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Friday, February 18, 2011
Ireland to be fined E26 million and daily fines of E33000
IWT calls on Fine Gael to reverse its policy on turf-cutting
The Irish Wildlife Trust is calling on the Fine Gael party to reverse its policy of allowing turf-cutting on some of Ireland's most valuable nature reserves (Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas). According to its manifesto Fine Gael says it "will allow an exemption for domestic turf cutting on the 75 National Heritage Area sites, which are designated under Irish Law". This amounts to an assault on our wildlife and fails to recognise the value of our bogs for purifying water, storing carbon and alleviating floods.
Ireland's raised and blanket bogs are unique habitats at an international level and after years of abuse only 18% of these areas remain of any conservation value[1]. It is these last few refuges that Fine Gael are proposing to 'sell off' for short-term political gain.
The chairman of the IWT, Pádraic Fogarty said "at a time when Ireland's 'green' image is vital to creating jobs and returning to prosperity Fine Gael want to take us back to the bad old days of environmental abuse that benefits the few".
The IWT is calling on any new government to commit to our legal and moral obligations to protect our biodiversity and to acknowledge its value in a dynamic and prosperous Ireland.
ENDS
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
IWT calls for an end to over-fishing and no cull of seals in Kerry
· Cod is listed as 'endangered with extinction' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
· The Marine Institute estimates that the Haddock fishery off the west of Ireland discards 66% of the total catch, which in 2011 will result in nearly 6,000 tonnes of unwanted fish and other marine life being dumped.
· Landings of Whiting from the Celtic sea and west of Ireland have decreased steadily since the 1990's from a high of about 22,000 tonnes in 1995 to only 5,000 tonnes in 2009.
· Landings of Pollack across Europe have declined steadily since the 1980's but despite this there is no information about the state of this fish in waters off the west of Ireland. The Marine Institute has recommended that total catches should be reduced in light of this lack of information.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Lifetime Lab Scientist Display February 11th
Press Release: IN ADVANCE OF EVENT
Date: 10th Feb 2011
Winning Cork Young Scientist Projects on Display
"How do you take your tea", "Political awareness in teenagers" or "The effect of a tidal surge in Cork Harbour " are among some of the prize winning projects by Cork entrants to the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition that are on display at Lifetime Lab during February
The display of over 50 projects from 23 schools will be launched by Lord Mayor Cllr. Michael O' Connell on Friday 11th February at 12.00 midday with participating students on hand to speak about their projects. The students will also get the opportunity to attend an exciting Chemistry Magic Show staged by Dr. Declan Kennedy of UCC.
"We are delighted to recognise the hard work of students and their teachers, who have represented Cork with great success, while also providing an opportunity to view a selection of the projects in a local setting. For aspiring young scientists who have not had the opportunity to visit the exhibition in Dublin, the display at Lifetime Lab is an ideal opportunity to view a high standard of local entries that qualified for the national final" said Mervyn Horgan, manager of Lifetime Lab
Over three weeks from the 14thFebruary to 4th March 2011 the students' project posters will be on display in the Lifetime Lab Visitor Centre. Members of the public and schools will be able to view the students work, as well as digital video clips of the students talking about their projects.
Lifetime Lab is located at the old Cork City Waterworks on Lee Road. The site now hosts a Visitor Centre with interactive environmental exhibits, a steam centre with preserved boilers and huge steam engines that were used to pump water to supply the City of Cork. Lifetime Lab also has a coffee dock, a picnic area and a children's playground and is fully wheelchair accessible. It is open Monday- Friday 9am-5pm.
For further information, please contact the Lifetime Lab at: 021-4941500 or view the website www.lifetimelab.ie
Ends,
Notes to editor
· Lord Mayor Michael O Connell will launch the display at 12.00 noon on Friday February 11th
· In all 86 student projects from 27 schools in Cork City and County qualified to participate in 2011 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition at RDS in Dublin.
· 27 of the Cork projects won Awards and 16 projects were Highly Commended
· The winners of the Best Group were Thomas Cronin, Dylan Coss and Jeremy Sarisch-Rooney from Coláiste Muire – Crosshaven. Their project was entitled 'DIY wind power – portable community generators for the Third World'.
· A Cork school has won the BT Young Scientist of the Year 3 times in the last 6 years. Those winners were
o 2010: Richard O'Shea, Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, Blarney; ''A Biomass Cooking stove for Developing Countries'
o 2009: John D O'Callaghan and Liam McCarthy, Kinsale Community School; "The Development of a Convenient Test Method for Somatic Cell Count and its Importance in Milk Production".
o 2006: Aisling Judge, Kinsale Community School; "The development and evaluation of a biological food spoilage indicator"
· Guests will be entertained by a Chemistry Magic Show immediately after the launch
Contact Details
Name: Mervyn Horgan
Address: Lifetime Lab, Lee Road, Cork
Telephone: 021-4941500
Fax: 021-4941519
Email: lifetimelab@corkcity.ie
Mervyn Horgan
Lifetime Lab
Old Waterworks
Lee Road
Cork
021 4941500
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Recalled 'Back Lane Parliament' highlights absence of equality and environmental proposals in election
NEWS RELEASE from Claiming Our Future
Embargoed until 1pm on Wednesday 9th February
Campaigners recall 'Back Lane Parliament' to highlight absence of equality and environmental proposals in election campaign
Over 20 local meetings to quiz candidates on jobs, equality and political reform
Members of the Claiming Our Future movement today (Wednesday) staged a re-enactment of the 1792 'Back Lane Parliament' in Tailors' Hall, Dublin to demonstrate that the absence of equality and environmental proposals in the election debate was effectively disenfranchising large parts of civil society.
The movement announced that its local groups would be holding at least 20 public meetings across the country to quiz election candidates on their policies for creating an equal and environmentally sustainable Ireland with real opportunities for people to participate in the political decisions that shape their lives.
Claiming our Future activists from around the country read out the group's six priority policy demands, which were established by 1,000 participants at Ireland's first 'citizen's parliament' last autumn. They said many Irish people today felt the same sense of disenfranchisement that prompted Wolfe Tone to convene the 18th century Back Lane Parliament to petition for voting rights for Catholics. This is because the election is taking place after the Budget and IMF- European Commission agreement and because the policy platforms put forward by the political parties have so far failed to substantively address equality and environmental sustainability issues.
The event also saw the publication of a summary of Claiming Our Future policy priorities, based on equality and environmental sustainability, which it is sending to all party leaders. The priorities include:
· A sustainable alternative to the boom-and-bust economy
· A more equal society
· Political reform
· Decent and sustainable jobs
· Radical reform of the banking system and
· Public service reform.
Niall Crowley of Claiming Our Future said the election had so far yielded no substantive proposal for a more equal Ireland from any political party. "We have seen many proposals on political reform but none to address the lack of diversity and gender equality among our public representatives. The same goes for public sector reform. A myriad of proposals but not one to enhance the ability of our public services to eliminate disadvantage or address the diverse needs of the people who use them," he said.
Charles Stanley-Smith of An Taisce said: "The voices of those who seek environmental sustainability are not being heard. Economic growth continues to be the accepted wisdom with no proposals from the political parties about unsustainable resource use, capping emissions or improving public transport. The disenfranchisement of this voice diminishes our chances of emerging from crisis."
Siobhan O'Donoghue of the Community Platform announced that local Claiming Our Future groups would be holding at least 20 public meetings over the next two weeks at which election candidates would be invited to outline their values and policies. "Can they offer universal access to care and health care? Will they ensure equality in access to education? Could they reform politics so that people can participate in the decisions that impact on them? Can they advance equality so that everyone has an adequate income and nobody earns more than a set maximum income?" she asked.
Claiming Our Future is made up of individuals and organisations that believe the economic crisis is an opportunity to reassert the progressive social values of equality, sustainability, inclusion and human dignity. Initially developed by Is Feidir Linn, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, environmental groups, the TASC think tank and Social Justice Ireland, it now involves a much wider range of organisations including community groups, youth groups, environmental groups, trade unions, rural networks, social justice groups and organisations representing older people, global justice, migrant workers, students, cultural initiatives, women, people with disabilities and social media.
ENDS
Further information
Bernard Harbor – 087-230-1262
Niall Shanahan – 087-264-8092
