October 23rd, 2019 Ireland exceeded its annual EU emissions budget by over five million tonnes last year, new data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveals. Provisional data released by the environmental watchdog shows that our overall emissions dropped by just 0.2 per cent in 2018 to 60.5 million tonnes, Read more…
October 23rd, 2019 The Government has launched a public consultation to examine the use of peat in the horticultural industry that critics say is helping to drive the exploitation of our carbon-rich bogs. The consultation is part of a belated review process, long sought after by conservation groups and Read more…
October 23rd, 2019 Continued drainage and degradation of Ireland’s bogs will ensure that we lose one of our crucial weapons in our efforts to avoid climate catastrophe, a leading peatland expert has warned. Speaking at a hearing of the Climate Action Committee this afternoon, UCD’s Dr Florence Renou-Wilson said that Read more…
October 23rd, 2019 Agricultural fields with greater biodiversity are better protected from harmful insects, promote natural pollination and produce higher yields, a new international study has found. The new study published in Science Advances analysed the value of ecosystem services at almost 1,500 agricultural fields across the globe, including cornfields Read more…
October 22nd, 2019 The Government has confirmed that it will not change its position on supporting the Shannon LNG project for inclusion on the EU’s priority energy list despite growing pressure over the project’s links to fracking in the US. At the start of the month, the Government put the Read more…
October 22nd, 2019 Agri-food companies and landfill sites feature on the latest worst offender’s list for licence compliance issues released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this month. To date, the environmental watchdog has issued 10 National Priority Sites (NPS) lists since the scheme was launched in the summer of Read more…
October 21st, 2019 The Lord Mayor of Dublin has joined climate activists, environmental groups and Hollywood stars in calling for the State to drop support for a gas terminal that critics argue will make Ireland a hub for fracked gas imports. Writing yesterday to the Minister for Climate Action Richard Read more…
October 21st, 2019 The European Investment Bank (EIB) has delayed its decision to back a new energy lending policy that includes plans to phase out its support of fossil fuel-dependent projects. In August, the EIB outlined a planned phase-out of support for projects that are “reliant” on fossil fuels by Read more…
October 21st, 2019 A European scientific academy has warned that the EU’s large-scale substitution of fossil fuels with forest biomass may lead to the bloc overshooting its climate targets. A paper from the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) published this month in Global Change Biology indicates that there is Read more…
October 17th, 2019 The Government is trying to pass the buck on the controversial decision to include a gas terminal in the Shannon estuary on the EU’s priority energy list, the European Parliament has heard. Speaking at the Parliament’s energy committee yesterday, the Green Party’s Ciaran Cuffe said that it Read more…
