Wednesday 4th August, 7:30pm, Butler House, Kilkenny

We are delighted to welcome Nicole Foss to Kilkenny for a public lecture on the Financial Crisis and Peak Oil. Nicole writes under the pen name of “Stoneleigh” at The Automatic Earth about the inter-relationship of energy and finance with a focus on how individuals and communities can prepare for what she describes as the coming second great depression. 

Stoneleigh is on a lecture tour of Europe which included a slot at the recent Transition Network conference. By all accounts her presentation added a huge sense of purpose and urgency to the work of transition town groups and has been the subject of many recent posts. She is also delivering the annual Feasta Lecture in Dublin on the 3rd.

This lecture is highly recommended to anyone who is concerned about the impacts of peak oil and the unsustainability of our industrial growth society. Below the fold is a short summary. Continue Reading »

Monday 21st June, 12pm, Castle Park

A "Katy" heritage apple tree that was planted only this year bearing fruit in June at the Good Shepherd.

To celebrate our acheivements over the last year in the 400 Fruit Tree project and to remember the lives of Susie Long, Barbara Gill, Avril Duffy (Kilkenny Earthwatch group) and Steve Clayton (late husband of Tisha Warner - 400 Fruit Tree project) a stone plaque will be unveiled at the Orchard site in Kilkenny Castle next Monday.

The ceremony will take place at 12pm with Mayor Malcolm Noonan doing the honours. If you were involved in the project in anyway do come along. Hopefully all the sites that were planted throughout the year will be represented.

This event does not mark the end of the project in anyway. To the contrary, we are in the process of establishing a “Kilkenny Fruit Tree Group” to maintain the existing orchards, plant new ones and introduce soft fruits and perennial plants - edible gardens. The core aim of the group is to promote the concept of edible landscapes and to scale up Kilkenny’s ability to provide itself with it’s own fruit. (if you wish to get involved contact brian[at]click2go[dot]ie).

Peak Oil and the collapse of global finance are a “perfect storm” of converging phenomena that threaten to sink our age of prosperity through wealth destruction and propel us into a second Great Depression.

Stoneleigh, editor of the popular financial blog “The Automatic Earth“, describes in the podcast below how our current financial system is an unsustainable credit bubble grounded in “Ponzi dynamics,” or the logic of the pyramid scheme. She warns that most people are woefully unprepared to face the consequences of the devastating deflation that is now unfolding.

The talk was given during the recent Transition Network conference in the UK and starts with a good runthrough of the ‘peak energy’ situation, but quickly focusing in on finance, as she believes that this is the factor that will most dramatically shape our immediate future. It is quite long but worth persisting with. You can see the slides here as well as listen to the Q&A session.

PodCast: Making Sense of the Financial Crisis and Peak Oil (73M)

2pm - 11pm, Friday 18th June, Raheen, Piltown

The “Fairy-Playground” is Kilkenny’s first Community Supported Farm iniative, or CSA, that is being set up by Michael Micklis of the Biodynamic Association. The Farm is set in the beautiful rolling hills of Piltown and consists of Heritage Orchards, Cereal crops, Vegetable gardens and Polytunnels.

Adding preperations and turning the compost

On Friday 18th June an open day will take place for members and non-members. There will be a bonfire, barbecue, tours of the farm and orchard, demonstration of working with draft animals and, for those who abhor the use strimmers, an afternoon workshop on the ancient craft of working with a good scythe.

Adding Preparations and turning the compost

The farm is well into production at this time of year and so this is a great opportunity to see the food growing and get involved. The CSA would like to attract new members from the Kilkenny/Waterford/New Ross/Clonmel area. Membership will entitle you to a supply of vegetables and cereals throughout the year as well as the opportunity to participate in growing your own food, meet with like-minded individuals and learn organic and biodynamic techniques.

Members of the fledgling CSA group hold a meeting in the newly erected polytunnel

If you are interested in joining the CSA you can find out more and sign up at the open day. If you are interested but cannot attend the open day contact Michael on 086 3104638 or email bdaai[at]indigo[dot]ie

John Gibbons leads a discussion with Minister Ciaran Cuffe, David Korowicz from FEASTA (The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability) and ASPO Ireland Director (The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas), Richard O’Rourke, on the ramifications of Peak Oil and what we can and should be doing to prepare for it.

This recording was made during Cultivate’s recent Convergence festival. The FEASTA report “Tipping Point” mentioned in the discussion can be downloaded here.