Local Action in the Wake of Global Emergency and Collapse
We are caught in a Global Emergency. This has several aspects to it – Resource Depletion,
Global Warming, Ecological Degradation, Growing Inequality and Social Unrest. The primary
cause of this emergency is the current crisis of capitalism which began with the 2008 financial
meltdown. The response of capitalism to this Global Emergency is the project of ‘global capital’,
the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution which is doomed to fail. A totally different non
capitalistic response is Transition Town Movement. It is an initiative or model that refers to
grassroots community projects. The aim is to create the means for sustainable self-sufficiency
at the local level to reduce the potential effects of peak oil, climate destruction, and economic
instability. This is done through re-localization strategies, especially around food production
and energy usage, taking us from the present capitalist/industrial stage of society to an
alternative stage.
The first long article, ‘Transition Town Movement’ is divided in three parts. They deal with:
Part I: Global Emergency and End of Modern Technology and Alternatives, Part II: Meaning and
History of Transition and Part III: Transition in India.
After that there are four articles, which deal with concrete issues of transition in India. The
first three pieces are written by Usha Rao based on her experience in rural areas of Madhya
Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. They are i. We are Part of the Problem, ii. School Education
during Transition Times, and iii. Some Thoughts on what Transition would involve in Rural
Areas. The last article is written by Shreekumar based on his study of J. C. Kumarappa and his
own experience: Transition from the Present to an Economy of Permanence. Kumarappa
represent an original Indian theory of economics which talks of local self sufficiency.
The final section is called Resources. It covers books, links to web sites and links to videos. The
context of the book and the ideas therein, is India.