Transition Culture: Cultivating Seeds for Networks of Change

Think of what it takes to plant seeds in a garden in order to make them grow and flourish. There's the soil, with the right mix of organic matter and nutrient-rich micro organisms. Then there are the seeds which need the right amount of water and sunlight to germinate and grow into healthy plants.

So too does any sort of significant social change require similar conditions to work. A transition model is built around communities who wish to build sustainability, lower CO2 emissions and build resilience. These are useful aspects to incorporate into any community considering peak oil, climate change, peak debt and rising food prices.

So how do we go about cultivating seeds where a transition culture can be nurtured? There's no right or wrong way to build a transition network, it's more a process of trial and error (and embracing failure and learning from it). I've outlined some of the seeds we need to plant in order to begin growing a transition network for change. Here they are:

Awareness: this can involve doing something different to change people's perception of the way things "should be." This might mean installing solar panels on your roof and then telling your neighbors about the benefits thereof. It could mean coming together in your local community to create a unique vision for the future. Or it could entail communicating with someone to understand how they've successfully implemented a change policy, or a way to live independently from fossil fuels.

I believe, even a questioning process (one I use in personal development coaching with my clients) can be a very effective form of raising awareness because it requires one to contemplate or reflect on the way one thinks, acts or communicates. This is often the starting point to implementing necessary action that will take your vision into the future.

Vision: if you can't imagine a world without non-renewable energy resources it's almost impossible to design it. With relevant design comes relevant vision. Any transition initiative would involve creating a holistic vision of the future where anything is possible. The outcomes of this vision need to be neatly aligned with the betterment of all involved.

Ask yourself the question; if you had to wake up in the year 2030, what would you like to see around you? Would it be an environment operating on low carbon emissions, would you like to see more resilient communities, or would it be community sharing programs or local food programs that you would like to see implemented etc?

Authentic communication: here's what's at the heart of authentic communication - empathy, respect, compassion and trust. This involves building partnerships where people's fundamental needs can be met. It involves really listening to one another, hearing what the other person has to say, understanding their perspective and working to meet each others needs.

It also means allowing people the space and time to express their feelings, needs and desires and to relate that back to the overarching theme of what you're trying to achieve. This will give you a sense of "placement" - how people see themselves fitting in. This builds connection, trust and resilience.

Creativity: creativity can be used as an effective tool to help people engage, not only with each other, but with the process of change itself. We all have unique skills and talents that can be integrated and applied for the good of the whole, so why not utilize them?

Imagination is a powerful element for change. Use your imagination to create the more abundant future you and your community desire. Think of a child painting or drawing. There's no limit as to what range of color, shape or texture they can use. So let your imagination run wild to generate creative insights and solutions to pressing concerns within your community. Creativity may not need to be generated in relation to a problem. An idea could just emerge out of the creative process itself that has a significant impact on the way you do things.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there's no right or wrong way to sow the seeds of a transition network and culture. I've merely outlined some pointers for you to initiate the change you wish to see in your local environments and communities. It's up to you to take it further.

A Thought Experiment on Limitation

How much of your thinking is driven by the need "to get?" Framed this way, how much of your behavior is driven by the need to escape suffering through some external gain? Underlying such a thought process is a logic of limitation. And it is this limitation that causes suffering.

Have you ever had the thought; if I just get that promotion then my life will be sorted? Or, if I get that house, car, job, or those shoes then my life will be better? Maybe, for a fleeting moment your life will feel more complete, but does it ever stop there?

Normally, once we've obtained the thing we've worked so hard to get, the shine rubs off and we quickly place our attention on the next thing "to get." Sure, we all have certain needs to be met; needs like shelter, clothing, water, food, love, connection... But over and above our basic needs, to what extent has a premise of enough is never enough, or I'll never feel complete until.... formed the basis of your thinking, communicating and behaving?

Going one step further, does this ideology serve you, your communities and the environment? This is a scarcity-based logic of thinking, one driven primarily by ego, one made more robust by the system of the  industrial growth economy (think of the need to get, amass or accumulate) that perpetuates the cycle of suffering.

It's this type of scarcity-based thinking that results in us living inside foreign identities. Media, culture, education have told us this is the way, and that's that. And so we loose touch with who we truly are, with what's important to us (our unique values) and with the big picture of why we're here.

The only way to deconstruct such a limiting narrative is to question or contradict the base upon which it has been built. To do this requires tremendous introspection, some of which can be painful. But the result can be a new narrative of truth, peace, abundance and well being. Ask yourself which line of logic forms the basis of your thinking and go from there.

What's the best way to learn: practically or technically?

What's the best way to learn - practically or technically? I'm not sure there's a right or wrong answer to this question, merely degrees of usefulness.

However, let's look at some of the pros and cons of each.

Applying oneself in a practical nature to ones learning is more of a hands-on experience. The creative process is one of trial and error, we learn from our mistakes and move on to greater heights. This I believe, makes the creative process more alive and intuitive, it allows for more room to maneuver with your vision.

There's been a lot talk lately about project-based learning and how this is the way of the future. I see many benefits in project-based learning, specifically that it's more open and fluid. Project-based learning is hinged upon what I call the 4 c's - connection, cooperation, creativity and communication. If I make a mistake in project based learning I return to the drawing board to see where I went wrong, alter my path and realign with my vision.

Technical learning on the other hand is more traditional and has often been associated with the nerd - the guy who plows into his text books to uncover solutions to his problem. However, even as we move into this new age of cooperative-based learning, I believe that technical astuteness is still valuable.

Technical knowledge allows for the precision and fine tuning of ideas. A technical understanding of a concept can be used as a tool for mastery. The down side of solely technical learning is that it rests in the concept of control, which can be quite limiting. If I understand a concept in a text book and therefore take that particular knowledge as finite, I may be proved wrong through circumstance.

 Here's an everyday example. Back in 2002 I did 2 Italian language courses at the University for Foreigners in Siena. While I learned a lot of grammar and tense (the more technical aspects of learning a language), it was not until I worked in a beach resort in the south of Italy that I become more fluent in the language.

This was because I was forced to speak and listen to the language 24/7. Eventually I even started dreaming in Italian and when I spoke to my family back home it felt different having to switch back to English. As a result I progressed much faster than I would have had I just remained studying Italian at the university.

This is not to say that the technical nature of learning should be made obsolete. We all have different ways and styles of learning that are best suited to our personalities. Perhaps in the past there's been more of a focus on text book learning. However, if we want to be more innovative and creative with our ideas and solutions then there can be no substitute for practical, project-based learning. We need both.

Staying in Flow

Have you ever wondered what it takes to stay in flow? Have you ever experienced a moment when you are completely immersed in flow - where everything seems to fall into place, where time stands still and you wholeheartedly engage in what you love doing?

Well, why is it that we're unable to attain this state of flow 24/7? Here are a few pointers to remaining in flow.

Skills: Honing ones skills is something that will always make one better at whatever one does. This process never ends. It just gets more refined and acute. A lot of research has gone into the 10 000 hour rule; some say that you need atleast 10 000 hours of practice in order to become a master at something like chess or the violin. I believe this can be shortened depending on how one applies oneself to the task. In other words, how dedicated are you to mastering your craft?

Talents: your talents are what you're naturally good at. These can be formed at a very young age, but they require development and nourishment. Where your talents really come together to enhance your state of flow is where, what you're naturally good at, aligns with what really excites you. What do you enjoy doing and do your talents match nicely with that? They often do align however it can be useful to bring your awareness to any situation when you feel yourself getting drawn away from your core talents, either by people or processes.

Challenge: this is important, because we need challenge to enter a state of flow. But too much of a challenge and you're left feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Too little of a challenge and often you'll be left feeling bored, uninterested and disengaged. So what's the optimum level of challenge for a state of flow to emerge? It's where you're leaning into the challenge with just the right amount of skills to take you through the challenge while growing and learning at the same time.

Mindset: obviously if I don't have certain skills to perform a challenge I'll be left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, perhaps even a bit angry. But even if I've spent time developing my skills to perform a task, I could still fall into the trap of overwhelm. Doubt could creep into my thinking, I could start to over-think things instead of trusting the process. I could just be overwhelmed by the situation regardless of my skills set. This is where mindset training comes into play. Through awareness I'm able to consciously bring my attention to the present moment and rather than resist the feeling, relax into it. I might take a couple of deep breathes and centre and ground my energy to refocus on the task at hand. This will result in greater clarity and the ability to slip back into flow.

How often do you find yourself in flow - your optimum state of consciousness where time stands still and you're completely captivated by the task at hand, applying your skills and talents to help you break through to the other side?

Control Oil, Control The World; Bringing You Power Struggles Since 1928

There can be little denying the fact that the exploitation of cheap fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) gave rise to the global military industrial complex that is rife today. Since 1928 and the subsequent formation of the Seven Sisters (BP, Shell, Texaco, Chevron, Mobil, Gulf and Exxon) oil has been the "blood of every battle."

This very exclusive cartel has for the past 85 years dominated the world by controlling oil (its supply, costs, and price). During the 1960's this cartel controlled as much as 85% of the world's oil reserves. This fueled growth in the automobile industry pioneered by the model T Ford. And this gave rise to things like super highways, sprawling metropolis, suburban America and large commutes to and from work.

So how have the Seven Sisters managed to do this?

They've managed to control the majority of the world's oil supply through massive abuse of power. Nowhere has this been more prevalent than in the Middle East. President Bush's rhetoric to invade Iraq on the grounds that they were harboring "weapons of mass destruction" was nothing but a lie in order to provoke war as a means to control the world's greatest oil supply.

One thing is certain though. The Seven Sisters did greatly benefit from this war. Not only could they secure the most abundant oil producing rigs in the world, but they could also benefit from the spike in oil prices pre-invasion of Iraq.

Africa (specifically Libya, Gabon, Algeria and Nigeria) was another part of the world with oil supplies ready to be exploited by western oil corporations to the severe detriment of the countries involved. Nigeria has since been brought to its knees by oil companies who've no less than raped and pillaged the country's oil reserves through war and corruption. The irony is that Nigeria has to import refined oil for local use while it's own oil gets exported for vast corporate profit.

The global oil game is beginning to change though. As new players enter the fray and the Seven Sister's relinquish their grip on controlling global oil reserves, a new dynamic is unfolding. This is due to the rise of the might of China with its thirst for economic expansion (2 years ago China was growing at a rate of 10% per annum).

China's strategy has been to form strategic alliances with countries like Sudan and Iran. Sudan has welcomed the capital investment into its economy for the building of roads and railways. Iran too, has welcomed the new found interest due to international sanctions.

Another major area for oil production is the Caucasus which has seen many a battle for power since the Russian Revolution. Lenin, Stalin and Hitler were all fixated on gaining control of Baku for its oil supply. Decades after WW2, Saudi Arabia and the US conspired to take down the USSR, literally opening the taps on the global supply of oil from the region. It was only until Vladimir Putin stepped into power that he would stamp his authority (specifically on the Russian oligarchs) under the guise that oil equals power.

And so now we have 3 superpowers all involved in the battle for the remaining global oil supplies - The American Eagle, The Russian Bear and The Chinese Dragon. The nationalization of oil reserves has given rise to a new group of companies vying for the title of the Seven Sisters. These companies are: Russia's Gazprom, The China Petroleum Corporation, The National Iran Oil Company, Venezuela's PDVSA, Brazil's Petrobras and Malaysia's Petronas.

Since peak oil hit in 2006, oil extraction has become increasingly dangerous and more expensive. Off-shore drilling in places like Brazil, Venezuela and the Arctic have become more prominent, while the Keystone XL pipeline in Canada and the Alaskan pipeline has drawn much criticism for their environmental impact. Thus it is with great trepidation that these power struggles play themselves out in relation to climate change. Our reliance on fossil fuels has to diminish if we are to stand any chance of limiting global warming to the critical 2 degree Celsius rise from pre-industrial levels.

Anything above this will have dire consequences for plants, animals and humans alike. Such an increase in temperature would result in a massive loss of biodiversity putting into effect a downward spiral. This loss can be prevented however, if we choose to act now! But with America's new shale gas revolution and power hungry struggles over the planet's remaining oil reserves (please see current events in Syria), the future ain't looking too rosy...