CEF Environmental Blog

2012-01-20T16:43:00.003Z

Cork Environmental Forum, supported by Engineers Ireland, Cork

Information Seminar on the Water Services Amendment Bill (2011)

To Provide a Realistic Understanding of the Implications of the Legislation

10^th February 2012

Oriel House, Ballincollig, Co. Cork

9am -1pm

Attendance is FREE. For further details or if you wish to register please contact bernadette@cef.ie.

Septic Tank Information Seminar

2012-01-18T21:17:00.001Z

Information Seminar on Septic Tank Legislation Su

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		*Water Treatment Services Amendment Bill (2011) - Information Seminar* To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork
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Dear CEF blog,

Cork Environmental Forum, supported by Engineers Ireland, Cork invite you to a
Seminar on the "Septic Tank" legislation.

Information Seminar on the Water Services Amendment Bill (2011)
To Provide a Realistic Understanding of the Implications of the Legislation
Friday 10^th February 2012
Oriel House, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
9am -1pm

Attendance is FREE. For further details or if you wish to register please contact bernadette@cef.ie.

Best regards,

Bernie Connolly
Development Coordinator

Email: bernadette@cef.ie
Mobile: 086 8216726

CEF Management Committee 2011/ 2012

Michael Hobbs(Chair)
Kieran McDonogh
(Vice chair)
Helen Barrett (Treasurer)
Anna Aherne (Hon Sec)
Conor McManus
Darren McAdam-O'Connell
Jennifer Franklin
Mary Barrett
Ted O'Leary
Kieran Higgins
Paul Doherty

Bernadette Connolly (Development Coordinator)

Cork Environment Daily

Cork Environmental Forum has launched its very own free, daily environmental newspaper.
Don't believe us? Check us out here!

Featuring stories from Cork, Ireland and the world at large, this is Cork's only daily paper dedicated to the environment. You can subscribe to have it delivered to your inbox every day in time for lunch - and it's completely free.

CEF Members
You will be receiving this as a result of being on our mailing list. Did you know you can also join CEF as a member? This brings all kinds of opportunities for getting involved in exciting work and meeting like-minded people. Our members come from across the different pillars of society and all have a common interest at heart, which is to foster sustainable development in Cork.

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!
-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

Click to view this email in a browser

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe

Cork Environmental Forum
Mount Carmel
Kilcolman
Enniskeane, Cork IEIE
IE

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Framework for Sustainable Dev. Ireland

2012-01-03T15:48:00.001Z

Submissions re. Draft Framework for Development

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		Call for input to CEF's Submission to: *Draft Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland* *(FSDI)* To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork
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Dear CEF blog,

CEF is in the process of putting together a submission in relation to the draft Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland (published on 23rd December).

We would like to invite all our members and associates to input into the submission. In this regard the following are the main themes of the document:
• Sustainability of public finances and economic resilience.
• Sustainable consumption and production.
• Conservation and management of natural resources.
• Climate change and clean energy.
• Sustainable agriculture.
• Sustainable transport.
• Social inclusion, sustainable communities and spatial planning.
• Public health.
• Education, communication and behaviour change.
• Innovation, research and development
• Skills and training
• Global poverty and sustainable development.

The document is available on the Department's website at www.environ.ie or if you wish I can email a copy. Observations may also be submitted directly to fsdi@environ.ie. The deadline for public consultation is the 29th February 2012.

It is important that submissions are made to strengthen the document as this will be Ireland's main contribution to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) which takes place in June this year.

Best regards,

Bernie Connolly
Development Coordinator

Email: bernadette@cef.ie
Mobile: 086 8216726

Cork Environment Daily

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!
-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

Cork Environmental Forum
Mount Carmel
Kilcolman
Enniskeane, Cork IEIE
IE

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

CEF Environmental Awards Roll of Honour

2011-10-27T17:21:00.000+01:00


2010
Business & Commercial	WEST CORK TOURISM CO-OP
Public Sector	SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, ESB WILTON
Community & Voluntary	SUSTAINABLE CLONAKILTY
Outstanding Individual	JOHN DOLAN
Cork Community Garden Award 2010	ST. MARYS TERRACE, KILMURRAY
Cork Community Garden Award 2009	CLONAKILTY KINDERGARTEN

2009
Business & Commercial	AVEGO SHARED TRANSPORT
Public Sector	CORK MAIN DRAINAGE PROJECT
Community & Voluntary	NANO NAGLE CENTRE AND KILLAVULLEN MARKET
Outstanding Individual	DR. COLIN CAMPBELL
2008
Business & Commercial	O'DONOVANS HOTEL, CLONAKILTY
Public Sector	CORK ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY UNIT
Community & Voluntary	MEITHEAL MARA
Outstanding Individual	DECLAN WAUGH
2007
Business & Commercial	Food category: MUNSTER WHOLEFOODS SPELT FLOUR Non-food category: KLEE PAPER
Public Sector	CORK CITY AND COUNTY HERITAGE OFFICERS (For Biodiversity Action Plans)
Community & Voluntary	SUSTAIN WEST CORK
Outstanding Individual	JENNIFER SLEEMAN
2006
Business & Commercial	Food category: FLAHAVANS ORGANIC OATS Non-food category: ECOVER PRODUCTS
Public Sector	IRD DUHALLOW
Community & Voluntary	SKIBBEREEN FARMERS MARKET (Growing Awareness)
Outstanding Individual	SEAN O'RIORDAN
2005
Business & Commercial	SLOW FOOD CORK CONVIVIUM (Darina Allen, Clogagh McKenna, Giana Ferguson)
Public Sector	KINSALE COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION (2021 Energy Descent Plan)
Community & Voluntary	NATASHA HARTY (East Cork For A Safe Environment)
Outstanding Individual	NICK LOUGHNAN
2004
Business & Commercial	1. MICHAEL GEARY (Cork Chamber of Commerce) 2. IAN WRIGHT (Manch Woodland Estate)
Public Sector	ENDA KIERNAN (Cork County Council for Macroom Civic Amenity Site)
Community & Voluntary	1. CLAIRE OSBOURNE (Cork Mandala of Community Gardens) 2. ROB HOPKINS (The Hollies Centre for Practical Sustainability)
Outstanding Individual	1. MARY O'LEARY (CHASE) 2. JOHN O'CALLAGHAN (School Student Competition)
2003
Roll of Honour	TERRY O'REGAN (Landscape Alliance Ireland)

Harnessing Biogas from household septic tanks

2011-09-29T15:17:00.001+01:00

How human waste could power Nigeria's slums

By George Webster, CNN

September 26, 2011 -- Updated 1325 GMT (2125 HKT)

Sewage, collected from household septic tanks, is deposited in the Lagos lagoon

Water intended for domestic use is carried through a choatic network of pipes, many passing through the same open drainages into which sewage is dumped. Cracks in water pipes can lead to contamination of drinking water, says microbiologist Olatunbosun Obayomi.

Due to the prevalence of waterborne disease in Lagos, most people rely on private boreholes (pictured) -- underground wells that pump fresh water to the surface.

Private water vendors, selling drinking water by the canister, are also common on the city streets.

Inventor and Lagos resident Obayomi has devised a way to convert existing septic tanks into biogas generators with little more than plastic pipes, cement, a handful of gas valves and a day's worth of digging.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

· Microbiologist says he has simple solution to sanitation problems in Lagos

· Conversion of septic tanks to biogas generators treats sewage and generates power

· Despite recognition, inventor says there are still cultural and political barriers to development

(CNN) -- In the crowded slums of Lagos, Nigeria, untreated sewage mingles with the chaotic network of pipes that deliver water to the city. Those who can't afford a local borehole or a private vendor know better than to take their chances with the taps -- most preferring to go thirsty instead.

That's according to Olatunbosun Obayomi, a Lagosian microbiologist and inventor who has lived in the city all his life.

But now Obayomi thinks he's found a solution -- one that not only tackles the slums' sanitation issues, but creates free, clean energy in the process.

"With a cheap retrofit, household septic tanks -- the source of the sewage -- can be converted into biogas generators," said Obayomi, 29, whose concept has earned him a TED fellowship, a Nigerian Youth Leadership Award and growing international acclaim.

"The idea of turning waste into energy has been around for centuries. My innovation is simply applying the chemistry in a practical way by using the resources we already have," he explained.

In most homes in Lagos, toilet waste is stored in rudimentary septic tanks beneath the ground. Here it decomposes into a poisonous compound, before being sucked out by a tanker that deposits it all in a nearby lagoon.

"Unfortunately, the system of water pipes is very disorganized, and they often pass through the same place where the sewage is dumped," said Obayomi. "And it's not uncommon for poorly constructed septic tanks to leak directly into the drainage system."

Conventional septic tank

But rather than attempt a wholesale overhaul of Nigeria's waste system, Obayomi's approach makes use of the existing septic tanks -- equipping them with new waste entry pipes that remove oxygen from the decaying process.

Retrofitted septic tank

As he explained: "When excreta decompose with oxygen, it creates a useless, incombustible mixture that carries disease. But without oxygen, the germs die and the mixture produces a combustible gas."

This biogas -- a mix of carbon dioxide and methane -- can be stored in an adjacent underground chamber and used to power cooking stoves, heat homes or even generate electricity.

Opinion: Tackling climate change still a luxury in developing world

"Converting waste into biogas is a win-win strategy," said Sarah Butler-Sloss, founding director of the Ashden Awards, an organization that champions local energy innovations around the world.

"What makes it so elegant is that it resolves a life-threatening sanitation issue -- by treating harmful, waterborne germs -- while simultaneously creating a much-needed source of carbon-free energy," she said.

Butler-Sloss added that recent figures from the U.N. say 1.4 billion people worldwide have no access to electricity, while 2.7 billion still prepare food on grossly inefficient and carbon-hungry open fires.

"We have seen similar projects in places like India and China -- where everything from domestic garbage to animal waste has been used to produce energy with great success ... Clearly this is the time to embrace domestically produced biogas, especially in the developing world."

What makes it so elegant is that it resolves a life-threatening sanitation issue while simultaneously creating a much-needed source of carbon-free energy
Sarah Butler-Sloss, Ashden Awards founder

It's a view shared by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Patrick Mwefigye is program officer for sustainable consumption and production at UNEP's regional office for Africa. He says that in areas where there is "little funding, capacity or infrastructure" for complex waste management, "we see the production of biogas as having great potential."

At present, Mwefigye says the gas is regularly produced in just a handful of African nations.

"In Rwanda, for instance, the prisons have been fitted with large biogas generators, so that they are almost entirely self-powering," he said.

But, although Obayomi's retrofitted biogas generator is relatively cheap to build -- requiring only low-tech materials such as plastic pipes, cement and sand -- and despite all the recognition it's attracted, only a prototype has been installed so far.

Yet Obayomi conservatively estimates that the average street in Lagos could produce 1,720 liters of biogas a day -- enough for an engine-powered water pump to serve the daily domestic needs of at least 50 families.

So what's the hold-up?

"Biogas generators tend to be constructed in situ," said Butler-Sloss, "And while the materials are relatively cheap, they're not mass-produced like solar panels or wind-turbines so, at present, it's difficult to scale-up."

Obayomi has a different take, however. For him, it's not an issue of resources or need, but attitude.

"Although I've been filmed by government TV and won these awards, no politician has approached me to build anything. In Nigeria there is a lot of talk but very little walk," he lamented.

There is also a problem of credibility, he said. In Obayomi's experience, the hardest place to be taken seriously as a Nigerian inventor is in Nigeria itself.

"It is a new concept for many Nigerians," he said. "There's still this feeling that unless an idea or a piece of new technology comes from the West, then it's not glamorous ... it's not valid."

Reference:

Olatunbosun Obayomi (Microbiologist and Inventor, Lagos, Nigeria)
Olatunbosun Obayomi is a microbiologist and bioenergy inventor whose research work spans hydrogen biogas reactors, ecological engines, and microbial fuel cells. He is the founder of Bio Applications Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria: http://www.bioapplications.blogspot.com/ which focuses on the production of energy from organic waste, using green biogas technology to solve pressing needs related to energy supply, food production, and sanitation in the developing world. Obayomi has produced simple biogas plants for converting paper, animal, and human waste into energy. He has also retrofitted a conventional septic tank into a biogas plant. A graduate of microbiology from Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria, Obayomi is a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). He was a TEDGlobal Fellow in 2010 and a TEDIndia Fellow in 2009. His efforts have been celebrated in Nigeria as well; in 2008 he was honored with the Nigerian Youth Leadership Award, presented by LEAP Africa.

http://www.blogger.com/profile/11860904792001652935

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/olatunbosun-obayomi/6/950/a07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Xh05kQNLk

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/ted/2010-09/03/ted-fellows-olatunbosun-obayomi

REBEL PEDAL! Free Cork City Fun Ride

2011-09-08T15:47:00.001+01:00

Dear CEF blog, Cork's favourite family friendly fun ride. 10/9/11 starting Grand Parade...

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REBEL PEDAL! 2011

Saturday 10th September 2011
Free registration from 12pm
at the starting point on Grand Parade
Finishes at CIT with food, music...

To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork

CEF Online

Latest News and Notices

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Dear CEF blog,

Rebel Pedal! is an annual Cork Environmental Forum bicycle parade that winds its magic through the streets of Cork city. ANYBODY can take part in this free colourful cycling cruise on 10th September 2011 that is part of the 2011 An Post Rebel Tour.

Register for free from 12pm at the starting point on Grand Parade (Monument end). The ride will begin at 1pm and estimated arrival time at Cork Institute of Technology (where there will be food, music, games and hi-tech entertainments) is 1.45pm via a 7.5km route around the city centre.

All welcome - particularly families. Please note that all under-16s must be accompanied and no more than 3 per adult.

The Rebel Pedal is a free event, but it will be possible to make donations to the cause at the start line.

CEF LATEST NEWS

CEF Management Committee 2010-11

Michael Hobbs (Chair) Kieran McDonogh
(Vice-chair)
Bernie Connolly (Treasurer)
Anna Aherne (Hon Sec)
Ailish McGarry
Barry Hurley
Conor McManus
Darren McAdam-O'Connell
Helen Barrett
Jennifer Franklin
Martina Mercer
Mary Barrett
Ted O'Leary
Tony Cain

Patrick Treacy (Development Coordinator)

The Cork Environment Daily!

Cork Environmental Forum has launched its very own free, daily environmental newspaper.

Don't believe us?! Check it out here!

CEF Members

You will be receiving this as a result of being on our mailing list. Did you know you can also join CEF as a member? This brings all kinds of opportunities for getting involved in exciting work and meeting like-minded people. Our members come from across the different pillars of society and all have a common interest at heart, which is to foster sustainable development in Cork.

And finally, from our Latest News page...

Apple Care Workshop

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!

Subscribe from only €5 per calendar year.

-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

-- Pay online

Cork Environmental Forum
c/o Patrick Treacy
1 Orchard Gardens
Shanagarry, Cork IEIE
IE

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REBEL PEDAL! 10th September 1pm

2011-09-02T16:21:00.001+01:00

Dear CEF blog, Cork's favourite family friendly fun ride. 10/9/11 starting Grand Parade...

Can't see the pictures?
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REBEL PEDAL! 2011

Saturday 10th September 2011
Free registration from 12pm
at the starting point on Grand Parade
Finishes at CIT with food, music...

To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork

CEF Online

Latest News and Notices

Facebook

Twitter

Dear CEF blog,

Register for free from 12pm at the starting point on Grand Parade (Monument end). The ride will begin at 1pm and estimated arrival time at Cork Institute of Technology is 2pm via a 7.5km route around the city centre.

All welcome - particularly families. Please note that all under-16s must be accompanied and no more than 3 per adult.

CEF LATEST NEWS

CEF Management Committee 2010-11

Biodiversity Day 2011

We held two great events on Sunday 22nd May (International Day for Biological Diversity). Read about our Wildflower Walk in Beaumont Quarry, and the tour of Glengarriff Nature Reserve and see the pictures here.

The Lost Mess Monster

The first children's workshop of 2011, hosted again by the Lifetime Lab. Twenty four lucky children made a giant monster installation out of items retrieved from their rubbish bins at home. The monster will appear in different locations throughout the summer! See the pictures here.

The Cork Environment Daily!

Cork Environmental Forum has launched its very own free, daily environmental newspaper.

Don't believe us?! Check it out here!

Featuring stories from Cork, Ireland and the world at large, this is Cork's only daily paper dedicated to the environment. You can subscribe to have it delivered to your inbox every day in time for lunch - and it's completely free.

FEASTA Book launch

On Monday 21st March we co-hosted a launch of the new FEASTA publication 'Fleeing Vesuvius; Overcoming the Risks of Economic and Environmental Collapse' in Cork Central Library. You can listen to David Korowicz's fascinating talk here.

St. Patricks Day Parade

Walking trees, oak saplings, rickshaws and bikes... Did you see us in the parade

CEF Newsletter: Politics & Economics

We published our most recent newsletter last week in the run up to the general election with articles from David Korowicz (FEASTA), Lucy Pearce (Dreaming Aloud) and Patrick Treacy (CEF).

National Tree Week 2011, 6th-11th March

CEF will be planting trees around the county with local partners to mark this special annual event. 2011 is the International Year of Forestry and we hope to run a number of guided tours around Cork woods and possibly to visit particular heritage trees. Get in touch if interested in attending or guiding!

Lifelong Learning Festival, 11th-17th April

We ran a Water Conservation workshop at Mayfield CDP on the afternoon of Wednesday 13th April and had a stand that morning at the local GAA hall.

And plenty more! World Water Day, Green Drinks, National Spring Clean, Global Action Plan... they all come thick and fast this time of year! Let us know if you are interested in joining in. In the meantime...

CEF Members

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!

Subscribe from only €5 per calendar year.

-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

-- Pay online

Cork Environmental Forum
c/o Patrick Treacy
1 Orchard Gardens
Shanagarry, Cork IEIE
IE

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

REBEL PEDAL! 10th September 1pm

2011-08-25T16:07:00.001+01:00

Dear CEF blog, Cork's favourite family friendly fun ride. 10/9/11 starting Grand Parade...

Can't see the pictures?
Click to view this email in a browser

Forward this message to a friend

REBEL PEDAL! 2011

Saturday 10th September 2011
Free registration from 12pm
at the starting point on Grand Parade
Finishes at CIT with food, music...

To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork

CEF Online

Latest News and Notices

Facebook

Twitter

Dear CEF blog,

CEF LATEST NEWS

CEF Management Committee 2010-11

Don't believe us?! Check it out here!

CEF Members

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!

Subscribe from only €5 per calendar year.

-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

-- Pay online

Cork Environmental Forum
c/o Patrick Treacy
1 Orchard Gardens
Shanagarry, Cork IEIE
IE

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Green Drinks TONIGHT at the Franciscan Well

2011-07-13T11:44:00.001+01:00

Dear CEF blog, Pop in this evening between 7 and 8pm to meet like minded people at the Franciscan Well Brewery

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Green Drinks
THIS EVENING 7-8pm

at the Franciscan Well Brewery

To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork

CEF Online

Latest News and Notices

Facebook

Twitter

Dear CEF blog,

Join us this evening between 7 and 8pm for Green Drinks at the
Franciscan Well Brewery on North Main St.

Green Drinks - what's that?!
Green Drinks is an informal gathering of people interested in sustainability/green issues/the environment. It is simply an opportunity to meet and mix with old friends and to meet likeminded folk in the area. There is no agenda or desired outcome to the evening other than making introductions and getting to know one another.

What will we talk about?!
Whatever you want! There is a lot going on in the local world of sustainability to discuss (depending on who appears):

The Cork Cycling Arts Festival
Ireland's Credit Rating woes! (and two very interesting local trading events held in Cork recently)
Water charging/metering
The glamorous world of Septic Tank monitoring
The government consultation on a possible levy on packaging
... or whatever else springs to mind.

But these are just suggestions - there is no agenda, no formality, no speakers.

Drop in any time between 7 and 8. Look out for familiar faces, or ask at the bar for Cork Environmental Forum or Green Drinks.

See you there!

Patrick

CEF LATEST NEWS

CEF Management Committee 2010-11

Don't believe us?! Check it out here!

CEF Members

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!

Subscribe from only €5 per calendar year.

-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

-- Pay online

Cork Environmental Forum
c/o Patrick Treacy
1 Orchard Gardens
Shanagarry, Cork IEIE
IE

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

National Bike Week 19-26th June

2011-06-16T17:14:00.001+01:00

Dear CEF blog, Check out the amazing line up of free events in City and County for Bike Week 2011

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National Bike Week
Programme of Activities

Sunday 19th June - 26th June

To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork

CEF Online

Latest News and Notices

Facebook

Twitter

Dear CEF blog,

A fantastic line up of events around city and county for National Bike Week 2011 starting this Sunday. This programme is brought to you by Cork City and County Councils, Cork Sports Partnership, Cork Environmental Forum, Cork Community Bikes and Cork Cycling Arts Festival...

Sunday 19th June- Start Time 11am: Fun Family Cycle from Carrigaline to Crosshaven – a safe and scenic cycleway on old railway line. Meet at Kilnagleary Car Park (signposted on the day).

Wednesday 22nd June, 1pm: Lunchtime Cycle in City Centre - the perfect way to beat the midweek blues! Meet at Albert Quay House, Albert Quay.

Thursday 23rd June, 7pm – 9pm: History Cycle around the oldest part of Cork city. Meet at Grand Parade/South Mall junction.

Thursday 23 June, 9pm The Cork Cycling Festival will hold a film night showing of some irish and international short films on the theme of cycling and bikes. Light refreshments will be available.
Location: Civic Trust House, 50 Pope's Quay, Cork

Friday 24th June: Big Bike Ride 2011 in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland. Six Cork County Council Engineerswill cycle to every Town Council and Area Office in the County to raise awareness of Downs Syndrome Ireland, the Tour de Munster Charity Cycle and cycling generally within the Council. They’ll be collectively covering over 600km in one day in their “Big Bike Ride 2011”.Colleagues are encouraged to get on their bikes and join them for a short section after each stop so all are welcome! (Contact Catherine.Sheridan@CorkCoCo.ie) This event is also supported by Cork City Council.

Sunday 26th June- Start Time 11am: Fun Family Cycle from Passage West to Blackrock Castle – a safe and scenic cycle along the shore of Loughmahon and on to the castle for refreshments, entertainment and bike workshops. Meet in Passage West amenity park (signposted on the day)

All Week: Lots of individual activities in local schools and communities

Children’s SMILES Project Art Competition: Theme – Kids Love Bikes!

Categories 4-8 years, 9-12 years, 13-18 years
Entries marked “SMILES Project Art Competition” to Reception Desk, City Hall by 16.00 on Monday 27th JuneGreat Prizes – prize giving during Cork Cycling Arts Festival in July
Entries on display in City Library from 16th-24th July

CEF LATEST NEWS

CEF Management Committee 2010-11

Don't believe us?! Check it out here!

CEF Members

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!

Subscribe from only €5 per calendar year.

-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

-- Pay online

Cork Environmental Forum
c/o Patrick Treacy
1 Orchard Gardens
Shanagarry, Cork IEIE
IE

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Free 'Nappucino Morning', Organico, Bantry 26th May

2011-05-25T17:11:00.001+01:00

Dear CEF blog, Find out how to save yourself money while doing something about the fact that Ireland dumps 600k disposable nappies into landfill every day

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'Nappucino' Morning
- Organico Café, Bantry

10.30-11.30am
Thursday 26th May 2011

To foster and promote sustainable development in County Cork

CEF Online

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Facebook

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Dear CEF blog,

Are you near Bantry? Want to know more about 'real' nappies? Find out how to save yourself money while doing something about the fact that Ireland dumps 600k disposable nappies into landfill every day! Free CEF "Nappucino" morning at Organico, this Thursday 10.30am.

CEF Management Committee 2010-11

Don't believe us?! Check it out here!

CEF Members

Become a member of
Cork Environmental Forum today!

Subscribe from only €5 per calendar year.

-- Join a working group
-- Receive bi-monthly members mailings
-- Meet like-minded people
-- Take advantage of occasional discount offers

-- Pay online

Cork Environmental Forum
c/o Patrick Treacy
1 Orchard Gardens
Shanagarry, Cork IEIE
IE

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

CEF events for International Day for Biological Diversity

2011-05-25T14:12:00.000+01:00

We had a great day on Sunday celebrating (gulp, deep breath) the UN International Day for Biological Diversity (or simply 'Biodiversity Day' as I like to call it!).

There were two free events happening at the same time. In west Cork, local expert Patrick Goyverts led 32 people on a tour around the Glengarriff Nature Reserve, taking in the Big Meadow Walk and Lady Bantry's Lookout Point.

Meanwhile in Cork City, with the help of the Cork Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust we had a Wildflower Walk around the amazing Beaumont Quarry led by ecologist Jo Goodyear.

The quarry is an oasis for wildlife in Cork’s suburbs. Originally quarried to provide limestone for St Finbarr’s Cathederal and Beaumont House (residence of the Beamish family), it has been recolonised by wildlife over the past 50 years. The steep slopes below the limestone pinnacles support a surprisingly diverse calcareous grassland, including Fairy Flax, Yellow Rattle, Eyebright and Wild Carrot. A taller grassland is found on flatter ground where the presence of anthills and grass tussocks reflects the lack of grazing and mowing. The rocks themselves support the nationally rare Little Robin flower, while the Quarry floor now supports wet grassland and willow woodland and the slopes are wooded with Ash, Sycamore and Oak providing shelter for nesting birds.

During the walk we explored the various habitats of the quarry, paying particular attention to the limestone grassland flowers and to the issue of monitoring and controlling invasive alien species. Japanese Knotweed is abundant at this site - originally a decorative escape from Victorian gardens but now rapidly expanding its range across Ireland. Snowberry and Winter Heliotrope have a similar provenance.

The walk was led by Jo Goodyear, an experienced botanist with a particular interest in grassland ecology. She has worked for the UK’s Institute for Grassland and Environmental Research and as an ecological consultant, as well as volunteering for Irish Wildlife Trust. She is also interested in wild foods and medicines.

We hope to run some more similar events this year and ideas include the Geara in west Cork and the Salt Marshes in Ballycotton, east Cork. Let us know if you have any other ideas for biodiversity themed events (with local experts).

Shadowlands: Ireland Election 2011

2011-02-21T15:00:00.001Z

As we go to the polls a UN Food and Agricultural Organisation index measuring the price of a basket of food commodities surpasses the 2008 record and oil prices flirt again with $100 a barrel. This is in the context of a battered world economy and a credit crisis that far from being resolved, has merely been displaced. Food and energy prices are pushing popular revolutions in the Middle-East, deposits are haemorrhaging from Irish banks, and debt re-structuring may be just around the corner. Yet we are not in a crisis, but at the edge of one.

As the election approaches, prospective politicians will claim a solution for a predicament that cannot be solved. They will claim a level of insight and dominion over systems they can barely intuit and over which they have little and declining control.

The electorate assumes there must be a solution to get us out of recession, a way to reverse what we have come to call 'austerity'. More than that they will demand the right to the realisation of their expectations- their pensions and purchasing power, jobs and savings, health and education services.

The electorate and politics share a common perception of the world, and each will expect the other to reflect and confirm it. That perception or world-view has been formed in the context of our past experience, particularly that of economic growth. We have become accustomed to the reassuring thought that at the end of every recession, no matter how deep or long, growth and prosperity will again take off. There is a sense that economic growth, though sometimes wayward, is the natural order of things. It is a powerful idea both redemptive and optimistic.

It is the glue that holds together the social contract between the rich and poor, and between citizen and state. It stands behind our faith in technology and progress. It acclimatised us to increasing wealth, both personal and in the goods and services we expect from society and the state. It shaped our identity as the anxious consumer and choosy lover. We have become so habituated to growth's freedoms and promise, that we have barely noticed how its ties have bound us.

Yet that growth is coming to an end, there will be no recovery. Ireland may lead the downward slide, but ultimately the prudent Germany and the workshop China will tumble also. This process, the collapse of the globalised economy is re-enforcing, a fall prompts a further fall and so on.

While we in Ireland have understandably focussed upon our own indebtedness, we are but one small but prominent casualty of an unprecedented credit bubble that still has the power to drive the global economy into a depression. This depression has the potential to be deeper and longer than the Great Depression, not just because of the size of the credit bubble, but because of the complexity and globalised nature of economies today. The only possible way to avoid this is a wholly unprecedented and rapid period of economic growth. This would require a major increase in energy use, particularly oil. This is because the only true laws in economics are the laws of thermodynamics.

But global oil production has been almost flat for five years. We are, according to diverse and respected analysts at the peak of global oil production now. The global economy is straining against limited supply, and prices are rising. Soon the amount of affordable oil available to the world will begin to decline. This constraint is already undermining our financial and monetary systems which are dependent upon growth, and exposing the effective insolvency of the global economy. It will undermine the discretionary wealth and economies of scale that secure our employment. It will undermine food production and access. It will challenge the cost effectiveness and maintenance of our critical infrastructure.

Already we are seeing essentials such as food, energy, and debt servicing becoming more and more expensive. This is at the same time as the money we have to pay for such things continues to decline. Our consumption is being caught in a tightening vice. All the while jobs will be lost in the parts of the economy that provide non-essentials - and in developed economies this is where the the large majority of people work.

Growing bad debts and the accelerating decline in the credit money needed to facilitate the working of the economy is likely to lead to asset price falls, bank failures and bank runs, sovereign defaults, currency re-issues and freezes in international trade. Ireland may be first, but global contagion is coming.

We could see major drops in demand, oil and other energy prices may fall. But by then we will be much poorer, there may be gluts of oil on the market, credit will not be available for energy investment, and energy infrastructure will be harder to maintain.

So in this electoral period we are likely to witness the beginning of a process in which our world-views crash against a fundamentally unstable financial system and ecological constraints. A localised economy will no longer be something environmentalists aspire to develop, rather it will be forced upon us as bank failures, monetary uncertainty, and lost purchasing power sever links in the web of the global economy. But we no longer have indigenous economies to fall back upon. Our national economies, including our purchasing power, accessible food, jobs, and the maintenance of our critical infrastructure exist by virtue of their integration with the globalised economy.

Yes, we can and will build a largely local economy out of the ruins of a collapsed globalised one. It will be a much poorer one, and one where we will have lost much of what we take for granted. It can also provide a good life, where our basic needs are met, where meaningful lives can be lived, and a rich texture of experience found.

But in the interim we face a huge resilience gap between the basic welfare and social needs once provided by integration with the globalised growth economy and what is available without it. We need to prepare for sudden shocks such as freezes in the banking system, and its effect on food access say, and the more strategic changes we require in agriculture, monetary systems, employment, and governance.

The problem with such preparations is that in many cases they are likely to be too late. This is because the risk of severe financial shocks is rising all the time, and the issues are complex and often unclear. In addition real preparation would require a new and wide consensus on the nature of our predicament. But the emergence of such a consensus would lead to people and institutions taking rational action such as withdrawing deposits from banks, cashing in financial assets, or the refusing of credit. Such action would begin the re-enforcing process of a financial collapse.

So it seems we are in a real bind. What can we ask of ourselves and politics this election time? Maybe is is not about whether to choose one set of deluded policies over another, rather it is a question of character. Events are likely to surprise and disorient both politics and society over the coming electoral term. We need to try as well as we can to choose those who can respond to crisis which at the moment they scarcely realise might be possible. We need to choose those who might be steady and wise in a storm when all they have ever experienced was a light breeze.

The gap between expectations and what can be realised is historically a major source of popular anger, and can ignite a cycle of fear, violence, scapegoating, and authoritarian leadership from either left or right. It can give the avaricious the power and cover to appropriate wealth that should be used for collective welfare. Our politics will be better served by the modest, those who try to tell us the hard truths, and who admit where they are uncertain, rather than those who point to the easy way out. As the stakes rise and the the decision arena becomes more complex, we will need people who can make bold and unpopular decisions in the interest of our collective welfare. And we must accept that sometimes such decisions will fail in their desired effects. We will need politics, but with a new realism about its limits.

For those of us who accept these risks, we need to appropriate responsibility that once might have been seen as the concern of government. We need to anticipate both the risks approaching and how we can prepare for such contingencies. We need to network, persuade, plan, collaborate and execute.

We should avoid letting the imagined fears of the future cloud the real pleasures of the present. We are entering the shadowlands, embarking on a great adventure, the most important of causes, where we all have a role and much work to do.

David is a physicist and human systems ecologist. He is a member of Feasta, The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, and director of Risk-Resilience.

Book Review: Fleeing Vesuvius: Overcoming the risks of economic and environmental collapse.

2011-02-21T14:20:00.002Z

Fleeing Vesuvius: Overcoming the risks of economic and environmental collapse.

Richard Douthwaite and Gillian Fallon (eds), Feasta, 2010. ISBN 97809549510-1-3

Fleeing Vesuvius is a book of its time, written by some of our brightest minds, for our people. Its stated aim “to arm its readers with the knowledge they need to develop new ways of doing things, instead of staggering from crisis to crisis” trying to patch up systems that are no longer viable. This, then, is a book of the moment, for the moment. It may hold many explanations for why we are where we are and what we might do about it.

The 27 contributors to this book, drawn from leading thinkers in fields as disparate as psychology, economics, engineering, architecture come together to vision possible responses to the current meltdown of our economic system and the threat of peak oil. It presents a wealth of diverse and detailed knowledge and experience: a systems approach to the deep complexities of our globalised society and the tapestry of economy and environment and how it all unravels if a single thread is pulled.

Published in September, pre-bailout and before the true extent of our economic mess was fully known, it charts the truly terrifying cold, hard figures: the size of the deficits currently owed by Ireland, the UK, the US and other major European economies, our current energy needs and how we might meet them. It then considers the changes required in the way we think and how we relate to others and the land we inhabit if we are to reduce the risk of environmental and societal breakdown which threaten our civilisation.

The editors suggest that readers ask themselves three questions as they work their way through the book: “What can I do myself? What can I do with other people? What can't I do anything about at all?” The authors seeks to enlighten us on all three.

This is a must-read for concerned citizens, activists, thinkers, politicians, planners and business people of all stripes. For those who are wondering why we are where we are, where we are headed and how we might respond, this is the manual to help you steer over the stormy sea. At times it is wordy and stylistically dense to be almost impenetrable by the lay reader. At others it is revelationary, clear and terrifyingly accurate.

Kudos to David Korowicz for his extremely strong opening chapter, which coherently outlines a systems understanding of the global economy with great clarity and many pertinent and highly memorable nuggets. Understanding the global economy as a complex, self organising system reminds us “that governments do not control their own economies. Nor does civil society. The corporate or financial sectors don not control the economies within which they operate. That they can destroy the economy should not be taken as evidence that they can control it.” Would that our leaders had read this a few years back.

This is not an easy bedtime reading book - it might give you nightmares! Rather, it gives you a sense of being in the company of many great minds: like having a conference in book form. Or a dinner party of outside-the-box thinkers – some fascinating, some a little dry – but as a whole informative and rich. Its ultimate strength is the weaving of many voices. No reader, however informed previously on the subject, could come away claiming to have known it all before.

It ends with a chapter of practical advice reaped from the collective experience of all the contributors, so that readers aren't left feeling overwhelmed, despondent or disempowered.

“Pioneering any new approach isn't easy,” counsels Tim Helweg-Larsen, one of the contributors. This is especially true given the scale of the task ahead of us and the changes that need to happen on every level in our global culture. Through this book these thinkers are all contributing to and modelling the Great Conversation which needs to happen, right now, if further disasters are to be sidestepped or at least their effects minimised. Politicians, professionals, citizens, take heed and quickly. The volcano is rumbling ominously. Let the people of Pompeii be a lesson to us.

Fleeing Vesuvius: Overcoming the risks of economic and environmental collapse.

Richard Douthwaite and Gillian Fallon (eds), FEASTA, 2010. ISBN 97809549510-1-3

* FEASTA (the Foundation of the Economics of Sustainability) the influential think tank, based in Ireland consists of on international network of people “who believe that inappropriate systems cause many of the world's problems and who are trying to develop better ones.”

www.feasta.org

Lucy Pearce is a freelance writer and associate editor at JUNO magazine based in East Cork. Trained in the History of Ideas, she is a regular contributor to a number of UK and Irish publications, including the Feel Good section of the Irish Examiner. She writes about living philosophy and natural parenting on her blog: dreamingaloudnet.blogspot.com An archive of her articles is available at her website www.dreamingaloud.net

She can be contacted at pearcelucy@yahoo.co.uk

2011

2011-02-21T14:10:00.000Z

2010 was a year to challenge us. It began with the exceptional flooding of Cork fresh in our memories, proceeded to an unfamiliar freeze which paralysed services and shredded road surfaces, a swine flu pandemic, a biblical outpouring of volcanic ash, financial meltdown in peripheral EU states, an application by Ireland to the IMF/EU for a vast loan to keep the show on the road and the 4th in a grim sequence of austerity budgets passed by a government with a tiny majority in Dail Eireann. We then closed out the year amidst a return to prolonged icy conditions, water shortages and an early flu season!

So as 2011 takes shape and an election looming, who could be blamed for a sense of trepidation?

This may be the time to refocus ourselves on Resilience - at domestic, community and national levels. Already a familiar concept in the excellent Transition Town network, 'Resilience' refers to learning the skills, collecting the tools, making the right investments for the future and forming the connections necessary to help absorb the shocks coming from the world outside and lay the foundations for a way of life that can be sustained into the future.

Let's face it - most of us are hopelessly dependent on the supermarket and oilman continuing to provide, on banks holding our deeds and helping us out when we need a new car and on water perpetually flowing in our pipes and taps. Many of us in Cork have had a reminder of our vulnerability this last year - the banking crisis, water shortages and disruption to our everyday travel routines. These things can happen more or less overnight without warning, and suddenly we realise what kind of power over our daily lives we really have.

So here's a short list of suggestions for 2011. It’s not a list of measures that will make you self-sufficient overnight, it’s a list that will get you thinking of your resilience and help you on your way. Some of the following cost very little, and anything that does cost money is an investment for the future security of your family.

Water
Invest in a water butt. These are inexpensive barrels with a small diverter that takes rain water from your house's downpipe. You'll be amazed at the supply of water you suddenly generate for yourself - use it to wash your clothes or your car, flush the toilets, water the lawn and plants or anything else that doesn't involve personal consumption or hygiene. Aside from the security it gives you, you will also waste less water which has been expensively cleaned to drinking standards and pumped to your house from miles away.

Conserve water. Do you need to flush 12litres of water every time you use the toilet? Do you need to leave the tap running when you brush your teeth? Could you insulate the pipes in your attic so they don't freeze in the winter, rather than leaving a tap dripping at night?

Energy
What would happen if the oil man couldn't come for a month and your tank was empty? Do you have a wood-burning stove and a good supply of timber (from a well managed, local source)? Have you made best use of the available grants to insulate your house to squeeze the most out of the energy you do use heating it? Every euro you don't spend on oil or coal is another euro that potentially stays in your local economy.

The sun is a never-ending supply of free energy and Ireland benefits from much more solar energy than we commonly believe. Invest in solar panels to harvest this resource - these and other green technologies are also well supported by grant schemes.

Waste
Have you ever thought about how much rubbish you'd have on your hands if your bins weren't collected for 3 months? For a lot of people, a high proportion of what they dispose of is compostable waste that can give you something useful in the garden - for that day when you do get round to making a raised bed to grow your own vegetables and salad! Useless packaging makes up another high proportion of our recyclable and non-recyclable waste - avoid it at source and you'll soon see the difference in your bin.

Transport
Use the bus or local train - it might seem like a terrible inconvenience at first rather than using your own car, but with a bit of planning you can build them into your routine to your own advantage. You will free up time to read the newspaper or work on the train for example.

Car share - why do you and your neighbour both drive to Cork City everyday alone in your own cars?! Save yourselves both a fortune by going together. You can agree to do it once a week at first if you're scared of committing and see how it goes from there. Alternatively, check out car-pooling/sharing services such as Avego and Go-Car. This measure touches on an infinity of things that can be shared/pooled/rotated around neighbourhoods. The real key to it is getting to know your neighbours.

Better still, could you cycle once or twice a week? Could you even work from home?

Consumerism
Be part of the society you want to see your children benefiting from in future. Start when you shop - fairtrade, local, organic, least packaging - whatever you judge to be the responsible choices. Don't need it? Don't buy it. The world really doesn't need another plastic gadget in a landfill site.

Food
Grow some of your own. Be realistic with your ambitions initially but once you start there's a fair chance you'll never stop. Experience the immense pleasure of eating something you've seen grow from seed, not to mention the incomparable flavour of freshly picked or dug produce. Best of all, get your kids involved and learn the skills together. You might even get them to eat something green!

Community
Most of the above suggest solutions at a domestic level. With a little organisation and planning you will get even better returns on your time, money and energy if you look to invest them wisely with others. Look out for local groups that already exist and see what they're up to. It's possible there's a community garden right around the corner, a local currency, allotments, tree planting project, a car pooling scheme. Put your energy in and you'll reap the rewards. Be realistic about setting your goals - it won't all happen overnight - but steadily doing a little will yield great rewards over time.

See if your community group can host a Global Action Plan or Powerdown programme. These are superb starting points for sustainable community actions.

The extent to which modern society can provide for our basic needs is nothing short of miraculous, but should never be taken for granted. In the long, long history of the human race nothing has ever resembled the comfort, security and confidence we have experienced in the developed world in the last 100 years. And where modern society functions well - with conscience, imagination and intelligence - it is something to be extraordinarily proud of: a testament to humanity. However, we have lost sight of what a fragile web that is, and how to make ourselves strong within it.

-----

Patrick Treacy is the Development Coordinator of Cork Environmental Forum.

Rebel Tour 11th September 2010 - we need you!

2010-08-13T16:31:00.001+01:00

The Rebel Tour 2010 will take place on 11th and 12th September 2010 with 3 rides on the Saturday starting and finishing with a party in Cork City and an off-road event in the Ballyhoura hills on the Sunday.

As always, we are are relying on the help of volunteers to make this great event a big success. There are 4 ways you can chip in if you're willing:

1. STEWARDS PLEASE!

The Rebel Pedal will be part of the Cork Rebel Tour this year - a much bigger and more ambitious event than ever before. We are planning for large numbers and so will be looking for a lot of stewards again. We had about 15 stewards for last year's Rebel Pedal which was fine, but on the low side - this time I will need at least twice that number. The route will also be a little longer (so we spend more time in the city centre) which again means more bodies working to keep everyone together.

As in previous years, everyone who volunteers will get a briefing pack explaining exactly what needs doing - none of it is complicated or hard, but it helps makes the day run smoothly. Successful cycling events that are seen to run well are good for all cyclists in the city!

2. PROMOTION

We've had great help from you all over the last few years in distributing fliers around the city in the run up to the event and it would be great if we could call on that again. Cycling shops, bars, venues, petrol stations (!) and of course on bikes throughout the city - if we can get fliers out effectively for the 3 weeks running up to the event it will make such a difference. We will have plenty this year so please get in touch if you'd be willing to take a bundle for your bag and put them out wherever you go.

3. PHOTOSHOOT

We haven't set a date yet, but we are planning a fun photoshoot featuring adults and children spelling out the word 'REBEL' on the ground surrounded by bicycles, possibly in CIT, in the next fortnight. It might take half an hour one afternoon but again, it will make such a difference to getting our press releases into papers - and making them memorable to readers!!!

4. AFTER PARTY

The Rebel Tour after party (with riders from the Rebel Pedal, Rebel Rider and Rebel Challenge) is being planned for 2500 people in the Cork Showgrounds (entering from Monahan Road). We really really need volunteer support to steward the event - some of the duties will be tedious, others not so but everyone will be rotated on a rota. It's not as fun as being a steward on the parade and I won't pretend it is, but your support will make such a difference on the day.

If anyone can help with any of the above, please do get in touch as soon as possible. We have a fantastic team working very hard on making the event a success, but we really need your support to make it happen.

Thanks everyone.

Aquatic Invasive Species in Ireland

2010-06-10T16:50:00.006+01:00

Thanks to David Lee for the following report on the Aquatic Invasive Species Public Stakeholder Conferences in Galway and Tullamore April 2010 and background information. David is a longterm supporter of Cork Environmental Forum, a director of Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), an avid bee-keeper and angler.

Aquatic Invasive Species in Ireland

A Report on Aquatic Invasive Species Public Stakeholder Conferences in Galway and Tullamore April 2010.

The Central Fisheries Board has secured €1.5 million in funding from the European Community (EC) under the Life+ programme to control and eradicate invasive species in Lough Corrib, The Grand Canal and the Barrow Navigation Line. Minister Conor Lenihan formally launched the Life+ project ‘Control of Aquatic Invasive Species in Ireland’ (CAISIE) at the European Commission Office in Dublin on 23rd February 2010.

Aquatic invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity in Irish freshwaters and their adverse effect will continue to increase unless effective eradication and control methods are developed. CAISIE will focus on researching and implementing control and eradication methods, plus a marketing campaign to increase awareness and stakeholder engagement. The future cost of controlling Lagarosiphon major (African Curly Leaved Waterweed) in Lough Corrib by cutting and removing the deadly weed in a labour intensive process is estimated at €300k to €400k a year.

At the moment the funding is limited via the Western Regional Fisheries Board and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and a little in the past from Galway County Council and the OPW. But I think this funding will not continue long-term and is not sustainable so CAISIE have come up with a long term solution which is to cover the bottom of the lake with a material similar to old potato sacks (jute sheeting). This light excluding material saturates and sinks quickly on contact with water, and so is relatively easy to deploy compared to traditional benthic barrier methods. This will cover the bottom of the lake, thereby preventing the invasive weed from growing but allowing native plants to grow through the jute and provide food and cover for the fish stock in the lake as normal. Minister Conor Lenihan affirmed that this is a matter of considerable importance to the Inland Fisheries and this project, funded by the EU, brings together a number of State bodies to work together in the control of aquatic invasive species in Ireland.

The following is a list of invasive species which CAISIE – a group of 4 people headed by Senior Scientist Dr Joe Caffrey – will be occupied with, working on the sites where greatest risk is currently posed. Joe asked the audiences in Galway and Tullamore to inform him of any new outbreaks of any of the invasive species appearing in other rivers and lakes in Ireland and for people that were not at the meeting to also help be getting the booklet “Field Guide to Invasive Species in Ireland” which gives names and colour photographs that will help people to identify these dreaded plants.

For more information visit www.invasivesspeciesireland.com or contact by email joe.caffrey@cfb.ie

Key species in Lough Corrib:

Lagarosiphon major (African Curly Leaved Pondweed)
Dreissena polumorpha (Zebra Mussel)

Lagarosiphon major was first discovered on Lough Corrib in 2005 where it covered 9 bays. By 2006 it had spread to 24 bays, in 2007 64 bays were affected and in 2008 113 bays were covered. It now covers from the northern end of the lake at Cong down through all the bays to the middle lake and unless some remedial action is taken in the near future it will spread down lower Lough Corrib close to Galway City where it is likely to cause severe flooding as the water flow is restricted. It will also cause problems for boats navigating through the dense vegetation.

The plant originated in southern Africa where it is regarded as a nuisance. The weed grows during the winter months and has a long stem that is brittle and easily broken which aids dispersal. Only female plants are present in Lough Corrib and all reproduction is by fragmentation (asexual). Lagarosiphon major poses a serious threat to tourism, angling, boating and other recreational pursuits - it can also kill fish through oxygen depletion especially during very warm weather and low water during summer months.

Unfortunately Lagarosiphon major – along with other invasive plants species – is sold in garden centres and shops throughout Ireland as an oxygenating plant. This is one of the main sources of spread of the weed - other sources include anglers that snag pieces of stem when moving boats or trailers. (Anglers should make sure that their boats are properly washed down and all weed removed. Nets, waders and engines should all be properly cleaned.)

Presently there is no legislation in Ireland to prohibit the sale of the following invasive species in shops, which do untold damage to our natural resources.

These are:

Azilla filiculoides (Water Fern)
Crassuls helmsii (New Zealand Pigmyweed)
Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s Waterweed)
Hottonia palustris (Water Violet)
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating pennyworth)
Lanarosiphon major (African Curly Leaved Waterweed)
Lemna minuta (Least duckweed)
Lysichiton americanus (American Skunk Cabbage)
Myrmphyllum aquaticum (Parrot’s feather)
Nymphoides peltata (Fringed Water Lily)

Suggested Alternatives for your garden or Aquarium:

Butomus umbellatus (Flowering Rush)
Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold)
Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Flag Iris)
Menyanthes trifoliata (Bogbean)
Lychnis flos-cuculi (Ragged Robin)
Mentha aquatica (Watermint)
Potentilla palustris (Marsh Cinquefoil)
Hippuris vulgaris (Mare’s Tail)
Nuphar lutea (Yellow Water Lily)
Potamogeton crispus (Curled Pondweed)
Potamogeton perfoliatus (Perfolitate Pondweed)
Potamogeton pusillus (Lesser Pondweed)

Floating Plants:

Nymphaea alba (White Water Lily)
Potamogeton natans (Broad Leaved Pondweed).

The following is a list of invasive species which CAISIE will work on and the sites where these pose the greatest risk at present.

Key species at Lough Corrib:

Lagarosiphon major Curly Leaved Pondweed
Dreissena polymorpha Zebra Mussels

Key species on the Grand Canal, Barrow Line and Navigation:

Lagarosiphon major (Curly Leaved Pondweed)
Leuciscus leuciscus (Dace)
Hemimysis anomala ( Bloody Red Shrimp)
Crangoyx pseudogracilis (Northern River Crangonyctid.)
Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s Pondweed)
Crassula hellmsii (New Zealand Pugmyweed)
Azolla filiculoides (Red Water Fern)
Dreissena polmorpha (Zebra Mussel
Fallopia japonica (Japanese Knotweed)
Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant Hogweed)
Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan Balsam)
Gunnera tinctoria (Chilean Rhubarb)
Corbicula fluminea (Asian Clam)

The CAISIE meeting in Tullamore was chaired by Dr Stephanie Evers who outlined the efforts made by the EU commission through CAISIE in combating invasive species in Lough Corrib and the Grand Canal and Barrow Navigation area.

The EU commission has provided €1.5 million in funding through the Life+ project to combat the losses of biodiversity in the above areas in a project that will run until 2013.
The project objectives are to control and remove invasive species.

The meeting informed those attending that the EU recognised invasive species introduction as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss - second only to direct habitat destruction. It was estimated that the loss monetarily to the global economy caused by the impacts of all invasive species is $1.4 trillion or 5% of the global economy. The cost to the EU was estimated at €12 billion per annum.

Dr Evers informed the meeting that there are 14 invasive species present in the above areas, the Asian Clam being the most recent arrival.

Resources:
http://www.invasivespeciesireland.com/
http://www.cfb.ie/fisheries_research/invasives/index.htm
http://caisie.ie/

Masters of the Sky

2010-06-10T16:12:00.010+01:00

This article was kindly contributed by John Lyden, a director of the Golden Eagle Trust and member of the Irish Raptor Study Group.

Masters of the Sky

A White-tailed Sea Eagle photographed in
Killarney National Park

A quiet valley, late afternoon – the wind began to pick up. As it did, two giant birds of prey, sitting on rocks, flapped their wings and launched themselves into the air. After a few minutes, they were sailing in the wind showing their eight foot wingspan, slowly circling with their broad wings outstretched fully. Barely moving their wings, these masters of the sky circled and circled, and circled yet again, steadily gaining height.

Ten minutes later, two more great birds were circling. There were now four large raptors in the air, then six and then eight. Within a half an hour, no less than ten great birds of prey were slowing circling and gaining height. As they rose above the hill on the southern side of the valley, they drifted south west out of view, in groups of twos or threes. Sometimes, one bird would suddenly dive at another in a mock attack. The victim would react instantly by turning on its back to show its fierce talons and then, just as quickly, flip back to its normal posture and continue to sail south west into the wind.

This could have been the highlands of east Africa. It could have been the mountains in Asturias in Spain, or in the Basque Country, with Griffon Vultures scouring the land for food. But no, this was Kerry in May 2009 in a valley near Kenmare. The birds were not vultures but White-tailed Sea Eagles reintroduced from Norway to Killarney National Park. In fact, on that day, at different times, there were seventeen different eagles in the area.

A few hours earlier, in the same valley, eight eagles were feeding on the carcass of a dead animal, with a ninth eagle perched about 100m away. Above the eagles was a large flat rock. While the eagles were feeding and squabbling with each other, a fox came up onto the rock to size up the situation. Then, without warning, he rushed at the eagles and chased them off, as if they were pheasants. He took some of the carcass and ran off with it before the eagles could regain their dignity and their composure.

For the past three summers, young eagles collected as chicks in Norway have been released in Killarney National Park. In the wild, if there are two chicks in the nest, the second chick rarely survives. So by taking one chick from a nest of two, there is little impact on the population in Norway and the removed chick can be given a new lease of life in Kerry.

A Golden Eagle chick photographed in its nest in Donegal

Eagles were once widespread in Kerry and West Cork up to 130 years ago. 250 years ago, eagles were resident at the Old Head of Kinsale and they must have been seen regularly off Barry’s Head and Robert’s Head. Now they frequent the Iveragh peninsula south of Killarney and range into West Cork but if you are very lucky you may see one closer further across the county. Some readers may have seen Buzzards, which look like small eagles. The wingspan of a Buzzard is four feet but a sea eagle’s wingspan is eight feet.

Each eagle has a white tag on its right wing to indicate that it was released in Kerry. On their left wings, birds released in 2007 have yellow tags, those released in 2008 have red tags and those released in 2009 have green tags.

Each bird is fitted with a small VHF radio transmitter, which has a unique radio frequency, to allow the birds to be monitored and tracked. On 22 March 2008, four eagles were tracked or seen in east Cork. On 25 March 2008, Dr Allan Mee, the White-tailed Eagle Project Manager, picked up a radio signal from a young female eagle, yellow No 7, which indicated that the eagle was in the Myrtleville – Robert’s Head area.

Some eagles have been fitted with solar powered satellite transmitters. These transmitters are light weight and they acquire a precise GPS position during daytime every few hours (in good conditions, if there is little cloud). Every week, data from the transmitter is uploaded to a communications satellite and this information is then regularly downloaded by Dr Mee. In fact, by going to the website www.goldeneagle.ie readers can see the past journeys of a few White-tailed Eagles, Golden Eagles, Red Kites and Hen Harriers.

One eagle in particular, male red L, has been an outstanding adventurer. At 12.00 noon on 11 March 2009, male L was at Frogmore in Kerry but by 18.00 on that day he had reached Woodcock Hill in Clare. Next morning at 11.00, he was in Parteen in Clare before he headed south, passing close to Michelstown in north Cork, and he reached Leamlara in east Cork by 18.00. He stayed there for a day.

On 14 March 2009, male L headed west and he was over Aghada on the east side of Cork Harbour by 11.00. By 12.00 noon he was at Lough Beg near Currabinny on the west side of Cork Harbour. Then he flew south west, passing to the east of Carrigaline, heading for Tracton. By 13.00 he was over Ballybogey near Ballinclashet and by 14.00 he was at Money Point near Charles Fort in Kinsale. By 18.00 he was at Brinny north of Bandon.
He was back in Killarney National Park by 15.00 on 15 March 2009.

But that was only a warming up exercise for male L. On 20 April 2009, he left Kerry and was in Sligo that evening. Then he headed for Donegal, Antrim, Mull of Kintyre and up the west coast of Scotland. In late May, he flew from John O Groats on the north east coast of Scotland to the Isles of Orkney. He returned to Scotland and spent the next few months in the Kyle of Durness in north west Scotland. In September 2009, he headed down the west coast of Scotland and he spent several weeks on the island of Islay. On 13 November 2009, he was back in Donegal. In early December, he spent some time in the flooded landscape of east Galway near Portumna. On 22 December 2009, male L was back in Killarney.

Male L did a round trip of at least 2,700km, which is the longest recorded trip for a White-tailed Sea Eagle. During his eight months’ absence from Kerry, there were only one or two eyewitness reports of male L (he was photographed in Orkney by visitors from London). Without the satellite information, his amazing journey would never have been known.

There is plenty of food for eagles in Kerry and in Cork. But, unfortunately, there is one major problem. Seven eagles, and possibly one or two more, have been needlessly killed by poison. There is no evidence that people intend to poison eagles. But a few reckless and selfish individuals have put out poison (invariably in clear breach of veterinary and pharmacy regulations) on carcasses, with the intention of killing foxes and crows. The eagles eat the poisoned carcass and die needlessly.

In every known case, there has been a complete disregard of the law, as well as posing dangers to neighbours’ sheep dogs and possibly to young children. Some of the poisons used are lethal to humans (even in small quantities) and the Gardai have treated each of these cases very seriously.

Eagles are top predators. They lessen the spread of disease by cleaning up dead carcasses quickly. They do not harm domestic or farm animals. They hunt crows, magpies, rats, foxes, badgers and rabbits. Left alone, they will control the numbers of pest species. In Donegal, sheep farmers found that they had far less problems with ravens and grey crows, as soon as Golden Eagles moved into their area.

In any event, there are much safer ways of controlling foxes and crows that do not involve the reckless use of poison. In Kerry, with the endorsement of the IFA, local gun clubs and others, the Golden Eagle Trust has issued an “Advice leaflet on control of foxes and crows”. Even small quantities of rat poison, left out in the open, can poison Barn Owls and other beautiful birds of prey.

Please, please, do not use poison if at all feasible. Rat poisons are dangerous to humans and are harmful to wildlife. If they have to be used, please think before you use them and follow the manufacturers’ instructions carefully.

The Future of Life - Edward O. Wilson (2002)

2010-06-10T15:50:00.007+01:00

Biodiversity Book Recommendation:

The Future of Life (2002)
Edward O. Wilson
(two time Pulitzer Prize winner, biologist, researcher and author)

This is a fascinating insight into the amazing diversity of life on our planet and a concise and clear analysis of the challenges we face. Wilson’s style makes this a very accessible and enjoyable read for the lay person. He examines in detail the range of ecosystems from the sterile environment of Antarctica’s Lake Vostek to the wealth of species in the rainforests and why each domain of life is vital for our future. He looks at the role of humanity as planetary killer but importantly he provides solutions to avert further destruction of vulnerable life forms.

Essentially this book is about choosing biodiversity in order to choose survival. A gem of a book!

Bernie Connolly is the Treasurer of Cork Environmental Forum, and her involvement with CEF goes back over a decade.

The Frog Army

2010-06-10T15:41:00.008+01:00

Michael Hobbs is the Chairman of Cork Environmental Forum and joined the management committee in 2006.

As part of his huge contribution to CEF, he is currently conducting a survey of Squirrel sightings in west Cork, (which you can take part in online), with a view to setting up a protected zone for the Red Squirrel with the support of Coillte.

I always promised myself that when I bought a piece of land I would build a wildlife pond on it.

So back in 1995 when I was lucky enough to buy a piece of land on Cool Mountain I started work on one the next summer. I had little money at that time so I dug the hole out by hand with a mat hook and a spade. It was hard going - there was a space on my land that was already a natural valley, so as well as digging I had to dam up one end. The pond that resulted is about 16 feet long and 10 feet wide. To cushion the plastic against the bed rock I used up all my and my neighbours old bedding and coal sacks. Instead of pond liner I used a large roll of black plastic folded over making about four layers. Then I gently put the soil back in and started filling it up.

My brother owns a large spring up the hill so I laid a 1" alcothene pipe from there. If there is one thing I’ve learnt from making the pond it is that if you do the right thing by the environment it will pay you back in spades, and I have certainly reaped the benefit of unintended consequences.

The pond did absolutely nothing in the first year but look like a big puddle - it was only at the end of the second year that I saw the first signs of life coming into it. In the spring of the third year I had my first clump of frog spawn - and that summer the pond finally came to life with dragonflies and pond skaters, diving beetles etc, all moving in. The following spring I counted 15 frogs making spawn in the pond from my kitchen window. The next spring it was 23, then 34, then 45, then 64 and this spring I counted 83 frogs in the pond… I reckon next year I will make the ton! This all makes for a lot of croaking and splashing, in breeding season I can tell you… but I don’t mind a bit. And I will tell you why.

As well as a wildlife pond my garden also contains 16 raised beds in which I grow most of my own food. Living in a wet part of west Cork I had the usual slug infestation problems. I remember driving back from late night CEF management meetings, and forcing myself to go out and pick slugs by the light of my solar powered torch. (Solar powered torches are great as the light doesn’t last that long which gives you a great excuse to stop and go to bed.) Anyway about two years ago I noticed that the slug population in my garden had definitely plummeted and today it’s about 30% of what it once was and the reason: my 83 frogs in residence. And I do mean 'in residence'. When I dug out the pond I used the excess soil to make the raised beds and the stones I left in piles around the side and the back of the pond. I went to move one of these piles last year and found 16 frogs living in it - my piles of stones had become in fact a large frog apartment block.

And now every night as I’m lying snug in bed, out come my frog friends wanting breakfast, so that now any slug thinking of dining on my cabbages, has to first run the gauntlet of getting past my own personal, slug hungry frog army - it’s brilliant!

Community Supported Agriculture talk from the Growing Together event in March

2010-05-07T17:53:00.002+01:00

Thanks to Michael Hobbs of Freebird Films (and also the current chairman of Cork Environmental Forum) for filming the workshops at the Growing Together event in March.

This is the talk given by John Dolan (as seen on Ear to the Ground) on his experiences setting up the Bantry Community Supported Agriculture scheme...

[part 1]

[part 2]

All these clips and plenty more can be found on our YouTube channel...

Allotments talk from the Growing Together event in March

2010-05-07T16:23:00.010+01:00

Thanks to Michael Hobbs of Freebird Films (and also the current chairman of Cork Environmental Forum) for filming the workshops at the Growing Together event in March.

This is the talk given by Eoin O'Callaghan of Carrigaline Allotments on the day...

[part 1]

[part 2]

All these clips and plenty more can be found on our YouTube channel...

Earth Day 22nd April Day (Green Drinks)

2010-04-23T15:14:00.003+01:00

Had a small enough crowd yesterday evening for Green Drinks at the LV Bar - it was a beautiful sunny evening, and I had reserved a dark back room so I can fully understand why!

We did watch a couple of inspirational film clips though which got an interesting conversation flowing between the 10 or so people who were there. The clips are about 15 minutes each and both taken from TED conferences (at which inspirational leaders are invited to speak).

Firstly, Yann Arthus-Bertrand. French photographer and widely known for his much-loved book "The Earth From Above" gives a talk on his three most recent projects which celebrate the planet in all it's beauty, peril, diversity and heritage. It's a talk full of life, love and urgency.

Also a stirring talk by Rob Hopkins - well known in these parts for his pioneering and inspirational work on the Transition movement which has made such an impact locally here in Cork - and globally.

Labour Party NGO Forum

2010-04-16T13:08:00.003+01:00

You are invited to attend the Labour Party NGO Forum, Saturday 24th April, 10am, in the Trident Hotel, Kinsale, Co Cork. This is the same day as the wonderful Kinsale Spring Fair organised by the local Transition group.

This event is hosted by Cllr. Tomás O’Brien, Mayor of Kinsale, Joanna Tuffy TD Labour Party Spokesperson on Environment and Heritage, Ciarán Lynch TD, and Senator Michael McCarthy.

Speakers from the Cork Environmental Forum will discuss the transition movement, river basin management plans and a number of other issues relevant to the Cork region. Guest speaker will be Declan Waugh, Partnership for Change.

This is the second of a series of Labour Party Environment and Sustainability NGO events being held to inform party policy. The first was held in Dublin's Mansion House and you can view a report on the day here http://www.labour.ie/blog/archive/2010/02/27/environment-and-sustainability/.

We hope you are able to come along, and please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like more details.

RSVP 20th April, to joanna.tuffy@oireachtas.ie

Planning for a Sustainable Future

Labour Party NGO Forum, Saturday 24th April, 10am
Trident Hotel, Kinsale, Co Cork.

Hosted by
Cllr. Tomás O’Brien, Mayor of Kinsale
Senator Michael McCarthy
Joanna Tuffy TD

10am Tea/Coffee and Registration

10.15am Introduction and Welcome Cllr. Tomás O’Brien, Mayor of Kinsale

‘Planning for a Sustainable Future’

Labour Spokesperson presentations:
Joanna Tuffy TD, Labour Party Spokesperson on Environment and Heritage.
Senator Michael McCarthy, Spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources; Agriculture, Community and Rural Affairs
Ciarán Lynch TD, Labour Party Spokesperson on Housing and Local Government

10.30 NGOs information and presentations from NGO on issues relating to National and Local Government policy on –

Cork Environmental Forum – introduction by Patrick Treacy
The Strategic Policy Committee system and the Environment Pillar – Phoebe Bright
Transition Town Movement ‘Challenges facing the grassroots’ – Klaus Harvey
River Basin Management Plans – Sustainable Water Network (SWAN)

11.30 Tea and Coffee break

11.50 to 12noon – Guest Speaker - Declan Waugh, Partnership for Change

12 to 1pm
Local Agenda 21 and the Transition Movement
‘Building Resilient Communities’

Chair: Bronwen Maher. Panellists: - Joanna Tuffy TD, Senator Michael McCarthy, Cllr Tomás O’Brien, Ciarán Lynch TD.

Q & A session, with contributions from the floor discussing the challenges facing local communities, Government and Legislators when planning for a sustainable future.

1pm Ends

R.S.V.P. Joanna.tuffy@oireachtas.ie 20 April

Copenhagen - echoes of COP15

2010-02-02T15:00:00.007Z

How could we send out our winter newsletter without starting some discussion of the UN Climate Change Conference in December? Hailed as a failure by many and by others as a positive step in the process it may be some time before it becomes clear what exactly the legacy of the summit will be. The meeting attracted such intense media coverage that, if nothing else, the issue of climate change was propelled firmly to the forefront of mass consciousness for two weeks and for most of us the struggles of that fortnight are very familiar.

In many ways this was one of the most ambitious and challenging meetings between representatives of international governments (192 to be exact) ever attempted. The conversation of Copenhagen was well and truly historic - an attempt to reconcile differences between rich and poor nations (and equally between rich and rich) on a globally harmonised response to climate change that also meant that deeply entrenched global inequalities were awkwardly unavoidable. While such ambition was very laudable, one has to wonder, bearing in mind the distance negotiations had to go in 11 days, whether the groundwork was really in place for a meaningful agreement at the outset of the conference. For many, the abiding images of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference will be of chaotic queues and intense late night negotiations. But what was the outcome?

At the end of an event that hosted 15000 delegates, had various texts circulated, amended and torn up and that saw Obama and other global leaders stepping in late in the day, the Copenhagen Accord was presented to the world. The Accord was drafted by the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa on December 18, and judged a "meaningful agreement" by the United States government. It was "taken note of" (but not "adopted") in a debate of all the participating countries the next day, and was not passed unanimously. The document recognises that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the present and that actions should be taken to keep any temperature increases to below 2°C. However, crucially, it is not legally binding and does not contain any legally binding commitments for reducing CO₂ emissions.

If anything the Accord reflects a continuing lack of trust between nations which is a major disappointment to all who had expectations of some form of legally binding agreement at the very least. We are all exposed to the potential disasters of climate change - one would think that vulnerability would serve as a basis for trust, not to mention commitment.

In the meantime we in Cork can ask what we can do as citizens to help this process move forward. We all feel completely removed from events such as Copenhagen which we hear about from televisions and newspapers - but the reality is that it is something we are all involved in. Whatever agreements are eventually made will significantly affect our daily lives and the future of our children - surely that is worth a commitment.

Cork Environmental Forum is supporting the 10:10 campaign to cut our emissions in 2010 and would also like to encourage members and associates to take part in the Earth Hour campaign on 27th March.

On our website you will also find a very simple Carbon Footprint Calculator (devised by our own Barry Hurley) which you can download to your desktop, or even print. Use this tool to track your own efforts to cut down on carbon emissions.

We are hoping to hold a small briefing session on Copenhagen in Cork City in the next 3 weeks with delegates present at the Conference. Keep an eye on our website and future mailings for details.

Rain Water Harvesting

2010-02-02T15:00:00.005Z

Water is one of most valuable natural resources and needs to be protected, managed and nurtured.

The extreme weather events of late 2009 and early 2010 highlighted to many people just how vulnerable our mains water supply network is. The resultant reduction in - and failure of - the water supply made many of us realise just how much we take for granted the water that flows from our taps. Only once it is gone do we realise how lost we are without it.

Potable water delivered to our homes and places of work has been gone through a number of processes in order to make it same for drinking, such as:

· Abstraction Raw water is taken from our environment, including watercourses, lakes, reservoirs and groundwater aquifers and pumped to Water Treatment Plants.
· Treatment Abstracted raw water is then passed through a treatment process to comply with drinking water standards,
· Delivery Treated water is then pumped through the mains water supply network to and delivered to our taps.

All we have to do then is open the tap and, for the majority of the time, the water flows and we use it for whatever reason we see fit.

The average household uses approximately 150 litres of water per person, per day. The UK’s Environment Agency has published studies indicating that between 50 and 70% of the potable (drinking) water delivered to the home, is not used for drinking, but is used for:

· Flushing toilets,
· Showering and bathing,
· Watering the garden and
· Washing clothes and dishes.

The 50 to 70% figure equates to a volume of between 75 to 105 litres of water per person, per day - that has been abstracted, treated to drinking water standards and pumped to our homes – which we then pour down the drain without drinking it.

Annually, a typical 3-person household would “waste” up to approximately 115,000 litres of drinking water. Imagine of you bought this amount of water from your local shop at €1.25 per litre, the total cost would be €143,750 per year.
So, aren’t we lucky we don’t have to pay for it? Well not from 2011 onwards…The Irish government has proposed to introduce domestic water charges across the whole country by 2011, from then on the water provided by the local authority to our homes will have to be paid for, either through water metering, or through a rates system, the exact details have not yet been finalised.

The amount of drinking water we waste can be significantly reduced by the use of rainwater harvesting systems. In Ireland, we are blessed (yes, you read correctly - blessed!) with an abundance of free water in the form of rain. Free rain can be collected and stored for later use in a rainwater harvesting system.

Harvested Rainwater can with minimal filtration, be used to
· Flush your toilet;
· Wash your car;
· Water your garden;
· Wash your clothes;
· Clean down external hard areas such as driveways and;
· With an appropriate level of filtration, bathing and showering.

Rainwater Harvesting – What is It?
Rainwater harvesting is essentially the collection and storage of rainwater, for use at a later date. The practice has been extensively documented throughout history, but with the relatively recent introduction of a reliable mains water supply network, the practice has all but died out.

Rainwater Harvesting – How?
There are a number of ways in which you can harvest rainwater from simple systems such as providing a water barrel or water butt connected to a rainwater downpipe, to more complex systems which require the installation of buried tank, incorporating a small pump, which pumps harvested rainwater into the header tank, which feeds toilets and taps not used for potable purposes.

· Water-butts typically hold between 170 and 220 litres and are emptied manually through the tap incorporated into the base of the water-butt. These are generally used for watering gardens in the summer when there is reduced rainfall. They only require the occasional cleaning of debris such as leaf litter from the tank.

· Underground Storage Systems would typically be designed to hold approximately 5% of the annual average rainfall volume falls on a particular roof footprint. The size of a rainwater harvesting storage tank for a typical home would be between 3,000 and 5,000L. However, the tanks can be sized larger or smaller, depending on the number of people occupying the property.

The following few paragraphs discuss the operation, maintenance and various benefits of installing an Underground Rainwater Harvesting System.

Installation & Operation
A collection pipe is connected to the rainwater downpipe leading from the roof, which allows water to flow into an underground storage tank, the system incorporates a number of filters to remove leaf litter and other debris washed from the surface of the roof.

Within the tank is a small pump, which when required pumps the harvested rainwater into the header tank in the roof space.

Most modern systems, include a control panel, which monitors the water levels in the storage tank, if the water in the storage tank has been depleted the control panel automatically switches over to the mains supply and then back again, once there is a sufficient volume of rainwater in the tank to provide the needs of the property. The control panel ensures the consistency of supply.

Underground storage tanks will also require an overflow pipe to be connected to a soakaway or storm drain, which in the event that the rainwater harvesting tank is full will allow excess rainwater to bypass the tank and drain away.

Maintenance
Rainwater harvesting systems are not fit-and-forget systems and will require maintenance activities to be carried out from time to time.

The maintenance activities will include, cleaning and inspection of filters, maintenance of the internal pump and the periodic de-sludging of the storage tank.

There are a number of reasons why you would benefit from rainwater harvesting;

Cost Benefit
The finer detail of just how water charges are going to be implemented and the mechanism through which consumers will pay has not been finalised as yet.

However, the nondomestic sector has been paying for its water supply the last number of years. The typical cost is around €2.40 per 1,000litres of water used. A typical family of four would use approximately 219,000 litres of water per year, with an annual cost of €525.

The annual cost saving in water charges through the installation of a rainwater harvesting system would be approximately €367 per year. The estimated cost of a rainwater harvesting system would be between €2,000 and €3,000; the payback period would be between 5 and 8 years. Assuming that there is no year-on-year increase in water charges.
Environmental Benefits
1) Reduced CO2 emissions - The more people that use harvested rainfall, the less the demand on the mains water supply network, therefore, less energy will be required in the abstraction of water, the treatment processes and the pumping through the mains supply network to out homes and places of work.
2) Fewer chemicals - will be required in the water treatment processes required to treat abstracted water to drinking water standards.
3) Water Sources – The reduction in abstraction rates will allow base flows in streams and rivers to return to normal, thereby enhancing the aquatic environment.
4) Flooding - Rainwater harvesting systems can as part of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) help to reduce stormwater discharges to storm sewers and watercourses and reduce the risk of flooding.
5) Electrical Appliances - Rainwater generally has a low level or hardness which can help reduce the limescale deposition on electric components in washing machines and kettles, thereby extending their useful life.

Tony Cain is a member of the CEF Management Committee and a Civil Engineer with over 20 years experience in the water and wastewater sector. He has recently set-up his own company H2O-Consult with a mission to provide reliable, technical, friendly design and advice in the field of Sustainable Water Management. Visit his website at www.h2o-consult.com.

CEF will be hosting different water-related activities to mark UN World Water Day on 22nd March to celebrate of one of our most precious resources. Keep an eye on our website for new resources and news of events.

Flooding Solutions

2010-02-02T15:00:00.004Z

There can be no doubt in anybody’s mind at this stage that draining our wetlands and building on floodplains has contributed to the flooding problems that we have seen throughout the country. It is well known that wetlands act as sponges within the overall river catchment; soaking up water in times of heavy rain, and releasing it slowly back into the streams and rivers in drier times. This buffering effect softens the impact of both floods and droughts, keeping stream flow patterns throughout the whole river catchment in an even, healthy rhythm. Construction on our floodplains has a twofold impact. Firstly; newly paved surfaces of roofs, roads and yards lead to a quick release of rainwater to the nearest watercourse, exacerbating the flooding coming down the river. Secondly; raising the ground level reduces the storage volume for the inflowing river. This water needs to go somewhere, so it rises up ever higher to compensate.

In combination with the unpleasant effects of climate change, these two land-use issues have given us some very clear feedback. Fortunately we can always learn from feedback if we choose to do so. Addressing our contribution to climate change is of vital importance, that is undeniable, but the land-use patterns that lead to flooding can be addressed immediately on catchment-based or national scale.

It has been my direct experience that introducing wetlands within stream catchments can be an immediate and effective way of alleviating the impacts of flooding. We don’t need to bemoan our policy decisions of the past. However we can move forwards to more sustainable land-use patterns and rebuild the wetland infrastructure within river valleys throughout the country. This will store floodwater in pockets of land throughout the entire catchment, releasing it slowly back into the main watercourses to lessen the impact of the heavy rains.

With careful siting of catchment wetlands we can make maximum use of existing topography; maximising storage volume while minimising the machine work needed to achieve it. Another benefit of catchment wetlands is their ability to take up and store nitrates and phosphates, thus reducing water pollution downstream. This has been done on a national scale in Sweden to good effect. The Swedish experiences have led to filter/buffer wetland designs in Ireland on a number of streams around the country.

For existing developments on floodplains the issue is more challenging. Depending on the nature of the specific area, it is possible that the experiences of Curitiba in Brazil may be employed. There the city council bought up houses that flooded regularly, levelled them, and made the entire area into a city park. With this move, the flooding that had once caused heartache and danger for so many, became a source of beauty and interest as the park lakes were allowed to flood naturally without any loss of life or property.

For most Irish floodplain properties however, this is not necessarily a viable option. In many areas, we can compensate for lost flood-storage volume on adjacent agricultural land by lowering the ground level so that there is no net loss of storage volume for floodwater. The soil generated from the excavation can be used to create flood protection bunds around the houses. In this way we not only alleviate the impacts of flooding and provide protection for existing floodplain houses, but can also create attractive walks in the outskirts of urban areas.

A combination of these measures can help with the overall aim of preventing the type of damage we have seen in recent times. We are anything but powerless in our ability to tackle flooding. Whether we decide to move forward on a national basis or tackle individual river catchments to protect specific towns and cities, we can implement these ideas immediately and demonstrate immediate results. There has never been a better time than the present to start.

Féidhlim Harty is director of FH Wetland Systems Ltd., an Irish environmental consultancy company with over a decade of experience working with constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, water filtration and flood buffering. See www.wetlandsystems.ie for more information on using wetlands for catchment management and flood control. FH Wetland Systems are planning a Stormwater Management Wetlands – SUDS and Catchment Scale Wetlands course in Cork in 2010.

Email reeds@wetlandsystems.ie for more information.

CEF will be hosting different water-related activities to mark UN World Water Day on 22nd March to celebrate of one of our most precious resources. Keep an eye on our website for new resources and news of events.

Invasive Species in Ireland: The Varroa Mite

2010-02-02T15:00:00.000Z

This is the disease that affects Honeybees throughout the world. I will describe the effects and also give a full account of how we can manage and live with this deadly disease.

Varroa Mites (Varroa jacobsoini) is considered by many to be the most costly disease in both loss of bees and also shortage of crop pollination for Farmers and Horticulturalists. Unfortunately it has now spread worldwide.

It was first found in Japan in 1960, 1960-1970 Eastern Europe, 1971 Brazil, 1970 South America, 1982 France, 1984 Switzerland, Spain, Italy, 1987 Portugal, 1987 U.S.A, 1989 Canada, 1992 England, 2000 New Zealand and Ireland in 2003. As a beekeeper myself and also as a member of our national body The Federation of Irish Beekeepers when it came to England in 1992 we put a plan together to stop the importation of bees from affected areas. We put notices in all national and local papers informing people of the risks and the costs involved. We also put notices at our Airports and docks we got up to date information from our friends in England. Work had already started at the University of Rottemstead under Norman Carrig and research was on going at University of Delaware, Rutgers University, New Jersey, West Virginia and we printed as much information as was available on our monthly magazine - An Beachaire - and kept people up to date on the spread of the disease.

Unfortunately in 2003 it was first discovered in Ireland - in Co. Sligo - and as far as we know it was there for up to 2 years before it was detected. A full hive of bees was brought in to the country and the mites had effected other bee hives (as with all other countries we have no control over the movements of bees). People starting off put ads in papers and bees are moved throughout the country all the time. Other people that have built up large numbers of stock sell them on to people starting off. The Varroa Mites spread from county to county and by now it’s in every hive in the country so we have to live with the mite.

The Varroa Mite is an external parasite that is visible to the naked eye. The female is brown-reddish in colour measuring 1.1 to 1.2 mm in length and 1.5 to 1.6 mm in width and the males are smaller about 0.7mm by 0.7 mm and light tan in colour.

Adult females mites can live outside the the brood cells of a hive and can also be found on adult Drone and Worker bees. This behaviour allows them to invade new host honey bee colonies and survive the winter.

Female honeybees are essential for pollinating commercial crops and are vital to natural eco systems where their role in maintaining biodiversity is incalculable. In England it has been estimated that a single colony is worth £1300 for its pollinating services and in countries like America, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand pollination value is bigger than honey production and there are beekeepers that build up numbers in excess of 50,000 colonies in a multi-million pound industry. World wide the number of managed honeybee colonies has dropped from 5 million in the 1940s to only 2.5 million today. At the same time the call for hives to supply pollination services has continued to climb - this means honeybee colonies are trucked further and more often than ever before. Honey colony health has also been in decline since the 1980s with the advent of new pathogens and pest. The spread of varroa and tracheal mites in particular created major new stresses on honeybees - even though varroa do not kill bees they weaken the stocks to a low level leading to colony collapse, and make them more susceptible to disease.

In Ireland we have very strict guidelines under the Department of Agricultural treatment of varroa and are only allowed Bayvarol strips which are put in once a year after the honey crop is removed (August) and left in the hives for 6 weeks. This kills up to 95% of mites. This treatment will work for up to 10 years after which the mites will develop resistance to Bayvarol and other treatments such as Oxalic acid will have to be used again under licence. This treatment is used presently in countries that have had varroa for many years and again is the only means of maintaining bees until a non chemical treatment is found.

In Ireland we have approx 2000 beekeepers which are aware of the treatment of varroa but we have many other beekeepers who do not treat their bees or leave in the Bayvarol strips for longer than the 6 weeks. This causes problems for other beekeepers because there are huge number of mites in those areas and the good beekeepers tend to suffer re-infection of mites causing stocks to collapse.

Albert Einstein is thought to have said;

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, No more man.”

Thanks to David Lee (a long standing supporter and member of CEF) for this, the second of his series on Invasive Species in Ireland. You can also read his article on the Zebra Mussel here. David is a director of Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) and a leading member of the Irish Beekeepers Association.

2010-02-02T13:22:00.002Z

Cork Environmental Forum members are currently discussing setting up the following working groups.

To become a member of CEF you only have to click on the link to the right, register your details and make a secure payment on the next page. Membership for individuals costs €10 (€5 for unwaged, pensioners, students), for small community groups €25 and for businesses €50 per calendar year.

If you have an idea for a working group that fellow CEF members might like to join you on let us know.

Working groups:

National Tree Week 7-13 March 2010. Planting trees leaves a lasting legacy for wildlife and local communities and is a contribution towards absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Our working group is looking at ways to encourage communities around the county to take part in this annual event and to organise something in their own community.

Cork City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Help make the CEF team the most colourful, musical and memorable part of the Paddy's Day parade.

UN World Water Day 22 March 2010. CEF will be hosting different water-related activities to mark this annual celebration of one of our most precious resources. This year of all years the issue of water is very much at the fore.

Earth Hour 27 March 2010. One evening every year for one hour, individuals, businesses and public buildings turn their lights off for one hour in a statement of support for action on climate change. Our working group is looking at ways to coordinate this activity throughout the county - and this needs your support!

National Spring Clean 2010. Every year An Taisce coordinate a national campaign to get out and clean up our beautiful country. Our working group is looking at ways of getting communities to take part and how to publicise their efforts.

Building Together - a future for Ireland?

2009-11-24T17:47:00.001Z

By now it is pretty clear to everybody, that the biggest contributor to the problems in the Irish economy was the 'property bubble'; i.e. an unsustainable property boom fueled by reckless lending by our financial institutions, the willingness of our politicians to ignore all warning-signs and the property developers to pay higher and higher prices for land in the false hope of never-ending growth. This resulted in a situation where we have a huge amount of empty, overpriced, and -due to profit maximisation- low quality houses on the market.

With the overall number of house constructions still in decline, the percentage of one-offs and self-builds is on the rise. And the return to a situation where big developers build huge housing schemes is just not sustainable, possible or even thinkable.

But what does this mean for future house builders? Who will fill the gap left by the developers? How can we make sure, that future developments will happen in a financially, socially and ecologically sustainable manner?

I think the answer to this is right in front of our eyes: building togetheri.e. building together with a group of people mainly for owner occupation, with full control over costs, design and social- and ecological environment and all this for a lower price! Sounds good doesn't it? But how could this work and is this the time to try out something new?

The concept of Group Building is not a new model. There have been many projects and movements in the 20th century successfully operating under this model. In Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands Group Building Projects have always been an alternative way of procuring property. In Germany this model gained momentum about 20 years ago in times of a downturn in the construction industry and spread from Freiburg and Tuebingen in the south-west to other cities like Hamburg and Berlin.

So how does it work?

Group Building Projects (also known as Joint Building Ventures) are essentially groups of people willing to build, that come together to buy a building site and as a group build detached, semi-detached, terraced or an apartment building cheaper than buying 'off the shelf'. These projects are mainly for owner occupation and are on a smaller scale than the average Irish developments. Depending on location and building form, they can range from approx. 4 units up to 20 units or more.

The main advantages of building together are:

Financial Reasons:
– Overall costs are lower due to pooling of resources, sharing of costs and cutting out other's profits
– Direct influence on cost and quality
– Taxes and fees can be lower than their sum

Design Reasons:
– Individual Designs
– High quality architecture/building
– Above average energy and ecological qualities
– Experimental building forms possible
– Urban diversity

Social Reasons:
– Getting to know your neighbour before moving in
– Influence on design and construction
– Better neighbourhood
– Special forms of living (multi-generation etc.)
– Identification with place and property

A Group Building Project needs a solid legal and financial base appropriate to the specific project and there are several different approaches to this. The formation of a Limited company is one. The building cooperative is another, but the concept best suited and most interesting is in the form of partnerships. This has several advantages compared to the other two. It gives more freedom to the individual parties at early stages. There is no need for annual audits etc. and the administrative effort needed is much more suitable to smaller projects. There is no capital gains tax, and the end product can be a freehold ownership of the individual unit or property with the possibility to rent out, sell or pass on.

As there may be many individuals out there with matching interests that don't know of each other. The only question left is: How to find others interested in this concept, that have compatible preferences, want to build in the same area and have a similar idea about the building type and size of the project?

The website www.buildingtogether.ie could be a good starting point. It gives you some information about the concept of Group Building Projects and allows you to register your interests for free with the aim of bringing the right people together. The more people register their specific interests, the more likely it is to find people compatible and to form a successful group.

With prices for sites still in decline and banks and other financial institutions hopefully starting to lend money again to prospective home builders, the concept of building together could be a real chance for many people. It could also help the desolate construction industry to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel and last but not least, it would definitely create a better, more sustainable built and social environment.

Matt Braun studied architecture at the 'University of Applied Sciences' in Karlsruhe in the south- west of Germany and - in the last 6 years - worked in several offices in architecture and interior design in Australia, Germany and for the last 4 years in Cork, Ireland. I am a full member of the RIAI and have a Diploma in Interior Design. If you want to know more about this, you can contact Matt on 087 – 77 55 050 or send him an email: info@mattbraundesign.com

Earth Hour - Vote for Earth in the lead up to Copenhagen

2009-11-18T14:03:00.003Z

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Bantry Community Supported Agriculture Oat Harvest

2009-09-01T11:21:00.001+01:00

Madeline McKeever's blog has a good video of the recent oat harvest of the Bantry Community Supported Agriculture crop.

http://brownenvelopeseeds.blogspot.com/2009/08/oat-harvest.html

Invasive Species in Ireland: The Zebra Mussel

2009-07-30T15:47:00.002+01:00

At a recent meeting of Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) David Lee of Cork Environmental Forum was asked to write a series on Invasive Species in Ireland.

This is his first article - on Zebra Mussels.

An “Invasive Species” is defined as a species that is

(1) non-native to the eco system under consideration and

(2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Invasive species can be plants, animals and other organisms e.g. microbes. Human actions are the primary means of species introductions.

The Zebra Mussel (Dreissena)

The Zebra mussel is a small, non-native mussel originally found in Russia. In 1988 this animal was transported to North America in the ballast water of a transatlantic freighter and colonized parts of Lake St Clair.

In less than 10 years, zebra mussels spread to all five Great Lakes and into the Mississippi, Tennessee, Hudson and Ohio River Basins. Many inland waters in Michigan are now infested with zebra mussels. Only one lake was infested in 1992: today there are over 100. Zebra mussels are very successful invaders because they live and feed in many different aquatic habitats, breed prolifically each female produces 1 million eggs per year, and have both a planktonic larval stage and an attached adult stage.

Young zebra mussels are planktonic. They are the diameter of a human hair and invisible to the naked eye. Because of their size, they are spread easily by water currents and can drift for miles before settling. Adult zebra mussels are 2 inches in length and attach to hard objects and remain stationary. They often attach to objects involved in human activities, such as boats and boat trailers, and are inadvertently moved from one water body to another by people.

Zebra Mussels in Ireland

It is now generally accepted that zebra mussels were first introduced to Ireland as adults attached to the hulls of boats in 1988 and transported by sea ferry from Britain. Alternative hypotheses include the suggestions that they may have been transported as larvae in ballast water to Limerick docks; they may have been accidentally imported with aquarium fish, aquatic plants or in commercial fish transporting trucks etc.; or they may have been deliberately introduced be somebody who considered that the effects on eutrophicated Irish lakes would be beneficial.

Dr Dan Minchin claims the most likely means for their introduction was from used craft coming from Britain or the Netherlands. These were imported for private use on the Shannon Navigation and almost certainly were established on the lower part of Lough Derg following the immersion of a zebra mussel fouled hull. Larvae from here could be carried 20km downstream to become entrained within the Limerick Docks.

Under the Community Customs Code (EEC1992) used craft could be imported into Ireland without value added tax on entry from January 1993 onwards. In England it became necessary to have a certificate of competence for second-hand boats. This resulted in increased sales of second-hand boats from England to Ireland. These changes created an invasion window and an increase in the quantity of dispersal vectors. It is likely that zebra mussels were able to invade Irish waters due to this combination of events, which had not occurred in the previous 170 years.

Over the period 1997-2001, managers of companies who transport and import boats (transportation of boats using wide load trailers is a specialised service) were interviewed. In addition, locations in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, where boats had been lifted from the water into trailers and directly imported and re-immersed in Ireland were recorded. Contacts were then made with boat marinas in Ireland likely to receive used imported boats and were selected and examined for the presence of zebra mussels; three boats were examined upon arrival in Ireland and one boat was examined 3 months after re-immersion in Irish waters. Date, origin and destination of importation were noted. Zebra mussels were sampled by scraping a 2x2m area of the hull surface with a 15cm wide steel blade. Shell lengths of living mussels obtained from the first three boats were measured and mussel densities were estimated according to a logarithmic scale. The shell lengths of dead and living zebra mussels attached to the hull of the fourth boat, examined after 3 months, were measured to estimate mortality related to overland transportation and post-invasion growth of surviving mussels.

Economic impacts

The potential of zebra mussels to cause economically significant damage through their effects as fouling organisms cannot be understated. Organisms are capable of causing serious economic damage by obstructing pipes, and by damaging submerged structures, industrial equipment, turbines etc. Numerous examples of pier structures, navigational buoys, anchor chains, boat hulls etc., have been observed with zebra mussels which will significantly add to maintenance costs.

The extraordinarily densities up to more than 10,000m on some structures give an indication of the rapidity with which a serious fouling problem can arise in respect of Dreissena. Lock gates and associated water ducts will undoubtedly suffer from this problem, within the Shannon navigation system and associated canal network. The dock gates in Limerick have already become heavily infested, the hydroelectricity generating station at Ardnacrusha was among the first sites at which Dreissena was noted in the Shannon. Also within the Shannon system, other peat burning stations rely on the use of river water for cooling purposes and these in time will experience zebra mussel fouling problems. As the species spreads to other Irish catchments a range of other hydroelectricity, peat coal and oil burning power stations are likely to be affected to varying degrees. Water abstraction by industries, county councils and other local authorities, as well as by small local group schemes or individuals are likely to experience serious problems as a result of zebra mussel infestation.

Ecological Impact

Zebra mussels affect natural ecosystems both directly and indirectly. The greatest direct impact relates to the mussels feeding behaviour. They are filter feeders and process up to 1 gallon of water per mussel per day. During this process every particle in the water column is removed and either eaten by the mussels or wrapped in mucus and spat out. This feeding ability, in combination with high population densities, rapidly clears the water of even the largest lakes.

Unfortunately, the material removed from the water consists of other live animals and algae that supply food for larval fish and other invertebrates. In response to this changing food supply, populations of some animals have begun to decline. As the lakes clear, the brighter light levels cause aquatic plants to increase in number and size. This increased plant growth can be beneficial to some fish such as northern pike and to yellow perch. However the plants do cause problems for recreational boaters and swimming beaches, can increase taste and odour problems in drinking water supplies, and can block water intake pipes.

Within Europe some notable brown trout (Salmo trutta) angling lakes are found in Ireland. The main fishing period occurs when the burrowing mayfly hatch, other mayfly nymphs have different requirements. Their abundance causes trout to develop a feeding fixation and so are more easily captured. Impacts of zebra mussels on this recreational fishery are unknown. Young trout develop in small streams and rivers and so are unlikely to be affected until they enter lakes where their behaviour could be modified. Zebra mussel druses and ‘carperts’ provide interstitial refuges and opportunities for detritivores such as amphipods that may become an important food source. Whether the ephemeropteran biomass is likely to change is not presently known.

Increases in water transparency, following zebra mussel filtration, leads to an alteration of the abundance and diversity of invertebrates. However, a greater deposition of enriched wastes is likely to lead to complex interactive processes that could modify certain fish populations. Visual predators such as the pike may have advantages in targeting prey, yet increases in water clarity will promote macrophyte cover in shallow water areas to provide refuges for small fishes.

Pike usually assemble in quiet water to spawn, where eggs stick to aquatic plants. The presence of zebra mussels on vegetation, where eggs are normally laid, may effect successful egg attachment and development. Opportunities may arise for the roach, an avid benthophagic predator with pharyngeal teeth that are well suited to feed on zebra mussels.

Bathing frequency increases in summer when water temperatures may exceed 20degrees this often takes place close to berthing areas where there may be raw sewage discharges. Zebra mussels in paddling and wading depths result in cuts and lacerations. During July 1999 and 2000 approximately half of the members of each bathing group surveyed had cuts. These wounds may be prone to a wide range of infections that could include Wiel’s disease, caused by the bacterium Leptospira interogans.

Possible future scenarios

It is inevitable the zebra mussel will spread to other water bodies in Ireland. To date its expansion has been controlled following information campaigns promoting a shared responsibility with known user groups. The difficulty is to maintain this interest over longer periods of time without having to rely on its discovery in a new lake or river and thereby generate a further public awareness. In Ireland, the species has potential for further spread because of extensive midland limestone deposits, providing suitable water quality. Future spread in Ireland will almost certainly result from leisure related activities.

The presence of uncolonised lakes near to infested areas carries a high risk and angling associations are well informed about this. In Lough Melvin there are three genetic stocks of brown trout: the ferox (Salmo trutta ferox), the gillaroo (Salmo trutta stomachius) and the sonaghan (Salmo trutta nigripannis). These spawn in different parts of the lake, not in rivers (Cabot 1999), with possible reproductive impacts due to zebra mussel colonisation. The whitefish Coregonus autumanalis pollan, in Loughs Derg and Erne, may also have reduced reproductive success as a result of fouling of substrata where eggs are laid.

Conclusions

All available evidence suggests that zebra mussels became established in Ireland following importation of boats with attached living zebra mussels. Subsequent inoculations within the navigation systems indicated that the likely means of dispersal to new water bodies in Ireland were spawning of attached adults on boat hulls and hull scrapings returned to the water. Larval transport by small boats was not considered to be a likely means of spread because volumes of water transported in small boats are small. Macrophytes were found near boat slipways, and these could constitute a source for their spread.

Recreational boats are an important dispersal vector for zebra mussels in Ireland and there is potential for rapid international spread. It is inevitable that the majority of the connected and navigable waterways in Ireland will become and their range will almost certainly expand will any new canal developments or canal restorations wherever the water quality is suitable for their development and reproduction. The reopening of disused canal link has been proposed between the current Erne System and Lough Neagh.
This would almost certainly result in the spread of zebra mussels to Lough Neagh, unless a population becomes established before the canal development is completed due to overland inoculations from boat hulls.

Several vessels with mussels on their hulls have been found in areas where zebra mussels were not known to be established. The main cause for concern is the overland transport of boats to lakes at more elevated levels within infested catchments and to other river systems. Those vessels posing the highest risk are large boats that are heavily fouled, but such movements are relatively infrequent compared with angling boats moved in relation to fly hatches. Recently, information leaflets in English, French and German describing how risks of infesting other waterbodies can be reduced have been distributed to boating and angling centres with the aim of increasing co-operation in managing zebra mussel spread.

Numbers of zebra mussels on boat hulls were probably sufficient to form new populations following spawning in areas where zebra mussels did not previously exist. This may have happened in 1998 in Acres Lake and possibly in Lough Key in 1997 and Lough Ree and Lough Erne in 1996. Vessels most likely to acquire large numbers of zebra mussels were those that remained idle for long periods of time. This would appear to be the case for barges, canal boats, private cruisers and lake-boats. Although zebra mussels were present on boat hulls on the Grand Canal, populations do not yet appear to have become established there.

In order to minimise the spread of zebra mussels to other waterbodies, all boat owners should scrape boat hulls to remove any zebra mussels and hose down the boat with hot water, if available. All bilge water should be drained and all weed removed from the boat and trailer. Outboard motors should be cleaned and boat hulls allowed to dry out if possible. Keepnets should be dried out or washed in hot water before use in other waterbody. Scrapings and water from hosing down etc., should be disposed of elsewhere and not returned to the waterbody where the cleaning is happening.

There seems to be a good level of public awareness about zebra mussels in Ireland, and this may have helped prevent the spread of zebra mussels to other lakes. Voluntary action has been taken by community organisations: in Lough Melvin vessels not normally resident in the lake were not allowed to be launched without a receipt showing the boat had been steam-cleaned or passed through a car wash. However zebra mussels may spread to other waterbodies as a result of illegal eel fishing activities. Nets are normally recovered at night and may contain sticks or weed with zebra mussels attached to them, which may not be noticed. These nets are moved between water bodies and may act as a dispersal vector for zebra mussels.

Invasive Species and European Directives & Conventions

Invasive non-native (alien) species are included as part of the assessment of pressures and impacts that will determine ecological status for the Water Framework Directive (WDF). It is widely recognised that invasive non-native species have the potential to compromise the achievement of good ecological status (GES, as per WFD) for waterbodies, and the conservation objectives to maintain or restore, at favourable conservation status for natural habitats and species as per the Habitats Directive. The obligation on the Irish Government to protect Natura 2000 sites and features, under the Habitats Directive, offers a further important driver in the fight against invasive non-native species.

As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) the Irish Government is required to as far as is possible and appropriate, prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species. Signatories must report on what has been done to implement the Convention and how effective this is in meeting the objectives of the Convention.

Hoping this will be of interest to you and if anybody has anymore information I would be glad to add it to my document.

I wish to thank Dr Dan Minchin, for his help in putting this article together and The Shannon Regional Fishery Board for use of their website.

David Lee,

July 2009

Transition Towns meeting at CIT

2009-06-10T13:29:00.003+01:00

Phoebe Bright has some interesting musings inspired by the recent Transition Towns meeting at CIT on her excellent blog:

http://pbjots.blogspot.com/

Despite the meeting taking place during the hottest, most wonderful weather we've had in living memory (I can be forgiven a slight exaggeration no?) there was a really good crowd and you could feel the hunger there was for this meeting.

Groups from all over the county - from Bantry to Youghal - came together to share their experiences for the day and there was a palpable sense of re-energising and reminding of the excitement of community action. CEF is a slightly different organisation to the local community groups, but I enjoy great contact with them in my job (and am involved with Midleton Transition Town in a voluntary capacity). I have seen how groups can suffer burn-out, disillusionment, disappointment and other challenges, so gatherings like this really lift everyone back up.

I could certainly see CEF providing spaces for this in future. Just this weekend we hosted a small celebration of World Environment Day at Hosfords Garden Centre with groups from Kinsale, Bandon and Clonakilty who shared their stories with each other. We are working on our next Green Drinks event at the moment too - provisionally Thursday 25th June - which seems to be a very promising way of 'greasing the wheels' and connecting people of similar interests and energy.

Water matters! New draft River Basin Management plans.

2009-06-03T12:41:00.002+01:00

Water. One of our most precious resources and undoubtedly one of our most under appreciated.

Last Tuesday I was at a focus meeting on the new draft SW River Basin management plan that CEF co-hosted with the brilliant Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) during which we were taken through the plan and some of the various issues that come out of it.

As part of the EU Water Framework Directive which Ireland signed into law in 2005, we are obliged to produce river basin management plans to bring the quality of all our water bodies up to certain standards. Consequently the whole island was divided into 8 river basin districts – Cork being in the South Western one – which are the responsibility of the local authorities.

The plan details how the quality of all surface and ground water bodies has been tested, and what measures will be taken to bring the standard of each one up to ‘Good’ or ‘High’ status. (A downloadable copy of the plan is available here and I have plenty of hard copies if anyone wants me to post one out.) The draft is currently open to public consultation until June 22^nd and I feel that getting as many comments as possible in would be very helpful.

This is the first time Ireland has had to produce such a plan and each river basin district was issued with a template plan from central government on which to base their own document.

One of the big positives is that it has really exposed how badly we treat our water bodies. On the other hand, as you might expect from the first attempt, there are certain flaws to the plan.

Stylistically I feel this is not a format likely to excite or inspire. Whereas the Water Framework Directive does express a certain spirit and passion, the template for the draft plan is quite prosaic and slightly confusing in its structure. The best consultation documents I’ve seen (for example I thought 2020 Sustainable Travel and Transport was good) use case studies from other countries and give examples of what people and communities can do, as well as discussion of commitments from the appropriate authority. Ultimately this is where I feel the plan disappoints – it simply does not engage and feels like it is designed to tick certain European boxes.

On a more strategic level, I certainly felt that the plan was light on climate change. I would have expected at least some discussion of the potential impacts on water quality (due to more intense precipitation events or tidal surges for example) but in fact there is hardly any. There were other technical areas of concern for participants last night too – I won’t go into all of them here but if anyone is interested to know more about the feedback from the focus meeting I am happy to share.

Finally there was some debate about the accuracy of the monitoring and categorisation of particular water bodies. You can look for yourself in detail at the results of testing any water body in Ireland in fact using the amazing online Water Maps tool which is part of the project.

If you feel the quality of a water body near you is misrepresented, or if would like to have your say on how the quality of our water is managed why not submit a comment before the 22nd June? All the details you need to submit a comment are on the first couple of pages.

Why bother, you might ask. Because water belongs to all of us and that means we are all responsible for looking after it too.

Over-population?

2009-05-20T17:04:00.001+01:00

I was very fortunate to be at Tim Rowe's excellent talk on global population last night at the Ambassador Hotel (supported by Cork Environmental Forum). Tim is a beekeeper from west Cork who was inspired (there's no other word for it) to research and develop this presentation in order to raise the profile of this very awkward and very sinister problem.

Addressing population levels is a delicate matter. Does one make definite statements about what the population of the world should be? Does it help to explore methods of population control? Understandably the thought of these issues makes a lot of people nervous and Tim has judged incredibly well what content is necessary, relevant and helpful. His aim is simply to bring the subject into conversation and he does this by elegantly tracing the evolution of humankind and showing us some very unsettling trends.

Did you know that the population of the world has more than doubled since the 1960's? Back then we numbered roughly 3 billion, now we are 6.7 billion and by 2050 that is projected to be in the region of 9 billion (UN Population Division). And for over a hundred thousand years - up until about 6000 years ago - our population stayed relatively stable at less than 100 million individuals globally (click on the chart above to enlarge).

Clearly the human population has exploded in very very recent times, and one of Tim's key messages was that all of the things that make our lives so comfortable and so stable are, in the context of history and even of modern day geography, utterly abnormal.

The effect of industrial agriculture, transport and energy on our species has been simply extraordinary. Our present (and very recent) hold on the natural world has never been seen before and is completely unsustainable. Our meteoric rise threatens a very fragile planetary system - witness the effect on global atmosphere and biodiversity for example.

What does this all add up to? Can we expect global populations to level off at some point before gently falling back to sustainable levels? Can population growth continue at 2.2% per year (as it is at the moment) indefinitely? Can our planet sustain the current number of humans once certain dwindling resources (i.e. oil) start to disappear? How will this issue manifest itself? As a species, will we have the intelligence, foresight and leadership to manage this crisis before it begins to manage us?

These are hard questions - some of them truly unbearable. But this is a conversation worth having, we owe it to future generations and we owe it to those of the current generation who may feel the effects of over-population in our lifetime.

This is a challenging subject expertly and sensitively brought to our attention. Tim would be very happy to give his talk to any groups who are interested and I would very much encourage you to take the opportunity.

Building Cork's low carbon economy

2009-05-20T14:04:00.012+01:00

CEF are part of a team (including the Irish Doctors Environmental Association) led by Partnership for Change in a project that would see the region of Cork join the United Nations Climate Neutral Network and implement a massive programme of greenhouse gas reductions in the area.

On Monday Mr. Svein Tveidtal, former Director at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Environmental Ambassador to the city of Arendal, Norway, addressed two important crowds on the opportunities involved in such a project.

At a breakfast meeting at the Lifetime Lab and at a noon meeting at the Quality Hotel, Clonakilty Mr. Tveidtal presented his case to an assembly of leading Cork business people, academics, public figures, voluntary groups and householders. He emphasised the extraordinary nature of the climate change problem, using the above slide to show how atmospheric CO2 concentrations (in red) have correlated so well with atmospheric temperatures (in silver) for the past 400,000 years. I thought this slide portrayed particularly effectively the potential for imminent catastrophe if we continue on our present course.

The city of Arundel in Norway (pop. 40,000) was one of the first members of the Climate Neutral Network and has gone to exceptional lengths to ensure that it makes no net contribution to climate change. Mr. Tveidtal emphasised his optimism that solutions can be found to the problem and that the first adopters such as Arundel will be the ones to benefit most politically and economically in the medium term. The network now has 100 members including prominent cities, regions and corporations all doing business with each other around the world - certainly an opportunity for Cork to take seriously in these gloomy times.

Mr. Fergal Duff, a former colleague of Mr. Tveidtal at UNEP, made the point that the business sector has always been a source of great innovation and is frequently ahead of government in responding to changing times. He reminded the crowd of the need for 'URL' - Urgency, Relevance and Leadership in confronting the problem.

It also occurred to me that with the local elections approaching rapidly that this is an opportunity to ask our candidates how they will approach this problem and to bring this on to their agenda. What can they do to help? How will they help Ireland and Cork rise to the challenge of climate change? Ultimately many of the solutions lie in our own hands, and making our priorities known to our elected representatives is an important step.

[Thanks to Fergal Duff and the IDEA for originally inviting Mr. Tveidtal to Ireland, and to Declan Waugh and the Partnership for Change for picking up the baton and making the most of the opportunity.]

Local authorities invited to submit proposals for renewable energy centres

2009-05-08T14:00:00.003+01:00

This arrived in my inbox this morning. I know there is a lot of discussion and activity at local levels about such projects so am seeing if it would be possible to organise a workshop on the proposed scheme.

May 8 ^th 2009

Local authorities invited to submit proposals for renewable energy centres

Oireachtas Sub Committee on Job Creation through use of Renewable Energy Resources

The Oireachtas Sub Committee on Job Creation through use of Renewable Energy Resources has invited proposals from County Councils on the feasibility of locating renewable energy projects in their local authority areas.

The renewable energy projects will follow the example of the town of Gussing in Austria where a renewable energy project has transformed the local economy.

In Gussing, 50 new companies have been established since the 1990s, employing more than 1,000 people through the establishment and continual expansion of an alternative system of producing energy from sustainable resources, grown, garnered and utilised in the local area, and using this energy to supply electricity and heat to business, industry and private homes in the same area.

Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Job Creation through use of Renewable Energy Resources, Willie Penrose, TD, said: "We should observe what is happening in other countries and seek to use the knowledge gained to create new jobs and employment opportunities in Ireland which will be good for the economy and the environment."

"Renewable energy projects have the potential to create thousands of jobs throughout the country. Renewable energy projects provide opportunities at every stage of development from initial research through to manufacturing, construction, operation and maintenance. In the US, Barack Obama plans to invest $150 billion over 10 years in a 'clean energy' economy that will help the private sector create five million new green jobs. There is no reason why a similar approach cannot be adopted here."

Following a fact-finding trip to view the Gussing Energy, the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment established the Sub-Committee on Job Creation through use of Renewable Energy Resources in October 2008. It aims to identify locations in Ireland for establishing projects similar to the Gussing project.

At least one of these locations will be in Connacht/Donegal, one in Leinster/Cavan/Monaghan and one in Munster. It aims to identify which of these locations would be suitable for the establishment there of a Solarteur School. Solarteur Schools provide training in renewable energy technologies to students and skilled workers in the building, engineering and other sectors.

The Sub-Committee is now inviting proposals from County Councils on the feasibility of locating a project of this nature, including the establishment of a Solarteur School, in their local authority area. While the Sub-Committee is not offering to fund the projects, it will use its office to convince the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to promote the development of these job-creation projects at the most suitable locations.

Up to 700,000 lights go out as Ireland switches off

2009-03-30T12:40:00.002+01:00

Well done everyone who took part in Earth Hour on Saturday evening... 30 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved during Earth Hour 2009 - AND while Ireland were playing Bulgaria in a soccer international!

Hopefully this sends a loud and clear message to everyone about how much can be saved through individual small actions. It may seem trivial to turn your lights down or off when you don't need them, but it all adds up to a huge difference. 30 tonnes is what was achieved - IN ONE HOUR - when everyone made the conscious effort on Saturday evening.

Imagine what can be done over the course of a year, 24 hours a day with a bit of awareness.

Well done to Cork Food Web by the way for getting a mention in today's Times!

Irish Times 30th March 2009

PAUL CULLEN

EARTH HOUR: THE EQUIVALENT of more than 700,000 lights went off throughout the State on Saturday night as Government offices, businesses and homes joined in the global Earth Hour initiative, which aims to highlight the threat from climate change.

Electricity consumption dropped 2 per cent during the hour, according to EirGrid, which hailed the success of the symbolic initiative and called on consumers to follow up with further efforts to reduce energy consumption.

Government buildings around Ireland went dark from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, while a number of larger private companies minimised their lighting during the Earth Hour. Elsewhere, landmark buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, London’s Houses of Parliament and the Sydney Opera House went dark as part of the global initiative in more than 10,000 cities.

Time zone by time zone, up to one billion people in nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries joined the event, according to sponsors, the World Wildlife Fund.

Eirgrid says electricity consumption dropped by about 70 megawatts during the period, resulting in a saving of 30 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This compares to the 50 megawatts saved during last year’s Earth Hour.

The hour clashed with the Ireland-Bulgaria soccer international in Croke Park, where a half-time advertisement on energy saving was aired, and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore’s speech at his party conference in Mullingar, where the lights were dimmed briefly before his address.

Historic sites throughout the country were plunged into darkness as the Office of Public Works pulled the plug on floodlighting for the hour. They included the State’s most visited heritage site, the Rock of Cashel, as well as Cahir Castle, Ormonde Castle, Donegal Castle and Trim Castle.

Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he hoped people would make a permanent change in the way they use energy. “By doing your bit and not wasting energy every day, you can also save hundreds of euro a year, ” he said.

Tony Lowes of Friends of the Irish Environment, who introduced Earth Hour to Ireland last year and who co-ordinated the event again this year, said that while the response in Ireland had been unprecedented, nothing had changed. “After the euphoria of last night, it’s really hard today to face again into the huge job we have to make our politicians and business leaders take the extreme actions that are needed more urgently every day.”

In Dublin, Leinster House lay in darkness, as did the Four Courts, the Custom House and the Bank of Ireland on College Green. A spokesman for the Oireachtas said that as part of efforts to reduce carbon emission in Leinster House by 15 per cent, all buildings in the complex are now metered and subject to regular “switch off” initiatives.

In the private sector, Dell turned off all lights in its facilities during Earth Hour, while AIB minimised lighting in its larger buildings. Abbott Ireland provided free candles to all their staff to encourage participation at home and Ulster Bank said it aimed for lights out in all branches for the entire weekend.

Astronomy Ireland marked the event by organising “telescope nights” for stargazers in Dublin’s Phoenix Park and seven other locations. Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, in association with Cork Food Web, held an event of music and stargazing to make use of the dark conditions.

EirGrid says consumers can make further savings by switching off lights in unoccupied rooms, changing to low-energy bulbs, buying energy efficient appliances, switching off computers when not in use and unplugging phone charges when they are not in use.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour. Ireland became the first country in Europe to take part last year.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

Carbery Housing Association

2009-03-30T11:59:00.002+01:00

This article came to me as notification of the annual CHA general meeting but as it gives such an excellent summary of the group's history I felt it was worthy of posting here. I am familiar (from a distance) with their work and feel they are a very important organisation.

Local residents in Baltimore Town, on the South West Coast set up CHA in September 2001. Baltimore is sea sports and tourist haven, and as a result house prices have escalated beyond the reach of local people, especially young people and manual workers. I joined the group shortly after its creation, and. Through local fund-raising, we were able to register non-profit company, secure charitable status with the Inland Revenue, and secure approval as voluntary housing with access to Voluntary Housing Grant from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG).

CHA is a membership organisation, where anyone (including prospective tenants) can join as member on approval of their application by the Executive Committee and payment of a small fee. The association currently has over 80 paid up members. At a yearly AGM, the membership elects an Executive Committee of 7 members to direct its work. This Executive Committee takes on expert co-optees as required. The Association has three Officers, a Chairman, and Treasurer and a Secretary. All positions are voluntary.

Since its inception, and with relatively little publicity, CHA has had 140 applications for housing from people looking for social housing. Most applications have been for the major towns, Bantry, Skibbereen, Clonakility, and Baltimore, and some for the more rural villages. Most of these applications (53%) come from single persons or couples, the rest are from families of different sizes. Some applicants have been on the Council housing list for over 10 years, without response or explanation. 28% of applicants are unemployed, and 33% employed. The rest are self-employed, in vocational training or supported employment schemes, are students, or in receipt of disability allowance.

Since our inception, CHA has attempted to work closely with Cork County Council and the Town Councils in developing social housing to meet identified need. We have not, however, received much support from them to date in doing so. Initially, we found it very difficult to initiate any developments, due to the high cost of land zoned as residential development, as these were the only sites acceptable to the local authority for possible social housing projects. We found that the market value of these sites tended to be around 30% over the cost limits allowed for land purchase.

In 2002 we put together a feasibility study and outline planning applications for development of 2 sustainable neighbourhood developments on privately owned land at Kinaith Fineen in Bantry. The land was not zoned as residential, so we could afford the asking price with funding available. In terms of the design approach we foresaw later developments in green building by proposing that these homes be sustainable and energy-efficient and incorporate small-scale renewable energy for space and water heating, promoting planting and biodiversity, organic treatment of waste water, and other environmental criteria. With this proposal we secured European funding under the ALTENER II Programme to develop and present the proposal. Cork County Council. However, the Council was not prepared to rezone the land in question, and the proposals fell.

In 2003 we also began, in collaboration with the West Cork County Council regional office, to draw up a further sustainable social housing work up a proposal for a site owned by Cork County Council in The Slip, Bantry, and to negotiate for the transfer of this site by the County. In 2005, after much work and expenditure on our part, the Western Committee of Cork County Council rejected the land transfer proposal.

In order to continue in operation, in the face of lack of support from the local authority, we once again turned to European funding and became involved in two EU funded trans-national exchange projects from 2004 to 2007. These were the Exchange of Common Strategic Arrangements (ECSA) Project, which aimed to develop a set of indicators for social sustainable development, and the Development of Equal Opportunities in Social Economy Organisations (DESEO) Project, which aimed to map and support the local social economy in West Cork. In 2007, José Ospina, Secretary of CHA received a Level 1 Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) Award in recognition of the efforts made by CHA.

Ironically enough, it could be that the collapse of the housing market that actually gives CHA the chance to achieve its objectives. Land prices are coming down to level close to government cost limits for land purchase for voluntary housing. Thanks to this we are currently working on a further proposal, again in Bantry. This is set on a privately owned site, with residential zoning, near the Town Centre, that we are in the process of assessing. The project is being designed with the help of DHB Architects in Waterford, and will aiming at around 20 sustainable homes and a community facility, probably a cyber-centre, in a community friendly design. The carefully designed, A-rated low-energy homes will be available for rent, at genuinely affordable rents, for single persons and families. The Project will be holistically ecological, incorporating renewable and non-polluting construction materials, a renewable energy for heat and power, organic wastewater treatment and planting to enhance biodiversity.

But the housing market collapse has created another unacceptable situation that we would like to help redress. Many houses are currently on the market that cannot be sold, and many of these are vacant and waiting for buyers. This problem also has financial implications, where the developers are at risk of defaulting on development loans undertaken to build them, but is also absurd that this should be the case when there is growing housing need. The government has recently introduced a long-term leasing programme, to help bail out owners and house persons who cannot afford to buy at the same time. Grants are being made available to Local Authorities to lease these homes from the owners for long periods, during which time they will be used to meet social housing needs, being returned when the market is (hopefully) once again buoyant. This funding is only available to local authorities at present, but we are told it will soon be extended to housing associations. This is an area that we are very keen to explore, and we are currently looking for properties that could be used under this Programme when it becomes available to us.

We are also considering developing a community energy efficiency service that can provide energy assessment and improvements for persons who are living in inefficient homes and cannot afford to upgrade commercially. We are hoping to gain support from various government and European agencies for this activity, aimed at combating fuel poverty and climate change in practical way.

These, and we hope other potential action to improve local housing, will be the subject of the AGM of Carbery Housing Association, which will be held at 8 PM on Thursday April 9th at the West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen. In particular we be "re-launching" Carbery Housing Association so that it can respond to the current housing and environmental issues. Marlene O'Connor, director of Simon Galway and a native of Schull, will explain how the current crisis requires an effective community response. A new Executive Committee will be elected, so this is an opportunity for people who are serious about doing something to improve the situation for households who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market to get involved. For more details about the AGM and CHA contact José Ospina, Secretary, on 028 21890. You can also find more information on our Web Site www.carberyhousing.eu

The Climate Change Challenge Competition

2009-03-26T11:36:00.003Z

From a solar-powered cardboard cooker for Africa to a giant industrial microwave that locks underground carbon sucked from the atmosphere by vegetation, innovation and ingenuity still offer hope that it is not too late to tackle climate change.

The Financial Times and Forum for the Future are hosting a competition to find the most innovative solution to the effects of climate change. The winner could be a new technology, system or service, novel organisation or business model. Sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, the $75,000 prize aims to turn the best idea into reality.

The judges have announced the short-list and you can now vote to decide the winner. Voting ends at 5pm GMT on April 1.

Who needs a garden?

2009-03-16T15:34:00.002Z

Fed up with waiting for an allotment? What about growing food on a verge, in a cemetery - or even on a canal boat. Jane Perrone reports.

Phoebe Bright put me onto this article which has some great ideas relevant to Ireland for the future of local food growing.

If you are interested in this article you might also be interested in the Cork Food Web, recently launched by a collaboration including Cork Environmental Forum and now with 250 members interested in growing food locally in Cork...

Earth Hour Saturday 28th March 2009 8.30pm

2009-03-11T16:44:00.002Z

EARTH HOUR 2009 - VOTE EARTH

At 8.30 pm on March 28 people around the world will turn their lights off for one hour in a universal effort to show that it is possible to take action on global warming.

Begun in Sydney two years ago by the World Wildlife Fund, 2 million people turned off their lights. Last year 50 million people across 35 countries switched off for one hour. Supported in Ireland by Friends of the Irish Environment, Dublin's Custom House went dark and Eirgrid reported reductions of 50 megawatts - enough electricity to power 32,500 homes.

This year Earth Hour is the biggest grassroots marketing campaign the world has seen. With no ad budget, it relies on people to carry the message - with newspaper groups and TV stations donating air time and space. It truly is an open-source model. Shepard Fairey, the artist who created the iconic ‘Change, Progress, Hope' imagery for Barack Obama in the recent US Presidential Election, has created the artwork for WWF's 2009 Earth Hour called ‘Vote Earth'.

Already, the term 'Earth Hour' is searched on the web every 7 seconds.

The target WAS 1,000 cities and 1 billion people. Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Galway, Belfast and (hopefully on Monday) Dublin will mean 6 Irish cities have helped swell the numbers participating to over 1000 cities.

John Gormley, Irish Minister for the Environment, is calling on all local authorities to support Earth Hour. The Office of Public work is going to darken Irish flood-lit national monuments - including the Rock of Cashel.

Please contact Friends of the Irish Environment if they can help you help Earth Hour.

New West Cork Sustainable Fisheries Group

2009-03-03T14:27:00.003Z

At a public meeting last night in Baltimore, a group of fishermen and interested parties agreed to form the West Cork Sustainable Fisheries Group. The project is the brain child of Joe Aston from Sherkin Island and the following have agreed to serve on a new committee:- Con Minihane, Dr Sam Shephard, Dan Jeffries, Tony O’Mahoney, Matt Mills, Ed Harper and Nigel Towse. Patrick Treacy of the Cork Environmental Forum has also offered his support.

The group aim to explore and demonstrate ways of making sustainable fishing an economic and commercial reality in their local area. This will involve looking at current fishing practices, developing markets for high quality produce and exploring ways of reducing current dependency on fossil fuel for energy.

What can I put in my recycling bin?

2009-02-26T18:24:00.002Z

To clear up once and for all what you can and can't put in your recycling bin, we have added a page to the CEF environmental Wiki detailing exactly what the different recycling companies in Cork will accept in their bins.

The truth about recycling

2009-02-26T11:13:00.003Z

With stories of old TVs ending up in Nigerian landfill sites, the collapse in demand for recycled materials, and claims that incineration is a better way to dispose of waste, there's a growing backlash against recycling. So should we still be washing up those baked beans cans?

This has certainly been on my mind in recent months. Is all the effort a disappointing waste of time? Has the downturn scuppered one of the great leaps forward of the last 10 years? Read on for the full story thanks to today's Guardian.

(Sorry if this is once again a bit UK-centric but I do seem to find a lot of interesting information that is relevant to our own local actions in my morning browse of the Guardian. It's only one of the papers I browse in the morning, but am aware I seem to pull a lot out of it for this blog.)

Eco-friendly mobile phones on the way

2009-02-17T12:07:00.003Z

I can't resist this. I'm not one of those people who always has to have the latest fancy phone by any stretch of the imagination, but I do get excited when eco-friendly techno gadgets come along!

I currently have an electric scooter, solar panels, a solar powered/wind up radio and have been experimenting with LED bulbs in my office (not convinced by the way - but try for yourself www.avocalite.ie) and this promise of solar powered mobile phones by the end of the year is very much up my street...

It's tough to know whether replacing my perfectly good current model with an eco-friendly one is really the responsible decision. I know people use that argument with cars (i.e. keeping my banger going is more eco than getting a more efficient one), and I definitely don't think that washes too well as the running energy of an inefficient car is so high compared with its already high embodied energy - but phones? Don't know. What do you think?

James Hansen: Coal-fired power stations are death factories.

2009-02-16T10:35:00.002Z

Read the latest article from James Hansen about the dangers of coal-powered power plants:

James Hansen: Coal-fired power stations are death factories.

Ireland is certainly not innocent in this regard either. What can we do?

The Smart Grid - Energy Infrastructure of the future

2009-02-12T11:49:00.002Z

I went to an interesting lecture yesterday evening by Dr. Eamon McKeogh of UCC talking about Ireland's energy infrastructure of the future.

The talk outlined the need, challenges and opportunities for a dramatic change in the electrical infrastructure of Ireland in the next 20 years. This is because we have a small 'Island Grid', designed around 24 large power stations. The grid has the heaviest and most robust connections around these central points, and peters out to very light connections the further out you go. It is designed for power flow in one direction only and for customers who are essentially passive.

This model of electricity generation and distribution is evolving rapidly and so too will our national grid in order to keep up. Wind farms for example tend to be located in remote areas, served by very light grid connections which are of course completely unsuitable. In fact there has been a startling slow down in deployment of wind energy projects since 2006 due mostly to grid connection bottlenecks. Our ageing grid is now holding us back from responding to our need for change.

Drivers for this change are obvious. In 2007 Ireland consumed 16 million tonnes of oil equivalent and 90% of this energy was imported. We are entering an era of oil and gas price volatility (not to mention supply volatility) and one in which the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a strict priority. This year the EU will issue a Renewable Energy Directive with legally binding targets for sustainable energy production, thus the need for Ireland to rapidly and urgently upgrade, refurbish and reinvent its national grid.

The modern 'Smart Grid' approach involves a physical network that is capable of bi-directional flow of power - and crucially, information. A Smart Grid is 'an electricity network that can intelligently integrate the actions of all connected to it - consumers, suppliers and those who do both.' The grid must be capable of a much higher level of sophistication and automation, capable of real time analysis of, and response to, supply from sources scattered throughout the country and off-shore, and demand both locally and nationally.

Smart meters are one component of the smart grid concept. The meter in your house or business would be capable of intelligently controlling supply and demand in response to factors such as real time pricing. If the wind is blowing for example, the system in your house could react to the surplus of cheap energy by switching on your immersion heater, or charging your electric car. The meter can also deal intelligently with any electricity you produce yourself - either selling it to the grid at times of peak demand, or storing it in the form of hot water or in your electric car battery at times of low demand for example. The meter would be in communication with a management system at a local node as part of a large network of information flow.

The concept is at a very early stage of development and requires the cooperation of a huge number of stakeholders. Nonetheless certain trial experiments are in place, and limited numbers of smart meters are being installed across the country to test their performance.

To meet our obligations for renewable electricity generation Ireland is going to have to source approx. 6000MW of sustainable electricity by 2020 which is regarded as a challenging, but achievable target. (Ireland currently has 1000MW supply from wind energy for reference.)

One of the key challenges with introducing this new supply - and not one to be underestimated - is to bring our very basic grid into the 21st century and beyond.

Nuclear Power - time for Ireland to debate?

2009-02-06T11:44:00.003Z

Sweden is considering lifting its ban on nuclear power in order to combat climate change and improve its energy security.

There will be much to talk about, but the debate is part of an ambitious program to to lift the proportion of renewable energy consumption to 50% of their total use.

Should Ireland also be re-opening this debate? Is it time to consider all options? Let us know what you think by taking part in our poll below.

Signals - Key Environmental Issues facing Europe 2009

2009-01-14T13:55:00.002Z

Signals is published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) at the start of each year and provides snapshot stories on issues of interest both to the environmental policy debate and the wider public for the upcoming year.

http://reports.eea.europa.eu/signals-2009/en/EEA-Signals-2009-EN-web.pdf

What is Signals
Editorial
Climate change mitigation — Not just hot air
Climate change adaptation — If the well runs dry
Biodiversity — Killer slugs and other aliens
Air pollution — Every breath you take
Agriculture and environment — Taking CAP in hand
Marine — Fish out of water
Energy — If bioenergy goes boom
Waste — Not in my back yard

Employer Bicycle Scheme

2009-01-13T11:12:00.002Z

As part of the Finance Bill for 2009, the Government has introduced a tax incentive scheme to promote cycling to work. This covers the purchase of a bicycle and related safety equipment for up to € 1000.

For those of you who might not have heard about the scheme yet, this is how it will work in principle: If an employer provides an employee with a bicycle (for free) for the (main) purpose of cycling to work, this will be exempt from taxation as benefit-in-kind for the employee.

If an employer provides an employee with a bicycle for the (main) purpose of cycling to work, and the costs are to be covered by the employee through a salary deduction, there will be no income tax or PRSI to be paid for this amount (similar to the Travel Pass scheme), so the employee can save up to almost 50% of the price (depending on the individual tax level).

Employees can avail of this scheme once in a five-year-period.

For more detailed information on the Government's scheme, you can
visit the following links:
www.revenue.ie/en/practitioner/law/bik-exemption-for-bicycles.pdf http://www.bikescheme.ie

Landfill Prize 2009

2009-01-06T15:27:00.003Z

The Landfill Prize 2009 aims to name and shame the most whimsical, wasteful, inevitably-bound-for-landfill products on the market. Nominations accepted until Feb 2009.

Current contenders for the title include a digital electronic skipping rope and pre-filled disposable wine glasses!!

http://www.enoughness.co.uk/