Blog Archive
Why I'm looking forward to Rio+40
Posted on June 12, 2012 by Young Friends of the Earth
In 1992, when the nations of the world came together at the Rio Earth Summit, the closest thing to pollution I was thinking about was my dirty nappy. Now, as Rio+20 gets underway, I am a graduate about to head out into the world as a community worker. During my journey from cot to climate activism a lot has changed in the world. Yet the principles of the 1992 Rio Declaration stand as a radical and inspirational avowal from 172 nations-representing 98% of the world's population- that they no longer wanted to build a world on unsustainability, injustice and inequity.
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Taylor taste justice, but West Africa continues to be denied it
Posted on May 31, 2012 by Molly Walsh
Taylor tastes justice, but West Africa continues to be denied it
As the EU bows down to big business and continues to exploit the Global South in search of cheap raw materials and energy, what impact will Charles Taylor's conviction really have on a region ravaged by natural resource conflict?
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Land Grabs - Liberia's Titanic Problem
Posted on April 17, 2012 by Young Friends of the Earth
by Jamie Gorman
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Is the Environment Minister's cart before his horse?
Posted on December 15, 2011 by Molly Walsh
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)
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
Spot the difference. Parliamentary Questions.
Posted on October 24, 2011 by Molly Walsh
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.
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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)
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A thoughtful Dáil speech on the challenge of framing a forward-looking climate policy
Posted on October 17, 2011 by Oisín Coghlan
I came across this thoughtful and constructive speech on the importance of climate legislation and the progress that was made in building all-party agreement in the last Dáil. It was made in reponse to Minister John Gormley's last Carbon Budget speech on 16th December last year.
How quickly can you identify who made it?
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Statements on the carbon budget allows Parliament to reflect on the progress, or otherwise, being made in various sectors in meeting the target to reduce carbon emissions by 3% annually as set out in the programme for Government three and a half years ago. Some progress has been made but some of it was probably due to the circumstances of the economic downturn.
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News on the climate law.
Posted on September 27, 2011 by Molly Walsh
Climate policy has ticked along steadily since the Fine Gael / Labour government came to power last spring. Progress has been steady rather than spectular, but the stage is set for key decisions to be taken in the next couple of months.
A good starting point has been the Programme for Government, which has the following commitment to a climate law.
- "We will publish a Climate Change Bill which will provide certainty surrounding government policy and provide a clear pathway for emissions reductions, in line with negotiated EU 2020 targets."
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • Phil Hogan
No Consent
Posted on April 06, 2011 by Molly Walsh
The 10th of November 2006 was the 11th anniversary of Ken Sara Wiva's death. It was also the first time in my life that I experienced police brutality. The thing that connects these two facts is the corrupt power of Royal Dutch Shell. Something that was highlighted again yesterday with the emerging in the media of a recording of Gardai discussing raping women they have just arrested. It is horrifying and shocking to hear men in a position of power repeatedly use the word rape as part of an attempt to joke, what i feel is even worse is their raucous lads laughter that now rings in my ears. The women they arrested were peacefully protesting against the raw gas pipeline that shell is building in Mayo against the consent of the local community there. There is a good article on the whole sickening incident on Indymedia. What is illustrated by this recording is the dominance and brutality towards campaigners that has marked the policing operation since 2006.
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All parties commit to passing climate legislation
Posted on February 17, 2011 by Oisín Coghlan
All parties have now committed to passing climate legislation in the new Dáil.
Fine Gael
The Fine Gael manifesto includes the following on page 42:
Climate Change Legislation: Fine Gael will legislate for a climate change law that sets the Kyoto and EU2020 targets in national legislation but only on the basis of all party agreement.
Download the Fine Gael manifesto here.
Labour
The Labour manifesto includes the following on page 27:
Labour's Climate Change Bill will provide certainty about government policy, and a clear pathway for emissions reduction, in line with negotiated EU targets. Labour will also work at EU level to set up a national programme for forest carbon offsets.
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Fine Gael commits to climate legislation on all party basis
Posted on February 16, 2011 by Oisín Coghlan
The Fine Gael manifesto, published yesterday includes the following commitment to climate legislation on page 42.
11.1 Climate Change
Climate Change Legislation: Fine Gael will legislate for a climate change law that sets the Kyoto and EU2020 targets in national legislation but only on the basis of all party agreement.
You can download the manifesto here.
We're working on the cross-party support, with our allies in Stop Climate Chaos. You can join in here.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
