It’s been a while 🙂 Despite the children being off for the past two months I still managed to do stuff!
I suppose the most inspiring climate and energy related event was my trip to the Aran Islands in Galway Bay. I was invited to an update on their energy independence initiative. It was great to see the SEAI, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, represented, Energy Co-ops Ireland there and the Minister Alex White amongst others. You can connect with them on their Facebook page . Dara Molloy and his team are doing amazing work.
Their objectives are as follows:
A copy of their newsletter:
and an introduction and update for the event
I also read up on the International Energy Agency’s IEA aims for COP21 – the climate talks in Paris taking place in December. In their World Energy Outlook 2015 the IEA are calling for the following and I think it’s a good idea for others to support them:
Cap Global Carbon were also advised that they were approved as part of a side event at COP21.
CapGlobalCarbon is a proposal for non-governmental actors to create a new global system to (a) make sure the necessary reductions in total global carbon emissions are achieved and (b) do so in a way that reduces inequality. The system would operate as a back-up to the inter-governmental negotiations. This idea has been developed by members of the international think tank Feasta. Anyone interested in further information or in helping to realise this project please make contact here.
Thejournal.ie did a poll on fracking and it doesn’t appear to be too welcome in Ireland. Thankfully. The figures have risen since my picture! More info including links to other fracking articles they published here.
Also in climate change news, the Environmental Pillar prepared a submission for the National Climate Mitigation Plan. As did An Taisce Climate Committee. They’re available here and here.
This graph contains insurance claim costs for the coastal flooding scenarios we face in Ireland.
Research commissioned by Stop Climate Chaos in 2013 outlines the projected economic impacts of climate change on agriculture in Ireland.
So Climate Change is set to impact massively on our economy yet we plough ahead with carbon and methane intensive agriculture for short term gain. Where is the leadership? Financially tied to the agriculture industry perhaps?
I got insulation and energy efficiency work carried out on my house under the warmer homes scheme. I really wish the SEAI were better resourced so they could do more home and community works. There are so many great initiatives that could be widely rolled out if the SEAI were given more money. Instead our government are thinking of ways to pay fines for inaction on climate change??? It’s sooooo illogical and frustrating 😦
I came across this brilliant bicycle repair station nearby during bike week 🙂
I made laundry liquid:
We also managed to have our summer holidays and now our building works have started we’re in for months of mess.
If you fancy a party Transition Town Kinsale, where the Transition movement started, is celebrating it’s 10th birthday on September 27th
and I’m off to the International Transition Gathering this week. It’s all go 🙂 I hope to blog from the conference – if I have time.
Theresa O’Donohoe
September 2015
TheresaOD.com 