May 8th, 2018 Land degradation caused by human activities is worsening worldwide and has reached critical levels, according to an assessment conducted by over 100 experts from 45 countries. The three-year assessment conducted by Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) outlines the dangers of land degradation Read more…
October 24th, 2017 Kildare County Council passed a motion calling on the Government to put pressure on the European Union to protect our soil yesterday afternoon. The motion put forward by Councillor Sorcha O’Neill requested that Kildare County Council writes to Environment Minister, Denis Naughten, TD asking him to push Read more…
October 1st, 2017 A lack of political will, resources and policy experts is delaying Ireland’s move to a low-carbon society, the Citizens’ Assembly heard this morning. Addressing the Assembly during its session on energy efficiency, Paul Kenny of the Tipperary Energy Agency said that we need community heating and community energy Read more…
October 1st, 2017 In her opening address yesterday morning, the chair of the Citizens’ Assembly, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, lauded the public’s engagement in the run-up to this weekend’s discussion on how Ireland can lead on tackling climate change. She said that the level of citizen engagement has been “unprecedented Read more…
September 19th, 2017 The Irish branch of the European-wide People4Soil campaign has smashed its national quota for an official EU petition calling on the European Commission to protect soils across Europe. The campaign, led by the Environmental Pillar, received over 9,100 signatures in Ireland before last week’s deadline, smashing Ireland’s Read more…
July 25th, 2017 Europe’s Environmental Commissioner has expressed his deep concern with the continued degradation of soil across the EU in a letter to a coalition of 500 European groups. In the letter, seen by The Green News, Commissioner Karmenu Vella said that soil is a “finite resource” and that Read more…
Globally, conventional agriculture is still following the same model of working with the land that led to the great dust bowls of America in the 1930s. So are we walking straight into a global crisis without noticing it, asks Permaculture teacher and designer Aaron Jewell. Every single civilization has relied Read more…
A new report published by the European Parliament’s committee responsible for scrutinising the European Commission’s agricultural policies has highlighted the threats facing soils across Europe. The report – prepared by academic experts from Wageningen University, Aarhus University and the University of Cordoba – was presented to the European Parliament on Read more…
May 27th, 2017 We rely on soil to provide healthy food, clean water, support wildlife, store carbon, prevent flooding and ultimately maintain livelihoods around the country. Yet over the last half a century, Ireland’s soils have come under increasing pressure from land use changes, intensification of agriculture, erosion and overgrazing, Read more…
April 19th, 2017 Some of Ireland’s leading chefs, restaurateurs and high-profile environmentalists came together today to urge the EU to enact legislation to protect Irish soil. The Environmental Pillar today launched a new social media campaign – #Selfie4Soil – to boost public awareness of the People4Soil campaign at an event Read more…
