Our Mission is:
To encourage and help people to develop and live sustainably within our planet’s capacity.
In particular we promote and encourage progressively reducing consumption of non-renewable resources and energy (especially fossil fuels). We promote ecofriendly life-styles through education, collaboration, and respect for people and planet. However, Transition Buxton does not wish to be prescriptive as we recognise that there are many complex matters still to be resolved and every individual must make their own informed choices.
Transition Buxton concentrates on ‘doing’ and finding pragmatic solutions. Transition Buxton is wholly independent and run by its Members; we have no political affiliations.
Transition Buxton is not a campaigning organisation, although we recognise that there is no clear line between raising awareness and promoting a view about an environmental issue. There are many environmental campaigning organisations and in general we encourage Members to join those with which they feel an affinity.
In an effort to be clear about our position on a range of issues and to reflect our Members views, this Position Statement sets out some general principles.
Underlying Principles
Transition is inclusive, needing ownership by the community, the UK, Europe, the World.
Transition Buxton seeks to unite people who consider that a necessary requirement for everybody on this planet (including those in the UK) to have a prosperous and harmonious future is for individuals and communities in developed countries to make a rapid transition to a low energy, low consumption, low pollution life-style that ensures, as far as lies with us, that humanity remains within the scientific ecological planetary boundaries.
Recognising that such a transition requires ‘ownership’ by a whole community, Transition Buxton encourages experimentation, innovation, positive debate and intentional action by groups and individuals but does not expect specific views, standards or actions, nor specific political, religious or ideological stances from members.
In order to live up to our principles and to set bench-marks, Transition Buxton as an organisation seeks, where practicable, to set the highest environmental standards and targets in the value it places on individuals and the environment. In particular, but not exclusively, it will only accept funding or other support from (a) sympathetic individuals or (b) organisations that it recognises as long-term environmentally sustainable or making strenuous, urgent efforts to become so.
Transition Buxton is in Favour of:
- Toleration, discussion, debate and all efforts to promote resilience through mutual support and cooperation;
- Local Community initiatives to reduce unnecessary consumption and our carbon foot-print and to enhance the quality of life for all. E.g. local food production and local electricity generation;
- Permaculture principles;
- The R’s (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle) including efforts to reduce packaging and food waste.
For further detailed examples see Appendix 1.
Transition Buxton is opposed to:
Although we do not instigate related campaigns, where appropriate and supported by our Members Transition Buxton is willing to add our group’s name to campaigns
on issues organised by other groups such as:
- Coal, lignite, peat as fuels (except in rare cases where indigenous people have no immediate alternative) and in particular coal-fired power-stations;
- Fracking;
- Bad science;
- Industries that by intent or neglect oppose environmental improvements.
For further detailed examples see Appendix 2
Transition Buxton is Neutral on:
Appendix 1
Transition Buxton is generally in favour of:
Public transport, cycling, walking, and efforts to facilitate these including by segregation from cars and lorries.
Rail freight wherever practicable.
The use of local independent businesses and suppliers which helps to reduce product miles and retain money in the local economy. Money spent with large scale corporates tends to take money out of circulation in the local economy.
Bee hives, provided the bees are not over-exploited and adequate areas are available for wild bees.
Planting, nurture and harvesting of trees that are appropriate to a location, especially ones that provide food.
All efforts to protect wild spaces and to ‘re-wild’ except where this is for the exclusive benefit of individuals or groups and to the detriment of indigenous peoples.
Forest gardening, forest schools, and all efforts to enable children and families to experience ‘hands-on’ harmonious interaction with ‘Nature’.
Expanding existing Renewable Energy production technology (e.g. wind, solar, hydro, sustainable local wood/coppice/grass) provided that ecological impacts are
carefully minimised and wild spaces are left undeveloped. Optimise solar PV. Optimise community projects and shared ownership where any profit is reinvested in the local environment and community.
Energy storage on large and small scale, with some caution about environmental sourcing of materials and disposal of waste for manufacture.
The development of wave-power and tidal power (e.g. turbines on the sea bed where practicable) and other environmentally friendly innovation.
The development of later generations of bio-fuels that do not require significant amounts of agricultural land, with caution regarding sourcing and disposal of materials.
More people growing more of their own food including Community Farms, allotments and getting children involved in growing food.
Maximising use of grey water, water conservation and re-cycling.
Designing re-use and re-cycling into manufactured products.
All efforts to aid the reduction of energy consumption e.g. insulation, passivehouses/shops/schools/factories, and LED lighting.
A change in diet that progressively reduces to a sustainable level the amount of meat and dairy products consumed by people and their pets. Vegetarian or Vegan diet – while adoption by individuals is commendable there is still a debate about the realism of promoting universal adoption.
Fairtrade imports of foods and drinks that cannot reasonably be produced locally, that benefit the producers and are sustainable where they are produced.
Developments of hybrid and electric vehicles or hydrogen powered vehicles provided the original energy for manufacture and use is renewable as far as practicable.
Guerrilla gardening – i.e. carried out safely with the tacit acceptance by the Local Authority.
Efforts to reduce the use of single use plastics and clean up our environment including beaches and oceans. Reduction in all types of packaging where possible.
The phasing out of Nuclear power generation other than the possible development of thorium or fusion systems as renewable technology is more developed.
Appendix 2
Transition Buxton is generally not in favour of:
Unsustainable extraction of peat. Note: some peat is produced sustainably and should be prioritised for growing seedlings.
Diesel cars and larger cars than strictly necessary.
Biofuels that displace food production or require forests or other wild spaces to be cleared or that impede re-wilding.
Genetic Modification (GM) and manipulation directed towards food production or other commercial purposes.
The use of herbicides and insecticides other than those that occur naturally. In particular neo-nicotinoids and any used in conjunction with GM plants. It is, however, recognised that some control of invasive species may be needed where biological controls cannot be discovered.
Farming techniques that harm the soil, especially by reducing the organic matter.
All production and use of plastics that leads to pollution of land, rivers, seas and oceans (including manufacturing waste).
Fracking on the grounds that all fossil fuel extraction has an undesirable environmental side.
Opening up of new oil fields.
Nuclear weapons.
The selling of British made arms and weapons abroad.
Bottom trawling and other fishing techniques that are unsustainable or impact negatively on indigenous peoples.
Note: We regard divestment (and appropriate reinvestment) as a campaigning method, not a campaign in itself.
Appendix 3
Support of a particular political party although that does not preclude commenting on the environmental policies of different parties.
HS2 – public transport is commendable but ultra high speeds waste energy.
Severn Barrage and similar – there is still a debate about how best to mitigate the negative ecological impacts. Better to reduce energy consumption.
Intensive fish farming. Increased fish consumption could reduce the demand for meat but there are environmental concerns about sourcing food for the fish and the
levels of toxins excreted by large numbers of growing fish in confined pens.
Private ownership of cars for use where public transport is not practicable and flying in moderation where the flyer sees good reason.