Time to raise our voices
Issued in the blog on April 09, 2020 at 15:00:00.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are close to finalizing a joint policy framework as the basis to go into Government together. In the coming days they plan to invite the smaller parties to talk about joining them.
FF and FG are the only parties whose leaders did not sign the One Future pledge for Faster and Fairer Climate Action. The only want to cut emissions by 2% a year when the science says it needs to be at least 8%. We need to bend the emissions curve rapidly, they are content to just nudge it.
Ireland’s Energy Security is at Risk
Issued in news on April 08, 2020 at 14:55:00.
Leaked assessment from Attorney General’s office regarding lack of energy security is misleading and inaccurate, say Stop Climate Chaos
Ireland’s largest climate coalition, Stop Climate Chaos, has today refuted the claim by the Attorney General’s office, reported in last Sunday’s Sunday Times[1] that Ireland’s energy security is at risk unless we invest in more gas infrastructure. According to the Sunday Times article, the undated analysis by the AG stated that the Irish state could incur fines if we are found not to comply with European standards for energy security.
What we can learn about climate action from COVID19
Issued in the blog on April 02, 2020 at 09:57:00.
Guest blog by Dr. Cara Augustenborg,
Co-host of Down To Earth on Newstalk FM and former Chair of Friends of the Earth Ireland
While our planet gets a brief rest from human activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our former Chairperson explores whether anything can be learned from this experience to support future environmental protection. This week, she chatted with her Down to Earth co-host, Ivan Yates, on Newstalk about what lessons we can learn so far and writes about these lessons in our guest blog.
How is the planet responding to coronavirus?
How can you talk about Climate at a time like this?
Issued in the blog on March 31, 2020 at 17:10:00.
How do we think about climate while our government and our health workers are focused on the immediate threat of COVID-19?
The One Future Campaign hosted this webinar last week to explore this question.
When we are all pulling together to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our are society being protected how do we talk about how climate and biodiversity breakdown remains the context for all our collective challenges?
Speakers include Oisín Coghlan, director of Friends of the Earth and coordinator of Stop Climate Chaos, Dr. Sandra Green from Irish Doctors for the Environment, Cliona Sharkey, head of policy at Trócaire and Sadhbh O'Neil, policy officer at Stop Climate Chaos. The discussion is facilitated by Áine O'Gorman, Activism Support for Stop Climate Chaos.
Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Ireland Report
Issued in the blog on March 30, 2020 at 17:05:00.
Friends of the Earth Ireland via its involvement in the Citizens for Financial Justice European project commissioned an independent researcher to investigate fossil fuel subsidies in Ireland.
What on Earth is going on?
Issued in the blog on March 27, 2020 at 11:12:00.
I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning.
As someone who has pushed for the climate crisis to be treated like an emergency for 10 years it is weird to sit at home watching what it’s like when our elected leaders actually do take an existential threat seriously.
And thank God they do. The coronavirus is like nothing any of us under 100 years of age have seen in our lifetimes.
Energy Democracy & Community Power Webinar
Issued in the blog on March 25, 2020 at 18:26:00.
Thank you to our panelists and participants for tuning into our webinar 'Energy Democracy & Community Power' yesterday evening.
Cliona Sharkey, Policy Advisor with Trócaire, Paul Kenny, CEO of Tipperary Energy Agency and John Fogarty of Community Power, Ireland’s first community owned electricity supplier joined us for a lively discussion on the question;
How can we build energy democracy in our communities so that everyone has access to community power?
If you missed it, you can watch it back here in the video below.
Join the energy revolution, switch your electricity supplier to Community Power today - click here to make the switch!
For more on Trócaire - click here, and for more on Tipperary Energy Agency - click here.
We can't meet, but we can connect.
Issued in the blog on March 19, 2020 at 10:06:00.
Our Spring Sunrise Swim is cancelled, but hope is not lost.
Weeks ago, the thought of having to cancel our next sea swim crossed our minds. But our concerns then were because of the storms. Nothing could have prepared us for what we are now living. The world seems like a very different place.
Yes, things are very different. Many of us have turned our kitchen tables into our office. We're no longer meeting in rooms together, but through online video calls. We're fortunate we can do this. Many people cannot continue working, and have little way of connecting.
Campaigning for Environmental Justice - Online Course
Issued in the blog on March 18, 2020 at 12:32:00.
Are you concerned about the climate crisis?
Do you want to explore how climate change connects to other issues of injustice?
Do you have a sense there are root causes resulting in these injustices?
And do you want to learn skills for getting others involved in change-making for real impact?
Then look no further, and apply to take part in Friends of the Earth's 6-week System Change for a Just Transition Online Course,'Mobilize. Resist. Transform.'
This course aims to offer a space to explore the environmental issues of our time, how they intersect, what some of the root causes are, and some tools and strategies for taking action. We will collectively explore the issues over the course of the 6 sessions, with reading materials provided for each week.
In a time of crisis, let's take care.
Issued in the blog on March 13, 2020 at 18:11:00.
Things are looking very uncertain right now.
COVID-19 seems to be taking over everything; the news, email inboxes, social media, and conversations around the dinner table. It's overwhelming.
I'm sure you have multiple emails coming at you with precautionary information on how to take care and avoid risks. This is a post on how to take care, but not purely because of COVID-19. Because taking care should be considered important all of the time.
The reality is, life is always uncertain. We never know what tomorrow will bring, and we cannot control that. But what we can do is take care of ourselves and look out for each other.
Here's some suggestions on how to stay healthy and strong, during times of increased uncertainty.
