Blog Archive
Phil's parting shot?
Posted on July 07, 2014 by Oisín Coghlan
The Irish Mirror reported on Friday that Minister Hogan's Department had circulated a 54-page list of his achievements and concluded that "the general feeling is that he will not return to this Department either way" after the reshuffle.
The report has now been posted online and carries the very formal title Progress Update on the Programme of Reform from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • Hogan • climate • climate bill • minister
WHEN OUR LAND IS FREE, WE’RE ALL FREE
Posted on May 08, 2014 by Guest Blogger
Friends of the Earth Liberia campaigners write about how the Jogbahn Clan in Liberia is fighting to keep their home. A British palm oil company wants to clear their land without their permission. Add your voice to the petition below to tell the palm oil company and its major shareholders that the world is watching. NO means NO!
Permanent link | Categories: biodiversity • foodandfarming • palm oil • land grab • liberia
Election Round-up: MEP hustings and ratings. Fracking the locals. And *that* Bill.
Posted on May 07, 2014 by Oisín Coghlan
It's election time and there are a number of ways that you can have your say even before polling day on 23rd May.
Young Friends of the Earth are having a hustings with European Parliament candidates in Dublin on Thursday 15th May, at 7pm in The Greenhouse on Andrew Street, D2. More info here.
The Environmental Pillar is having euro-hustings in all three constituencies. In Carrick-on-Shannon this Thursday 8th, in Cork next Tuesday 13th and in Dublin on Friday 16th. You can register here.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
Climate Bill 2014 - highlights and summary of reaction
Posted on April 23, 2014 by Oisín Coghlan
So, the Government has finally published the Heads of its Climate Action Bill.
In a nutshell:
It took two years for them to replublish last year the Fianna Fail / Green Party Bill - with all the targets taken out, and the "independence" of the expert advisory body further weakened. Ignoring the outcome of their own extensive public consultation along the way. And now, a year later, they have strenghtened the expert body but ignored some of the key recommendations of the Oirachtas Committee who carried out extensive stakeholder hearings last year.
Oh, and these are still only the Heads. They have promised to introduce the full Bill in the Dáil before the summer recess.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
4 tests for the revised climate Bill
Posted on April 14, 2014 by Oisín Coghlan
A year ago, Friends of the Earth said the Government's draft Climate Bill was "like a car without an engine" and Stop Climate Chaos called it simply "too weak to work".
But the public hearings held by the Oireachtas Joint Committee last summer were very inclusive and thorough. Their subsequent report represents common ground across political parties and among a wide range of stakeholders on the contents of the Bill. Secondly, the process of developing a revised Heads of Bill is a test of the political reforms initiated by this Government to improve the democratic process by increasing the legislative role played by Oireachtas Committees. The courses of action highlighted in the report point to areas where significant improvements can be made to the Heads of Bill. While they are not as strong as we in would have liked, we believe they are the minimum that need to be reflected in the Bill in order to ensure its effectiveness. Specifically:
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
A tribute to Nelson Mandela by the Director of Friends of the Earth South Africa, Bobby Peek
Posted on December 06, 2013 by Friends of the Earth
A guest blog, by Bobby Peek, Director of Groundwork (Friends of the Earth South Africa). This is his reflection on the death of the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
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The environmental justice movement, and indeed my own environmental justice activism is grounded by the experience of working with Madiba to ensure that South Africans achieve the promise of a life that was enshrined by our Constitution, a life where people live in relations of solidarity and equity with each other and in non-degrading and positive relationships with their environments.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
What has the IPCC ever done for you?
Posted on September 25, 2013 by Oisín Coghlan
On Friday the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will publish the first part of it's new assessment report on climate science. The last one, in 2007, won it the Nobel Peace Prize.
You can join me and Prof John Sweeney for a "first look" at the report and what it means at a Stop Climate Chaos event in the Science Gallery at lunchtime on Friday.
Here's a quick overview of why I think it matters. Come along on Friday for a fuller picture, disucssion and a chance to power the whole event uisng Gavin Harte's bicycle generator.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
Congratulations to Donal O'Kelly on his Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award
Posted on August 15, 2013 by Oisín Coghlan
Playwright Donal O'Kelly has won a prestigious Fringe First Award for his one-man show Fionnuala, a spine-tingling, stomach-churning insight into the mind of a Shell spin-doctor on the Corrib gas project in Mayo. The show is playing to rave reviews in Edinburgh where it got 4 stars from the Financial Times and a "Must See" accolade from The Stage. Donal has said he hopes the play might encourage a whistleblower to expose the dark reality of Shell's presence in Erris. Then just last Sunday the Observer rang a full-page investigative piece on allegations that Shell bought €35,000 worth of alcohol for the Gardai in Belmullet. Friends of the Earth's supports the call, made by Afri and others, for an independent investigation into the incident.
Permanent link | Categories: energy
Analysis of the Oireachtas climate Bill hearings
Posted on July 22, 2013 by Oisín Coghlan
This is the unedited version of my opinion piece published in the Irish Times on Monday 15th July.
As the country experienced its most intense heatwave so far this century, the Oireachtas environment committee has been holding intensive hearings on the Government's proposed climate change Bill.
Despite the weather, and the fractious nature of the debate on the last Government’s climate Bill, nobody got hot under the collar in Committee Room 4. Instead, it’s been a positive, serious and constructive engagement, modelled on the health committee hearings on X legislation earlier in the year.
The Committee has had in-depth discussions with an array of stakeholders from the business, farming and environmental sectors as well as overseas aid agencies and economic and legal experts.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
We stand with the Philipines
Posted on December 07, 2012 by Young Friends of the Earth
As the COP18 climate talks continue the Super Typhoon Bopha which hit the Philippines yesterday shows the devastating impacts of climate change and the necessity for concrete outcomes from the talks. The death toll has climbed to more than 270 people with over 170,000 people fleeing their homes. This is the 16th extreme weather event to hit the Philippines this year and this typhoon is yet another example of how the Global South are bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change.
Permanent link | Categories:
