Energy Downscaling Action Plan
The Energy Downscaling Action Plan (EDAP; also known as the Energy Descent Action Plan) is what uniquely distinguishes the Transition process from all other "greening" efforts. Early efforts of Transition initiatives (awareness-raising, reskilling events, networking) are designed to get a community ready to envision a powered-down, lower carbon future. Next, the Transition initiative forms the working groups which will create the EDAP. These teams analyze what resources we currently have to work with, create a vision of where we want to be and use backcasting techniques to determine the pathway toward that brilliant future. After the EDAP is published, efforts are directed toward getting the EDAP ideas incorporated into other area planning tools (city planning, etc.). Eventually, the Transition initative will focus on implementation of the EDAP: gearing up skills, installing physical projects, building relationships, and accumulating the tools necessary to make the EDAP vision come alive.
Winston Churchill said: "Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential." When the community comes together in earnest to develop viable pathways towards a better, more abundant world that honors natural limits, new possibilies will begin to emerge. As Don Hall writes: "Especially in the light of peak oil, climate change, and economic crisis, the future is sure to be non-linear and completely unpredictable. Therefore, an Energy Descent Action Plan should be undertaken less as a formal blueprint than an iterative process and an exercise in developing our capacity to cultivate vision and work together as communities."
- Introductory slideshow and narrative about EDAPs from EcoLab
- The EDAP Process from the Transition Primer (If you're reading Version 26 of the Primer, it's on pages 28-30 of the pdf)
- Cathy Tuttle's notes on how to effectively work with the City of Seattle officials.
- Sample EDAPs
- Kinsale 2021: An Energy Descent Action Plan -- from Kinsale, Ireland. The first EDAP, which inspired the Transition model.
- Descending the Oil Peak: navigating the Transition from Oil and Natural Gas -- From the Peak Oil Task Force in Portland Oregon
- The Oil Independent Oakland Action Plan -- from Oakland, California, similar to Portland's.
- Vision Plan for the City of San Buenaventura -- from Ventura, California. Praised by Rob Hopkins as one of the best of the local government-led plans. "It is a comprehensive and thorough document that shows what can be done when academics, architects, transport planners and cartographers come together to plan for the move away from oil dependency, although it does have some major gaps in terms of education, healthcare and so on. I certainly found it a very inspiring document."
- San Francisco Peak Oil Task Force -- from San Francisco, California
- Berkeley Oil Independence Task Force -- from Berkeley, California
- Forest Row in Transition: a community work in progress -- an engaging outline and catalyst for the EDAP process, from Forest Row, outside London in the UK. Highly recommended!
- Redefining Prosperity: Energy Descent and Community Resilience -- from the Bloomington (Indiana) Peak Oil Task Force. The panel includes Peter Bane, editor of Permaculture Activist magazine.
- NEW: Transition Town Totnes EDAP -- from the original Transition town: Totnes, England, with contribtuions by Rob Hopkins
- See also Rob Hopkin's blog post on EDAPS from around the world.
- EDAP-oriented exercises to do with a group:
- "2030 School Reunion"
- Description of event which launched the TTT EDAP process
- "EDAP in 2 hours"
- "Create an EDAP" resources from Transition Network
