Jargon Explained

Here are a few terms to get you started - if you come across any terms on this website that you don't understand, just let us know and we will  be happy to add them on to this list. 

Transition Town/Initiative
A Transition Town roughly speaking, is a group of people within a geographical area that have come together to carry out projects, activities and events that attempt to build upon the skills of the community to build 'resilience'. By building a more resilient community it is hoped that the community will continue despite issues that might arise from the impacts of climate change and peak oil. This movement is not about 'doom and gloom', the approaches taken are about creating more vibrant communities where people feel involved and safe.

Peak Oil
Peak Oil refers to the point at which oil becomes harder and harder to extract. This causes the price of oil to increase and eventually reach the point when it becomes more expensive to extract than it is worth. For more information, please google 'hubbert's peak'

Energy Decent Action Plan (EDAP)
The aim of Transition Towns is to create an EDAP which will lay out how the town will reduce it's reliance on energy over a period of time (eg 5, 10. 25 years). This plan may change over time and the timeframes changed but it provides groups with an idea of how they will deliver their transition towards a more resilient community.

Re-skilling
The existing skills held by people within each community are crucial to the success of the community to be more independent. It is crucial that these skills are passed on to the next generation, and the one after that, to enable us to do more for ourselves. Most of these skills have already skipped generations and have been forgotten by everyone except a rare few. If you have a skill that you can pass on to others, please do so! If you would like to learn new skills, please support the workshops we are looking at organising.

Resilience
The ability of a community to absorb shocks in energy prices/fuel shortages whilst undergoing change but retaining the same function, identity and structure.