Blog Archive
Shop and Drop Supermarket Spree launches this weekend!
Posted on April 12, 2019 by Claudia Tormey
Tomorrow, Saturday April 13th, is the big day - we’re launching the next wave of action on supermarket plastic packaging!
57 local actions with over 330 individuals have registered on the Sick of Plastic online platform, ready to Shop and Drop from this weekend.
The action is easy – anyone can take part!
Just do your grocery shop as normal but remove the excess plastic from your purchases after payment and place unwanted plastic in the bins provided in-store.
We now have 17,000 names on our plastic petition but want to hit 20,000 after this weekend. Groups all across the country will be collecting signatures outside supermarkets - and you can help gather signatures too!
Permanent link | Categories: waste • sick of plastic • shop and drop • break free from plastic • supermarket plastic packaging •
Youth Voices on MEP Climate Action
Posted on April 11, 2019 by Claudia Tormey
"If climate isn't on your agenda, you shouldn't be running at all" - just one of the messages delivered to MEP candidates at the event hosted at Europe House this week.
On April 9th, the Irish office of the European Parliament was packed with people who came to hear young people speak about what they want to see MEP candidates do to tackle the climate crisis if elected. Two panels of young people took centre stage with MEP candidates sat in the audience and listened to them. The lively and moving event featured on RTE's Nine O’Clock News - watch it back at this link.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
Upcoming events, and a dig out for the student strikers
Posted on March 22, 2019 by Oisín Coghlan
We have quite a few events coming up, so I thought I’d compile them all into one email. There’s a couple in Dublin, one in Cork, and one is nationwide. We’re also planning further events around the country in the coming months.
Don’t Owe – Shouldn’t Pay
Dublin Event
When: Monday March 25th, 6:30pm - 8pm
Where: Connolly Books, 43 Essex Street East, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
More info and register for your free ticket here.
Cork Event
When: Tuesday March 26th, 6:30pm - 8pm
Where: UCC WW9, University College Cork, West Wing Building, Room WW9, Cork
More info and register for your free ticket here.
We’re teaming up with Financial Justice Ireland to bring you a workshop exploring debt relief from international monetary institutions with Heron Belfon, director of Jubilee Caribbean in Grenada.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
Don't Owe, Shouldn't Pay! Why Caribbean nations need a debt deal
Posted on March 13, 2019 by Meaghan Carmody
Join Financial Justice Ireland & Friends of the Earth to discuss how climate chaos is fuelling natural disasters and a debt crisis in poor Caribbean island nations like Grenada.
Permanent link | Categories: finance
Kids, we have your back #SchoolStrike4Climate
Posted on March 08, 2019 by Meaghan Carmody
This week, I felt a prickle of tears catch me off guard as I watched 14 and 15 year old climate leaders prepare what they were going to say to Ireland’s top politicians. It was the most inspiring meeting I’ve ever been too, and all I could think was, I hope by the time these young leaders are in power, it’s not too late to fix this.
“If you don’t act now, you are complicit.”
“You owe us a future.” “Please, listen to us.”
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
Here Come the Sun - Power to the People
Posted on March 05, 2019 by Friends of the Earth
A new law to force electricity companies to pay small renewable energy generators for their power was debated in Leinster House this week.
It's hard to believe, it doesnt happen already, but small renewable energy generators in Ireland give their electricity to the grid for free if they can't use it all on site immediately.
Kate Ruddock was giving evidence at the Oireachtas Committee meeting along with Paul Kenny from Tipperary Energy Agency, Jim Gannon from SEAI and Michael Manley from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
You can watch the debate online here,
or just Kate's speech here.
"We met Leo Varadkar at Electric Picnic a few years ago.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Categories: energy • solarschools
Friends of the Earth Europe Gatherings
Posted on March 03, 2019 by Claudia Tormey
In February we hosted colleagues & activists from Friends of the Earth Europe and Young Friends of the Earth (YFoE) Europe for ten days of meetings, trainings and networking in Cloughjordan Ecovillage.
We welcomed 30 colleagues from around Europe for the annual Friends of the Earth Fossil Free gathering where shared stories of struggles and success and made plans for the year ahead as we continue to campaign for a fossil free Europe.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • friends of the earth europe • fossil free • young friends of the earth •
Let's hit 20k on our plastic petition!
Posted on February 19, 2019 by Claudia Tormey
We've set the date for our next action to pressure supermarkets to #BreakFreeFromPlastic!
Let's reach 20,000 names on our petition by April 13th, when we will be presenting our petition to supermarkets all across the country.
Repak have argued against #ShopAndDrop saying that supermarkets pay a fee to Repak which pays for the recycling of packaging placed on the market. But the vast majority of plastic we're bringing home is not recyclable - it's going into our general waste bins destined for landfill or incineration.
It's time for supermarkets to ditch excess plastic packaging!
We want supermarkets to;
Permanent link | Categories:
Sick of Plastic Supermarket Audit
Posted on January 29, 2019 by Claudia Tormey
Sick of Plasitc are ramping up the pressure on Supermarkets, it’s time they took our demands seriously. The Sick of Plastic petition now has over 16,000 names, and we want to present it to every major Supermarket in as many towns across the country as we can.
But before we approach Supermarkets again, we want to gather some data on what progress, if any, has been made. We're going to name and shame supermarkets who are refusing to act on plastic, and praise those who are taking the lead.
Can you help us find out what supermarkets are doing to tackle plastic by completing this really quick survey?
Permanent link | Categories: waste • sick of plastic • plastic free july • break free from plastic • zero waste shopping • zero waste lifestyle • plastic free shopping • supermarket audit
Friends of the Earth Newsletter, January 2019
Posted on January 28, 2019 by Claudia Tormey
Welcome to our newsletter - catch up on what we've achieved over the past few months thanks to your support, time and donations. See what we're planning next and how you can be involved!
Friends of the Earth Campaigns
Community Energy & Solar Schools
Congratulations to St Munchin's College in Limerick, our first winners of the Solar Schools competition. A fantastic group of students ready to take on the energy transition in their school!
More winners will be announced very soon - watch this space! This exciting pilot project targeted a number of areas where community energy cooperatives are already in existence. The aim of the project is to support schools and communities to power themselves with free renewable electricity generated right from their roof.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy • waste
