A Scottish view on transition

Olá a todos!

I am new to Paredes em Transição, I write mostly in English, mas também posso escrever em Português. Better I avoid it though because of all the horrible errors I will make.

I have so much to say and to contribute! And so little time:(
So first of all, here is a link to a blog post on our little community gathering here in Vale do Minho, which includes a wide network of friends from Southern Galicia (Vigo, Porinno, Covelo, Cangas, etc.).

http://wolfeintransition.blogspot.com/2010/04/power-of-community.html

Before arriving here two years ago I presented a paper on "Peak Oil and the Impact on International Development" to the UK Government "All Party Parliamentary Working Group on Peak Oil and Gas". I have been studying peak oil, climate change, ecological construction, renewable energy and sustainable land use since 2006. Before that I worked for around 15 years in humanitarian emergencies in Bosnia, Africa, Asia and Central America for NGOs and later the UN.

Pedreiro João Camula a fazer o novo muro com granito

Now we are rebuilding a stone ruin on a property near Monção, Vale do Minho, to get some more hands on experience on how to use these alternative, often traditional materials and systems.

Our aim is to learn how to work with building materials that do not pollute the local or global environment. Natural materials in other words, which offer a more pleasant home to inhabit. But we also want to model the economic impact of these material choices: are they cheaper or not?
How many people know how to work with wood and stone and earth and straw? Will we need to prepare training and education modules for local
people to become aware of these alternatives?

Taking tiles off old house, for re-use on Alambique

Same tiles, onto alambique roof - made using local wood and breathable membrane material

Força!

Magnus e Monica