The Daily Telegraph
By: Neil Keene
Hunter communities are signing up to a worldwide movement aimed at tackling climate change at one of the most grassroots levels.
Newcastle became an official part of the Transition Towns project and plans are already under way for the Lake Macquarie suburb of Coal Point to join the fray.
Devised in the UK, Transition Towns recruits entire communities to cut down on pollution and fossil fuels use by embracing sustainable lifestyle changes like renewable energy and communal gardens.
Transition Towns Newcastle convenor William Vorobioff admitted the concept sounded utopian but said with climate change and dwindling oil supplies it would one day become a necessity.
"It's not all about doom and gloom though -- we're saying this is an opportunity to look at a different way of living,'' he said.
"I think people have an intuitive sense that a lot of our lifestyle is not actually very satisfying.
"They're working harder, there's more stress, less time with kids and they're not connected with the community in general. This is an enormous opportunity for us to rethink all that and the way we do things.''
Mr Vorobioff said that by taking simple steps like growing or sourcing food locally, communities could significantly reduce their environmental footprint.
He cited studies showing that for each calorie of food consumed in the US, seven to 15 calories of fossil fuel energy had to be burnt to get it into a shop and on to the plate.
Newcastle is one of more than 150 towns and communities in 14 countries to sign on to the initiative so far.
Coal Point Progress Association president Suzanne Pritchard yesterday launched a campaign to have her suburb included as well.
She said that while each Transition Town group was different, the aim was the same -- to create sustainable communities that relied less on fossil fuels in day-to-day life.
That meant taking energy-saving measures ranging from the installation of water tanks and solar panels to car-pooling with neighbours and planting community gardens.
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Go to transitionnewcastle.org.au for more information