Christmas Gift Pack
Issued in the blog on December 01, 2019 at 09:30:00.
The lights are on and festive music is blaring from the radio, I think it's safe to start talking about Christmas!
This Christmas you can gift your loved one a Friends of the Earth present!
For €35 we'll send your friend a Friends of the Earth branded glass reusable cup.
For €50 we'll send your friend a gift pack including a Friends of the Earth reusable cup, a copy of Greta Thunberg's book ‘No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference’ and an Irish handmade beeswax candle.
Each gift will include a Friends of the Earth thank you card telling them a donation was made in their name with your personal message enclosed.
Friends of the Earth Facilitators and Trainers Network!
Issued in the blog on November 01, 2019 at 21:28:00.
Do you want to inspire, empower and egage people nationwide to join the climate justice movement?
Join our new Facilitators and Trainers Network!
Friends of the Earth have connections around the country, ample experience in campaigning, education & organising, and the resources to support people like you in developing the skills needed to train other activists around the country.
We want to use what we have to enable youto do the impactful work of facilitating others to increases their understanding of the interconnectedness of the issues we collectively face, and upskill in the capacities needed to fight these injustices.
Friends of the Earth will support you with:
- Training in facilitating and organising skills
- Access to workshop delivery opportunities
- Promotion of your self-organised events
- Connection to a peer support network
- Quarterly campaign-specific training
Plastic Bottle Rally - Let's Demand DRS!
Issued in the blog on October 31, 2019 at 17:11:00.
Join us for a Plastic Bottle Rally 1pm November 6th!
Back in January 2018, we 'Ditched Our Plastic at the Dáil' in support of Zero Waste activist Dianne Forsythe's Uplift petition calling on government to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for the recycling collection of plastic bottles in Ireland.
It took Minister for the Environment, Richard Bruton, a whole year to respond, and the best he could do was commission a study to see how DRS could operate in Ireland. (Despite existing evidence proving that it works).
Good Food, Good Farming
Issued in the blog on October 25, 2019 at 15:14:00.
Through October Friends of the Earth were celebrating the Good Food Good Farming Days of Action as part of our Growing Together project by championing the change makers who are shaping a fairer food system here in Ireland.
Good Food Good Farming is a European civil society alliance that calls on decision makers to support for peasant farmers, environment- and climate-friendly agriculture which is tied into local economies across global food chains.
Shannon Fracked gas project eviscerated at Eu Commission
Issued in news on October 18, 2019 at 17:12:00.
Breaking: Justification for Controversial Shannon Fracked Gas Terminal Eviscerated at European Commission Meeting Yesterday
Citing climate impacts, Sweden pulls LNG project off European Union’s energy projects of common interest list; Ireland must follow suit and reject fracked gas Shannon LNG terminal
Irish government now has until October 23 to remove Shannon terminal off European Union’s list for subsidies and permitting fastrack
On Thursday October 17, it was revealed at a European Commission meeting that the US fracked gas Shannon LNG import terminal is on the European Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list, without assessing climate or sustainability impacts. Two other gas projects connected to Shannon LNG were shown to be taken off the list.
Fair Farming in Ireland
Issued in the blog on October 18, 2019 at 15:29:00.
Supporting the launch of Talamh Beo!
In support of the growing community of sustainable growers and farmers in Ireland, Friends of the Earth joined the launch of Talamh Beo, a new grassroots organisation of farmers, growers and land based workers, launched outside the Department of Agriculture where they presented an oak tree to Minister Creed.
In preparation for the launch action Friends of the Earth hosted two film screening and banner painting sessions to encourage citizens to stand with small sustainable farmers and call on the government to support the vision of Talamh Beo - a living landscape where people and ecosystems can thrive together.
Check out Foodture and Talamh Beo to find out more on how to support your local, small, sustainable farmers in Ireland!
Thank you for standing with the school strikers!
Issued in the blog on October 15, 2019 at 14:04:00.
Between the 20th and 27th of September 7.6 million people globally took to the streets to demand climate justice as part of the Climate Strike.
In Ireland, 50,000 people took part across every corner of the island.
Thanks to those of you that donated to our Climate Strike Fund we create a resource pack of stickers, social media graphics, posters and more. We recruited a team of 15 volunteers who worked from our office to support the 60 people across the country organising strike support actions. And we were able to fund equipment on the day including the stage which was fully solar powered!
Delay in carbon tax gives Government chance to make it fair
Issued in news on October 08, 2019 at 18:04:00.
Carbon tax rise welcome, but one small piece of the jigsaw
- Ringfencing must be put into law, and should be all carbon tax revenue not just the increase
- Rate increases to 2030 must be guaranteed by legislation
- Delay to application on home heating fuels welcome, due to lack of preparation to protect those vulnerable to the change
- Minister must now sit down with SVP and other groups to figure out how best to protect those most affected and enable them to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
- 10% increase in Fuel Allowance welcome - should be rebranded as Carbon Tax Cashback in 2020
Appointment of a Just Transition Commissioner welcome but ...
Carbon tax must tackle energy poverty and Just Transition
Issued in news on October 08, 2019 at 10:17:00.
5 tests for Budget's climate credibility
Friends of the Earth has warned that unless today's Budget tackles energy poverty and kickstarts a Just Transition for peat workers, the reported plans for a small increase in the carbon tax risk alienating people while doing little to reduce emissions.
Commenting on media reports that the Budget will raise the carbon tax from €20 to €26 a tonne, Friends of the Earth Director, Oisín Coghlan commented:
"A rise of €6 in the carbon tax is not enough to reduce emissions on its own. Key to the Budget's climate credibility therefore is how the Government plans to spend the revenue and how clear its commitment to future increases is."
The environmental justice organization has set out 5 tests for Budget 2020:
What's driving the fracking boom? Spoiler: it's plastic!
Issued in the blog on October 07, 2019 at 18:39:00.
Last week 4,500 people took the email action to tell our politicians that we don't want to import fracked gas!
Public pressure is working! On Friday we got the debate in the Dail, and now Government must undertake a review of Irish energy security before any further support for the Shannon LNG project can proceed.
We need to keep the pressure on, to make sure the review is independent and Paris Aligned. This fight is only beginning.
If you haven't yet signed our petition to Stop Shannon LNG (the terminal planned to import gas) please take action now and share it widely with your friends.
Carbon tax plan risks worst of both worlds: 'Too little to reduce emissions, enough to annoy people'
Issued in news on October 04, 2019 at 17:15:00.
Friends of the Earth sets out three failures and three tests on carbon tax
Friends of the Earth has warned that reported plans for a small increase carbon tax in Tuesday's Budget risk being ineffective or even counterproductive.
Commenting on media reporting that a planned increase in the carbon tax of between €5 and €7 euro a tonne, about a 2c increase in a litre of petrol, has been agreed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Friends of the Earth Director, Oisín Coghlan said:
