Conor Mulvihill

Conor is Communications Assistant with the Irish Environmental Network. His background is in science and he has a masters in international relations.

Public concern over the sale of 5,000 acres of the Dublin Mountains by NAMA

This reservoir located within the Dublin mountains is a crucial link between Dublin City and the Wicklow Mountains and has seen generations of people utilize the area for passive and active recreation and for its visual amenity. The topography and planning constraints demonstrate how this area is unsuitable for commercial development. This environmental, recreational and cultural asset should be protected for long-term public enjoyment as part of Wicklow Mountains National Park.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago

Hilary Clinton’s choice of running mate, Tim Kaine, is good for the planet

Irish American senator Tim Kaine was chosen recently by Hilary Clinton to be her running partner. The Vice Presidency is the second highest position within the executive branch of the United States after the President. The Vice President has a strong influence over the decisions made by the President. This has a significant affect over what happens within the US and abroad including Ireland.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago

The European Commission 2030 emission reduction targets are inadequate

Today the European Commission published its proposal for the Effort Sharing Regulation and the rules for accounting the land use, land use change and forestry sector (LULUCF) up to 2030 only seven months after the Paris Agreement. This is a significantly important proposal. However instead of following the example set by Paris, the Commission has instead decided to follow the path of least resistance set by EU member states. The LULUCF section is why Ireland’s target is only 30% because our economy is so dependent on areas such as agriculture. Edna Kenny has made continuous appeals for Ireland to be treated as a special case because we are so dependent on agriculture, and we have the lowest carbon footprint beef and dairy in the world, however they are still very carbon intensive products.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago

Show Your Support for Peatland and get Involved for International Bog Day !

Bogs are one of the most ancient habitats in Ireland and are home to birds, frogs and countless insects and small creatures. They are also home to many rare plants. Covering 1,200,000 hectares (1/6th) of the island, Ireland contains more bog, relatively speaking, than any country in Europe except Finland. Across Europe, as well as in Ireland, bogs have been exploited in recent centuries as a source of fuel. Considering that many of the bogs in the rest of Europe already gone, Ireland’s now have an increased importance to the scientific community, as well as the tourist industry.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago

Theres a lot of controversy surrounding the TTIP agreement but what about CETA

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU. The negotiations were concluded in August 2014 with the agreement to be approved by Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and potentially all EU member states. If this agreement is implemented it would eliminate 98% of the tariffs between Canada and the EU. Similar to TTIP the economic and regulatory features of these agreements has brought them into conflict with domestic legislation.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago

Killer Whale spotted off coast of Kerry

This has been a great season for the amount of rare and unique animals spotted along the Irish coast including sharks and dolphins. However a recent sighting of a killer whale was particularly breath-taking off the coast of Kerry. Photographer Richard Creigh managed to capture some amazing photos of the Orca while on the Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tour on Monday.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago

Why is there such a strong barrier of communication between the mass media and scientists, particularly when it comes to climate change

The media is an essential organ needed to spread awareness about climate change, in reality very few people read scientific reports, specialist websites and blogs, or the reports of the IPCC. People generally rely upon the mass media’s representations of climate change. Climate change science and other scientific data are often wrongly misinterpreted by the media mostly due to certain political points of view presented by various media organisations about the reality and seriousness of climate change.

By Conor Mulvihill, ago