Our society depends on oil for everything we do and the age of cheap oil is ending. We face enormous changes. There is still oil in the ground or under the sea but it is certain that global production has either peaked already or will do so in a year or two. Production in the US peaked in 1970 and in the North Sea in 1999. Meanwhile demand and consumption are still increasing. This leaves us little time to adapt. At the same time it is highly desirable, if we want the climate to stabilize, that we should reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

In a way the future looks bleak but it is still possible to do something about it, to create an energy descent plan for the transition to a low-energy mode of life. There are many towns in the UK and other countries that are already some way along this road and our objective in Transition Town Wellington is to learn from what they have achieved and make Wellington more resilient so that we are in a better position to meet the twin challenges. Wellington town councillors support our aims and Somerset County Council voted in 2009 to make Somerset a Transition County.

We have to think small; using less energy means making many things locally that are currently got from a distance. There will be radical changes in agriculture. At present it takes 10 calories of energy to produce 1 calorie of food to eat and this can't go on. We shall be growing food locally – think food feet – in gardens, allotments and in small neglected patches of ground. Large mechanised farms can be redesigned as community farms. We can try to heat houses locally by promoting the use of heat pumps in new buildings. We shall have to do without, or find another source for, the things that depend on oil and that is not just petrol for cars; the list of goods that are either made of oil directly or use oil in their manufacture is very long.

The transition movement is not about growth. It is about living sustainably and making intelligent use of resources. It is not possible to go on raiding the earth's capital in the way we have done since the Industrial Revolution and oil is the first resource that is going to make us think again by running short. It is about considering the future for a change. It is strange to note that the government is heading in the opposite direction; the response to the current economic crisis is to try to stimulate growth. That is why the movement has begun with just a few people in small towns. There are now nearly 150 transition towns in 14 countries, including Taunton, Langport and others in Somerset. The movement will grow as more people come to realise that not only do we have to change and learn to live with less but that we can do it. You might think that the process of change would be grim and hard work but in fact they have found that it is exciting and fun.

New members are always welcome. If you would like to know more please write to

Tony Sumner
tony <at> whittycat.me.uk

or write your name and e-mail address in our query form.