This week's interview is with Rob Hopkins, the independent activist and writer best known as the founder and figurehead of the Transition Towns movement, which he started in 2005. He's also on the Advisory Board of this website. Based in Totnes, Southwest England, he is winner of many accolades including the 2008 Schumacher Award.

He has a new book out, the Power of Just Doing Stuff, about how ordinary people can help make the world more sustainable from the bottom up.

Rob talks about his experience at Nantes Eco-Cities conference in October, the need for more women at these conferences, and what transition towns really mean.

He discusses the astonishing spread of the movement around the world in 44 countries, with thousands of groups, and the value of communities working together from the ground up. He discusses how the flavour of the movement is so different in every place it sets up from Brazil to Japan.

He discusses two exciting initiatives in Totnes to build new eco-communities on transition principles.

He talks about his inspirational book The Power of Just Doing Stuff, which stimulates optimism for a sustainable future.

Finally, he gives pointers on how to set up a transition town group.