A 2-week collaborative pilot project developed
by the National College of Art & Design (NCAD)
and The
Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun, an environmental
social enterprise, culminated last Friday (15 July)
with an exhibition of work in the Axis Arts Centre
by the 15 secondary school students involved.
The National Brown Bin Awareness Pilot project
took place in Sligo. Based on the experiences from
the pilot, a best practice guide for door to door
education of householders on how to use a brown
bin collection service has been developed.
Colin Heaslip, Project Ecologist in the Galway
RPS
office, was recently part of a 4-person research
expedition to Iceland studying light-bellied geese
(Branta bernicla hrota).
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr has launched
a new video created to showcase what makes Dublin
Bay such a special place in the Atrium, Civic Offices,
Wood Quay.
Wind energy has saved Ireland approximately €70
million in foreign energy imports since the beginning
of 2016, a 6-month period which saw the indigenous
renewable energy source meet over a fifth (22%)
of Ireland’s entire electricity demand, according
to provisional new figures compiled by the Irish
Wind Energy Association (IWEA).
The Government must provide more certainty on solar
energy so that its potential to assist in meeting
emissions targets and in improving farm incomes
can be realised, IFA President Joe Healy said last
week at an IFA seminar
in Portlaoise.
For an oil and gas explorer, the news of the Brexit
referendum result in favour of 'Leave' made compelling
reading. Brexit is a timely reminder of the potential
future energy issues that might be faced by the
island of Ireland.
The €11m FORESEA project brings together Europe’s
leading ocean energy test facilities to help demonstration
of tidal, wave and offshore wind energy technologies
in real-sea conditions.
The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has called
on all commercial developers to make sure that any
development they are currently planning is designed
to meet the Nearly Zero Energy Standard (NZEB).
Construction of a €30 million bridge linking Dublin’s
south docks with the planned new “urban quarter”
on the Poolbeg peninsula is to be fast-tracked by
Dublin City Council.
More than half of the 900 drinking water supplies
in the State are substandard and require remedial
action if they are to provide adequate water to
consumers year-round, Irish Water has said.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney is being urged to
ensure €148m in unspent funds for water meter installations
instead goes towards fixing urban pipes and drainage
systems.
The Galmoy Replacement Water Supply Scheme and
the Galmoy Group Water Supply Scheme supply water
to around 124 households, located primarily in Co.
Kilkenny.
Irish Water held a briefing clinic (Friday, July
15th) for Monaghan County Councillors on the upcoming
changes in the administration of business customer
accounts in the county.
Residents and businesses in Donegal are set to
benefit as Irish Water invests €13.8m in local infrastructure
which will result in significant improvements in
network performance, and security and efficiency
of water supply.
Irish Water is progressing with the Swords water
main rehabilitation project and will invest approximately
€8 million to replace the strategic trunk water
main to provide a more reliable water supply for
local homes and businesses.
Irish Water has confirmed that it has received
€18.3m from its fifth billing cycle during April
and May, covering services provided from January
to March 2016.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine,
Michael Creed TD, has launched the IIEA/RDS report
- A Climate-Smart Pathway for Irish Agricultural
Development - Exploring the Leadership Opportunity.
Irish start-up Agricultural Magnetics, t/a MagGrow,
has been named winner of the 2016 Thrive Accelerator
Sustainability Award, at the 2nd annual Forbes AgTech
Summit held in Salinas, California.
Good soil fertility management for efficient grass
production helps to stabilise feed costs and protect
profitability especially during periods of low dairy
and beef prices.
Thousands of dairy farmers may be in breach of
cross-compliance and risking severe penalties on
their single farm payment due to detergents being
used on their farms, a senior dairy expert has warned.
The Geec 2.0 (Galway energy-efficient car), designed
and built by NUI Galway engineering students, competed
at the recent Shell
Eco-marathon Europe in London.
A panel of independent experts responsible for
assessing the Irish cities competing to be European
Capital of Culture in 2020 has recommended
that Galway should be awarded the title.
DCC
said its first quarter operating profit was “significantly”
higher than the same period last year and modestly
ahead of expectations, driven by the performance
of its energy division.
Science Foundation Ireland has published
its 2015 annual report which highlights the
significant economic impact achieved from the €154
million investment by the agency across its research
programmes.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, has announced
the appointment of a new board to the Heritage
Council.
IFA Aquaculture officers from across all sectors
of fish and shellfish farming held their first meeting
with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the
Marine, Michael Creed TD in Dublin last week.
Britain’s vote to leave the EU has unleashed a
wave of discrimination against UK researchers, with
elite universities in the country coming under pressure
to abandon collaborations with European partners.
Plans for tighter national caps on the levels of
dangerous air pollutants in EU member states have
moved a step closer to fruition, after a compromise
deal was passed by the European Parliament's Environment
Committee (ENVI) and member states.
Plastics should be better designed to encourage
recycling and prevent wasteful single-use containers
finding their way into our oceans, where they break
up into small pieces and are swallowed by marine
animals, scientists said last week.
In the UK, Greg Clark has been appointed secretary
of state for business, energy and industrial strategy
- a newly created role which confirms incoming prime
minister Theresa May has merged the responsibilities
of Energy and Cliiate Change and Business, Innovation
and Skills (BIS) departments.
It has largely gone unnoticed, but recent 'real-world'
tests found cars are using up to 2.7-litres more
fuel per 100kms than their manufacturers claim.
Last week in the Standing Committee on Plants,
Animals, Food and Feed, Member States voted in favour
of a proposal by the Commission to restrict the
conditions of use of glyphosate in the EU.
Cutting-edge technology - from intelligent food
labelling to mobile phone-controlled apps and even
smart fridges - is set to transform the way consumers
shop and control their domestic food waste.
Efforts to force supermarkets and other businesses
to waste less food are gaining momentum following
France’s ban on supermarkets throwing out unwanted
food, according to campaigners.
Invasive alien species are plants or animals alien
to their natural environment, crowding out indigenous
species and thereby representing one of the most
rapidly growing threats to biodiversity in the EU.
From insect and plant specimens to slides of fossil
samples and microscopic life forms, Europe has an
unparalleled wealth of natural history resources.
An EDF Energy-funded energy efficiency project
has helped reduce bills and carbon emissions at
330 social houses in North East Derbyshire, the
firm has revealed.
How can a community become more sustainable? What
strategy should it adopt? A new ISO standard will
help communities answer these questions and put
in place a framework to become more sustainable
and resilient.
Business leaders last week convened in London to
launch the first global Natural
Capital Protocol, a standardised framework
which aims to help managers around the world better
value nature in their decision-making.
The European Commission has adopted two new "off-the-shelf"
- i.e. "ready-to-use" - financial instruments for
ESI Funds investments, to ease access to funding
for young businesses and urban development project
promoters.
189 projects funded by the European Commission
between 2008 and 2011 through the Eco-innovation
Initiative, brought significant environmental benefits
as well as the creation of jobs in Europe.
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