Blog Archive
“Ban fracking!” A creative call from young people in fracking affected communities
Posted on September 26, 2016 by Jamie Gorman
A group of young activists aged 12-18 from fracking affected communities in the north-west of Ireland have highlighting the dangers of fracking through artworks created during the month long Eco/Art/Action summer programme.
The programme was a collaboration between Young Friends of the Earth, local anti-fracking group Love Leitrim and artists from the Leitrim Sculpture Centre.
Taking place over the course of two day workshops and a weekend residential, it aimed to explore fracking in its local and global context and create a space for young people to make their voices heard in debates around the issue.
Permanent link | Categories: energy • Activism
Stop Enda abolishing the Department of Environment
Posted on May 18, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
On his re-election as Taoiseach, Enda Kenny announced he was restructuring Ministerial Departments to better reflect the new Government's priorities. With that, he promptly abolished the Department of the Environment and scattered its functions across three Departments.
We have very little time to get this decision reversed. If this goes ahead, the words ‘environment’ and ‘heritage’ would be dropped from the titles of any Minister or Department, and Ireland would become the only EU member state without a Minister for the Environment.
We're asking you to do a couple of things:
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy • waste • water • biodiversity
So close: help us raise 800 euro by midnight, last chance to triple your gift
Posted on April 15, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we have raised €7,600 for our Community Power Campaign over the last 10 days. That will allow is draw down €22,800 in EU funding.
But there's still €2,400 of EU grant money on the table. To claim it we need to raise another €800, by midnight tonight.
Every euro you give TODAY will be tripled by EU funding.
Our Community Power priorities include:
Permanent link | Categories: energy
Oisin is running for the Seanad (and there's a public hustings in Trinity tomorrow)
Posted on April 06, 2016 by Cara Augustenborg
You may have heard already that our Director, Oisín Coghlan, is standing in the Seanad elections for the Trinity College panel.
Oisin is standing as an independent candidate, independent of any political party and indeed independent of Friends of the Earth. But we're delighted that voters on the TCD panel now have the choice of voting for someone who would put climate action at the top their agenda.
Oisin himself says of his run:
"I've been badgering politicians from the sidelines for years and I thought it was time to put my money were my mouth is. I'm running to push climate action, social justice and global solidarity up the political agenda."
Permanent link | Categories:
Tonight's telly, tomorrow night's cinema and our April Fool's
Posted on April 05, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
I meant to tell you yesterday about a new TV series starting tonight on TG4 at 8pm about the trees on Ireland (it's repeated on Sunday at 7.30).
It looks sumptuous (see the trailer here) and it's presented by the ever engaging Manchán Magan. Described as a "feast for the senses" it looks like the next best thing to a real walk in the woods.
By contrast, if you're around Dublin tomorrow I'll be talking in the IFI at 6.30pm before a screening of "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" (you can book here). It's the first film in a Science Gallery / IFI season on "How the cinema of the past had imagined our future".
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
Win tickets to see Naomi Klein in Dublin - and triple your gift to support community energy
Posted on April 05, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
For the next 10 days every euro you give us will be tripled by an EU grant to support our work on community energy.
We had real success last year in getting the Government to recognize the role of communities in the transition to a zero-carbon energy system. The new national energy policy, the White Paper, launched in December is very strong on a commitment to energy citizens and communities.
Now we need to get the next Government to follow through with the concrete steps to make it happen.
Our priorities include:
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
Can you stomach another Leaders' Debate ...
Posted on February 23, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
... that doesn't discuss climate change?
The election is in the closing stretch. The final leaders' debate is tonight. Will they discuss climate change? Probably not, but even if they do it'll be short and superficial at best. The reality, however, is that whoever forms the next Government will find climate change high on the policy agenda because of the Paris Agreement, looming EU targets and competing interest groups at home.
So how much thought have the parties actually given it? Below you can see and read for yourself.
Ask your candidates to take the Vote Frack Free pledge .
The hustings Young Friends of the Earth held with the Environmental Pillar are now online.
You can see the full 86 minutes here .
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy • transport • biodiversity • foodandfarming
Help bring our politicians back down to Earth tomorrow
Posted on February 16, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
Have you heard any journalist ask any candidate in the election a question about climate change or the environment?
Tomorrow we change that. Tomorrow we break the #climatesilence.
Young Friends of the Earth and the Environmental Pillar have joined forces for a hustings.
Join us at 5.45pm on Wed 17th
In person: Wynn's Hotel, Abbey Street Lwr, D1
Online: Live streaming on Persicope - @foeireland
On Twitter: #GE16environment
We now have 6 parties who have confirmed they will have a representative there: Fine Gael (Senator Cáit Keane), Sinn Fein (Lynn Boylan MEP), AAA-PBP (Richard Boyd Barrett TD), Green Party (Eamon Ryan). Fianna Fail and Labour have yet to name their representative.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
6 questions for every candidate in the election. Click to ask them now.
Posted on February 05, 2016 by Oisín Coghlan
Politicians are always telling us that nobody ever mentions climate change on the doorstep.
Whenever candidates call to the door over the next three weeks, say you’re concerned about climate change. Tell them now by email.
You can mention the flooding, fracking, or Ireland doing its fair share, on the doorstep if you want but, actually, even just saying you’re concerned means the TDs in the next Dáil will be that bit more likely to listen to us.
If you do get into a conversation with them we have six questions - ask them any or all of them.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
Will the Energy White Paper live up to the spirit of Paris?
Posted on December 16, 2015 by Oisín Coghlan
We thought we'd let you know our take on the Paris Agreement.
Here's our press release , including an inititial assessment of what the Paris deal means for Ireland. And here's a round-up of assessments by campaigners, journalists and academics.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
