greenliving
Transition Towns
network, led by individuals who are working to transform their own communities. While Berea is seeing its subdivisions expand and farmland disappear, one group of residents is making plans to help their community end its reliance on fossil fuels. Berea locals have a goal they’re by Tara Lohan calling “50 x 25.” By 2025, they aim to have the town using 50 percent less energy, deriving 50 percent of the it does use from local sources, More and more neighborhoods are making the transition energy procuring 50 percent of its food from farms and processors within 100 miles to a climate-friendly community. of town, and generating 50 percent of its gross domestic product from locally owned, independent businesses. he coastal town “We know that if we Cities first began com The Transition Town Berea group of Lincoln City, holds monthly reskilling workshops to mitting to Kyoto Protocol work together, not Oregon, has a lot help locals acquire the know-how to goals in 2005, through only can we lessen to lose if nothing is done grow their own food, weatherize their the U.S. Conference of about climate change. Mayors Climate Protection houses and install solar panels. Their our impact, but we The town sits 11 feet projects help neighbors replant lawns Agreement. Now, more also can live more above sea level, and unwith edibles and build raised vegetable than 1,000 cities in the checked climate change fully and justly,” United States, the District beds. They’ve also auctioned rain barcould erode its beaches rels painted by local artists and orgaof Columbia and Puerto or flood the town. — Pam Richart, nized a 100-Mile Potluck to celebrate Rico have signed on. Residents are taking local food and farmers. The community Transition Rogers matters into their own climate movement goes Park organizer hands. “We could ignore beyond government initia- Building a Future from it, let the federal governtives; it’s a cultural shift the Ground Up ment deal with it,” Mayor Lori Hollinginvolving people from tiny rural towns to The Transition Towns movement in sworth says. “We’re not willing to do major metropolitan areas. the United States is less than two that.” Last year, Lincoln City committed years old, but it came from the seeds to becoming carbon neutral, through The Heart of Climate Action of earlier re-localization efforts and renewable energy, energy efficiency The fast-growing college town of Berea, other community climate groups and and carbon offsets. Kentucky, is one of scores of U.S. com- nonprofits. Communities like Lincoln City have A lecture on climate change may munities that have become Transition long been ahead of Congress and the not appeal to everyone, but advoTowns and formed a diffuse, grassroots White House on climate commitments.
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