I'm on the road for another set of presentations for the Post Carbon Cities book -- this time in Ireland courtesy of the Cultivate Centre in Dublin, which has brought me here to keynote their thirteenth annual Convergence Festival. This year's conference theme is "Transition Strategies: Post Carbon Cities, Transition Towns and Eco-Villages," and the focus will be on community and government action to prepare for the coming energy crisis.

The conference doesn't start until Thursday, so in the meantime I'm doing a few other presentations, including for a one-day symposium in Kilkenny for local officials, planners, architects and builders (organized by Future Proof Kilkenny) earlier today; then for Belfast City Council tomorrow; and finally for Dublin City Council on Thursday. On Monday I fly to the UK for a presentation to the Local Government Association, followed by two presentations in Bristol and finally a presentation at the second annual Transition Network conference, in Gloucester. (View my full schedule at postcarboncities.net/pcc-tour.)

Highlights from the Kilkenny symposium today:

• Davie Philips from Cultivate Centre described Cultivate's new educational series, Skilling Up For Powerdown. Among Philips' many fascinating endeavors is The Village, a 132-home ecovillage under construction in rural Cloughjordan. The Village is putting into practice just about every sustainability idea you've heard of, from green building and district energy to permaculture / edible landscaping and a local currency.
• Ireland is really pushing ahead with energy efficiency regulations for buildings. Colm Byrne from the energy services firm Glas descrived how the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (being implemented from 2006 to 2009) will, among other things, require energy performance ratings (much like we are used to seeing on things like washing machines and cars) to be displayed on buildings for sale and for rent, as well as in public buildings (see www.sei.ie for more).
• Güssing, Austria (pop. ~4,000) is getting more and more attention as the little town that single-handedly led a local energy revolution. Among their accomplishments: attracting 25 companies to this struggling rural area with a new Energy Technology Center that is pushing local energy sources and renewable energy technology.

I'll be back with an update on my Belfast and Dublin presentations in a few days.