Environmental group reacts to court ruling that grants Ryanair leave to participate in runway challenge

The High Court today allowed Ryanair to participate in a legal challenge being taken by Friends of the Irish Environment against Fingal County Council's decision to extend the permission granted in 2007 for a third runway at Dublin Airport. Ryanair, which originally opposed the third runway, now supports it and came to court claiming it had a financial interest in the runway going ahead.

FIE Director Tony Lowes commented: "We are deeply concerned that Ryanair, a company which denies the existence of climate change has now been accepted as a party to these proceedings. We are concerned that the court’s decision will skew the proceedings away from the environmental impacts of aviation towards commercial considerations. read full story / add a comment

We are delighted to see the Green Party launch their Waste Reduction Bill 2017. The Bill calls for much needed practical steps to combat plastic pollution. A deposit refund scheme is outlined for glass and plastic bottles and a complete ban sought on single use non-recyclable plastics, such as disposable cups.

We are aware more than most in Zero Waste Ireland that the issue of plastic pollution is a massive global challenge and a blight on our own country. According to the Green Party, every year, over 110 million tonnes of plastic is produced. Of this, up to 43% ends up in landfill. read full story / add a comment

Originally appeared on June 8th
Today marks World Ocean Day 2017, a global day of celebration honouring the world’s oceans and an opportunity to appreciate, conserve and protect our marine life and habitats.

This year’s conservation focus is on preventing plastic pollution and marine litter, encouraging solutions for healthier seas.

And rightly so. A widely cited study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for the World Economic Forum warns that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

A separate report in the journal Science estimates that 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year – the equivalent of one truckload per minute. One researcher for the study likens this amount to lining up 5 grocery bags of rubbish on every foot of coastline around the globe. read full story / add a comment

Minister Dennis Naughton, TD, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, has been urged to support a United Nations Convention’s ruling requiring suspension of work on the new Hinkley Point UK nuclear reactor until a transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] is completed.

The first new nuclear station to be constructed in the UK since 1995, Hinkley C is a 3.2GW nuclear power plant composed of two reactors. The power plant will generate 7% of UK's electricity if constructed. The UK position is that “the likely impacts determined through a thorough EIA do not extend beyond the county of Somerset and the Severn Estuary”.

The Espoo Convention, signed by Ireland in 1991, requires that the opportunity for comment provided to the public of potentially affected Parties is ‘equivalent to that provided to the public of the Party of origin’. read full story / add a comment

An accident has occurred at the Covanta operated Poolbeg incinerator last night (Wed 7 June) which resulted in the hospitalisation of 11 construction workers.

Reports indicate the cause of the incident was an uncontrolled cloud of lime released inside the flue gas treatment area, which breached a door seal and engulfed the workers, resulting in reports of breathing difficulties, feelings of nausea and blurred vision.

Lime, a highly alkaline, caustic and irritating material with potential to cause blindness and serious respiratory issues, is used in incinerators to ‘clean’ harmful compounds such as dioxins and furans from flue gasses. read full story / add a comment

Even though this is more than 1 week old, we are reposting it here to demonstrate how the state is going out of it's way to facilitate Indaver in their attempts to push through this incinerator in Ringaskiddy, Cork.

Bord Pleanala has advised that the additional information supplied by Indaver is considered to contain significant additional data in relation to the effects on the environment of the proposed Ringaskiddy incinerator and have invited submissions from observers during a six week period to close 21 July 2017 at 5.30pm.

This material was submitted at the invitation of the Bord who on making a fourth decision deferral in March 2017 invited Indaver to submit additional information on flight paths and an opportunity to correct their erroneous dioxin figures, exposed on the final day of the Oral Hearing held in April/May 2016. read full story / add a comment

A Judicial Review brought by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) alleges that the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council failed to provide satisfactory explanatory reasons for granting the extension to the original decision to allow a third runway at Dublin Airport. FIE alleges that the record shows that the Chief Executive was fully aware that the extra runway would result in increased greenhouse gas emissions, in contravention of the objectives of the 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act read full story / add a comment

On Saturday morning, a group of 25 people entered the terrain of gasoline trader Vitol in the Amsterdam harbour, forcing a suspension of all activities on the terrain. Their message: Stop the export of toxic gasoline to West-Africa – and end the era of fossil fuels.
Report on Toxic Gasoline read full story / add a comment

Bord Pleanala have failed to meet their current deadline of 22 March for a decision on the Ringaskiddy incinerator application ( http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/PA0045.htm ) and are to defer for a fourth time in order to request further information from the applicant, Indaver Ireland. No new date has been set. read full story / add a comment

On Monday night professor Myles Allen of Oxford University delivered the first in a series of four Lectures on Climate change at UCC to a full house in room 107 of the Western Gateway Building. The theme of the lecture was "Understanding - Climate science and observations", with a focus on quantifying the role of climate change in extreme weather events in Ireland and worldwide. read full story / add a comment

Minutes of Joint Committee meeting from DEC 6th 2016 – minutes confirm that the Fracking Bill is with the Select Committee (supposed to be) rather than the Joint Committee (141 -2). These minutes are not available on Oireachtas website, only internally within Leinster House… read full story / add a comment

Bord na Mona has been accused of ignoring a recent High Court decision by applying for a horticultural processing facility without assessing the impact on the bogs supplying the peat.

The application is for a horticultural processing facility on a 2.7-hectare site near Naas in County Kildare.

The application to Kildare County Council by Bord na Mona says the project is a joint venture with the Dutch company Legro. ‘Legro are based in Holland and sell potting soils and substrates for the professional and consumer market and is one of largest producers of casing soil for mushroom cultivation with clients all around the world’, according to the application. read full story / add a comment

In a move being hailed as ‘historic’ and a ‘significant win’ Ireland may soon become the world’s first country to fully divest from all fossil fuels.

Yesterday the Government was defeated as the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill passed the second stage 90 votes to 53.

Friends of the Earth described as “historic” the vote to progress a Bill to pull taxpayer’s money out of fossil fuel companies. read full story / add a comment

An Bord Pleanala have postponed a decision on the Ringakiddy Incinerator Application for a third time. The decision was originally due on 12 July 2016, postponed to 26 October, then to 24 Jan 2017 and has been postponed again with “a proposed decision date not available at this time” according to Bord Pleanala’s website. (http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/PA0045.htm) read full story / add a comment

Please take 2 minutes to have your say in how you want to see the Harbour developed, and encourage friends/family to do likewise.

Cork County Council sets out its land use planning strategy for the development of the towns and villages of the county in a series of Municipal District Local Area Plans, which are currently under review.

The Ballincollig-Carrigaline Local Area Plan covers the area surrounding the proposed incinerator site in Ringaskiddy, is directly relevant to the future of the Harbour area and has invited submissions. Submissions are FREE and can be made online, but the system will close at 4pm tomorrow, Monday 16th January 2017. read full story / add a comment

Take action against fracking by making a personal submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee. Members of the public who have an interest in the fracking debate are invited by the Oireachtas Joint Committee to inform public policy by making submissions. The Green News wishes to highlight this opportunity and emphasize that any informed member of the public can make a submission by email. There are no specific qualifications required and we will provide links to the relevant documents and provide some tips for drafting and formatting a submission. If you’re opposed to fracking and have read or are willing to read some literature on the subject then you could influence policy by making a brief submission read full story / add a comment

A campaign which has called on consumers to boycott farmed salmon this year have included ‘organic’ farmed salmon because of the use of chemicals.

The campaign by 10 environmental groups under the banner of WildFish.ie takes aim at the appalling environmental impact of salmon farms as well as the human health risks of this practice.

The Boycott Farmed Salmon’s 2016 Christmas campaign has added the word ‘ORGANIC’ to its campaign’s name after the Minister refused to enforce the EU Regulations which require that whenever chemical medicines are used on organic products ‘treated stock shall be clearly identifiable’. read full story / add a comment

BirdWatch Ireland remains steadfast in calling for the sustainable management of Ireland's fish stocks. Our recently-published report, Life on The Edge, provides the background to some of the key issues and concerns we have regarding management of fisheries and protection of seabirds in Irish waters.

With mixed outcomes from this year's December Council in Brussels, in 2017 BirdWatch Ireland will continue to urge Minister Michael Creed to listen to the science and set sustainable catch limits for all stocks. He must provide justification for any decisions not to listen to the science, including the longer-term impact on the health of fish stocks and the social and economic well-being of coastal communities. read full story / add a comment

Fluoride addition to public water supplies is a government program started in the early 1900's when it was believed that fluoride strengthened teeth without building up in any other organ. Now that we know the brain is a target for fluoride and that fluoride ingestion doesn't reduce tooth decay, it's time for the EPA to stop playing politics, honor the science and ban water fluoridation for good. EPA has been served with a citizens' petition from environmental, health and medical groups that must, by law, be answered in 90 days. read full story / add a comment

Last Saturday the Irish Council Against Bloodsports captured another shocking piece of video footage exposing cruelty in hare coursing...this time at the Ardpatrick and Kilfinane coursing fixture held in County Limerick. At great risk to herself (there's a strict ban on "authorised photography" at coursing events, enforced with threats and sometimes physical assault), Aideen Yourell of ICABS managed to record part of the fixture.
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