“At least I won’t be around to see it,” is one approach. Or non-approach, as the case may be.
“Technology and free enterprise will take care of it,” is another.
The folks committed to Transition Town in Cheltenham and Abington aren’t willing to take that risk.
The risky “it” looming ominously on the ever-closer horizon is the “ecological debt” – in the words of David Orr, distinguished author and professor at Oberlin College - that has been resulting from over-consumption of fossil fuels in the past 200 years. Orr explains that we’ve been “drawing down Nature’s capital – living beyond our [environmental] means.”
Ecological damage requires “a new energy paradigm,” according the CEO of Lloyd’s. Even one of the world’s pre-eminent insurance market specialists urges “governments to identify a clear path towards sustainable energy which businesses can follow.”
In its 2010 White Paper Sustainable Energy Security, Lloyd’s warns that the “old model” of reliance on fossil fuels is “outdated.” The study concludes that “energy security is now inseparable from the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
Transition Town is about planning for “descent” in energy use, putting conservation ahead of growth in consumption and using innovative strategies to reduce waste and nurture vibrant local economies. Transition Town projects are taking place all over the globe. [www.totnes.transitionnetwork.org and www.transitionus.org or, in progress: www.transitionnetwork.org; also www.CheltenhamTransition.org ]
“We want to make Cheltenham a sustainable community,” explains Wyncote resident Judith Gratz. Gratz has retired from her work at the Academy of Natural Sciences and Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, but remains an environmental educator and consultant. No naive flower child, Gratz nevertheless emphasizes the importance of “living closely with basic environmental principles.”
Over 70 people attended a Transition Town working session at Curtis Hall on May 27. They came from Cheltenham, Abington, Jenkintown – from Philadelphia and New Jersey and beyond. Most of them believe in their power to make a difference at the local level. They met in interest groups to brainstorm ideas for transitioning to greater harmony with the environment. Energy, food, education, governance, health, transportation and livelihoods were among the organizing directions to which participants contributed their thoughts.
Transition Town doesn’t impose a plan on any community; instead, it’s a broad, inclusive framework through which interested citizens can come together and collaborate to reduce dependence on carbon-based energy. Outreach to and engagement of diverse organizations already operating in the community help propel meaningful, viable action plans.
Bill Mettler of Wyncote spoke of his vision for Cheltenham in the year 2020. It included the sweet aroma of freshly picked strawberries from neighborhood gardens and new yogurt produced by Ashbourne Farm, the former country club property. In his vision, green streets host more bicycles than cars, and rail stations now serve as cargo depots, as well as lively passenger sites. Walkable commercial streets are bustling with coffee houses, repair and recycling shops, and artisan studios. Children enjoy playing along clean creeks and parks. Fishing is attractive and Curtis Arboretum is stocked with nut trees for the public.
This isn’t just futuristic daydreaming, urges Judith Gratz. Choices belong to each of us each day. We don’t need to use plastic bags at all. We can eat more locally-grown vegetables and reduce our intake of the meats that require high-intensity, big-agriculture with its petroleum-based fertilizers, growth hormones and long distance transport. Gratz notes that the use of petroleum-based fertilizers for growing food accounts for about 35 percent of carbon emissions.
We can pass regulations to stop buses and trucks from idling their engines for an hour or two, fouling our air and our ears. Even the EPA ranks diesel exhaust as a major public health problem and urges schools (and other organizations) provide drivers with indoor space in which they can wait instead of idling. “There should be sidewalks throughout the Township, and bike routes where possible,” Gratz adds.
New developments can be required to set aside land for community gardens or trees for all to harvest; new construction could be expected to include adequate solar panels to generate a minimum amount of electricity or hot water.
The can do list is endless. And essential, in order to avert more catastrophes like the oil leak in the Gulf or the most recent Marcellus Shale explosion in western Pennsylvania.
At our house these days, we’ve been using a muscle-powered push reel lawn mower. It’s our green compromise with the toxic culture that still believes in golf course-style lawns. Meanwhile, we’re gradually moving toward more appropriate and resilient native flora.
What are you doing?
Transition Town’s Next Event: Alternative Modes of Travel Made Easy
Sunday, June 27: 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Robinson Park and Calvary Presbyterian Church
More Info: 215-896-7804 or www.TransitionCheltenham.org
