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Frequently Asked Questions

  • How did the Transition Movement start?

    It all started in 2005 with Permaculture educator, Rob Hopkins, and his students at Kinsale Further Education College in Ireland. Together they produced the world’s first Energy Descent Action Plan in response to concerns about peak oil. The Transition Movement has deep roots in the work of David Holmgrem, one of the founders of Permaculture, and in the PowerDown work of Richard Heinberg. You can read more about the history here.

  • How can I get involved?

    You can get involved in a number of ways:

    • Read The Transition Handbook and pass it on
    • Go to the Transition websites and share these links with others: www.transitionus.org, www.transitionnetwork.org, and www.transitionculture.org.
    • Spread the word about why we need Transition and how we can go about creating community resilience while building a better, healthier community in the process
    • Come up with your own good ideas that advance community resilience in your locale
    • Attend a talk on Transition
    • Take one of the Transition Trainings so that you can guide your community to resilience
    • Participate in a social networking site, such as www.transitionus.ning.com
    • Make a tax deductible donation to enable us to provide more education, resources and training to help communities build-up their resiliency
    • MOST IMPORTANTLY, start or support a Transition Initiative where you live

  • Where can I find out if there is a Transition Initiative near me?

    Visit our map of existing Transition Initiatives and “mullers”. Similar to the Google Map of Transition Initiatives maintained by the Transition Network, we want to connect Transition Initiatives and “mullers” in communities across the US and support their efforts. That way, anyone else from your community who gets in touch with us, can be put in contact with you and vice versa.

    You can also visit the worldwide list of official Transition Initiatives maintained by the Transition Network in the UK, found at http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionCommunities

  • What are “mullers”? How can I sign up as a muller?

    In addition to the formally designated Transition Initiatives, there are many other communities involved in Transition work. “Mullers” are groups and individuals who are interested in actively using the Transition Model in their communities. If you’ve read the Primer and are “mulling over” whether you might set up an initiative in your locale, contact us!

    Similar to the Google Map of mullers maintained by the Transition Network, we want to connect mullers in communities across the US and support their efforts. That way, anyone else from your community who gets in touch with us can be put in contact with you and vice versa.

  • What is Transition US’s position on bananas?

    We generally don’t take positions; we encourage you to figure out your own response within the context of your community. Our suggestion is that you focus on rebuilding resilience into your local food systems, using local varieties of produce. If you want the full scoop on the global banana story, go ahead and read the Banana Book.

  • Is Transition affiliated with any political party?

    No, Transition is non-partisan. It seeks to include all members of society in the collaborative development of community resilience.

  • Is Transition a spiritual movement?

    Transition is not a spiritual movement. It is a grassroots, community-led response to peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. It is interested in unleashing our collective genius in whatever ways that emerge within the community.

  • Are there different types of Transition Initiatives?

    There now appear to be three types of initiatives emerging within the Transition Model here in the United States:

    1. Local Transition Initiative - embedded in its own locale where the steering group inspires and organizes the local community. This is the real heart of "Transition".
    2. Local Transition Hub - based within a large congruent/contiguous area with its own identity (e.g. a city or rural area). The Local Transition Hub helps establish and support "local transition initiatives" within the city or area.
    3. Temporary Initiating Hub - made up of a collection of acquainted individuals who work with each other to help set up "local transition initiatives" in their home communities. As the initiatives arise, the hub gradually disbands.

  • Will the Transition Model work in big cities?

    We certainly hope so. It is still early days in the Transition Movement. We envision that several Transition Initiatives will work together within a given Transition City. In some cases, a Transition hub will emerge first at the city level, with the aim of initiating the growth of smaller Transition initiatives within it. In other cases, the smaller initiatives will emerge first, and the hub will grow from their on-the-ground activities. The city hub’s role is to integrate and co-ordinate smaller, local initiatives and support their activities at a wider scale. The Transition Network held a Transition Cities conference in the UK in November 2008. You can read the write up and watch the videos here.

  • How is Transition US funded?

    Transition US is a nonprofit organization that is currently funded through grants and donations. We also receive a nominal amount from fees that participants pay for Transition Trainings.