Review: The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience By Rob Hopkins Reviewed by Alex Alkhoury University of Western Ontario, Canada Hopkins, Rob. The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008. 240 pp. ISBN: 9781900322188. US$24.95, paper. Chlorine-free recycled paper. The intertwined emergencies of peak oil and climate change demand dramatic, urgent action across a range of scales, the magnitude of which can threaten to overwhelm people, particularly those who are just learning about these issues. When problems seem overwhelming it can easily lead to individual inaction and collective inertia, and this is precisely what Rob Hopkins seeks to overcome in The Transition Handbook. His essential goal is to outline a realistic and hopeful vision of post-carbon communities and the practical steps needed to get there. The starting point for Transition is the essential problem now widely understood as ‘peak oil’: as the production of conventional oil declines, its growing scarcity will drive increasingly higher fuel prices with profound implications for industrial economies. Hopkins argues that while climate change exists in the public consciousness as an intangible or, at most, distant fear, the decline of cheap fossil energy is a much more proximate and understandable problem for many – as barrels of oil are easier to visualize than tonnes of [greenhouse] gas (p.40) – and can thus simultaneously spark necessary action on both issues. Hopkins begins by succinctly describing the nature of the problems (what he calls ‘The Head’), then appeals for a rational, composed response (in a section called the 'The Heart'), before digging into the crux of the book, ‘The Hands,’ a discussion of specific, transitional steps and strategies to move beyond economies centred on fossil energy. His 'Twelve Steps of Transition' are underpinned by a clear statement of six core principles, including positive 'visioning', 'inclusion' of all members of the community, 'awareness-raising', 'resilience', using 'psychological insights' to counter the threat of inaction, and focusing on the community level to attain 'credible and appropriate solutions'. For Hopkins, a community's resilience hinges on its ability to produce core goods and services, while only importing what cannot be sourced locally. Building momentum for re-localization depends upon first building a strong foundation of community-level understanding of the issues and rebuilding connections among people. Hopkins provides great, practical detail here, outlining strategies on running successful public meetings, and providing tips on organizing things like empowering re- skilling group events, and how best to obtain publicity for both these and also the launch of a given Transition Initiative. In this, Transition also doubles as a best practices guide for the logistical elements of community organization and activism. This practical and optimistic ‘how to’ dimension is undoubtedly the book’s great objective and strength, and for this it should appeal to those eager to inspire action in their own communities. However, it is not Hopkins' intention to provide a precise, universal plan, but rather a general set of guidelines backed by motivating examples of contemporary re-localization efforts. At times, this does leave difficult questions of scale underdeveloped, with much of the discussion directed at the level of relatively small communities. With a background in permaculture and as the founder of the UK Transition movement, Hopkins is well-positioned to offer both a broader vision and a practical plan for re-localization and self-reliance. His achievement in this book is to give concrete grounds for optimism in a captivating and highly accessible way. In this, it is a particularly useful antidote to those who are concerned but overwhelmed, as well as being a useful starting point into peak oil and transition issues for progressive scholars, students, activists and the general public alike. Alex Alkhoury. , MA Student, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, Social Science Centre, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada. Electronic Green Journal, Issue 29, Winter 2009, ISSN:1076-7975

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Review: The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience

BACKGROUND
The health benefits of organic foods are unclear.


PURPOSE
To review evidence comparing the health effects of organic and conventional foods.


DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE (January 1966 to May 2011), EMBASE, CAB Direct, Agricola, TOXNET, Cochrane Library (January 1966 to May 2009), and bibliographies of retrieved articles.


STUDY SELECTION
English-language reports of comparisons of organically and conventionally grown food or of populations consuming these foods.


DATA EXTRACTION
2 independent investigators extracted data on methods, health outcomes, and nutrient and contaminant levels.


DATA SYNTHESIS
17 studies in humans and 223 studies of nutrient and contaminant levels in foods met inclusion criteria. Only 3 of the human studies examined clinical outcomes, finding no significant differences between populations by food type for allergic outcomes (eczema, wheeze, atopic sensitization) or symptomatic Campylobacter infection. Two studies reported significantly lower urinary pesticide levels among children consuming organic versus conventional diets, but studies of biomarker and nutrient levels in serum, urine, breast milk, and semen in adults did not identify clinically meaningful differences. All estimates of differences in nutrient and contaminant levels in foods were highly heterogeneous except for the estimate for phosphorus; phosphorus levels were significantly higher than in conventional produce, although this difference is not clinically significant. The risk for contamination with detectable pesticide residues was lower among organic than conventional produce (risk difference, 30% [CI, -37% to -23%]), but differences in risk for exceeding maximum allowed limits were small. Escherichia coli contamination risk did not differ between organic and conventional produce. Bacterial contamination of retail chicken and pork was common but unrelated to farming method. However, the risk for isolating bacteria resistant to 3 or more antibiotics was higher in conventional than in organic chicken and pork (risk difference, 33% [CI, 21% to 45%]).


LIMITATION
Studies were heterogeneous and limited in number, and publication bias may be present.


CONCLUSION
The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
None.

Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives? a systematic review

An analysis of pesticide residue data was performed to describe and quantify differences between organically grown and non-organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Data on residues in foods from three different market categories (conventionally grown, integrated pest management (IPM)-grown/no detectable residues (NDR), and organically grown) were compared using data from three test programmes: The Pesticide Data Program of the US Department of Agriculture; the Marketplace Surveillance Program of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation; and private tests by the Consumers Union, an independent testing organization. Organically grown foods consistently had about one-third as many residues as conventionally grown foods, and about one-half as many residues as found in IPM/NDR samples. Conventionally grown and IPM/NDR samples were also far more likely to contain multiple pesticide residues than were organically grown samples. Comparison of specific residues on specific crops found that residue concentrations in organic samples were consistently lower than in the other two categories, across all three data sets. The IPM/NDR category, based on data from two of the test programmes, had residues higher than those in organic samples but lower than those in conventionally grown foods.

Pesticide residues in conventional, integrated pest management (IPM)-grown and organic foods: insights from three US data sets Part A Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment

The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience by Rob Hopkins Green Books Ltd. 2008 240 pages ISBN: 978-1-099322-18-8 Permaculture is described by Graham Bell as the "design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems" (p. 137). Author Rob Hopkins teaches permaculture and natural building in the United Kingdom and uses that topic as the basis for this book. The Transition Handbook is a resource and practice manual for moving communities toward a "powered-down" or low-energy-use future. Hopkins uses his experience with the tenets of permaculture and the practice of active transition communities in the United Kingdom to chart a path to address the social, cultural, and economic challenges that are a result of the twin global realities of climate change and peak oil. There are many recent books on sustainability and sustainable development in the United States (see Epstein 2008; Esty and Winston 2006; Laszlo 2003; and McDonough and Braungart 2002). These books often provide information on technological innovations, community development projects, or global industrial advances. The authors of these efforts reinforce a vision of the future with abundant and free energy from alternative or renewable sources, clean manufacturing and development, and a continuing global green consumer culture. Many predict and describe in some detail the types of technological, economic, or social changes that might lead us toward this preferred future and prevent the destruction of the planet. Hopkins' book uniquely describes a labor-, collaboration-, and learningintensive process of transitioning communities to local and supportable agrarian production systems in order to increase their ability to persist through significant loss in the availability of energy, materials, and trade and to reduce the possibility of disruptive or violent social upheaval. The Transition Handbook describes alternatives, processes, tools, and methods that can be used by local citizen groups to expand their understanding and skills and to reinvent a positive approach to the preservation of the quality of hearth and home during what Hopkins sees as the inevitable energy descent that will occur as oil supplies dwindle and the climate changes. Hopkins describes the twin crises of peak oil and global climate change as two great and inevitable aspects of the same problem. When considered together, he concludes that the possible scenarios for life beyond peak oil range from a stable or enlightened transition to complete societal collapse. The only optimistic possibilities he identifies are adaptation or evolution. Since adaptation depends on the discovery and deployment of new technologies and efficiencies, failure of the adaptation model could result in a need for military protection of access to oil supplies. This holds the possibility of the rapid collapse of civilization. The evolution scenarios require a great transition to a low-energy future in which sharing of resources and localization of economic activity lead to an orderly "powering down" of the economic system controlled at the local level. The failure of the evolution model would result in a return to a tribal culture of limited trade and transport but could preserve culture and result in a positive new beginning. In Hopkins' view, the adaptation, or technology, innovation scenario is too dependent on unknown and possibly unlikely discoveries and the risks of failure are unacceptable. He believes that the evolution of communities using permaculture practice has less risk and more potential for reward in terms of quality of life. Hopkins identifies the pace of depletion and society's level of engagement as the factors that will determine the success or failure of the transition. In this way, Hopkins echoes authors such as Thomas Friedman (2008) in calling for significant, proactive grassroots support for action rather than depending on the more reactive forces of government or the free market to develop and deploy solutions. …

The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience

Summary We reviewed studies aimed at understanding functional relationships between weeds and arthropods in agroecosystems as influenced by biodiversity at different scales, with the main goal of highlighting gaps in knowledge, research methods and approaches. We first addressed: (i) the regulation of arthropod communities by weed diversity at genetic, species and habitat levels, (ii) the regulation of weed communities by arthropods through seed predation and dispersal and (iii) belowground weed-insect interactions. We then focussed on methodologies to study weed–arthropod interactions in agricultural landscapes and discuss techniques potentially available for data analysis and the importance of joint weed–arthropod trend detection. Lastly, we discuss the implications of research findings for biodiversity conservation policies (agri-environmental schemes) and suggest some priorities for future work. Results showed that to date research has largely ignored weed–arthropod interactions in agricultural landscapes. No information is available on the role of weed genetic diversity as driver of weed–arthropod interactions, whereas studies on effects of species and habitat diversity often lack a functional perspective and ⁄ or a spatial component. Also, information on how management of the wider agricultural biotope might express positive weed– arthropod functional interactions is scarce. Another area worth being explored is the relationship between weed-leaf ⁄ root herbivores and beneficial arthropods. Tools for spatial data analysis might be useful for elucidating weed–arthropod interactions in agricultural landscapes, but some methodological aspects, e.g. the definition of the most appropriate experimental design and sampling scale ⁄ frequency, must be refined. New studies on weed–arthropod interactions should encompass an explicit spatial component; this knowledge is particularly important for improving IPM ⁄ IWM systems and designing more targeted agri-environmental

Functional biodiversity in the agricultural landscape: relationships between weeds and arthropod fauna

Organic agriculture can and should play an important role in solving future challenges in producing food. The low level of external inputs combined with knowledge on sustainablity minimizes environmental contamination and can help to produce more food for more people without negatively impacting our environment. Organic agriculture not only includes farming as a production practice but it also includes processing, trade and consumption. Nevertheless, Organic agriculture must always evolve to overcome emerging challenges. Science-based knowledge attained through dedicated research is required to strengthen organic food and farming as a means to solve future challenges. In 2010, a global discussion about Organic 3.0 was initiated to address current problems our agri-food systems are facing. Many scientifically and practically proven results are already available to make organic agriculture a strong tool to solve some of these challenges. However, the organic agri-food system has to be developed further to fulfill its potential. The contribution of organic agriculture to help solve current problems linked to food security and environmental quality was discussed during the International Society of Organic Agricultural Research (ISOFAR) Symposium “Organic 3.0 is Innovation with Research”, held September 20–22, 2015, in conjunction with the first ISOFAR International Organic Expo, in Goesan County, Republic of Korea. Some of the world’s most active scientists in organic agriculture attended the symposium. This paper is a result of their discussions and aims to give an overview of research conducted and required to strengthen organic agriculture in its ambitions to overcome agronomic challenges, contribute to food security and protect our common environment.

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Jaakko Nuutila

Papers

Organic Agriculture 3.0 is innovation with research