Relocalisation - acting locally on global issues

Prior to publication, Holmgren’s energy seems to have gone mainly into the development of his rural smallholding in Victoria but, following the release of his latest book, he has replaced Mollison as the most prominent speaker and teacher of the Permaculture Design System.

Although the pair’s Sydney city talk did not adequately address medium density living to the extent that some in the audience had hoped, it outlined possible strategies for coping with the consequences of peak oil in the suburbs. Through a Powerpoint presentation that took viewers on an imaginary journey over decades, Holmgren described how Australia’s suburbs could be converted to produce food (download Powerpoint) and, importantly for global warming, how housing could be made more energy efficient.

Food production and distribution, more so than home heating and cooling, are large consumers of fuel oil and any strategies which reduce that reliance are pertinent to reducing future global warming and oil dependency.

Relocalisation as solution

The talks inspired a small number of groups to get people thinking about what has become known as the “relocalisation” solution to global peak oil. Among sustainability educators there exists debate over whether peak oil or global warming deserves priority.

Some say that solutions devised for one are often of benefit in effectively addressing the other. All agree that increasing the use of local renewable resources and developing local economies, especially their capacity to cater to local demand and for import substitution, are key strategies in dealing with the potential impact of a reduced oil supply.

The Totnes program provides clues about what local transition associations can do to start people thinking about ways to address the two issues.

Ideas already acted upon include: developing a neighbourhood skills database and relocalisation directory; local food production in market gardens, orchards, home and community gardens; advocating for local government to adopt energy descent plans; and organising walking tours to acquaint participants with local resources relevant to relocalisation. There are more, of course; these are just starting points.

It seems that Australia already has some institutions and initiatives that fit well the relocalisation agenda.

Locally produced food has received a boost through the growing number of farmers’ markets in our towns and cities (see the Australian Farmers' Markets Association’s Guide to Farmers’ Markets in Australia and New Zealand). These provide a middleman-free market for growers and orchardists in the regions. The increasing number of community food gardens and the popularity of home garden food production - a visit to the gardening shelves of any bookshop will confirm that popularity - would be elements of any relocalisation strategy.

Staying with food, there’s business initiatives like the organic food home delivery services which make use of the Worldwide Web for online shopping, reducing the number of private motor vehicle journeys and, in their own small way, addressing the high energy consumption of supermarkets. And that’s just food - there are many other initiatives that are of value in dealing with a possible fuel shortfall-costs increase scenario.

Well ahead of the environment lobbies

In 2005, author and relocalisation advocate, Helena Norberg-Hodge, told Byron Bay locals that the town needs to look inwards at its own considerable resources to develop a local culture rather than bring in outsiders (www.pacific-edge.info > journalism > Time for a New Localism, says Norberg-Hodge). She wasn’t recommending parochialism, just the development of the local economy and a distinct, local culture that drew on itself rather than from outside the region.

One of the people behind Byron Bay’s successful organic farmers’ market, Norberg-Hodge has since taken that message to other towns where she propagates the idea of relocalisation as a partial solution to peak oil and global warming.