December 10th, 2019 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that the overall quality of Ireland’s lakes, rivers and estuaries is deteriorating, reversing all gains achieved in recent years. The EPA’s latest Water Quality report describes the quality of water in half of our river resources as “unsatisfactory”, while the Read more…
December 4th, 2019 Europe is failing across the board to protect the natural world and continues to face environmental challenges on an unprecedented scale, the EU’s environmental watchdog has warned. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest State of the Environment report provides a stark snapshot of where Europe stands in Read more…
November 7th, 2019 Several environmental groups have criticised a €7 million project to ramp up tourist numbers on Dursey Island that they say would be detrimental to Ireland’s wild coastal landscape. The proposed development – a joint venture between Fáilte Ireland and Cork County Council – includes plans for a Read more…
November 4th, 2019 Over 2,500 scientists have sent a letter to the European Parliament outlining “catastrophic declines” suffered by birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects from intensive agricultural practices. The letter details the effects that an increasingly intensive agriculture model is having on biodiversity, with the scientists calling for a 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 18th, 2019 A Green Party motion to transition our plantation-dominated forestry model to a close-to-nature, continuous cover system passed in the Dáil yesterday. The motion, that passed by 70 to 38 votes, calls for the Government to push for a more diverse permanent woodland model that supports a wider Read more…
October 11th, 2019 An Garda Siochana and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have secured successful convictions relating to illegal hare lurching in counties Wexford and Mayo. On 30 September, an individual was convicted in Wexford District Court of hunting the protected animal without a licence in November 2017. Read more…
October 11th, 2019 Five Extinction Rebellion activists were arrested last night in Dublin after locking themselves to the gates of the Dail. Extinction Rebellion Ireland (XRI) members locked themselves to one of the exit gates of the government building at around 9pm, blocking an estimated 20 TDs and ministers from Read more…
