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Transition - another buzzword or real change for Cornwall?

Camborne Pool and Redruth aspiring to be the next “Transition Town” in Cornwall?

Transition Towns is an initiative to help communities with imaginative and practical activities, leading to a way of life that is more resilient, fulfilling and in touch with the environment, whilst dramatically reducing carbon emissions. Transition has been growing in popularity in Cornwall.


Early transition meetings in Penwith were quickly followed by the launch of Transition Falmouth and Truro, and more recently the latest groups have formed in Caradon, Restormel and North Cornwall districts.
People living in the Camborne Pool and Redruth area, including interlinking communities like Tuckingmill, or nearby villages such as Brea, haven’t yet grabbed the opportunity join to the Transition Cornwall map, so the call has gone out to citizens and “mullers” (the name Transition gives to people who have been carefully mulling over the idea of starting a group) to step forward now.

Don’t be put off by terms like peak oil, powerdown or energy descent. You don’t have to be an environmental expert, but you do need to be interested in helping to make your local community more sustainable. Other transition groups in Cornwall have been encouraging local foods and allotments, or encouraging their town to abandon the use of plastic carrier bags, so everyone can contribute something to the success of a local Transition group. It only takes a handful of people to get things going. The key thing is that your group shares concerns about our seemingly hopeless and unsustainable dependence on fossil fuels, and when put together with the impact and risks associated with climate change, there is a collective desire to find local community solutions.

The Aspire project officer at Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership is offering a helping hand in getting Transition Groups started in the CPR area, by co-ordinating an initial meeting in each local community, and helping to bring like minded people together. With help from volunteers from some of Cornwall’s other Transition Town groups, we will give an introduction to Transition, an overview of the other groups in Cornwall, and a talk on the latest thinking behind peak oil and climate change. At the end of the meeting, we will have put you in touch with all you need to take your own Transition community forward.

The Aspire Project, already active in Camborne Pool and Redruth for the last year, is working on sustainable energy solutions to meet the needs of growth and regeneration. Aspire Project Officer Paula Hichens says “we can’t just build all these developments with a business as usual approach to energy. Cornwall is aiming to become synonymous with green technology. The export of our knowledge is to play a big part in supporting our economy in the future, and we must continue to work towards reducing our carbon emissions, so practicing what we preach is absolutely vital”.

The Aspire project is also about raising awareness in the community, and helping bring together and launch Transition Groups in CPR is a great way of empowering the community with a real sense of action. Visit the Transition Towns Network website www.transitiontowns.org, and contact the Aspire Project Officer on 01209 614973 (paula@cep.org.uk) to arrange a meeting to start your new Transition community.

For More information or an interview please contact:
Tim German
Director
Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership
Tel: 01209 614974
Mob. 07968 810588