First there was the cross-terrier Tyson who hopped on the commuter train from Sallins, then last week a family of deer tried to board the DART. Are animals trying to tell us something and tired of waiting for Noah and getting on with the escape themselves?
A ‘Climate and Biodiversity Emergency’ was called in the Dáil last week on foot of the UN report of a massive depletion on the world’s biodiversity. This decision doesn’t hold sway when it was learned that none of the politicians or their parties who requested the motion were present in the chamber when it came up for debate. It was left to Eamon Ryan of the green party to pass the motion.
England have also announced the same to their public, after some determined protesting from Extinction Rebellion. Extinction Rebellion Ireland protested outside the Dáil Thursday and were surprised to hear Minister Bruton although endorse the motion state that he sees no end to our fossil fuel exploration.
Lack of Biodiversity in this country can’t come as much of a surprise to people, seeing as though the whole agriculture business is becoming more monoculture. You only have to take the train down to Cork and look out the window to see an endless reel of the same three photos of cows in a field.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland are 1/20th of the way near hitting our 2020 emission reductions and the only other option for Ireland is to buy emission allowances. Yes it’s a thing, they can buy them just like a get out of jail card and they buy them from other member states that don’t need them. This could cost Ireland to the range of €150million, according to Minister Bruton when he spoke to the media yesterday.
The Department of Climate Change, Communications and the Environment (DCCAE) Climate Action Plan 2019-2024 was published this week possibly in quick response to the Climate Emergency motion one would think as some 2018 projects have been bungled into the plan. Anyway here is a list of the DCC related projects in the plan and how they aim to help tackle anthropogenic climate changes:
- Develop bus routes along the BusConnects programme.-aims to reduce GHG
- Promote recycling to householders through workshops talks and programmes. VOICE have been responsible for this.
- Assess feasibility of urban orchards- awaiting funding
- D30 public awareness campaign of speed limits – launched since last year reminding people of the speed limit of 30 kph in areas around the city, D4 being one.
- Sandymount phase 2 of the flood alleviation scheme. The wall is said to have been raised 3 and half meters between Gilford avenue and Seafort avenue
- New nZEB super depots: A consolidation of council depots into one, the Ballymun Super Depot is an example of this.
The DCCAE have already been in a sticky climate themselves with the farmers as of late. Having allowed, their education wing, an An Taisce to distribute leaflets to schools encouraging them to take a break from meat on Mondays. Now any other time to have a go at the farmers may have been allowed but when the beef farmers are suffering from brexit uncertainty you might be treading on toes.
The emergency has been adopted by local councils. The DCC being one of them and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown being one of the first. But where do you begin in the city, especially when a busconnects programme aims to knock down trees, the very things that should be grown in order to create balance in the ecosystem.
By Paul Carton
Online Editor
