Transition China?

[li3wei1]

Here in the UK, I've been involved with the Transition movement, a loose network of local organisations exploring ways to wean their communities off of oil dependence. I'd be interested if there is anything like this in China.

The basic idea is that Peak Oil is coming soon or has already hit, and we'll be looking at higher prices and scarcity of oil and all things that are made with oil (which, when you think about it, is almost everything).

In local communities, Transition groups have been doing things like setting up community veg gardens, home energy efficiency projects, bicycle maintenance workshops, etc. Little stuff that isn't going to rock the world, but it raises awareness, builds community, and lays a foundation for change that is going to have to come sooner or later.

The Transition Network (http://www.transitionnetwork.org) doesn't register anything happening in China, and I've tried googling without much success. Not even sure if there's a standard translation for Transition. Anybody aware of anything along these lines?

[Ludens]

While not exactly what you're looking for, you might find these links interesting as a starting point:

http://www.chinadialogue.net

http://sites.asiasociety.org/chinagreen

[thechamp]

My dad and his girlfriend are really into Transition and I think the thought behind it is sound, but what you have to remember is that China's a developing country...and young opinion makers have a weird thing about being perceived as a 'farmer'. In Chinese it's associated with being uncultured and uneducated. I can't imagine it catching on because it's so much about getting out of cities and being self sufficient - which is what almost everyone in China is trying to get away from.

Also, Chinese people absolutely fetichize cars

[li3wei1]

Thanks for the links.

thechamp, The 'back to the land', 'grow your own' thing is a major part of it here in the UK and perhaps in other developed countries, but it doesn't have to develop that way. Some groups are doing things with renewable energy, energy efficiency, alternative transport. I realise that much of the manifestations of Transition in developed countries would be a hard sell in China, so I'm wondering how people there are expressing their concerns about peak oil.

[thechamp]

Like I said I generally agree with the thinking behind Transition, more from a green perspective than a 'peak oil' perspective though. I think you might be making quite serious assumptions about China's untapped oil. I have a friend who works as an oil trader and he says they call China 'the unknown barrel' - It's hard to get reliable numbers on unexplored areas....They've recently started teaming up with foreign oil companies to learn more about cutting edge extraction techniques like 'snake drilling'. I think this means there's probably quite a lot of undeclared, difficult to extract oil in China or in disputed territories. Peak Oil seems to be a Western phenomenon and even then lots of people say America has huge undeclared resources....

Even if it's not true that China has undeclared rescources, I can't see the concept of peak oil becoming well recognized in China. I think it's slightly overdramatized in the UK even (eg people like Chris Martensen who massively over hype the problems). People are going to go Nuclear and China's no exception....also they clearly aren't averse to renewables....that'll grow but i don't think it'll be because 'peak oil' takes hold in the public imagination

[Scandinavian]

I would agree with thechamp that it will be the green perspective driving 'Transition' in China. For example the lack of trust in the food you buy in supermarkets would lead people to think differently http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,6571092,00.html In China, the health of people is more in focus than the health of the planet. (I am aware there is an obvious link between the two)

[frankwall]

It sounds like a great idea - really for a good cause. Especially important for China, considering statistics are showing growing pollution, dependence on oil, etc. It could be difficult at this time, as was mentioned above, the Chinese are really adapting to cars and luxury items unavailable previously so it might well prove difficult.

[Scandinavian]

I think perhaps that the Chinese are not adapting to cars, but they buy a lot of them.