The dilemma for governments is that forecasting has such a poor track record that forgoing today's pressing needs to prepare for an uncertain future carries considerable political risk. Making the wrong choices will lead to unfortunate consequences either way.

A shift to alternative energy sources and energy efficiency is creating jobs in Oregon, where turbines, solar panels and other technologies need to be designed, built, installed, and maintained. Schools and unions are filling a great demand for new training.

Pennsylvania's ridges make wind energy a rising presence in the state's energy profile. And demand for wind turbines is creating new jobs, often housed in the old steel complexes.

When household budgets are tight because of expensive necessities, luxuries get pared down. What does this mean for cities, when so many are reliant on tourism as a major economic driver? Keep energy trends in mind when planning - and make sure there are other industries in the mix.

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy senior fellow Armando Carbonell writes about the importance of land use and transportation decisions to a coherent energy and climate policy.

As the inevitable shadow of high-priced and carbon-emitting fossil fuels looms, Nova Scotia's municipality of Clare is sowing its own seeds of self-sufficiency, based on its kinship with a tiny European local energy leader Güssing, Austria.

How are rising oil prices affecting the summer tourist season and cities that depend on vacationers? The news isn't all bad, especially for destinations that cater to local and regional tourism. The long term trends are indeed shifting, however, with unclear prospects for business travel and the tourist dollars it generates.

It's impossible to understate how crucial cheap oil has become to our way of life. It's shaped how we get our food, what we buy, where we live, how we work, and the way we play. Cheap oil opened up the world to millions of travellers via discount airlines, allowed thousands to buy their first homes in sprawling suburbs, and enabled consumers to get their hands on ever cheaper goods, shipped just in time, from around the globe. Now economists say all of that is at risk.

Centre for Cities director Dermot Finch argues: If the [UK] government focused its energies on creating denser, more carbon-friendly eco-quarters in existing cities, the economic benefits over the long term would outweigh the initial costs. It's the magic formula of higher density, good public transport links, and easy access to jobs that profits both city residents and the wider economy.

If Kilkenny is to free itself from oil dependency, it will have to come up with local solutions rather than relying on the Irish government or the EU. And the best results will come if the initiative is taken by residents and businesses rather than just the local authorities.