12-Step Group Fights Oil "Addiction"

Twelve-step groups have flourished remarkably since the original such group, Alcoholics Anonymous, was founded in the U.S. The list of problems that have been given the 12-step-treatment include, well, just about everything. Add one more to the list: oil addiction.

According to an article by Graham Readfearn in the Brisbane Courier Mail, a group called Transition Town now has its 114th chapter in Brisbane, Australia. The group aims to wean the developed world from its self-destructive reliance on oil and other fossil fuels.

"This is one of the first movements that's focused on a positive vision and positive scenarios of the future," Emma-Kate Rose, 38, who is part of the Transition Kurilpa group, based in Brisbane's West End suburb, told Readfearn.

Transition Town is a nonprofit movement dedicated to "relocalizing" economies and avoiding the problems of climate change. It started with one group in England in 2006 and now has chapters in 15 countries. The group's "12 steps to transition" is based on AA's 12 steps and offers a blueprint for local action toward a more sustainable world. Their "Step 9: Build a Bridge to Local Government" is a good example of their approach. Much of their work is grassroots action working to convince communities that things can be done better.

"When you ask how we can cut our greenhouse gas emissions – how we can prepare and adapt to peak oil – then most roads lead to decentralised systems," Sonya Wallace, coordinator for the pioneering Transition Sunshine Coast group, told Readfearn.

According to Wallace, this means buying locally grown food, putting aside land for agriculture, promoting sustainable jobs or working with local governments. Recent Transition Town events, writes Readfearn, have included gardening courses, backyard beekeeping, movie screenings, seminars and a drive to install solar hot water systems.

"We were all suffering from climate change fatigue," Rose told Readfearn. "A lot of us were activists or just normal residents who felt really powerless about the situation. We talk about living a positive sustainable life."

Transition Town is a "great way to let the community's creative genius come to the fore to come up with some solutions," Stuart McCarthy, the Brisbane coordinator for the Australian Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas, told Readfearn. He added that Transition Towns have stepped in where the governments and, to a lesser degree mainstream media, have failed to acknowledge the issues.

"There's still a perception that peak oil is a technical problem," he told Readfearn. "But it has become clear that very soon it will be a socio-economic problem. It's going to need responses from governments, businesses and – importantly – communities, and that's where Transition Towns come in."

Photo courtesy of transitionus, via Flickr