A guest blog by Donald Pols, director of Milieudefensie / Friends of the Earth Netherlands and chair of Friends of the Earth Europe, originally published by CommonDreams
Friends of the Earth is hiring!
Issued in news on February 19, 2021 at 11:19:00.
Friends of the Earth has two exciting roles to fill! We’re recruiting a Head of Policy Change and an Accounts and Administration Officer.
Don't let Sir Humphrey hobble the Climate Bill!
Issued in the blog on February 17, 2021 at 18:16:00.
I wrote last week about some updates on the Climate Bill. I mentioned that 2021 should be the year when Ireland finally gets a new, stronger, Climate Law. I was pretty apprehensive about putting those words on paper - fearing I may be tempting fate!
Well….unfortunately I was right to be apprehensive. The Government is currently making its final decisions on the Climate Law and some alarm bells are starting to ring . Unless we apply strong pressure now, there’s a risk that the Climate Law could be watered down. So can you take this e-action I shared last week without delay? Asking your TDs to ensure the Government listens to the Joint Committee on Climate Action’s recommendations to strengthen the Climate Bill - instead of doing the opposite and making it weaker.
13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice
Issued in the blog on February 16, 2021 at 17:04:00.
Justice has finally prevailed for the people of the oil-soaked Niger Delta. On Friday 29th January, after a thirteen-year struggle for redress for lives ruined by oil spills, three Nigerian farmers, supported by Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands, beat one of the world’s most powerful transnational corporations, Shell, in court in the Netherlands.
Across Nigeria’s southern Delta region, people who have never heard of the Court of Appeal in the Hague celebrated with victory parties.
But no victim should have to wait thirteen years for justice. Better laws are needed now to give victims quicker and more effective ways to win remedy.
Crunch time for the Climate Law - action time for us all!
Issued in the blog on February 12, 2021 at 10:44:00.
I’m almost scared to say it out loud - for fear of jinxing things. But here goes anyway….2021 should finally be the year that Ireland gets a new, stronger, Climate Law.
I’ve got to admit, when the draft law was published last autumn I was disappointed. But a huge movement rose up, determined to make this law better. The actions of Friends of the Earth supporters - along with countless other activists, groups and organisations - were immense. Whether you took an e-action, called your TD or took part in the TD Lobby in December, your action has made a real difference.
The Oireachtas Committee tasked with scrutinizing the draft Climate Law really felt our pressure! This Committee has now produced a very good report, with a list of recommendations to strengthen the law. Having this report is a powerful tool in our campaigning tool box. Now we just need to use it! It’s crucial that the Government accepts the report’s recommendations - and addresses some remaining weaknesses in the Bill. So could you email your TDs asking them to ensure the Government does this? The Government will make its final decisions on the Climate Law in the next couple of weeks - so there’s no time to lose!
Learning Hub is back in action! Join us for our next event
Issued in the blog on February 04, 2021 at 17:47:00.
There’s no doubt about it, January was a long, hard month for many of us. It’s good to see February arrive - with some new hope and slightly brighter days.
We're delighted to announce that the Learning Hub we launched in Autumn 2020 is back in action. Perhaps you attended the first Learning Hub event last October, where the meaning of Climate Justice was explored? If you missed it, you can watch it back here. That first event was based loosely on Mary’s Robinson’s book ‘Climate Justice’.
Have your say on Community Energy - Submit to the Microgeneration Consultation using our handy guide
Issued in the blog on February 04, 2021 at 17:05:00.
We’ve reached a critical juncture in our campaign for renewable, community owned energy. In a matter of months we could finally have a support scheme for small renewable energy microgenerators. But this scheme could end up being very good - or pretty bad. The difference hangs in our collective hands!
We've been campaigning for this type of scheme for years. And now - finally - the Government has agreed that it’s needed!
Ireland shuts the door on new gas and oil
Issued in news on February 02, 2021 at 13:34:00.
Friends of the Earth
For Immediate Release
Tuesday 2nd February 2021
Campaigners welcome the Government’s proposal for a national ban on all future oil and gas exploration and extraction in Ireland.
Ireland will now become the second country in Europe and only the fourth in the world to introduce a definitive national ban through legislation on all fossil fuel exploration [1] In 2017 Ireland took the first steps to legally prohibiting gas extraction with a legal ban on fracking onshore [2]. This next step will extend that ban to any new oil or gas exploration in our offshore waters.
Kate Ruddock, Deputy Director of Friends of the Earth commented,
Watch it Back - Hopeful Chats about Climate Change
Issued in the blog on January 13, 2021 at 14:07:00.
There’s no denying it, the last few weeks have been very difficult. We’re living through a period where every glimmer of hope we can find is precious - and to be treasured. With that in mind, we wanted to share the recording of a webinar that we hosted just before Christmas - Hopeful Chats about Climate Change. People left the webinar feeling very hopeful - and it continues to give us hope when we think back about it now! You can watch it back here in your own time.
Dr Cara Augustenborg did a super job of chairing the discussion and spoke from her own experience as a climate scientist, activist and mother.
Watch it Back: Let's talk Community Energy
Issued in the blog on December 15, 2020 at 15:26:00.
Earlier this month we hosted a special webinar on community owned renewable energy. Missed it? Well, don’t worry, we recorded it so you can watch it back at this link or in the screen below.
We were delighted to be joined by Molly Walsh from Friends of the Earth Europe. Molly shared some inspiring stories from her new book, Community Energy: A practical guide to reclaiming power - which you can download here.
Why I'm urging TDs to postpone the vote to ratify CETA, the EU-Canada trade deal
Issued in the blog on December 13, 2020 at 22:00:00.
The Order of Business for the Dail this week indicates a Government motion on Tuesday 15th to ratify the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada, including its highly controversial mechanism allowing companies to sue an EU member state when they consider their interests are affected by new policies and regulations adopted by a national government. This is a highly significant step which effectively compromises Irish sovereignty and creates a major vulnerability for a country such as Ireland highly dependent on foreign direct investment. Ireland has been able to attract very high levels of foreign direct investment without conceding to such mechanisms, save under the Energy Charter Treaty. Ironically, it therefore is massively exposed if the further elements of the CETA agreement are ratified and come into effect. Accordingly, I am urging TDs to seek a postponement of the vote to enable time for an informed, considered, debate on the merits and implications of ratification, to be held later in 2021.
