Karen Studders, JD Former Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

1. Engaging Local Government in Transition Work Karen Studders, JD Former Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Core Group Member, Saint Paul MN USA Mulling Group July 26, 2011

2. Goals for Today Learn how Citizens engaged in Transition Towns might partner with other groups & Government during these times of dramatic change. Learn how to increase Government awareness about the Transition Towns Movement.

3. Challenges Our Communities Face Decreased Funding / Revenue Fewer Hands / Jobs More Regulatory Pressures Increased Energy Costs Increased Environmental Stresses Public Dissatisfaction

4. Transition Towns Assumptions Dramatically lower energy consumption is inevitable. Communities lack the resilience to recover from severe environmental, energy and economic shocks. There is a need to act collectively & a need to act now. The answer lies in our ability to harness the collective genius of those around us…in order to create a new plan…

5. INCREASING ENERGY COSTS How will these affect us? How do we prepare? ENVIRONMENTALSTRESSES ECONOMIC INSTABILITY

6. We Need Each Other Government Issues Citizen Issues • Energy • Air/Water/Land/Ecosystems • Safe Drinking Water • Sewage / Disease Prevention • Cars / Buses / Rail • Food Safety • Waste Disposal / Recycling • Citizen Education • Electricity / Heat / AC • Clean Environment • Drinking Water • Sanitation • Mobility / Transportation • Food/Gardening/Urban Farms • Composting / Recycling • Employment / Reskilling

7. We often think of two scales of response: • Citizens doing things in their own homes, -- OR -- • Government acting on a regional or national scale. • The Transition Model explores the ground between these two and asks: What could be achieved if we partner at a community level? Transition Towns Engage Citizens In Another Way

8. Transition Towns is Worldwide (Proportionate – enlarged for presentation)

9. 383 “Official” Groups Worldwide: • 9 National Hubs: Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Portugal, UK, US • Transition Towns is in 34 countries • 422 Mulling Groups (registered) • 94 “Official” Groups in the US: • 29 States • 140 Mulling Groups in the US (registered) • Emerging Groups Transition Hubs, Initiatives & Muller Groups

10. What is Transition? An international grassroots movement that builds community resilience in response to the challenges of increasing energy costs, environmental stresses, and economic instability. See The Transition Handbook.

11. Transition is Built on Systems Thinking Key Elements of a Resilient Community Food Transportation Water Heart & Soul Health Energy Waste Water Education Arts Currency Recreation Land Use

12. Road Map: Energy Descent Action Plan • Establish a baseline of current practices. • Obtain existing local community strategy plans. • Create an overall positive vision of the community 15-20 years in the future. • Create detailed visions in each work Group. • Backcast in detail. • Capture Transition Tales to tell the story through multiple creative sources. • Pull together the backcasts into an overall plan. • Create a first draft. • Finalize the Road Map. • Celebrate! Always a good thing to do.

13. The Transition Concept Conventional Environmentalism Transition Approach • Individual Behavior • Single Issue • Sustainable Development • Blanket Campaigning • Man in the street = problem • Prescriptive – advocates answers & responses • Carbon Footprinting • Group Behavior • Systems Approach • Resilience/Relocalization • Targeted Interventions • Man in the street = solution • Catalyzes – no fixed answers • Carbon Footprinting plus Resilience Indicators

14. Resilience Indicators Examples Food & Production Economics & Transportation • Percentage of food grown locally • Proportion of compostable food "waste" that is actually composted • Percentage of essential goods (including medicine) manufactured within a given radius • Number of locally owned businesses • Proportion of community employed locally • Average commuting distances for workers in the town & for people living in the town but working outside it

15. Where does Transition fit? As a Community Container / Host • Listen • Vision • Bridge • Honor • Coordinate • Celebrate

16. Continuous growth within a finite system is impossible. • Reductions in availability of fossil fuel energy is inevitable. • Our society is unprepared for sudden shocks to these systems. • Citizens want to help their communities prepare & thrive -- become energy, environmentally & economically sustainable. Operating Assumptions of Transition

17. It is better to plan for sudden shocks …..than to be taken by surprise We need to act collectively – and we need to act NOW

18. If we wait for the government to react, it'll be too late. If we act as individuals, it'll be too little. If we act as communities - it might just be enough, just in time.

19. Thank You Sharing information and resources is a principle of Transition. Many of these slides were produced by others in the Transition Network, Transition US, Transition Northfield, and Transition Twin Cities. ** Many thanks to those who helped co-create materials for a Transition 101 presentation made to local units of government in Minnesota. Special Thanks to Patricia Danielson, for sharing her expertise in PowerPoint and the use of her computer.**

20. Karen Studders • Seasoned Change Agent & Leader, adept at problem solving, advising, negotiating, mediating, and facilitating. Extensive knowledge of and experience in energy, environment, agriculture, and government. • Available to advise Transition Communities on how to successfully work with local, state & federal government. • Mail: PO Box 16395, Saint Paul, MN 55116 • Email: KarenStudders@gmail.com • Phone: 612-386-1021 • Transition US • www.transitionus.org Contact information: Working with Government in Times of Dramatic Change / Transition