Kinsale, Ireland...City of Post-Industry!

My thanks go out to Village Blog for drawing my attention to the town of Kinsale, West Cork, Ireland, a community of 7,000 which has developed an extensive plan for transitioning into the post-oil era.

Permaculture teacher and plan developer Rob Hopkin's website Transition Culture references the 55-page report which he and his students have drawn up with the support of the Kinsale Town Council.

This is exactly what I was talking about. This is what most everyone who calls themselves Peak-Oil Aware should be aiming for. Small communities educating and empowering themselves. Perhaps even rebranding themselves and reaching out to the Peak-Oil Aware of the world by being ready for the post-oil age (although admittedly, while it's one thing to attract a light influx of deconsumer-types it's probably not a good thing to become known as "the place everybody can run to when the shit hits the fan!"). I haven't read the full report yet, but I'm sure that jsut as Village Blog points out, while you might quibble with the individual details you have to applaud how very quickly they've steeled themselves for the leap off the trolley.

FYI, if you want to read the full report you can access it as a .pdf file at the link, but they do ask for some registration information first (for which they'll alert you when the next updated version of the plan is available).

And lastly, I can't resist quoting this anonymous saying used in the introduction to the report:

“If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work; but, rather, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Comments

[Sonny]

Hi, I run a weblog where you can keep up with what’s happening in Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. We have a great little town and I hope my little space can help!

Thanks, Sonny