Transition Town Louth Lincolnshire

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What's On

Our latest Film Night proved very popular with the Trinity Centre almost full. Two films were shown: Vanishing of the Bees and The Power of Community. Thanks to Leigh Anderson and all the support from the Co-op in making the event possible. People who came see the film Vanishing of the Bees may be interested in this slide show: The neonicotinoid era of pest management: impacts on pollinators and ecosystems from Dr. Jeroen van der Sluijs. The extent of Arctic ice is a good indicator of global warming. The blue line, updated daily, shows the extent of sea ice. This summers ice melt almost exceed 2007 in extent and certainly reduced the ice volume to a record low.

Friday 27th January at the Town and Country Club Music for the Transition Herding Cats Headline the night bringing brilliant rock music for dancing all the way from Alford and Louth Timeless Sweet music from Mike Wisdom and Duncan Allenby Didgeridoo playing by Rachel and a recitation of David Fleming's The Necklace, possibly a world premiere. Supporting Help the Homeless and the Louth Credit Union. Tickets £4.00 from Off The Beaten Tracks or £5.00 on the door. Sally Moorcroft's Medicinal Gardener Workshops The Bumpy Plateau of Peak Oil Tradable Energy Quotas Download the Report.

Gayton-le-Marsh Windfarm

A Planning Application has now been submitted to East Lindsey District Council, Reference No. N/063/01392/11 Please write a letter to East Lindsey District Council in support of the Apllication If you would like some help in letter writing there is a sample letter here. There's lots of information on the Gayton-le-Marsh Windfarm website. There is a local anti-windfarm group, supported by Sir Peter Tapsell MP, who claim on their website that "The only beneficiaries are the landowners and of course the electricity companies" and then again "The only people to profit will be the landowner and the taxpayer-subsidized developers" but they do not mention the £60,000 per year that will be paid to Carlton. Gayton, Theddlethorpe and Saltfleetby. Details at Community Fund. There's quite a lot of money in it for the local communities. For seriously detailed information go the Planning Documents now submitted to East Lindsey. For more information about the Knaresborough based company go to Energiekontor UK and the German parent company at Energie Kontor where you can practice your German reading. The picture suggests they have built windfarms in places a little less flat than the Lincolnshire Marsh.

Dr David Fleming’s book ‘Lean Logic - A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It’ is published

For the last 25 years David Fleming has visited Louth every summer spending a few days working on his book, sometimes in our garden, sometimes with a pint of Tipsey Toad at the back of the Wheatsheaf. On the way, as a major influence on Rob Hopkins, he was instrumental in starting up the Transition movement. In the last couple of years he gave memorable talks to Transition Town Louth. It was in Louth that he met his two research assistants, Beth Stratford and Beth Barton, who have done so much to bring his life's work to fruition.

Rob Hopkins writes on his blog: "Following his death, his family and friends have set to the task of making sure that his life’s work does finally see the light of day, and I’m delighted to announce that copies will soon be available. I’m delighted, as would he have been, to know that his insights, his humour and his brilliance, are now more widely available. I’ve already ordered mine…"

The book is printed in a hardback first edition of 500 copies, comprising David’s final draft, comprehensive footnotes, bibliography and references and many wonderful wood cuts and illustrations. All proceeds from sales of Lean Logic will be used to promote David’s work and passions.

Copies may be obtained for £30 or £25 each for two or more (plus £5 per copy for postage and packing if required) by sending a cheque payable to Lucy Barlow to: Lean Logic, Court Farm House, North Street, Fritwell, Oxon OX27 7QX.

“Localisation stands, at best, at the limits of practical possibility, but it has the decisive argument in its favour that there will be no alternative.” David Fleming (1940-2010)

Carbon dioxide's relentless rise

Here's a video that shows how CO2 levels have risen from the pre-industrial 270 part per million by volume to the present 390ppmv and rising.

The Link Between Peak Oil and Peak Debt

Gail Tverberg gives a neat account of the link between peak oil and the global financial system on her blog

Our financial system works just so long as there is economic growth, allowing loans to be paid with interest coming from that growth. While economic growth is closely coupled to oil production the financial system will fail as oil production fails to expand. Gail fills in the details in a clear way. The articles are reproduced on The Oil Drum where they are followed by a legnthy discussion.

TEQs Tradable energy quotas: A policy framework for peak oil and climate change

by David Fleming and Shaun Chamberlin

Fuel Rationing Will Be Needed Before 2020 According To Major New Report

New parliamentary report warns of coming energy scarcities and outlines a rationing system which could ensure fair access to energy and guarantee emissions reductions

18 January 2011, London: A report launched today by the Lean Economy Connection, commissioned by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil, calls for a nationwide system for ensuring fair and equal access to fuel as energy scarcities develop. Dr Caroline Lucas MP; Dr Jeremy Leggett, chairman and founder of Solarcentury and SolarAid; and John Hemming MP spoke at the launch, held at Portcullis House, Westminster this morning.

The report, entitled Tradable Energy Quotas, sets out a detailed proposal for a scheme which would ensure fair and equal entitlements to fuel and energy under conditions of scarcity, while also guaranteeing that the government meets its commitment to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

The report proposes an electronic energy rationing system called TEQs (Tradable Energy Quotas). Under TEQs, units of ‘energy credit’ are distributed free to all adults. Surplus units can be bought and sold, meaning that there is no upper limit set on the number of units owned by one person. Businesses and government bid for their energy units at a weekly tender, creating revenue to help fund the infrastructure and skills that the economy needs to end its dependence on fossil fuels.

Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green Party, said: “TEQs have long been Green Party policy, as we believe that we need a fair and transparent system to reduce energy demand and give each person a direct connection to the carbon emissions associated with their lifestyle. The TEQs scheme would guarantee that the UK’s targeted carbon reductions are actually achieved, while ensuring fair shares of available energy.”

Jeremy Leggett, chairman of Solarcentury, said: “What I like about TEQs is the fairness of it. When the energy crunch hits us, government and industry must ensure equitable access to available energy within a national budget. TEQs is the kind of approach we will need if we are to mobilise the infrastructure of a zero-carbon future fast, under pressure. It would increase the chances of working our way through the grim times to renaissance-through-resilience."

The report warns that, without a scheme such as TEQs, the UK will not only fail to achieve the steep emissions reductions promised by the Climate Change Act, but will find itself unprepared for energy scarcities when they arise, and unable to sustain an orderly market. Fuel poverty would rapidly develop, leaving the most vulnerable people in society at risk.

Speaking at the launch today, John Hemming MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil, said: “What is needed is an intelligent response both to climate change and to fuel depletion. We therefore welcome the model set out in the Lean Economy Connection’s report, which addresses both sides of the problem. It is the first coherent proposal to attempt to do this, and it merits close attention.”

Shaun Chamberlin, Director of the Lean Economy Connection and co-author of the report, said: “It is essential that we prepare now to mitigate the energy shortages of the future. We are calling on the government to move beyond research and into the development of a framework to reduce carbon emissions, to ensure that the UK is ready to implement energy rationing at short notice.”

Commenting on the need to involve citizens fully in the task of controlling climate change, Mr Chamberlin added: “Tradable Energy Quotas are the only way we can reduce carbon emissions and at the same time guarantee that everyone gets fair access to limited energy supplies. This is also an alternative to carbon taxation; we are in difficult times, and we should not take money away from people when they need it the most. TEQs is about motivating people to cooperate in the common challenge of drastically reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Copies of the report, Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs): A Policy Framework for Peak Oil and Climate Change, can be downloaded or ordered from www.teqs.net/report.

Commmunities, Councils and Carbon

Did you miss the talk by Alexis Rowell? At least you can buy the book: Click here to read more and buy a copy.

It's very easy to fall into a vicious cycle of helplessness, denial and despair over climate change and peak oil. Central government is busy setting targets they know they will never have to meet. Individuals either do not understand the seriousness of the problems or are unclear as to what they can do. Local government can break the logjam. The idea that councils can play a significant role in saving the world is not sexy or fashionable, but the fact is they could be a big part of the solution. Local governments can think about the moral aspects as well as operational and business aspects of their communities; they have a duty of care to think about the future. "Communities, councils and carbon" includes current examples of best eco practice from local authorities across the UK and elsewhere. This book is designed to inform and inspire councils and councillors, as well as local environmental activists, community groups and Transition Initiatives. Local government can be a huge driver for positive change, but not on its own. Communities need to understand what they can reasonably (and unreasonably!) ask for from local councils, and they need to know exactly what levers they can pull.

The Advert Spot

Ethical Solar, a Grimsby and Bristol based company, have agreed to make a donation to Transition Town Louth for any solar pv system they install as a result of introductions from us. Thank you Ethical Solar for the £450 you have donated so far. Please get in touch if you'd like to know more about the pssibilities by sending an e-mail to Biff.

Ecotricity is our local renewable energy generator with windfarms near Mablethorpe and Somercotes and a solar park under construction. Ecotricity have been generous enough to offer Transition Town Louth £25 for every new customer who joins them mentioning they were prompted to make the switch by Transition Town Louth. (And thanks, Ecotricity, for the half dozen bottles of wine you gave us and which we will drink at our next social event.) So come on folks, if you haven't yet switched to the greenest energy supplier, get in touch with Ecotricity - and don't forget to mention us :)

A New Website for a Sustainable Lincolnshire

Take a look round this great new website created by Groundwork Lincolnshire and join the Forum for discussions about building a sustainable and resilient Lincolnshire.

Louth Town Partnership

Out Transition Initiative is represented on the Board of the Louth Town Partnership by Biff who is looking after the Environment brief and welcomes any comments, advice and offers of involvment. Here's his declared position: "I am concerned with the condition and our enjoyment of Louth’s environment. I see this in the context of the wider global environment, how our actions relate to future energy security and global warming. I particularly represent the issues of interest to Louth Transition Town and other environmental groups. I want to ensure that every decision made by the Board takes into account the implications of peak oil and global warming. I want the Partnership to be a focus for building resilience in our community through an uncertain future."

Anybody wishing to express views to the Partnership or to contribute material for the Partnership's website is urged to do so, most easily by e-mailing Biff.

Take a little time to read Life After Growth by Richard Heinberg

Louth Community Food Gardens We are a sub group of Transition Town Louth, a voluntary organisation which exists to raise awareness on the impact of Climate Change and Peak Oil to our community. The aim of this sub group is simply to encourage and inspire the people of Louth to grow their own food. We intend to do this through the creation of community food gardens in and around Louth town. We hope the gardens will be a safe haven for everyone, young and old, to share in the community re-skilling of home food production and consumption. The plot behind Foundation House at King Edward's School will soon have been established for a year and a very successful year too. If you'd like to join in please do come along. More information from the Louth Community Food Gardens blog.

The Lincolnshire Credit Union is seeking to establish a branch in Louth.
Would you like to get involved and provide Credit Union services to the people in your community? The Vision of the board of Lincolnshire Credit Union is to offer quality credit union services to all residents and employees of Lincolnshire. This is no mean feat and to fulfil this vision we need the enthusiastic help of a team of volunteers.
Volunteers are ordinary people using their free time to do something very special. Volunteers are key to our development so join us today and make a few hours count - you will help us make a huge difference.

Contact us and see how you can make that real difference today! Phone 01522 528886 or e-mail enquiry@lincscreditunion.org.uk

Coalition of the Willing

Watch this 15 minute film and be inspired.

On all the time

Annie Leonard has followed up her ever popular and awareness raising animation, the Story of Stuff with a new film, Cap and Trade. It is brilliant, important and all oh so true. Watch it.

Farmers' Markets are on the second Friday and fourth Wednesday of the month

Totnes and District Energy Descent Action Plan

‘Transition in Action: Totnes and District 2030. An Energy Descent Plan’: available now! 20 months in the making, many hundreds of members of the local community involved, 230 households surveyed, contributions from local artists and schools, many oral histories carried out, and now the UK’s first comprehensive Energy Descent Action Plan is available. It is a sizeable and comprehensive document. Running to over 300 pages, printed in full colour A4, and beautifully designed, the Totnes & District EDAP is a remarkable achievement, a powerful and practical vision for the relocalisation and decarbonisation of one town and its surroundings. Find out more

Transition Handbook Discussion Guide

From time to time I hear about people doing Book Clubs based around the Transition Handbook. Thankfully, and entirely in a self-organising “wouldn’t-it-be-great-if-there-was-a-study-guide” kind of way, Joann Kerr, Susan Gregory, and Leo Brodie of Sustainable NE Seattle (the 19th officially-recognized Transition Initiative in the United States), decided to take matters into their own hands and create one. Rather wonderful it is too, packed with activities and exercises to do with a group of people, it is quite special to think that my humble lil’ ole Transition Handbook would enthuse people sufficiently to create such a great resource. Download it here, take it, use it, let them know how it went….Rob Hopkins

This week's Good Read.

Biff Vernon’s talk to North Somercotes Women’s Institute March 2011.

If William Blake were alive today surely he would be at the forefront of the Transition Movement, recognising the dark satanic mills while hopeful of a new Jerusalem in our green and pleasant land.

There are now 188 ‘official’ transition towns in the UK and 307 around the world. They are completely autonomous organizations, but linked together by the Transition Network, which provides resources and support to share experiences and ideas,. The common thread is a belief that energy security in the time following the peak in oil production and global warming, present threats so large that we will be forced to make a transition to a very different world from that to which we are accustomed.

The Transition movement is driven by optimism and a determination to learn to adjust to whatever the future brings. Preparing in good time to meet the challenges is the wise approach; building resilience into our communities so that they can weather approaching storms.

Our government, driven by the need to address climate change and knowing that fossil fuels will be increasingly hard to come by, has a policy of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. Even that drastic change may be understated as we compete for what little fossil fuel remains. This is not a target that can be missed but a reality that we are forced to accept. Indeed, the problems may press harder and faster than the government is prepared, as yet, to admit. It behoves each of us, as individuals or working through community groups and within local government, to accept that reality, promptly, and to work together to make the transition as painless as we can, moving positively to a future where, who knows, life may even be better.

Transition Town Louth is a grassroots grouping of people who share a determination to act. We are not concerned with debating whether global warming caused by man’s actions is a problem, nor whether energy security is soon to be the most significant constraint on economic activity. We have accepted the issues, moved beyond debating these realities, and we are ready for actions. We’ve burnt the easy oil and the production rate will decline as we move into deeper water and the Arctic and squeeze energy from the tar sands and oil shales. Global warming is already affecting the world and the consequences are going to get harder to live with. Eventually most of the worlds largest cities will lie below sea level. And the Lincolnshire Marsh.

The global financial system and international trade that relies on the global market economy requires economic growth. So long as we have confidence in future growth, debt is not a problem. Today’s debts can be paid from tomorrow’s grown economy. It’s a system that has worked for a couple of centuries. Today the UK’s debts are not particularly large by international standards or by historical precedent. So what’s all the fuss for? It’s being recognised as a problem because future economic growth is no longer assured. The world economy is utterly dependant on energy, and most importantly on oil. Without growth in oil production there can be no growth in the economy. Today we are close to the peak in the rate of oil production. There will be no significant growth and soon it will be downhill all the way.

We need to accept there is a real risk that the global market economy will collapse. Just when is hard to predict. Like the weather, predicting the next sunny day can be tricky, but broader forecasts, such as that July will be warmer than February, can be made with great confidence. When the world financial system collapses it won’t feel like a sunny day in July.

Transition is about building resilience so that we can face economic collapse courageously. Localism is a central theme, learning to provide the community’s wants from within itself or and its own resources; loosening our dependency on the global market. It means re-skilling; learning how to produce the stuff we need, ourselves. That needn’t be so bad. There are upsides in that we can concentrate on what we actually want rather than put a lot of effort into things that appear necessary in the present system but provide no direct benefit. We may want a biscuit, but we do not actually want distribution hubs, lorries and motorways. To take the biscuit we need a local baker.

So what’s going on in Louth? Our most visible achievement is the Louth Community Food Garden. This is a piece of land within the grounds of King Edward’s school where we’ve created a vegetable garden. Anybody can join in, sharing their knowledge and experiences of food growing and preparation, learning from each other, in a spirit of cooperation. Produce is for sharing. We have great plans for extending the idea to other areas such as the Gatherums and other public spaces where food can be grown for everyone’s benefit and enjoyment.

In local government we’re having an influence. We are represented on the Board of the Louth Town Partnership and have made the issues of energy security and global warming a requirement for consideration in all decision making. We have frequent contact with councillors and officials at East Lindsey District Council.

We’ve held public lectures and film shows and, of course, much of what we do involves sitting about talking but we are keen on practical action too. We particularly want to reach out to people not motivated to come to our regular meetings or getting involved in campaigning. Would any of you like to get involved in something practical, something that could save you money? If a small group of you would like to learn about making your own homes and lives more energy efficient we will set up a meeting and support you in working through a simple course that can provide you with ways of making a difference. We even have some funding for resources to make this possible.

Transition Town Louth has launched the area's own Freegle group. If you have something to give away or want something for free just sign up and get freegling. Louth Freegle Part of The Freegle Association

Transition Town Louth is acting as a focus for Landsharers in the area. Let us know if you would like to join Landshare and meet others to share ideas. Go places with For skill sharing.

Louth Time Bank. Our plans are taking shape with our own website. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved.

Join the Louth Food Group facebook page

Join the Transition Town Louth Facebook Group. Communicate on our Yahoo Message Group. Follow TTL on

Other pages on this website: Louth Food Fest Zing ~ The Incredibly Light Railway Council Matters is where we report on stuff to do with Louth Town Council and East Lindsey District Council. What's on The Big Ideas Page: Get involved with The Action Page Get gardening with The Louth Community Food Garden Transitition Town Louth Constitution The Minutes Page is where you can read minutes of meetings. The Training Page has information about training for transition. The Archived Stuff is where you can find older stuff What's new on The Opinion Page: Energy Descent Action Plan The Archbishop's Opinion A New Supermarket Farmers Market The Arts Page The Louth Multiarts Project The Poetry Page Letters from India Messages from Nisha in Jaipur. Transition Town Louth becomes virtually Twinned with Transition Town Katoomba. Find out more and get involved from the Transition Twinning Page. Links to Louth based organizations that form parts of The Solution rather than parts of The problem Louth Views Some pictures and films taken in and around Louth.

The 2011 Minutes Page

The 2010 Minutes Page

The Archived Stuff - 2011

The Archived Stuff - 2010

The Archived Stuff - 2009

Transition Town Louth Constitution

To contact Transition Town Louth, Send Mail

Cornmarket, Louth, Sunday 26th October 2008 Eat local.

Town Hall, Louth, Friday 5th December 2008 Dress local

Town Hall, Louth, Saturday 7th March 2009 Preserve local Louth St James Market, Sunday 25th July 2010