Climate Justice talk with activists from El salvador and Liberia
Issued in news on January 25, 2012 at 15:27:00.
Friends of the Earth and Trocaire will host a public talk on Climate Justice and Community Rights with by Ricardo Navarro (Friends of the Earht El Salvador) and Silas Siakor(Friends of the Earth Liberia). The talk will take place on Monday the 6th of February at 6.30pm in the Central Hotel in Dublin. Both are internationally renowned environmntalists in thier own right and Goldman environmental prize winners for work in thier home countries. These awards are described as "the Nobel Prize for grassroots environmentalism" and we are lucky to be able to hear from them both.
And the winner is.......
Issued in news on January 27, 2012 at 13:58:00.
Congratulations to Maria Correia, from Cork who is the winner of our prize draw for a brand new Apollp Phaze MTB HT Mountatin Bike!!
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in our survey, which is still available to take here, we are still really interested to hear your thoughts and gain feedback on our campaigning work.
The purpose of this survey is to ensure we communicate and work with you in the best way possible. We really welcome your feedback and all your answers will be kept confidential. The survey should only take 10 minutes to complete.
Thanks for taking part.
Friends of the Earth welcomes Phil Hogan's climate roadmap
Issued in news on January 23, 2012 at 19:18:00.
Minister plans to introduce climate legislation by the end of next year.
Friends of the Earth has welcomed the publication today of a detailed "Roadmap for Climate Policy and Legislation" by Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan.
Friends of the Earth Director, Oisin Coghlan, said
"This timeline lacks urgency, it's climate policy for slow learners. But it does set out a step-by-step plan to pass climate legislation by the end of 2013. The roadmap provides welcome clarity about the Government's commitment to passing a climate law and outlines the opportunities for public participation in its development".
The Roadmap commits to the following steps:
Hogan issues Roadmap for Climate Policy and Legislation
Issued in news on January 23, 2012 at 17:43:00.
DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENT PRESS RELEASE
Today, 23 January 2012, Minister Phil Hogan, T.D., issued a work programme setting out the steps and milestones for the development of national climate policy and legislation.
The programme of work was today also sent to the Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht as part of the follow-up to the Minister's meeting with the Committee in December. In issuing the work programme, the Minister said, "I foresee a central role for the Joint Committee in the policy development process, most importantly on the critical issue of coming to a clear national understanding of how we will meet our binding EU and wider-international mitigation commitments, as well as pursuing our national objectives in a low-carbon global economy." This role for the Committee was also reflected in the Government's legislative programme for the Spring 2012 parliamentary session.
The work programme for policy development, including legislation covers the next 18 months (copy attached). The principal milestones include:
- a public consultation which will take place in the first half of 2012;
- in the second half of the year, the publication of an initial report by the NESC Secretariat on potential climate policies and measures (to be completed by end June 2012) and the development of heads of a Climate Bill for consideration by the Committee following Government approval (end-2012); and
- the consideration of the end-2012 final report by the NESC Secretariat and the heads of Bill by the Committee in the first half of 2013.
The Minister also reiterated his commitment to an open and transparent process involving all stakeholders. "A successful way forward for Ireland lies in structured dialogue on the range of views that exists across society, on an open and inclusive basis, and this will be facilitated at various points in the course of this work programme, beginning with the open consultation I will initiate next month" the Minister said.
Best wishes for 2012 from Friends of the Earth
Issued in news on December 22, 2011 at 14:53:00.
We had an early Christmas present last week in the shape of a promise from Minister Phil Hogan to produce a draft climate Bill in 2012.
Under close questioning from members of the Oireachtas environment committee he said it "is my objective" to send the committee a Bill next year. The committee hailed this commitment in a press release and it was reported in the Irish Times. Minister Hogan promised the committee to come back to them with a detailed "roadmap" to legislation early in the New Year.
It was a good day's work by the committee and ends two months of uncertainty since the Minister indicated he was considering deferring preparation of the climate Bill indefinitely.
Campaign groups welcome Environment Minister's commitment to climate bill next year
Issued in news on December 20, 2011 at 15:30:00.
Phil Hogan's pledge to send Heads of Bill to the Oireachtas committee is "a good step forward."
As the Cabinet Committee on climate change meets today to review progress in 2011, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam and Trocaire have welcomed modest progress in 2011 and are calling for more urgent action next year. Progress this year includes; the commitment to publishing a draft climate bill next year, another installment of Ireland's climate finance commitment and statements that Ireland supports a "justice approach" to tackling climate change.
Is the Environment Minister's cart before his horse?
Issued in the blog on December 15, 2011 at 22:29:00.
Environment Minister Phil Hogan appeared before the Environment committee this afternoon. I find it rather strange to say he "appeared before them". But this phrasing is how people generally describe it when a minister goes in to talk to a committee, especially if he is invited. It brings to my mind images of gable walls and miraculous visions. So there he was anyway, a vision of joviality. He didn't however have any particularly healing words to impart. The Environment committee had hauled him in to clear up some uncertainty caused by his remarks about climate legislation at the end of October. At the time it was reported that the minister had said climate legislation was not a priority for him. As can be expected he was criticised widely for this. For a particularly to the point criticism you should listen to Professor of climatology John Sweeney's interview on drivetime. (It starts about one hour and fifty minutes in)
Hogan to "clarify" his position to Oireachtas environment committee
Issued in news on December 15, 2011 at 13:39:00.
Hogan to "clarify" his position to Oireachtas environment committee
The Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, is appearing before the Oireactas environment committee this afternoon to "clarify" his position on climate legislation, and to discuss a timetable for a Bill. The committee issued an invitation to the minister after confusion and uncertainty arose from his remarks last month that suggested work on a climate law could be delayed by a year or more. Friends of the Earth has called on the Minister to announce that he will publish climate legislation without delay.
Commenting Friends of the Earth Director, Oisin Coghlan, said
Vuvuzela protest- Climate change blows
Issued in news on November 24, 2011 at 11:19:00.
Come and make some noise with us! Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan prepares to travel to Durban in South Africa for the UN conference on Climate Change at the end of this month. Stop Climate Chaos want to send him off knowing climate change matters to people. Come down to the Dáil on Kildare St, Thursday the 24th of November at 1pm and join the call.
As Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has caused confusion and uncertainty with his remarks surrounding whether or not the climate change bill is a priority for him. We need him to commit to publishing a climate bill and sending it to the Environment committee early next year.
Take our email action to the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change here.
EPA figures reveal €90 million windfall profit for Ireland's biggest polluters
Issued in news on November 09, 2011 at 16:59:00.
Friends of the Earth
For immediate release
9 November 2011
EPA figures reveal €90 million windfall profit for Ireland's biggest polluters
Taxpayer foots bill as emissions overshoot Kyoto target despite recession
Today's figures from the EPA on Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 reveal that the country's biggest polluters have received a windfall profit of €90 million from selling unused carbon credits they got for free form the Government, according to an analysis by Friends of the Earth. Meanwhile the taxpayer has forked out over €86 million to buy overseas offset credits because Ireland's emissions are still above our Kyoto target.
Commenting, Friends of the Earth Director, Oisín Coghlan, said
Another fine mess....
Issued in news on November 04, 2011 at 15:50:00.
Minister Hogan made a hames of the launch of his climate policy review yesterday.
His comments on the launch have caused confusion and uncertainty with his suggestion that work on climate change legislation will be delayed by at least a year while he carries out a study and consultation on policy measures.
The uncertainty is heightened by the fact that Minister Hogan went ahead and published the review even though the Cabinet Committee didn't meet as scheduled to consider it. Email the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change now to demand they clear up the mess.
Spectacular U-turn puts Hogan at odds with Gilmore on climate law
Issued in news on November 03, 2011 at 14:18:00.
Tánaiste reaffirmed Government commitment to law in 2012 just two weeks ago
Today's sudden announcement by Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, that climate legislation is to be long-fingered, is a spectacular U-turn from his previously stated positions. It also puts him at odds with Government policy as restated by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore just two weeks ago, when he said Government would "deliver on climate change legislation in 2012".
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to clear up this unwelcome uncertainty by stating that the draft climate Bill will be published in early 2012.
Email the Cabinet Committee now to demand they clear up the confusion
Spot the difference. Parliamentary Questions.
Issued in the blog on October 24, 2011 at 11:21:00.
Phil Hogan answered a written PQ about climate legislation from Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin this week. What's concerning about it is how different his answer is from the one he gave in May to an almost identical question. It's striking that his answer can change so radically in the absence of any decision to change government policy and during a policy review that begun in May and which was still being finalised when he gave the second answer.
--
May 17th Written Question
Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
Question 56: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which he will publish climate change legislation. [11508/11]
Phil Hogan (Minister, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government; Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Mobilizing for Social and Environmental Justice: from Durban to Dublin
Issued in news on October 18, 2011 at 10:49:00.
Bloom Movement for Global Justice and Friends of the Earth invite you to a meeting with Patrick Bond, a leading scholar-activist based in South Africa, to discuss local and global struggles for climate, economic and social justice.
Venue: Central Hotel, Exchequer Street
Tuesday 25th October - 7.00 pm
Email the Cabinet Committee on climate change, asking them when the climate law will be published.
Issued in campaign actions.
Tell the Government they have to clear up the confusion caused by Hogan's comments on climate legislation
"Doubt is our Product"
Issued in news on September 29, 2011 at 15:52:00.
Many parallels that can be drawn between attempts made by the tobacco industry in the 70's to discredit the science that showed that smoking caused cancer and the current attempts by the fossil fuel industry to discredit the science that shows that climate change is man-made.
The tobacco industry funded private institutes and individuals to create phoney science and disseminate it. This gave the impression that there was a debate where there was none. Many of the same tactics and players are now being used by the fossil fuel industry to try to create doubt around the science of climate change. The hope is that they can cause enough uncertainty around climate change to prevent and delay action.
