An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland has called on the Government to take rural settlement seriously in the upcoming review of the National Spatial Strategy 2002 -2020. The organisation points to what it terms as the ongoing ‘suburbanisation of rural Ireland’ and the consequent decline of our rural towns and villages.

An Taisce has published five principles for sustainable rural settlement which they say should be taken into account in the upcoming review of the Spatial Strategy.

1. A strong network of thriving towns and villages is fundamental for rural development.
2. Scattered housing in unserviced locations should be restricted and instead directed to rural towns and villages.
3. Implement a ‘Serviced Sites Initiative’ in rural towns and villages as an alternative to scattered housing.
4. Rural Ireland is a critical resource for a post-carbon world.
5. Manage the economic, social and environmental legacy of scattered housing.

An Taisce says that none of these principles are radical as they are all supported by numerous national planning policy documents but they have not been properly applied in practice. The organisation claims that evidence clearly shows that the highly dispersed settlement patterns that have been allowed to take hold are extremely costly and this has stored up significant social, economic and environmental problems that are to the long-term detriment of rural communities and the rural economy. For more on this initiative and on the work of An Taisce see http://www.antaisce.org.

Transition Monaghan are organising a spud tasting competition for the South Monaghan area. The ‘Spud off’ will consist of blind tastings of home grown potatoes, from growers in the South Monaghan area and will take place during the summer.

The event is being organised by Transition Monaghan member Conan Connolly, to promote growing  your own food, and to create a bit of friendly rivalry between potato growers. The competition is modeled on a ‘Spud Off’ run in Co. Kerry, which recently featured on RTE television. The competition is open to anyone living in the Castleblayney & Carrickmacross electoral areas comprising of  the following parishes: Annaghmullen, Ballybay, Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Corduff, Donaghmoyne, Inniskeen, Kilanny, Latton, Magheracloone.

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Two members of Transition Monaghan recently met with Irish MEPs while attending events in Brussels related to climate change, sustainability and Free Trade.

Selection of Attendees of ‘Lima in Brussels’ event (L-R): Ciara Kenny (Dublin), Áron Bányász (Hungary), Robert Wade (Dublin) and Mícheál Callaghan (Monaghan).

Conan Connolly was in attendance at an event organised by Alter EU to highlight the importance of transparency in lobbying. Lobbying is a huge part of the European political process, and it is estimated that there are around 30,000 lobbyists in Brussels, with most of them representing corporate interests. There is no real transparency in who gains access to the people who make important decisions that affect us all. The groups who attended the conference will work together to campaign for a mandatory and transparent register of lobbyists. While in Brussels, Connolly met with local MEP Matt Carthy.

 Mícheál Callaghan and other activists from Ireland attended a week of workshops, network building and demonstrations in Brussels organised by Young Friends of the Earth Europe, to coincide with the Climate Talks in Peru.

As well as meeting with MEPs, the delegates at the youth conference, discussed measures to build the climate movement in Europe in the run up to the important Climate Talks in Paris in 2015. The delegates also took part in several demonstrations to raise awareness in Brussels and in the European media on a range of issues including climate change, the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership) and the murder and abuse of environmental activists in South America.

The discussions with MEPs focused on the need for Ireland and Europe to commit to strong climate targets, in tandem with efforts to support incentives for more sustainable employment. Concern was also expressed about the possible implications of the TTIP, the proposed trade deal between the USA and the EU. TTIP, which is largely being discussed behind closed doors. TTIP aims to remove all regulatory barriers between the United States and Europe. It also proposes to create a new tribunal to allow corporations to sue nations which aim to impose stricter standards which could be seen as breaching the agreement. The concern is that TTIP might lead to the widespread privatisation of public services which could have negative implications for environmental and farming standards. The delegates feIt that is vital that citizens, Non-Government Organisations and politicians take a strong stance on this serious issue. The MEP’s who met with the Irish delegation were: Lynn Boylan, Máiread Mc Guinness and Marian Harkin.

All participants travelled by land, to minimise emissions, with the Irish delegation taking a train from the ferry terminal in Holyhead (Wales), via the channel tunnel, to Brussels. The Irish delegation was the single largest delegation present.

Weblinks: Analysis of COP 20 Climate Change Talks:  www.foei.org.

Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership: www.ttip.ie.

Young Friends of the Earth Europe Conference: limainbrussels.tumblr.com.

Outcome of Lima Climate Conference

After extending the deadline by two days, delegates on Sunday finally agreed an outcome from the Lima Climate Conference, which will serve to build towards a legally binding agreement at next year’s talks in Paris. The deal has received a mix of reactions. Officials and diplomats have branded it a success, saying that it provides a unified text to work from, however activists and environmentalists have said it is too vague on commitments and leaves too much to do in the run up to next year’s talks. The deal does not mention specific reduction agreements, simply stating that each country must submit emission reduction plans by next year, based on what they can achieve. The distinction between developed and developing countries in previous agreements is gone, in the sense that each country will now be required to aim for some level of reductions. No pledge is given for extra ‘technical assistance’ to help developing countries adapt, however, the commitment by developed nations to the Green Climate Fund, has been re- stated. Overall, it seems that this text is once again at odds with what science states is needed to avoid dangerous warming of 2 degrees Celsius, and it will be up to civil society to pressure governments to be more ambitious in the run up to next year’s talks.

This Saturday (October 18), members & friends of Transition Monaghan will gather at Ballybay Wetlands Centre to discuss a road map for sustainability in Co. Monaghan. The focus of the sustainable future workshop, will be to focus on a number of key areas that Transition Monaghan, in collaboration with other groups and individuals, can direct their energies on to promote and achieve greater sustainability, in Co. Monaghan, over the coming years.

Ballybay Wetlands will host this Saturday’s event, Planning for an uncertain future in Co. Monaghan.

The brainstorming workshop, which will begin at 2pm, will focus on the aspects of our lives that are deemed necessary for prosperity and how we can reconcile those with the need for sustainability in the face of the great challenges of the 21^st century, namely climate change & peak fossil fuels. Small group discussions will focus on how we can reconcile our human needs with those of nature to allow for a sustainable and prosperous future in Co. Monaghan. The goal will be to create an action plan, spanning the next number of years, for events and projects to be carried out by Transition Monaghan, in collaboration with others. The theme will be in line with the maxim of “Think Global, Act Local”, as any actions that we take will focus on how we, as a community can improve our situation in the context of global challenges. Discussions will bear in mind areas deemed necessary for human and planetary prosperity, including: water, food, energy, biodiversity & health.

The workshop, which begins at 2pm, will provide the opportunity for those with an interest or curiosity in environmental issues to meet and share ideas and opinions with one another. All ideas and contributions are highly valued, and these will form the basis for the creation of a realistic action plan for Transition Monaghan into the future. Tea and coffee will be provided and the event will end at 4pm. It should be an interesting and engaging afternoon, set in the beautiful surrounds of Ballybay Wetlands. If you would like further information please contact Mícheál at transitionmonaghan@gmail.com

The state of the climate – and what we might do about it

The well-known economist Nicholas Stern recently delivered a ‘TED’ talk entitled, ‘The State of the Climate and what we might do about it’.  He opens the talk with these words; “We are at a remarkable moment in time. We face over the next two decades two fundamental transformations [in the structure of economies /societies worldwide and in the planet’s climate] that will determine whether the next 100 years is the best of centuries or the worst of centuries.” His closing words are; “Are we going to look our grandchildren in the eye and tell them that we understood the issues, that we recognised the dangers and the opportunities, and still we failed to act? Surely not. Let’s make the next 100 years the best of centuries.” The full 16 minute talk can be viewed online at www.ted.com.

Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary – General of the UN says: “Future generations will judge our actions on climate change”.   Last week at the UN Summit in New York on climate change, 120 government leaders each made 4 minute speeches. While no decisions were made at the summit, it has however highlighted the urgent need for agreement by these leaders to commit to major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions when the climate talks take place in Paris next year.

An article in the New York Times that was also published in the Observer newspaper on Sunday last says that in just 30 years millions of Americans will become climate refugees in their own country. Jennifer A Kingston’s report sets out  how American land and cities will be affected  by rising temperatures,  sparking huge population shifts to newly desirable locations further north like Detroit, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. See online copy of the article at www.theguardian.com/environment.  Similar population shifts to those expected in the US are also likely to happen in Europe and in other parts of the world.

An EPA lecture to update us on climate change will take place in Dublin on this Monday, 6 October. On the same evening a talk focusing on people’s attitudes to climate change will be held in Trinity College. Here in Monaghan an event to highlight and discuss the issue of climate change will take place in the Hillgrove Hotel on Saturday, 11 October. See Noticeboard above for details of these events and how to book a place.

 Taking an Eco Tour of Ireland

Roz Kelly founder and owner of EcoActiveIreland.com recently decided to embark on an ‘eco tour of Ireland’. Roz says: “Ecotourism and nature related activities account for 20% of global tourism, a figure that is set to grow in the coming years”. She’s been visiting a range of ecotourism attractions and facilities nationwide and meeting the people involved such as at Rock Farm in Slane and The Three Towers Eco House & Organic Kitchen near Slieve Aughty, Co Galway.  Her tour is now near an end and to date she has been cycling, birdwatching, kayaking, surfing, glamping (glamorous camping), staying in an organic farm guesthouse and an ecocabin, experiencing a seaweed bath and visiting a cheesemaker, a natural perfumery and many other interesting places.

Roz is using a sponsored Opel Mokka ecocar for her travels. A bonus has been the fact that the countryside has been looking its best in the recent spell of early autumn sunshine.

The eco tour is being featured on RTE Radio One’s CountryWide programme on Saturday mornings. Roz is also blogging and tweeting about her tour. For more on her eco tour see www.ecoactive.com and Twitter at ‘ecoactiveirl’ and ‘ecoactive Ireland’ on Facebook. For other information on ecotourism see www.discoverireland.ie/Where-To-Stay/Features/Stay-Green and also www.ecotourism.ie.

The number of activists and citizens across the world challenging the fossil fuel industry and demanding radical action on climate change is increasing. In advance of the upcoming Climate Summit in New York, people are being urged – wherever in the world they are – to join in the People’s Climate Mobilisation for their Global Day of Action. Simultaneous marches and gatherings will take place in cities across the world, in order to send a clear and unavoidable signal to the world’s elite that action is urgently needed!

The growing mobilisation of people across the globe against the climate crisis is being likened to the movements against racism in the USA or apartheid in South Africa, and in reality, a similar level of public outrage is required.

In Dublin, members of the public are invited to attend the Climate Picnic this Sunday afternoon 21 September from 12 – 2pm at the Band Stand, St. Stephen’s Green. Members of Transition Monaghan will be in attendance. Everyone is welcome to go along to what is expected to be an enjoyable event that includes music and circus performers. It should be an event that is positive and hopeful and that will make a difference for future generations.  The organisers advise those attending to bring a picnic, banners and friends!

The fossil fuel lobby is one of the most powerful and politically influential in the world. Only when it is seen as unacceptable to do business with them, will our politicians begin to take a step back from their influence. Public outcry over involvement of the tobacco industry in politics and health policy lead to a completely new direction being taken on smoking. The same is possible regarding fossil fuels and climate change, but it will need ‘buy in’ from the public. Bill Mc Kibbon, author and founder of 350.org  descried the fossil fuel industry as “a rogue industry. It’s an industry if whose business plan is followed to the letter, it will wreck the planet”.

Why does this affect us in Co. Monaghan?

Climate change will cause increased conflict worldwide over dwindling resources such as drinking water and land. In this century climate change refugees will be leaving in their millions from the countries most affected by the extreme weather events. This will also lead to increased conflict that will have considerable impacts worldwide.

Co Monaghan, like every other place on the planet, is being and will continue to be affected by climate change.   In the last number of years, we have seen many extreme and record breaking weather events. Last winter’s storms, which wreaked havoc for everyone, were part of the stormiest winters on record. Recent dry weather, has seen the transporation of vast quantities of water into communities around Ireland. As climate change continues to accelerate, these ‘extreme’ weather patterns will become the norm. In the short to medium term, the winters are expected to become wetter and windier and summers expected to become drier and warmer. If greenhouse gas emissions continue, the long term outlook is runaway climate change. This will affect the balance of nature and the biodiversity and ecology on which we depend.

Agriculture is an important part of the economic and social fabric of Monaghan. It is predicted that, if left unchecked, climate change will cost Irish agriculture up to €2 billion per annum. It is still entirely possible to avoid the worst case scenario and to put in place mitigation strategies for the disruption that we will face.

As individuals and communities we can take action to reduce our own carbon footprint and build our own resilience. However, we must also put pressure on our political and business leaders to take the action that we and our children deserve. This is the challenge of our time. Make sure your voice is heard!

Web links: 

www.peoplesclimate.org;

www.peoplesclimateireland.wordpress.com;

www.stopclimatechaos.ie; www.350.org;

www.watchdisruption.com

 Water is the most precious natural resource on the planet. With the imminent introduction of water charges, the whole country is thinking about water usage. Regardless of one’s opinion on water charges, as a nation we must address our often wasteful use of water, particularly as we can expect uneven distribution of rain in the future. We discuss some of the main issues around water usage and a number of ways in which we can use it more sustainably, and keep our bills down.

Humans are made up of about 65% of the stuff, we need it to keep us alive and wash ourselves with. Clean water is so important to human survival and quality of life. We are lucky in Ireland that we have access to clean water and that we have the infrastructure to treat and distribute it. However it does cost a lot to treat water so that it is of drinkable quality and if our rivers and lakes are polluted the cost of treatment can be very high. It is often assumed that we don’t need to worry about how much water we use as it rains so much here. This is not quite the case. In recent weeks, off shore islands, including The Aran islands and Cape Clear, have had to import up to 50,000 litres of water per day, as a result of the dry weather.

It is predicted that climate change will lead to drier summers, resulting in certain parts of the country becoming affected by drought, while the population of the driest parts of Ireland, along the east coast, will increase.

 What can I do?

 Using Less Water

Saving water often comes down to awareness and monitoring usage. An average Irish person uses 150 litres of water every day, much of which is flushed away, although this figure can vary greatly. For example, a seven minute power shower uses about 175 litres of water compared to 49 in a conventional shower – a massive difference! By simply doing things like taking shorter showers we can make a difference.

 Using water more efficiently

Another very simple step comes down to using water in a more efficient manner. Not leaving taps running, having leaks fixed and only using water when necessary all help. If you turn your tap off when brushing your teeth you can save 6 litres of water per minute, and up to 7,000 litres per year. Furthermore, devices such as washing machines, which use large amounts of water should only be used when full.

 Grey Water

Bathrooms see the most water use, with toilet flushing accounting for about 40% of a household’s average water usage. In many countries around the world, you will find cisterns with dual flush options, which limit the amount of water used. An alternative to this would be to use a toilet displacement device, which can either be purchased very cheaply, or home made. It is a device, such as a plastic bottle or tube, filled with water, which you place in the cistern. This displaces some of the water needed to flush the toilet, and it can save you up to 3 litres of water per flush. A device can be made from an empty juice bottle or carton, of about 1.5 – 2 litres. You fill it to add weight to it, which will then displace the water. At least a part of it should be filled with sand or gravel, so that it does not bounce around the cistern.  Another option, is the recycling of grey water from showers and washing machines. While this water may appear dirty, it is perfectly fine to use in the garden. Grey water recycling kits or pipe add ons can be purchased at a low cost.

Rainwater Collection

It is a  shame that we don’t make maximum use of our abundant rainfall.  Rainwater collection tanks or rainwater harvesters are excellent and can be hooked up to domestic water tanks. Usually rainwater is used for non-drininking uses but there are add-on devices available to make rainwater drinkable. . At a simple level, tanks and barrels can be used to collect rainwater for garden use, saving your mains supply.

Water butts are tanks, of around 200 litres, that are connected to the end of downpipes, diverting rainwater from drains, allowing it to be collected and used in the garden.  More complex tanks can be purchased with filtration systems and pumping mechanisms. In many countries rain water collection is very common and is heavily encouraged due to extremely dry conditions. Earlier this year, former Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, announced plans to introduce legislation requiring all new builds to have rainwater harvesters installed, stating that this could reduce household consumption by 50%.

 Conclusion

Water will only become an even bigger issue in the future. We can save ourselves money and do our bit to conserve our most precious natural resource by following some of the steps above.

Tuesday, 19 August last was ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ – the date our ‘Ecological Footprint’ exceeded our planet’s annual budget.  Ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth’s ecosystems.This year it has taken less than eight months for humans to use up nature’s entire budget for the year and go into ecological overshoot, according to data from Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability think tank. They calculate that it would currently take 1.5 Earths to produce the natural resources now needed to support human requirements.

In 2000 Earth Overshoot Day was not reached until October while back in 1961 it was not reached at all. At that stage we used about three-quarters of the earth’s capacity to produce food, timber, fish and to absorb greenhouse gases and most countries had more resources than they consumed. Most of the world’s population live in countries where the demands made on nature – the nation’s ecological footprint – outstrip what that country’s resources can cope with. Per head of population, we in Ireland are among the countries with the highest ecological footprint in the world and are helping to propel the world into deep ecological debt.  The Global Footprint Network says that the costs of our ecological overspending are becoming more evident by the day. They say that the interest we are paying on that mounting ecological debt in the form of deforestation, fresh-water scarcity, soil erosion, biodiversity loss and the build-up of CO2 in our atmosphere also comes with mounting human and economic costs. They see countries with resource deficits and low incomes as being exceptionally vulnerable.

The message poses challenges for Governments, corporations, communities and us as individuals. Many products and services are used with little or no account taken of the ecological impact of that decision. This can range from decisions by Governments and corporations such as the decision to extract oil from tar sands or by fracking to the decisions we make when buying an item in a shop such as one made from non-certified hardwood from a tropical rainforest.

For more information on the Global Footprint Network and its work in tracking humanity’s demand on the planet (Ecological Footprint) against nature’s biocapacity see www.footprintnetwork.org. If you wish to calculate your own carbon footprint see www.foe.ie/justoneearth/carboncalculator.

In Brief

Having a ‘greener’ back to school

The first day of school of the new school year is upon us and as parents and guardians prepare to send the little (and not so little) ones back to their classrooms, the organisation Voice suggests ways to reduce the impact of ‘back to school’ on the environment and even save money along the way.  They say ‘greening’ your school preparations does not only mean buying from sustainable sources and products from recycled material, it also means reusing items that still have good life in them. Suggestions include sourcing used uniforms and school books, covering school books, having nutritious lunches minus throwaway packaging and walking/cycling to school. See www.voiceireland.org for more details.

Save money on your energy bill this winter and into the future

The ‘Better Energy Homes Scheme’ provides grants to homeowners to upgrade their homes with energy efficiency measures which can include such works as roof insulation, wall insulation, boiler and heating control upgrades and installation of solar panels. These will not just reduce your energy use and costs, they also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For details, see http://www.seai.ie/grants.

Certain social welfare recipients may avail of free home insulation. CAMCAS (Cavan & Monaghan Community Area Services), work with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to carry out the’ Warmer Home Scheme’, providing Attic and Cavity Wall Insulation. For further information and to see if you are eligible, contact the CAMCAS office on 049 9527384

Monaghan project in national display of young people’s eco action projects

A showcase of young people’s environmental action projects from around Ireland including a winning project from the Teach na nDaoine Family Resource Centre,  Monaghan is running until Friday, 12 September in the European Union House on Dawson Street in Dublin. The Teach na nDaoine project was entitled ‘Class Trash’ and was a winner in the Junior Waste/ECO Art & Design category. The exhibition displays over 20 projects from young people island-wide who participated in ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards 2014 programme. There were 75 finalists at the Young Environmental Awards Showcase and Ceremony in May 2014 and the exhibition displays a number of the winning projects along with some highly commended groups.

Our former President and founder of the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice, Mary Robinson has now been appointed to the role of UN Special Envoy for Climate Change. It’s a very important role in the run up to next year’s Climate Talks in Paris. She intends to focus on the severity and human rights implications of Climate Change. Mary Robinson has a big challenge ahead, as has all of humanity, but can she make a difference in her new role.   

Former Uachtarán na hÉireann, Mary Robinson, has been appointed UN Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Over the last number of years, Mary Robinson has been extremely vocal on the need for all of society to take urgent action on Climate Change. She is the president of the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice, based in Dublin, which focuses on highlighting the injustice of climate change and the disproportionate effect it is having on the world’s poorest.

In stark and committed language, she laid out her agenda on a number of morning radio programmes on Monday of last week, saying that climate change is a “huge existential threat to all of us.” She promised to focus her work and energy on reminding leaders that we can’t continue with “business as usual, nor is business as usual with a little bit of green on the side acceptable”. She acknowledged the role that business has to play in combatting climate change and that everyone, as consumers, has a level of responsibility.  She is aware of the huge challenges that exist in combatting climate change, in particular keeping warming below the critical threshold of 2 degrees Celsius. If we were to do this, we need to aim towards having a zero carbon economy before 2050. She said that while we only have two decades to act and that it is possible to do it.  Countries that act soonest will be rewarded. According to Mary Robinson we need a robust and fair pathway, and that a zero carbon future must be equitable, i.e. ‘less developed’ countries have to be treated fairly.   She claimed that the first countries that make moves towards renewable energy will be the ones where jobs will exist in the future and she claims that Ireland can give great global leadership in this area.

Global leaders have promised to construct an international agreement by 2015, that will provide a pathway for action on climate change. While time is running out to achieve meaningful action, there is a growing urgency and recognition that Climate Change is serious and requires a matched response. The signs are everywhere. Global CO2 levels have remained at an historic high of 400 parts per million for the last year, wind storms are on the increase, and this June saw global temperatures 0.7c above the average. We may not see the worst effects of climate change in Monaghan, or in Ireland in the short term but there is no doubt that we will be affected by the impact of climate change in other parts of the world. In many countries climate change is happening more quickly than in Ireland and they have fewer resources to help cope with the effects of extreme weather events and so food shortages and new refugees are the result.  It is literally a matter of life or death for many people in these countries who are essentially being affected by the burning of fossil fuels over many years by more developed countries in Europe, America and elsewhere.  Rising sea levels is another consequence of climate change and we could see many of the Pacific Islands ceasing  to exist this century, while hundreds of thousands of people in low lying areas such as Bangladesh will be displaced. It is estimated that up to 700 million people will be displaced by 2050 as a result of climate change.

Climate Change is real, it is accelerating and it will only get worse without radical action. Mary Robinson certainly has her work cut out, to bring about change in an antiquated system that is often slow to act and bows to pressure from vested interests. However, with her passion, commitment and vision we can be hopeful that she will have a positive impact in her new role and will be a strong voice for a stable future for the planet. We here in her home country need to campaign and give strong leadership in addressing climate change. We can give her our full support by ensuring that Ireland becomes a place that significantly reduces its CO2 emissions. We as consumers have to play our part by cutting our use of oil, gas and coal and also of course reducing our purchases of goods and services that during their production and transport have generated high CO2 emissions.    We wish our former President, Mary Robinson, well in her new role.