Radical tree planting eco-restoration programme in Erris begins

mayo | environment | news report

Sunday December 14, 2008 14:59

by Pooka McFee - Nameless Faery Horde

Positive long-term responses to corporate theft and environmental despoliation!

Over the last week/ten days, local people in what Shell and the government like to style as the 'receiving communities' of Rossport, Glenamoy and Pullathomas (as if a dirty big refinery, a dangerous experimental pipeline and a gombeen-facilitated Gas Robbery were gifts beyond price!) joined with solidarity activists from elsewhere in Ireland to pursue a project more sustaining and sustainable than Corrib - the gradual re-afforestation of magnificent beautiful Erris with appropriate species of trees!

Photos and additional reporting courtesy of FSB!

A journey...

Over the last few days, after inclusive consultation with the Local Community and the Ancient Guardian Spirits of the Landscape the first trees have been planted in the Erris section of the Great Hibernian Forest Restoration Programme. This is an action taken in solidarity with all beings involved in the ongoing struggle against Shell Oil’s plans for the area. Trees have been planted in several secret and not so secret locations around the Sruwaddacon Estuary with the intention of restoring the natural balance in the area and building an economy of cooperation that replenishes Social and Natural Resources rather than depleting them.

One of the humans involved in the project said;
“Trees are life, mate! It was Trees and other plants what did the work to make it possible for us humans to evolve in the first place. They’re older than us and wiser than us and we should slow the f**k down and listen to them. That’s why we’re planting these trees. Shell and the government can f**k off! They don’t know s**t if they think that extracting that gas will do any good for anyone beyond the next few years or so. We’re making the only investment that really counts these days by helping these trees to grow that will be creating oxygen, providing fuel, habitat and food for myriads of other creatures for hundreds of years”

One of his friends added;
“This is a small but good start, we’ve planted maybe 200 trees over the last few days, and we’ve had a very positive response from everyone we’ve talked to. We hope that by doing this we’re encouraging people to look beyond the immediate struggle and look at ways to strengthen the local economy by giving something back to the land. We’d like to see 1000s of trees appropriately planted here and all over the country especially in places where there are conflicts of this nature. We’re trying to demonstrate a small part of the alternative to the exploitation of people and the Earth”

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Comments (10 of 10)

Practical info for tree planters

by John

Thu Jan 01, 2009 23:59

This is a link to an earlier indymedia piece on tree planting at Ringaskiddy. Has some practical info that might be useful to folk wanting to try this at home:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85317

bang to rights

by Carl - Cork WSM, personal

Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:24

Caught bang to rights. But i know that you understand that these points will be used by the media and politicians who's interests lie in the multi-nationals. personally I would like to see all new houses fitted with solar panels and wind generators. Also a guttering system that ensures that the rain water is stored and filtered to be used for washing machines and flushing the loo. I also feel that the old housing stock willl have to make way for new. Old houses are not energy efficient enough for todays and the future energy demands. They leak heat like a sieve, high ceilings and VS windows are a nice feature but suck up energy like there is no tomorrow. That is why the designing of the housing stock needs to be given a thorough overhaul. If you were to make houses self sufficient in energy then you would remove the need for the fossil fuels to be used on such a wide scale. You would also be creating new industries that would be producing the panels, turbines and storage cells required for such a project, and the long term maintainence and replacement of these would lead to even more jobs in the sustainable energy project. It would also encourage more people to be more conservative (i hate that word) in their energy use, they would be more likely to turn off appliances when they are not in use or not needed.
This unfortunately is something that cannot be achieved overnight, it needs planning and a determination by the people that will benefit from it. It will also loosen the hold that the multi-nationals have on the public, they will not be able to cut off supplies or hold a country to ransom with threats of power outages or blackouts. This will be the major battle as it also weakens the states hold on the masses, something they already realise which is why they are always dragging their heels when it comes to this question. How can they tax something they have no control over. Energy is a money spinner and they will fight tooth and nail to stop or hinder any development which threatens there cosy little clubs. So lets see some movement on this and start chipping away at the state and put the 'POWER' back where it belongs. In the hands of the people.
This is just one part of the overall problem and covers just a small part of the overall struggle. It does not cover industry and other big energy users but i see it as a start for the common good of the people.
And thanks for the xmas dinner pooka.

How are ya

Fri Dec 19, 2008 23:23

How are ya Carl you bollix? Long time no see
Of course you realise that plants absorb smog and soot so the more we plant the less of that we have to breathe.
They can also house us, feed us and keep us healthy once we learn how to use them. Better again as a way of heating our homes is building our houses so as to absorb and store the sun's heat. Passive Solar Heating. This along with good insulation can radically reduce heating costs which as we all know in this part of the world, especially in Erris (Not quite cold enough to kill you quick but cold and damp enough to be extremely uncomfortable without good heating) are a priority.
But you're a builder you know all this, you were probably just going on about cutting down trees and smog and smoke to get a rise out of me.

tree planting

by Carl

Mon Dec 15, 2008 19:10

I suppose the tree planting is a good idea in one way. In years to come it will supply the wood needed for the fires in the homes for families to cook with and heat there homes. we should start to cut down forests worldwide to supply our needs with a growing world population and leave the oil and gas where it is. back to the good old days of smog and breathing in soot. For the time being i believe that both should be utilsed alongside renewables until we have a viable solution to all the problems. The problem with the gas and oil giants is no accountability to the public in general. Renationalisation would go a long way to providing a cleaner (although not perfect) solution to the current situatons worldwide.

trees

by sam - Bantry Sinn Féin

Mon Dec 15, 2008 18:43

The best form of defence is attack! This is a great way to go, keep it up, more trees please.
Well done all of ye.

terrific!

by cable - Shell to Sea ~ Cambridge

Mon Dec 15, 2008 09:55

Sorry cdn't make it - mighty well done - be with yez soon!

Going green?

by Conor. M - Think Tank, Swords

Sun Dec 14, 2008 22:27

liberalconormurphy at ymail dot com

Howrya folks, great work. Are you going to be doing it again. I'd love to devote some spare time..... e-mail me.

Are We Getting Prepared?

by It's Gas But It's Not Funny. - The Pipeline People

Sun Dec 14, 2008 20:33

Or Are We Gonna Stay Down?
It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings...and we know who she is!!!

www.corribsos.com
.

The Big Red Bus

thanks!

by Chrissie

Sun Dec 14, 2008 16:53

Brilliant work, folks! Thanks for yr hard work & positivity. Many blessings to ye. xxxxxxxx

Shelter for birds and sheep, and sustenance for humanity!

by FSB! - Above-Ground Spirits Fomenting Sustainable Defiance

Sun Dec 14, 2008 15:12

Cold collld work it was since Erris experiences a type of damp cold superior to the namby-pamby minor misery endured elsewhere on this misty moss-encrusted isle. Even so, the intrepid people pictured here deeply enjoyed the experience, and repeat tree-plantings later this winter are being dreamed of already. Don't be a sap! Plant a sapling!

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