Shipston urged to brace itself against climate change (From Cotswold Journal)

Shipston urged to brace itself against climate change

1:44pm Thursday 16th April 2009

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PEOPLE are being urged to help make Shipston and its surrounding villages resilient against the effects of climate change and a predicted worldwide decline in oil production.

Residents, organisations and groups from the Shipston area are invited to attend a public meeting at Shipston High School, Darlingscote Road, at 7.30pm on Wednesday, April 29 to discuss joining Transition Town, a worldwide grassroots movement working to build local resilience against the effects of climate change and peak oil.

Peak oil will be the time when the maximum rate of global oil extraction is reached, after which the production rate will enter terminal decline.

This concept is based on observed production rates of individual oil wells and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells.

There are more than 150 Transition Town initiatives in Britain and hundreds more in Japan, Chile, America, Australia and other countries.

These work to encourage local food production, produce renewable energy and boost the local economy.

They devise practical solutions, including shop-local schemes, installation of renewable energy production and grow-your-own fruit and vegetable projects.

Among them is Transition Stratford, which has organised the meeting in a bid to found Transition Shipston.

James Pavitt, founding member of the National Association of Farmers' Markets, will open the meeting with a presentation about peak oil and Transition Towns.

Matt McMullen, founding member of Transition Stratford, said: “The Transition Town movement is a truly grassroots movement.

“To act globally, we must think locally.

“The only way to tackle the huge challenges of both climate change and peak oil is to work from the bottom up.

“We hope that the meeting will engage and inspire local residents and community groups to take part and take action.

“We would urge all local residents to come along.”

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