Posting will be light over the next two months as we all take a well deserved break. We’ll be back in the Autumn with a “Transition Reboot” meeting – a chance for everyone to catch up, reboot and get involved in the coming seasons events and projects.

In the pipeline is a “Sound Bites and Food 4 Thought” night in Fleva Brasserie, the Kilkenny Local Currency, a 50 Mile Meal Award as well as the ongoing Green Screen, Global Lunch Box and 400 Fruit Tree projects – plenty of exciting ways to get stuck in.

In the meantime look out for those little miracles of life that happen every day. Pictured here is my daughter Roisin with two newly born chicks that hatched out under an old fire place (one of them is now called ‘chimeny’). It never ceases to amaze me that an egg placed under a broody hen will turn into an adorable living creature in 21 days time – a true miracle if ever there was one.

Enjoy the summer and, if you happen to be reading this on the 11th July, ‘Happy Peak Oil day’ !

July 24th – 26th, Templeshelin, Adamstown, Co. Wexford

Some members of a fledgling transition town group in Wexford are involved in organising a sustainable lifestyle festival towards the end of July. Three days of workshops, demonstrations, information, films, music and fun are planned including:

-Building a clay oven

-Stone Carving

-Willow Sculpture

-Boat Building

-Sugan Chair Making

-Straw bale building

-Woolwork

-Building a Wind Turbine

-Story telling and loads more!

If you are around it looks like a great alternative to the Green Gathering which sadly is not taking place this year. More details available here or phone 087 1211189

Richard Douthwaite taking questions at a workshop on local currencies in Kilkenny

Given the short notice we had a fantastic turnout for Richard Douthwaite’s talk on Tuesday last. Over 40 people packed into Butler House to hear about “Ireland’s economic outlook from an energy perspective”. To begin the evening we started with a thirty minute primer on our debt-based money system and how the paper currencies springing up around the world function. This was sort of a warm-up act before the real thing! From our perspective RIchard didn’t disappoint and laid out the hard facts of how Ireland’s situation is bleak given our over-dependence on imported fossil fuels and our increasingly heavy debt burden. It was a big picture talk looking at how peak oil is central to industrial society and how a continual contraction in global economic activity is inevitable as we head down the other side of the “petroleum interval”.

When the talk ended we had a short break to take it all in. Expecting that most people would run for the hills we were surprised and delighted to see almost everyone return for the Q&A. There was a real sense of people from all walks of life wanting to get involved, find some answers and discuss how we can get out of this mess. One suggestion was to disassemble Mayor Malcolm’s gold chains and use them as a means of exchange!

The presentations were recorded for those who couldn’t make it and they will shortly be available online. You can also read a summary of what paper currencies are all about here.

Richard Douthwaite came to Kilkenny by invitation of Mayor Malcolm Noonan and Future Proof Kilkenny for a meeting with the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and other interested parties. Can’t say too much right now but looks like we might be trading in “Katz” in the not too distant future!

Butler House, 16 Patrick St, Kilkenny  8pm Tuesday 7th July

We are delighted to welcome Richard Douthwaite to Kilkenny next Tuesday evening for a public talk. Richard is an economist, journalist and author specialising in energy, climate and sustainability issues. He is the co-founder of the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability (Feasta), an economics think-tank based in Ireland. His books include The Growth Illusion (1992), widely regarded as a classic, Short Circuit (1996) and The Ecology of Money (1999).

To begin the evening Brian Dillon of Future Proof Kilkenny will give a brief overview of local currencies with a particular focus on the paper currencies being adopted around the world including the “Kenmare Youro”. This will be followed by an in-depth analysis of Ireland’s economic outlook from an energy perspective by Richard.

Richard has been invited to Kilkenny by Mayor Malcolm Noonan for a workshop on Wednesday morning with the Chamber of Commerce and other interested parties on how to set up a local currency in Kilkenny. We hope that representatives from the business community, local authority, credit union and tourist board will attend. For further details on this workshop and to book a place contact brian[at]click2go[dot]ie.

Mullins Mill, Kells, Thurs July 2nd, 7.30pm

An evening workshop on the economic, social and environmental benefits of planting, harvesting and using timber to heat your home or business. This workshop will appeal to foresters and farmers, fuel merchants and local business, home owners and renewable energy supply companies. The presentations will be followed by an open discussion on the viability of establishing a wood co-operative with the involvement of potential end users and those wishing to get a foot hold in the wood fuel supply chain.

This event is being organised by Future Proof Kilkenny in association with Glas Energy.

Presenters

Martin Ecker, HDG Bavaria

The tradition of heating with wood in Bavaria.
With a long standing tradition of heating homes efficiently and effectively with wood, Martin will give an overview of how its done Bavarian style. From planting to harvesting, seasoning to splitting you will get a first hand view of the tried and tested methods of log wood heating.
http://www.hdg-bavaria.com/

Colm Byrne, Glas Energy

Combustion technology for efficient wood burning
Suppliers and installers of wood burning boilers, Colm from Glas will give an overview of the most efficient methods of converting your wood fuel to useable heat for the home or business. He will also discuss the economics of the equipment and the SEI grants available.
http://www.glas.ie/

Cathy Fitzgerald, Art & Ecology

Cathy will talk about her experiences turning a small monoculture spruce plantation into an ecologically & economically sustainable real forest.
http://ecoartnotebook.com/

Alan Holman, Lightfoot Forestry.

Alan will give an overview of the services his company can provide from, extraction and  harvesting to firewood production, packaging seasoning and storage.
http://lightfootforestry.wordpress.com/

Chris Hayes, Professional Forester

Chris will give an overview of planting and maintaining continuous cover forestry for wood production.

Brian Dillon, Future Proof Kilkenny

Brian will give a short talk about community supported enterprises and why we should consider investing our savings locally, such as in a wood cooperative, rather than in financial institutions.
http://futureproofkilkenny.org/

Martin Rafter, BNS Rural development.

Martin will be available after the presentations to discuss the Nexus project. The Nexus initiative was established by Kilkenny leader partnership, SEI and CRESCO, to establish a local value chain based around the supply of wood fuel for district heating in the callan region.
http://www.bnsrd.com/