transition Penwith is a new initiative that is dedicated to helping Penwith move towards a low energy, low carbon future. Why they are doing things to help the climate.... They recognise that our current use of oil is unsustainable for the climate and our communities. Burning fossil fuels, such as oil, results in the production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are driving climate change. World oil production will also reach its peak in the near future and the low prices we currently expect will become a thing of the past. Rather than waiting for this inevitable decline in oil production and the associated rising cost this will result in; Transition Penwith are planning a sustainable way forward which does not rely on fossil fuels such as oil.
Isolated areas, such as Penwith, located within the peripheral region of Cornwall, will experience the impact of fossil fuel shortages sooner than other areas of the country. Rather than seeing this as a doom and gloom scenario, they see it as an opportunity for Penwith to revitalise and regenerate its community, strengthen the local economy, reduce environmental impact and take steps towards creating a healthy, secure and sustainable future for all. Their ultimate goal is to get people informed, motivated and inspired, to start working together in a creative, pro-active and positive manner, to design and build the solutions for a low energy future. A world without oil is hard to imagine, but it is possible and if properly planned and implemented will offer a higher quality of life than the one we have now. What they are doing.... Transition Penwith is developing a strategic re-localisation approach to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels by becoming increasingly self-reliant in energy, food, health, education, housing and transport. Initial work by the group is focused on outreach and raising awareness within all sectors of the community in Penwith. A series of high profile talks and workshops are running in the district to enable people to find out more about the transition model. This includes inspiring and informative presentations, talks and film showings, followed by facilitated feedback sessions. This work is based on the understanding that before Penwith can act, it must understand the full extent of the situation. Following the outreach work the organisation plans to develop the ‘Penwith Energy Descent Action Plan’ in early 2007. This will set out how Penwith will work towards a low energy future in the transitional period of decreasing energy. The plan will examine the key sectors of Penwith (e.g. energy, economy, food etc.) and explore ways for creating an oil-free future. It will provide direction to local government, decision makers, community leaders, forward planners and individuals with an interest in building a vibrant and sustainable Penwith. To initiate and implement the Penwith Energy Descent Action Plan they intend to establish the Penwith Centre of Sustainability. This centre will provide a high quality service for sustainability networking, training and advice, and serve as a demonstration site for practical sustainable living skills. Why it’s important….. Oil and Climate Change Every tonne of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere commits the world to more warming. We can do something about it – every tonne of emissions avoided reduces the threat of climate change. This is why we need to address this issue now, wherever we can. Transition Penwith are working towards a future that does not rely on fossil fuels such as oil and as such will be helping to find ways to live our lives with less dependency on this declining resource, which will lead to lower carbon dioxide emissions. Peak Oil There is a growing consensus that we are approaching Peak Oil. Since oil is a finite, non-renewable resource and we are now consuming more than six barrels of oil for every one that is discovered, it is inevitable that demand will outstrip supply, with a consequent decline in world oil. But we are not yet ‘running out of oil’, we are ‘running out of cheap oil’. Oil companies have extracted all the high quality oil and although there is plenty of oil remaining, its low quality means that it will take increasing amounts of money and energy to extract and refine. If it takes one barrel’s worth of oil energy to extract one barrel of oil, then further extraction simply isn’t economically viable. One of the first impacts we are likely to see of peak oil is a significant increase in prices, which will impact all aspects of our lives. Partners in Transition Penwith currently include: Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership, Community Energy Plus, West Cornwall Friends of the Earth, CoaST, Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust, Eco-Drive, Eco-Op, Greenpeace Cornwall, The Sustainable Trust, Penwith Environmental Network, L.E.T.S., and Penwith District Council. Further information.... To find out more about why burning fossil fuels such as oil are so bad for our future climate look at our understanding climate change pages. For more information on Transition Penwith visit their website. You can find out more about what they are planning including a list of forthcoming events. Transition Penwith contains representatives from within the public and private sectors, with expertise in areas of energy, environment, food, transport, education, economy and housing. They are working to set up as a Community Interest Company and are seeking local support to build capacity towards a sustainable Penwith. If you would like to be involved you can email them at peak.oil@virgin.net or call 01736 793876. To find out more about peak oil issues visit the Transition Culture website. Transition Penwith is taking a whole area approach, but they are not alone, many towns around the UK are beginning to develop their own transition models, you can find out more from their WIKI website. Several other towns in Cornwall are beginning to consider the transition model, the first to begin this process is Transition Falmouth and you can find out more from their website. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Grey
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a bell-shaped curve: first oil is discovered, then the rate increases until it reaches a peak, after which it becomes impossible to pump oil at the same rate and production falls. Many countries have already reached their peak in oil production, and it is predicted that the others will soon follow. The peak in world discovery of oil was reached in the 1960s, and discoveries have declined ever since. This means that there is no prospect of any significant discoveries of oil in the future. 