Transition Cafe

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8th February Topic: Renewable Energy
David White ACA, MSc (CAT) who is an energy efficiency and renewable energy advisor will be talking about ‘Domestic energy efficiency and renewables – what works and how to pay for it’. His talk includes information on the New Green Energy Deal, free and low cost energy efficiency measures, along with current sources of funding ahead of the Green Deal coming in, and the renewable energy incentive schemes. David’s talk will start at 7.15pm

14th March Topic: The Power of community
After the showing of the 20 minute Transition Town film, Bernie Kennedy from the Liverpool Quakers will facilitate some story telling, tapping into our experience of community.

11th April Topic: Costing not less than everything: Sustainability and spirituality in challenging times
Showing of the DVD by Pam Lunn of the 2011 Swarthmore Lecture, 2011 followed by discussion.
It is no longer possible to ignore that this planet is a finite resource. In our future as a human species we are bound together, worldwide, with each other and with the ‘real global economy’ of a fragile natural environment. With quiet urgency and deep honesty Pam Lunn addresses the unsustainability of the way we all live in the industrialised West, but this is not a counsel of despair or guilt. Realistic and well informed about the evolutionary basis of cooperation as well as the spiritual dimension, she puts forward and unsentimental argument for the possibility as well as the necessity of community.

9th May Topic: Simple solutions to climate pollutions
After his successful presentation for Transition Town West Kirby, Simon Wallace will be bringing equipment to demonstrate some of the practical solutions we can adopt as a part of reducing our carbon footprint for members of Transition Liverpool.

This will be a fun, highly practical session with demonstrations of how to make the following:
• A simple hay box oven
• A solar water heater from plastic bottles
• A solar funnel cooker
• A plant pot fridge

13th June Topic: Sustainable Transport
Interested in supporting a more sustainable transport culture in Liverpool? Come along to our June Transition Cafe to discuss the key issues and plan next steps. Ed Holden, Sustainable Transport Assistant (LSTF) at St. Helens Council and Derek Gould from Merseyside Cycling Campaign will kick off our discussion with a short presentation.

12th September Topic: Showing of “In Transition 2.0”
This new and improved film about the Transition Towns movement gives some inspirational snapshots of transition projects around the word, showing how they got them off the ground, how they sustained them and some of the benefits these projects brought to the local communities. A great introduction to what Transition is all about…

10th October Topic: to be confirmed

14th November Topic: After the Symposium
The Open Space Event at the September symposium allows people to meet together to think creatively about an issue of concern and to create a vision of what they would like to see happen in the future. These may be local, national or international issues. These groups are invited to present their work from the day at our November Transition Cafe, for discussion and support by Transitioners.

2011

12th Jan 6.50pm: The Truth About Climate Change (DVD)
David Attenborough explores the personal and technological changes we can make to avert catastrophe

9th Feb Topic: What are Energy Descent action plans?
Students form the University of Liverpool talk about Energy descent plans. This is about what we need to do to reduce our use of non-renewable resources.

9th March 6.50pm: Crash course by Chris Martenson
This DVD challenges the dominant discourse of our day which suggests that we can only have prosperity while we have growth and puts forward a new vision, one that he sees will be needed for the future.

13th April Topic: Can we live on renewable energy?
This talk looks at the renewable energy available and compares this with our current use of energy. It is based largely on research done by David MacKay, Professor of Physics at Cambridge University

8th June Topic: Energy –  Tim Greenshaw from the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy
How much do we need and how can we get it? In this lecture, we will discuss the UK’s future energy needs and      examine the contribution various energy sources, both renewable and non-renewable, can make to fulfilling those needs

13th July Topic: Heart and Soul – an exploration of the importance of “Inner Transition” as we face the challenges of climate change, peak oil and related issues, by Jon Jelfs. The start of a conversation to explore whether there is a place for ‘heart and soul’ meetings in Liverpool and if so what form they might take.

14th September Topic: Linking the Local and the Global
Localisation is at the core of the Transition approach, but how might this work relate to global issues? This month we’ll be watching a short episode of The Powerdown Show focusing on Global Citizenship to kick off the discussion.

12th October Topic: Honouring the Elders
Rather than seeing the past as something to be left behind, the Transition approach suggests that we have a lot to learn from those who lived before the age of cheap oil. This month, Michelle Bastian will open up a discussion on these issues by describing a new project being developed that will explore the history of local food in Liverpool.

9th November Topic: Children, Health and Climate Change
After looking at how we can learn from the past in October’s café, November’s meeting will looking to the future. Neil Chadborn from Transition Eastham and Bromborough will open the discussion by discussing some of his research aimed at learning more about children’s attitudes towards health and climate change.