A Transition Proposal

Tags

climate change, Crisis Forum, Dr David Cromwell, Dr Mark Levene, geo-thermal energy, Global Commons Institute, Green issues, National Oceanography Centre, NOC, Transition Initiative, Transition Town, University of Southampton

Anthropogenic climate change is now acknowledged as being the core crisis of the 21^st century, a line of reasoning supported by Dr. Mark Levene and Dr. David Cromwell, Reader in comparative History and former lecturer of Oceanography respectively at the University of Southampton. Levene and Cromwell co-founded the Forum for the Study of Crisis in the 21^st Century – Crisis Forum – to look at alternative ways of dealing with the problems the 21^st century is presenting, and have previously presented a proposal to the University of Southampton that they hoped would be adapted by the institution.

Their core proposition is that universities are in a key position to act in response to anthropogenic climate change by finding alternative ways forward. They argue specifically that as an institute with leading academic departments, including Environmental Sciences and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the University of Southampton (and other academic institutions) should realize its responsibility and potential as a centre of excellent research and act on the information curated in the face of the encroaching biospheric emergency.

Crisis Forum proposed that the University of Southampton could be one of the first universities to seize the transition initiative, in an adaption of the Transition Town movement that fundamentally revolves around a community working together. While the university’s carbon management group has made steps in the right direction, maximising energy efficiency, making architectural improvements on campus and demonstrating a drive towards renewables projects like the use of geo-thermal energy, Southampton University currently does not have the necessary commitment to change to respond to the reality of what awaits.

The Transition initiative can be divided into seven sections when considered against a university framework. Amendments to food policy, transport policy, curricula, built environment, overseas links and democratic deficit alongside collaboration with other universities and the local community are essential if the principles of contraction and convergence, as outlined by the Global Commons Institute, are to met as part of the broad framework wherein the challenge of climate change may be faced.

Sadly it appears that the University of Southampton have not responded in a substantial manner to these areas, although an independent group has formed in support of a transition university. Yet while universities are arguably in a key position to adapt the proposal, the wider public arenas of government and business also have a responsibility to respond to climate change. Through a series of seven articles, I will explore Crisis Forum’s suggestions further and attempt to form a coherent argument for their ideas to be implemented on a wider scale.