Call grows for a new Ulster environment regulator
The
push for a new environmental watchdog for Northern Ireland has received
a timely boost with a string of high-profile individuals endorsing the
demand.
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Toxic fear darkens eco-bulb
COMPULSORY eco friendly light bulbs could end up poisoning Ireland's lakes and rivers when they are dumped, experts have warned.
Far away hills are green
People might think that John
Gormley got a tough start as a government minister considering that he
is a member of an extreme Green Party. The incinerator got permission
in his own constituency. He also found himself joined with Fianna Fail,
which also means an alignment with the builders. Hardly the stuff of
the Greens. Then he had a stroke of luck with the Sliabh Aughty
mountains. The greenest of the green. To look at it like that is
actually a misjudgement.
Protecting our groundwater is top priority
Protecting our groundwater sources is a matter of top priority, Environment Minister John Gormley has said
Brian Cowen handcuffs the Heritage Trust
ALTHOUGH the
Irish Heritage Trust (IHT) got the all clear to take over Fota House
and Gardens shortly before Christmas, Brian Cowen has attached very
stringent conditions.
Conservation order for square
Dartmouth Square near
Ranelagh, Dublin, which has been at the centre of disputes between
Athlone businessman Noel O'Gara and Dublin City Council since 2006, has
been granted special conservation status by the council.
Pylon protests pile pressure on Ryan
A 'blitz' of ten under-age teams organised by Meath County GAA will gather today at an all-weather pitch in Dunganny to protest against national grid operator, EirGrid's high power electric lines in the region.
Nuclear power plan for Ulster
A millionaire
businessman today told the Belfast Telegraph how he hopes to build a
£1bn nuclear power station in the province. Londonderry entrepreneur
Robert Andrews - founder of the hi-tech Andronics satellite products
company - said he is preparing an environmental impact study to see
what effect a nuclear power station would have on the region.
First oral hearing under new fast-track planning system opens
The first public hearing to be conducted under a new fast-track planning process for major infrastructural developments will begin today.
A €500 million gas terminal at the Shannon estuary in Co Kerry is the first project to be advanced to An Bord Pleanála oral hearing stage under the new Strategic Infrastructure Act.
Clonmel hearing into plan for 'green' facility for waste
Bord Pleanala will begin an oral hearing in Clonmel tomorrow on a project which crystallises the national debate on how to dispose of or recycle waste.
A business consortium, Green Organics Energy Ltd (GOE), wants to build a facility for the "environmentally sustainable treatment" of waste, including animal by-products generated by the Irish meatprocessing industry.
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Coalition heads for rift on new EU carbon plan
Radical plans by the European Commission to cut carbon emissions are creating the first serious policy rift between Fianna Fail and the Green Party. The far-reaching plans emerge as efforts to combat climate change come into conflict with business and economic interests.
Macroom Mayor tackles eco minister on SAC delay to bypass
THE
Mayor of Macroom delivered a sharp message to the visiting Minister for
the Environment last week to fast-track through the new section of the
proposed bypass road to replace a former section controversially
declared a special area of conservation (SAC) by the Minister during
the summer.
Guide book hits out at our lack of eco-awareness
IRELAND'S 40 shades of green does not include the all-important "eco-green" and that is severely tarnishing its reputation with tourists according to travel bible, the Lonely Planet.
After 200 days of research by seven contributors including the main author, Fionn Davenport, the latest edition on Ireland, released yesterday, provides the usual mix of reviews, some complimentary others critical, of Ireland's main tourist hotspots.
Yet again Bundoran, Co Donegal, comes in for criticism. In 2006, the guide described it as "a kitsch assortment of half-baked fairground rides, flashing arcades, fast-food diners and overpriced B&Bs".
Part L Revealed
Since the announcement last September by the Minister for the Environment of substantial improvements to be made under Part L of the Building Regulations, speculation has been rife in the construction industry about what the details of the updated regulations would entail. Jeff Colley examines some of the key parts of a regulatory improvement that will help the Irish construction industry to modernise and meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.