Transitioning into the future

Members of the community are invited to join the transition movement toward a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future.

Transition Laguna Beach, an organization that seeks to engage the community as it develops practical alternatives to a lifestyle dependent upon a fuel-based economy, will host “The Great Unleashing” from 6 to 10 p.m. May 14 at the Sawdust Art Festival, 935 Laguna Canyon Road.

Group co-founder Chris Prelitz said the goal of the event is to “unleash” the wisdom and potential into positively creating a future the community collectively wants, by raising awareness and educating its members about the issues and impact of peak oil and petrol-dependency.

“We’re trying to co-create local resilience and self-reliance in preparation for inevitable disruptions in energy,” he said.

“Most experts agree that we’ve sucked up most of the easy-to-get oil, and it’s only a matter of time before we see the close of the ‘cheap oil’ age.

“Local food production is at the heart of sustainability (modern factory farms require about 10 calories of fossil fuel to grow just one calorie of food). Water, energy, transportation and re-localization are other key issues for Laguna to address.”

The free event will include an array of eco-exhibits from edible landscaping to eco-art, organic food and drinks, live music and dancing.

A Community Action Breakfast will be from 9 a.m. to noon the following day at Tivoli Terrace, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, where concerned citizens can sign up for a workgroup that’s in an area of interest to them.

Food Group at work

Someone who likes to garden, for instance, can join the Food Group, a subset of Transition Laguna that promotes a network of yard gardens and works with individuals to educate, install and distribute locally grown fruits and vegetables, said Sean McCracken, a core member and Food Group volunteer.

“We began by building numerous gardens from South to North Laguna, but our next efforts are focused on 10-block micro-communities,” he said. “We’re now working on the ‘Oak Village Community Gardens,’ where we plan to grow 15 to 20 gardens by the end of July.”

Volunteers will then share food and wine over a “harvest party” in the middle of summer, he said, to celebrate their efforts.

“It’s a great way to bring the community together,” he said.

Other workgroups in need of innovate minds and sweat equity are economy, energy, community, mobility, recycle-reuse and water.

“I know it’s challenging for most of us to consider a life without cheap oil and all of the benefits fossil fuels gave us,” Prelitz said. “But we must see the big picture and understand that we’ll feel the impacts in the next few years.

“Fortunately, we’ve been a creative species on our way up the energy curve from the Industrial Revolution until now, and we’ll likely be just as creative on the downside of oil descent.

“We have the possibility of co-creating a future for our children and grandchildren that is healthier, saner and more nurturing. Transition Laguna is one way to feel empowered about that future.”

The organization was established by a group of community activists in 2008, as the tenth member in the U.S. and 129th in the world of Transition Town, a worldwide movement that started in England and focuses on individual communities to facilitate movement toward a new energy future that is abundant, local, innovative and truly sustainable.

It has 11 core members and many folks who work actively behind the scenes and on community projects.

For more information about the organization or events, or to volunteer, visit www.transitionlaguna.org.