The conservation and sustainable
use of our agricultural biodiversity
is critical to future sustainable
development, both in Ireland and internationally.
The Irish Society for European Law
(ISEL) continues its regulatory law
lecture series on Thursday, February
2nd, with a lecture on - 'An Update
on Irish Implementation of the EU
Third Internal Energy Package'.
The EPA has published information
on Ireland’s position in relation
to meeting its 2010 obligations under
the National Emissions Ceilings Directive
(NEC Directive).
This year, the Stop Food Waste Programme
is encouraging everyone to start the
New Year afresh by rethinking food
storage habits, sorting the freezer
and avoid throwing out up to €700
worth of food every year.
The Atlantic Area Conference - 'The
Marine Economy’ - a key component
of the EU Integrated Strategy for
the Atlantic Area' - hosted by
the Border, Midland and Western Regional
Assembly - will yake place on 7th
February 2012 at the Grand Hotel,
Malahide, Co Dublin.
IBEC, the group that represents Irish
business, has welcomed the announcement
by Minister for the Environment, Community
and Local Government Phil Hogan’s
of a roadmap for the development of
Ireland's national climate policy
response.
Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs,
Enterprise and Innovation, together
with The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew
Montague and comedian Dara O'Briain,
last week launched Dublin City of
Science.
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Department of Agriculture,
Food and the Marine (DAFM) have, following
discussions with representatives of
the pig and poultry industry, agreed
a new approach for the control and
management of pig and poultry manure
from Integrated Pollution Prevention
Control (IPPC) licensed installations.
Speaking in the Dáil last week at
Report Stage of the Water Services
(Amendment) Bill 2011, Environment
Minister Phil Hogan said - ‘My Department
is currently in discussions with the
European Commission and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) regarding
the performance standard guidelines
that will have to be adhered to by
septic tank and wastewater systems
in 2013.
Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s
announcement of a firm timetable for
the adoption of national policy and
legislation on climate change has
been widely welcomed, even by his
critics.
A new solar-powered water disinfection
system could revolutionise the provision
of clean water in developing countries,
according to a research team at Trinity
College Dublin.
Tyndall National Institute at UCC
has recently received certification
under the ISO 50001 (Energy Management
System) standard and is one of the
first research institutes of its kind
in the world to receive this award.
The installation of water meters
could cost the State less than €200
million or more than €800 million,
depending on the method chosen, the
Oireachtas Committee on the Environment,
Transport, Culture and Gaeltacht has
heard.
The Commission for Energy Regulation
(CER) has made publicly available
an anonymised version of the detailed
data underlying the smart metering
gas customer behaviour trial results.
A consumer watchdog has called for
a review of the system of Building
Energy Rating (BER) certificates after
a price survey revealed huge differences
in fees quoted by providers - with
some charging over 100pc more than
others.
Green-Schools, the hugely successful
international environmental education
programme administered in Ireland
by An Taisce, has launched a brand
new website in Larkin Community College,
which was awarded their first Green
Flag last year.
The 17th Mid-West Regional Authority
(MWRA) Annual Conference 2012 will
take place on 16th & 17th February
2012 at The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon,
Co. Clare.
Coastal erosion is threatening the
extensive sand dune system in the
Co Sligo seaside resort of Strandhill,
where the golf course is also now
at risk, according to local people.
The Dublin Region water mains rehabilitation
project, worth €118 million, has begun
to carry out major improvement works
in Dublin City to replace old leaking
Victorian water mains.
The managing director of the West
Clare Railway has claimed that a planned
€200 million windfarm - with pylons
topping 400ft - would place the railway’s
future development in considerable
doubt.
A €500 million renewable energy storage
reservoir proposed for north Co Mayo
could export 10 terawatt hours of
'clean power' to Britain, according
to its backers, providing the equivalent
of 2 per cent of Britain’s electricity
requirement by 2016, when the project
is targeted for completion.
Wildlife crime reports have rocketed
in Northern Ireland, with a fourfold
increase in bat persecution incidents
and cases of bird nest destruction
surging by more than 10 times.
Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister
Michelle O’Neill has called on landowners
to help increase woodland cover across
the north of Ireland by planting more
trees.
Northern Ireland Agriculture and
Rural Development Minister, Michelle
O’Neill, visited B&Q in Craigavon
to learn more about their ‘Forest
Friendly’ programme.
Wain Morehead Architects Ltd. enjoyed
an impressive turn out when clients
John & Sally O'Leary generously
opened their doors to enable visitors
experience the air quality and general
comfort levels in a Passive House
first hand during the International
Passive House Open Days held recently.
NTR’s US wind energy arm has closed
a deal with a group of international
institutions that will allow it to
borrow €270 million to fund a project
in Kansas.
The Marine Institute’s Open Access
Repository library, which holds over
650 publications online, has had over
6,000 visits from more than 46 countries
since its recent launch last year.
The Competition Authority is investigating
complaints about the new dominance
of private waste firms in Dublin following
the transfer of the city council’s
household bin collection service to
Greyhound.
One of the biggest landfill sites
in Ireland is due to close in the
next 12 months, with management planning
to grow grass and plant trees on the
236-acre ‘red mud’ pond at
the Aughinish Alumina plant.
The provisional Northern Ireland
Municipal Waste Management Statistics,
July - September 2011, show that almost
56% of municipal waste was sent to
landfill during the second quarter
of the year.
A councillor who represents a community
labelled one of the country’s worst
litter blackspots has launched a blistering
attack on an anti-litter group.
The EU is "closely following" efforts
to remove more than 2300 tonnes of
diesel from the wreckage of the Costa
Concordia cruise ship, Transport Commissioner
Siim Kallas has said.
Computing giant IBM is working on
a battery that could allow electric
vehicles to travel 500 miles on a
single charge, a development that
would revolutionise the market for
zero-emissions cars.
Large-scale energy storage technologies
could play a major role in electricity
grids by 2016, according to a report
that predicts the falling cost of
storage systems will help accelerate
the rollout of intermittent renewable
energy technologies.
Ecotricity has confirmed it has entered
the marine energy sector, announcing
ambitious plans to install 200 SeaRaser
wave power devices off the UK coast
within the next five years.
Britain's rivers are drying up -
unless emergency measures are adopted,
some of the finest waterways could
be reduced to trickles over the next
few decades.
Earlier this month, the Beijing government
started informing the public about
a hazardous form of air pollution
as the population geared up for a
new year firework frenzy that would
see the skies filled with chemicals
and particulates on Sunday (22nd Feb)
night.
Ofgem has kicked off plans to upgrade
Scotland's aging grid networks in
a bid to accommodate a new generation
of renewable energy projects, such
as wind turbines and marine energy
parks.
The UK now boasts 6GW of wind energy
capacity, enough to provide power
to over 3.3 million homes, according
to the latest update from trade association
RenewableUK.
Green campaigners have responded
angrily to blocking tactics deployed
by a small number of MPs to stop a
parliamentary vote on the Daylight
Savings Bill, which had held out the
promise of an independent report and
potential trial on moving the clocks
to create lighter evenings.
As Beijingers coughed and hacked
their way through another smoggy day,
there were tentative signs the government
was becoming aware of the broader
impact of climate change and may be
gearing up to do something about it.
Donald Trump is on the brink of abandoning
his plans for the "world's greatest
golf course" near Aberdeen after claiming
his £750m project is being threatened
by an offshore windfarm.
The investment arm of Abu Dhabi's
green energy company, which commands
over $540m of capital, has revealed
it is "very interested" in the UK
waste sector.
Panasonic, Samsung, Kia and other
manufacturers are hailing the energy
and resource efficiency of their offerings
at the annual International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) recently in
Las Vegas, where green tech has again
emerged as a strong product theme.
Windows, steam boilers and computer
servers should be prioritised during
the next round of EU ecodesign proposals,
according to a draft work plan released
by the European Commission - the final
list will be approved in the spring.
Environment Minister Phil Hogan has
issued a work programme setting out
the steps and milestones for the development
of national climate policy and legislation.