April

Wave energy test site for Mayo

Plans to develop a full scale national wave energy test site off the coast of Mayo were announced during the week (April 28^th) by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) Ocean Energy Development Unit (OEDU).

Sow some sunflowers this weekend!

Saturday 1^st May is International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day, when people all around the world sow sunflowers to brighted up their gardens and neighbourhoods. To get involved, you can follow the event on Facebook and look at a short tutorial on YouTube on successfully growing Guerrilla Sunflowers.

The event was started by Brussels’ Farmers in 2007.

 

Fossilised tracks of giant scorpion discovered in Scotland

A 330 million year-old set of tracks made by a giant scorpion have been discovered on an exposed area of sandstone in Fife, eastern Scotland. They  were spotted by Dr Martin Whyte of the University of Sheffield while out walking, and are the largest known tracks made by an invertebrate.

Eirgrid: 300 new jobs expected

Eirgrid’s plan for a new transmission network in Ireland is expected to see the creation of 300 jobs over the next five years. The jobs will include engineering, planning, construction of powers lines, and other specialist skills to support the implementation of the Grid25 upgrade project.

Almost 3,500km of transmission cables will be laid during the upgrade, principally to deliver wind electricity generated in the west of Ireland to the east of the country. It is estimated that by 2020, Ireland will be supplying 40% of its energy needs from renewable wind energy sources.

A Foul Tale Triumphs at Science Speak

Charles Nwankire, winner of Science Speak 2010

The science behind the prevention of furry deposits and scum build ups formed the basis of the prize-winning presentation from University College Dublin’s Charles Nwankire at the ‘SCIENCE SPEAK’ competition which took place in the RDS Concert Hall on April 27, 2010.

Entitled ‘Nano Engineered Surfaces to Prevent Fouling’ Mr Nwankire’s presentation illustrated the environmental importance of finding suitable coatings to prevent the deposition of unwanted material onto surfaces of industrial machinery, fish farm nets and even radiators in our homes. Speaking with an obvious passion for his research, using ordinary language and avoiding the use of scientific jargon, Mr Nwankire was described by the panel of judges as being “a wonderful science communicator with an inherent ability to inspire”.

Now in its fifth year, ‘SCIENCE SPEAK’ continues to showcase the research of a postgraduate finalist from each of the Republic’s seven Universities. They are asked to individually present their research in an easy to understand manner to a non-specialist audience in a competition that tests both their communication skills and their ability to make their science accessible to all. This win is a double coup for UCD having also claimed the ‘SCIENCE SPEAK’ title in 2006.

Opening the event, An Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan TD, said “initiatives like ‘SCIENCE SPEAK’ provide an important platform for our best postgraduate science communicators to present their research to a general audience in a manner that is easy to understand and generates interest in the subject. These events not only stimulate young people’s interest in science and technology but also reach out to their parents who can play a strong influential role when it comes to choosing subjects at both second and third-level.”

Mr Nwankire received €1,000 for his winning presentation. Second place and a cheque for €300 went to Heather McLaughlin from University College Cork for her talk, ‘Listeria Monocytogenes and the Battle for Iron Inside the Body’. Third prize, worth €200, went to Susan Byrne, representing University of Dublin, Trinity College with her presentation ‘Why do Genetic Epidemiologists like Climbing Family Trees?’ Each runner-up also received a cheque for €100.

Master of ceremonies for the night was RTÉ presenter Pat Kenny who, together with the panel of judges, had the unenviable task of selecting the winning presentations. The judging panel included Dick Ahlstrom, Science Editor, The Irish Times; Peter Brabazon, Programme Director, Discover Science and Engineering; Evelyn Cusack, RTÉ meteorologist; Keelin Shanley, RTÉ and Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, TV presenter and teacher. 

‘SCIENCE SPEAK’ is a joint initiative organised annually by the RDS and The Irish Times in association with Irish Universities Promoting Science. It is sponsored by Discover Science and Engineering and by Pfizer at Grange Castle.

The RDS, founded in 1731, continues to fulfil its commitment to advancing agriculture, arts, industry and science. The coordination of Science Speak is part of the RDS Foundation’s programme which aims to support excellence in scientific endeavour and communication and emphasise the importance of science and technology in economic and social development.

For further information, please contact:

JP Montgomery                                                                  Claire Mulhall

Marketing Department                                                      Foundation Manager

jp@rds.ie                                                                             claire.mulhall@rds.ie

01 240 7222                                                                        01 240 7217

Winners announced: 2010 Student Enterprise Awards

The winners of the 2010 Student Enterprise Awards National Final were announced at the Croke Park event on Tuesday 27^th April. The first prize for the Senior Category Award went to students from Presentation College Carlow for their business idea Rap-it, which is keyring device that helps prevent ear-phones from becoming tangled.

Paul Smith from Baileborough Community School, Cavan claimed the Intermediate Category Award for his photograph business idea Paul’s Pix, while the first prize for the Junior Category Award went to CBS High School, Clonmel where students presented 54 rules on safe cycling on a deck of cards.

A list of other awards presented at the event are listed on the Student Enterprise Awards website.

2010 Laois County Enterprise Awards

Applications are being accepted for the 2010 Laois County Enterprise Awards. The winner will receive a cash prize fund of €5,000 towards their business and the opportunity to be the county representative for the National Enterprise Awards Final. The closing date for applications is Friday 28^th May, 2010, and the application form is available for download from the Laois County Enterprise Board (LCEB) website.

The LCEB will also be hosting the 2010 Laois Enterprise Week from 10^th-14^th May. There are many workshops and seminars taking place during the course of the week that will be of particular interest to aspiring entrepreneurs. All areas of starting your own business will be addressed, from creating a business plan to marketing and sales. There is also a workshop focusing Women in Business.

A full timetable of events is available to download from the LCEB website.

Biogas: an economically viable industry?

Researchers in Greece conducting a study on the production of biogas for energy from agricultural waste have developed a new way of evaluating the economic viability of the industry.

Biogas is produced following a process of anaerobic digestion, which converts organic carbon in waste to CO2 and methane without the presence of air. Anaerobic digestion has the simultaneous benefit of producing a sustainable energy resource while effectively treating waste.

The researchers developed an example of a biogas production plant using fresh pig manure, straw and glycerol (industrial by-product). They projected the annual volume of biogas produced and the total income after all costs. They estimated that the maximum energy output would be 31,676,387 KWh annually, with an income of €2,814,128 including sales of compost, electricity, and fees to dispose of agricultural waste at the plant.

This tool could be useful for those considering investing in or establishing a biogas plant as it may consider the use of different organic wastes and industrial by-products from those used in this experiment.

GHGs reduced – carbon credits no longer necessary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported the most recent projections on Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, based on data collated by the ESRI. The EPA projections indicate that Ireland will not need to spend any more money buying carbon credits to meet with Kyoto Protocol commitments, as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has come naturally as a result of the economic downturn.

However, despite the positive knock-on effect of the recession for Ireland’s emission rates, the EU has set ambitious emission reduction targets to be reached by 2020. The EPA has underlined the need for strong Government action to meet with these targets.

The report on Ireland's GHG projections up to 2020 are available on the EPA website.

Nature Watch: help to monitor the arrival of spring

This week the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) launched a new project called Nature Watch in collaboration with the National Phenology Network – Ireland (NPN-IE). Phenology is the study of the timing of recurring events in nature, such as buds emerging on plants or birds migrating. This project encourages the public to submit observations on the the cycle of life in our environment – the arrival of migratory birds or the first leaves to fall.

World’s largest insect discovered

In the Heart of Borneo, a rainforest conservation area of 85,000 square miles, a team from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have discovered 123 new species. Among them is the world’s largest known insect - a stick insect that stretches 22 inches long and lives in the high canopy of the forest. Also discovered was a frog that can glide through the air for about 15 yards using skin flaps under its arms and legs, a slug that fires hormone-coated ‘love darts’ at its mate, and 37 new species of orchid.

The Heart of Borneo conservation area was established in 2007 by the governments of the three bordering countries of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Invasive Species Forum 2010

On 13^th May, the joint Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Strive and Invasive Species Forum will take place at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin from 9am – 5pm.

The forum will be opened by Dr. Dick Shaw, who will speak on the ‘Biological control of Japanese Knotweed’. A series of talks will take place over the course of the day focusing on recent developments of invasive species in Ireland, monitoring, control, impact and prevention. An open discussion on aquatic invasive species will also take place.

EEA Term Report focuses on emissions from transport sector

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has published its Term Report (27^th April) Towards a Resource-Efficient Transport System. The report presents an overview of the impact of transport systems in Europe on the environment from 1997-2007.

Despite many improvements to mobility and efficiency, the report shows that there is still a persistent growth in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from the transport sector. It notes that the current economic downturn has resulted in a reduction of transport volume, indicating that its environmental impact is closely linked to economic growth. This is expected to reverse when the economy begins to grow again.

FAO report: environmental impact of dairy sector

A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, entitled Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Lifecycle Assessment has been published.

The report examines the effect of milk production in terms of emissions from different production systems and regions of the world. While milk production results in global average emissions of 2.4 kg of CO2 equivalent per kg of milk, that produced from temperate grass-based systems produces considerably less at 1.5 kg of CO2 equivalent per kg of milk.

  It concludes that “Milk production from temperate grass-based systems has the lowest carbon footprint of all dairy productive systems”. This is the system used for production of milk Ireland.

While this is a positive report for Ireland, An Teagasc is currently investigating areas of the milk production system where further emission reductions can be made. One area the FAO report named as having potential in reducing emissions and that An Teagasc is examining, is the potential for grassland to sequester carbon.

Doubts over sustainability of biofuels

An unpublished annex to an EU report, released to Reuters under the freedom of information laws, suggests that biofuels may not be as environmentally friendly as commonly believed.

The report shows that biofuels such as biodiesel from European rapeseed has an indirect carbon footprint of 150.3 kg of CO2 per gigajoule. This is strongly contrasted with the 85 kg produced from conventional diesel.

One of the main concerns with the production of biodiesel is that it consumes grain from the world food markets. This increases food prices and farmers clear more forested land to increase their production. Clearing forested land also removes the earth’s natural carbon sinks.

A further concern is that the EU aims to produce 10% of its road fuels from renewable sources, including biofuels, by 2020. However, scientists involved in the study of biofuels believe that no firm conclusions can be reached without further study and that the origins of biofuels will need to be well monitored in order to ensure a more sustainable production.

The Green Technologies Blog launched

The Dublin City University (DCU) Ryan Academy has launched The Green Technologies Blog to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the green technologies sector.

The new blog aims to provide up-to-date information in the area of green and sustainable technologies, outline what Ireland’s focus should be in the face of global competition, provide information on the creation of green technology clusters, and information on green innovations both in Ireland and abroad. By examining start-up green technology companies abroad, it is hoped that people will better understand the developments within the sector and allow them to develop successful start-ups here in Ireland.

Public Consultation: Accelerated Capital Allowance

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has published the most up-to-date list of energy-efficient equipment that qualifies for tax breaks under the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) scheme. Over 5,500 items are covered by this list and companies buying any of this equipment are entitled to write off the cost against their tax bill in the first year under the ACA scheme. This is instead of spreading it over eight years, as with any other purchases made.

A public consultation on items listed on the ACA scheme is now open. Information on submitting any comments or observations is available on the SEAI website.

Biofuel Breakthrough

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Minnesota have developed a new process to convert biomass feedstock into sustainable fuel. This new technique of gasifying biomass, acting as an alternative, renewable fuel source, is expected to make the process of creating biofuel much more affordable. 
 

Earth Day

Earth Day took place on Thursday 22^nd April. This year, Earth Day coincided with the World People’s Conference on Climate Change held in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The aim of Earth Day is to highlight environmental issues and encourage everyone to take action to ensure a healthy, sustainable future for our planet.

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22^nd, 1970 as an environmental awareness initiative by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. Following the 20^th anniversary of the first Earth Day of 1970, it became an annual event from 1990 and is now celebrated in almost every country in the world.

Read up on some of the challenges facing our environment in the ENFO section of this website, and see what you can do to promote a healthy environment in our Lights! Cycle! Action! page.

Call for applications: EUROFLEETS ship-based training

The EUROFLEETS programme has called for applications for two multidisciplinary ship-based training courses that are open to European postgraduate students of marine related sciences. The training courses will take place on board the Irish National Research Vessel R.V. Celtic Voyager, Cork, in late August 2010.

EUROFLEETS is a Research Infrastructure Project that is funded under the European Commission’s (EC) 7^th Framework Programme. The aim of these courses is to encourage greater coordination between European research fleets as well as promoting a cost effective use of facilities.

A total of 20 placements are available and all applications must be received by 14th May. An application form and further information is available on the EUROFLEETS website.

Marine Month of Madness for Galway

On Monday 19^th April, Deputy Mayor Peter Keane officially launched Galway’s Marine Month of Madness calendar of events. This initiative celebrates the marine environment, and the month of May will be filled with marine-themed events and activities across Galway, from lectures and presentations, to beach clean ups and learning to scuba dive!

Galway’s Marine Month of Madness will also set the tone for the celebration of World Ocean’s Day on 6^th June.   A full calendar of events is available on the National Aquarium of Ireland website. If you would like to propose an event or activity to be included in the programme, please contact Colette Lavin at Galway Atlantaquarium at lavinsgalway@eircom.net.

2010 Sustainable Energy Awards: call for entries

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is calling for entries to the seventh all-island annual Sustainable Energy Awards. The Awards aim to recognise achievements in business energy management amongst Irish organisations.

There are nine awards in total, and this year a new award category has been added; Sustainable Energy Innovation. This award aims to recognise endeavours to develop and integrate sustainable energy initiatives in Irish businesses. The other award categories include:

Energy Efficiency Award, Small/Medium Use
Energy Management Award, Small/Medium User
Energy Efficiency Award, Major User
Integrated Energy Management Award, Major User
Energy Manager of the Year Award, Major User
Renewable Energy Systems Award
Energy Awareness Award
Energy Sustainability in the Built Environment Award

The closing date for entries is Friday 28^th May and the winners will be announced at an event in Dublin on 25^th November 2010. Further information about the awards is available on the SEAI website.

EEA fact sheets on waste management published

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) on the 20^th April published a set of fact sheets that outline national strategies, targets and legislative frameworks for waste prevention and management in Member States.

The European Union (EU) waste legislation sets a number of targets for Member States. For example, 70% of construction and demolition waste must be recycled by 2020 and the volume of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfills must be reduced to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016. Approaches to reaching these targets vary across the EU and some have achieved great success. By publishing Member State fact sheets on these approaches to waste management, the EEA hope the shared knowledge will stimulate the development of an overall resource-efficient European economy.

The fact sheets are available for download from the EEA website.

‘Energy Bags’ for the future

NIMROD Energy Ltd. is a new spin-off company from The University of Nottingham that was launched at the end of March 2010. The company, which is lead by Professor Seamus Garvey, is based on Integrated Compressed Air Renewable Energy Systems (ICARES) and is developing giant wind turbines that can compress air and pump it into undersea ‘Energy Bags’ for storage. These Energy Bags can be anchored to the seabed and the stored air can be used to supply a turbo-generator, generating electricity even when there is no wind.

Fossil fuel based energy sources are still in widespread use today but while it may not be essential to have storage facilities for energy created by turbines yet, with the current global drive towards a zero-carbon, sustainable society it will undoubtedly become a necessity in the near future.

The key advantage to this new technology is that energy can be made available promptly upon demand and would be very cost-competitive with fossil fuel based energy sources. Professor Garvey believes that radically redesigning offshore wind turbines will allow energy to be stored at less than 20% of the cost of pumped hydro energy.

Testing of two prototypes Energy bags, one on land and one in seawater, is currently under way. It is expected that the Energy Bags storage product will be ready for use in energy systems by May 2011.

Water Services Investment Programme published

On the 19^th April, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Mr. John Gormley, T.D., published the Water Services Investment Programme for the period 2010-2012.

This new €1.8 billion programme will prioritise projects that meet with EU environmental compliance issues, for example standards in drinking water and wastewater treatment. Water conservation will be a central concern as it is estimated that in parts of the country over 50% of the water supply is lost due to leakages. However, Minister Gormley stated that while the introduction of water metering to households across the State will be inevitable, installation is unlikely to be completed by June 2012.

Minister Gormely also emphasised the importance of improving Ireland’s water services infrastructure for health and environmental reasons, as well as for economic development. The programme is expected to support over 4,000 jobs in the construction industry this year, as well as further positions in manufacturing, operating and maintaining the new infrastructure upon completion.

A PDF of the Water Services Investment Programme for the period 2010-2012 is available for download from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government website.

Smart Cities Technology Centre & ‘Green IT Cluster’ established

Last month, on March 24^th, IBM announced the establishment of a Smarter Cities Technology Centre in Dublin. IBM aim to build up a skilled workforce to help cities from across the globe to better ‘understand, interconnect and manage their core operational systems’, including transport, energy, water and communications. The Irish Software Innovation Network (ISIN) has now announced that it will establish a ‘Green IT Cluster’ of academics, indigenous software companies and multinationals in support of IBM’s Smarter Cities Technology Centre.

The aim of the ISIN’s ‘Green IT Cluster’ is to encourage and promote the development of green, eco-friendly technologies that can be shared between cities around the world for development of their operational systems. The ISIN, together with Enterprise Ireland, will also provide advice and guidance to the companies involved in applying for funding available through the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which has been particularly favourable to green IT projects.

Further information is available on the ISIN website.

MAGICPAH Project: could bacteria help clean up PAH-contamination?

A new EU funded project, named MAGICPAH, has been launched this April with the aim of investigating how bacterial communities may help to clean up leaks, such as oil, in our marine environment.

Pollution such as oil leaks from cargo ships poses a considerable threat to the myriad of sea-life as they release PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) into the marine environment. PAHs are often toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic, and are found in particularly high volume in oil.

The MAGICPAH project will be co-ordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany. Researchers from 13 institutions around Europe will examine how bacterial communities could be used to help in the degradation and breakdown of toxic PAHs to improve the environment of PAH-contaminated sites.

Willow Project wins JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business

Willow Trees

Patrick and Peter Farrelly have been named as the overall winners of the JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business. They outshone twelve other finalists with the Farrelly Bros. Willow Project, Carnaross, Kells in Co. Meath. This project is a large-scale enterprise that works with farmers to grow willow trees. After harvesting the willows are used to make woodchip fuel, a renewable, carbon-neutral source of energy. The Farrelly brothers plan to supply this woodchip to businesses as well as generating their own combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The project will now receive a €40,000 prize fund.

The JFC Innovation Awards are now in their fourth year and were established to recognise and support the outstanding achievements of innovative, rural-based companies. They also act to raise awareness of the potential of rural businesses in Ireland’s drive towards an innovative, green economy. The awards are organised by An Teagasc, the Department of the Agriculture in Northern Ireland, the Irish Farmers’ Journal and Leader, and are sponsored by JFC Manufacturing.

Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 2010

Peacock Butterfly
Copyright Mike Brown

This year, 2010, has been declared International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations. You can get involved in recording changes in Ireland’s biodiversity through the Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 2010. Two workshops have been organised as an introduction to the Scheme: April 24^th at Burrenbeo, Kinvara, Co. Galway, and on May 15^th at Fota Wildlife Park, Co. Cork. Both workshops will run from 10.30am until 4pm.

The Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme was established by the National Biodiversity Data Centre in 2007. Butterflies are monitored by transect method (fixed-route walk on weekly basis) from April to September each year and the data collected contributes towards Ireland’s report under the Convention of Biological Diversity. Butterflies act as ideal biodiversity indicators as they are important pollinators, as well as a food source for birds and other animals.

For further information on the Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 2010, please see the National Biodiversity Data Centre website.

Organic Salmon Farming

A Galway-based company has announced that it is set to begin commercially producing a seaweed-based salmon feed, with the result that farmed salmon may be raised organically in the future. Ocean Harvest Technology made the announcement following extensive trials on farmed salmon using there new organic product, OceanFeed. The results in health, appearance and taste of the salmon have been extremely positive.

The company believe that OceanFeed will play a key role in transforming the salmon farming to a more environmentally and financially, sustainable industry. Synthetic additives currently used in commercial salmon feed may be replaced with the natural, seaweed-based OceanFeed.

Hydro Energy for Dublin City?

Dublin City Council is investigating the potential of using the city’s rivers to produce hydro energy for certain areas. The council is considering proposals to install micro-hyrdo turbines to generate electricity on the Dodder and the Tolka which could be used to meet the needs of street lights, businesses and small housing estates.

Using Dublin’s rivers to produce hydro energy would contribute to reductions in the capital’s greenhouse gas emissions as well as being very cost-effective. Each micro-hydro turbine would cost €150,000.

Grant for buying electric cars

On April 12^th, the Government announced that a grant of €5,000 would be made available to those who buy an electric car. This incentive is part of the Government’s plan that by 2020, 10% of all vehicles in Ireland will be electric.

A further encouragement will be that an electric car will be exempt from Vehicle Registration Tax. The ESB will also support the move towards electric cars by providing charging facilities at the electric car owners’ homes. The company has already begun to install charging ‘juice-points’ in Dublin for electric cars and plans to install 3,500 such ‘juice-points’ nationwide by the end of 2011.

Call for CIP Eco-innovation projects

Yesterday, April 13^th, the European Commission (EC) announced a call for CIP (Competitiveness Innovation Programme) Eco-innovation projects from across Europe. A €35 million fund has been allocated for such projects, with a particular focus on sustainable building products, the food and drink sector, green business practices and recycling.

Grants of up to 50% will be offered to successful applicants with priority given to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The 2010 CIP Eco-innovation call is particularly addressed to SMEs that are struggling to promote an eco product, technology or service on the market.

The aim of this EC fund is to find projects that could help to reduce Europe’s ecological footprint by making better use of our natural resources. Under the 2009 CIP Eco-innovation initiative, 45 projects have been selected to receive €32 million funding for market development.  

The closing date for the 2010 CIP Eco-innovation fund is 9^th September. For further details, please see the CIP Eco-innovation website.

MCT to develop tidal current energy system at Orkney Islands

ESB-backed Marine Current Turbines (MCT) has secured approval for marine energy development rights off Brough Ness on the southern most point of the Orkney Islands. The company expects to deploy the first phase of its award-winning SeaGen tidal current technology turbines during 2017, while the full development should be operational by 2020.

Upon completion, the Burgh Ness tidal turbine field will have the capacity to generate 99MW of power, which would serve the needs of nearly 100,000 homes. A 1.2MW SeaGen tidal current technology turbine was deployed in Stangford Lough, Northern Ireland, in 2008. It works much like an ‘underwater windmill’ as the rotors are driven by tidal currents rather than wind. Earlier this year became the first tidal current energy system in the world to achieve 1,000 hours of commercial operation.

Green Hospitality Award 2010

The Asbourne Marriott Hotel in Co. Meath became the holder of a Green Hospitality Silver Standard Award 2010 at the end of March. The hotel was granted the award for implementing an Environmental Action Plan that extended across all aspects of the business. The areas focused on included energy, water and waste management.

The principal aim of the Green Hospitality Award (GHA) is to encourage businesses in the hospitality sector to identify environmental problem areas and introduce an Environmental Management System to improve their green credentials. There are three standards of the GHA: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The GHA is recognised as the eco-label for the hospitality industry.

Further information on the GHA and how to become a member is available on the GHA website.

EnviroCom Awards 2010

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Eamon Ryan T.D. will officially launch the 2010 EnviroCom ‘Call for Entries’ this evening (April 12^th) at the Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarnham, Dublin.

The EnviroCom Awards are an annual event in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area of South Dublin. They aim to recognise excellence in the fields of energy management, waste prevention, water conservation, and environmental performance and innovation in local businesses, community groups, government agencies, and non-profit organisations.

Organisers of the EnviroCom Awards are urging candidates for this year’s competition to be particularly conscientious with regards to saving energy and protecting the environment. The closing date for applications is Friday, June 25^th. An application form and further information about the EnviroCom Awards are available at the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber website.

60 Green Minutes Competition finalists announced

The shortlist of candidates for the rx3 60 Green Minutes Competition have been announced. Candidates were asked to demonstrate how everyday waste can be recycled to produce new products using at least one of the following waste materials: glass, paper, organics, wood, rubber, metals, or plastics. They were also asked to present a business plan outlining the environmental and economic viability of their idea.

The six shortlisted candidates will present their ideas during the 60 Green Minutes Session at the Sustainable Innovation Forum that will take place in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, on April 27^th. The aim of the forum is to showcase ideas on sustainability, recycled products, eco-design, and draw attention to the business opportunities for working with waste. Experts in these fields will also speak at the event.

A list of the finalists of the 60 Green Minutes Competition is available on the rx3 website, together will the full programme of the Sustainable Innovation Forum.

World Green Car 2010

The VolksWagon (VW) BlueMotion brand was named as winner of the World Green Car 2010 at the New York International Auto Show on April 1^st. While the title is usually awarded to one particular model, this year the organisers made an allowance and announced the whole VW BlueMotion brand as the winner. This includes the Polo, Passat, and Golf models.

The Toyota Prius and Honda Insight were the Green Car of the Year runners-up. Last year, the Honda FCX Clarity (a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle) won World Green Car 2009.

Climate Change Lecture: Killarney

On Tuesday 13th April, Professor John Sweeney from the Geography Department in Maynooth will be speaking on Climate Change at the Killarney Europe Direct Centre at 7pm.

Professor Sweeney's research area is climatology, with particular focus on climate change. He is a member of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) and was also one of the contributing authors and editors of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report which was published in 2007.

Eco Week: South County Dublin

South Dublin County Council Environmental Services have joined forces with South Dublin County Libraries to organise Eco Week 2010 from April 19^th-April 24^th. This is the sixth year of the Eco Week event, and this year places a particular focus on Water Conservation. To highlight the importance of water, a Water Conservation Roadshow will be travelling to different shopping centres in the county, providing information on our water and how we can conserve it.

All Eco Week events are free of charge and everyone is encouraged to take part. Events will include exhibitions, a composting workshop, climate change workshop, story telling, eco arts and crafts at libraries and more, all with the aim of raising public awareness about environmental concerns and solutions.

For further details, please see the following Eco Week PFD brochures.

Eco Week - Gaeilge
Eco Week - English

RPII radon gas awareness week: Carlow

Radon Detectors
Courtesy of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland

Starting on Saturday 17^th April, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) will host a week long campaign in Carlow to raise awareness about the dangers of exposure to radon gas. The RPII will be encouraging people to have their homes tested for the presence of radon gas and will host two public meetings as part of the awareness campaign. The meetings will take place at the Talbot Hotel, Portlaois Road, Carlow on Wednesday 21^st April at 3.30pm and again at 7.30pm.

Carlow has the fourth highest cases of radon gas exposure in Ireland and so far almost one in six homes tested have measured excessive levels. To view the RPII interactive map showing High Radon Areas of Ireland, please visit www.rpii.ie.

First Irish-registered electric car arrives

Earlier this week (beginning 05.04.10), the first Irish registered electric vehicle (EV) from a mainstream manufacturer arrived at Dublin Port. Fourteen more EVs are expected to arrive in Ireland by June, following the launch of the ESB’s ‘juicepoints’ for EVs charge in Dublin. These juicepoints are the first of 1,500 that will be installed across Ireland within the next two years.

The i-MiEV car that arrived from Luxembourg this week can be fully charged within six hours using a standard three-pin socket at an estimated cost of €2 per charge. The EV has a journey range of about 160km.

First Grow it Yourself (GIY) group meeting in Dublin City

Grow it Yourself (GIY) is a non-profit initiative that is becoming increasingly popular nationwide. GIY organises group meetings both in the community and online to pass on practical advice and provide necessary skills to to those interested in growing their own food. GIY also organises garden visits, produce bartering, demonstrations and mentor panels.

GIY Dublin City will be launched on Saturday April 10^th at the Cultivate Eco Fair, The Greenhouse, on Andrew Street, where GIY Dublin City will be based. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday April 13^th from 7-9pm.

Membership is free and people of all levels of experience of growing their own produce are welcome. For further details on this initiative, please visit the GIY website.

Eco Fair: Dublin

On Saturday 10^th April, an eco-fair will take place in the Cultivate Centre at The Greenhouse, Dublin from 10am – 5pm. The fair is being organised by Cultivate and NEAR FM, and is part of The Dynamo Effect series of radio shows centred on sustainable living. This family day is set to be great fun, with children’s activities, exhibits, short films and talks, workshops on renewable energy, transition towns, sustainable communities and more.

Entry to the fair will be €10, or €5 with a concession. Please contact Cultivate for full details at 01-674 5773.

Feileachán 2009

The Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club have published their butterfly records for last year, Feileachán 2009. Anybody who has yet to submit butterfly records can do so at the online recording facility at www.butterflyireland.com.   Feileachán 2009 is also available to download from the Butterfly Ireland website.

LIFE environmental publication: ‘Water for life – LIFE for water’

LIFE was set up in 1992 as the EU’s financial support body for environmental conservation projects across the EU. The current LIFE Focus journal is based on the first LIFE Environment conference that took place in October 2009 – Water for life – LIFE for water. This conference examined the role of LIFE Environment in supporting EU water-related policy, such as the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Water for life – LIFE for water is available to download from the LIFE website.

New atlas published featuring the ‘real map of Ireland’

On April 6^th, a noteworthy schools atlas of Ireland was launched at the INTO conference in Galway (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation). The atlas features a detailed map of the 220 million acre seabed territory that surrounds Ireland, making it the first of its kind to be published in the history of the Irish State. The task of accurately mapping Ireland’s territorial seabed was undertaken by the Marine Institute, the Geological Survey of Ireland and partners using the most up-to-date acoustic and laser technology.

The New Irish Primary Atlas is available from school bookshops and primary school lesson plans based on this new atlas are available to download from the Marine Institute website.

Report on renewable energy options for Ireland post 2020

The State-owned Irish energy company EirGrid has published a new report (conducted by Poyry Energy Consulting) that examines Ireland’s options for generating power after 2020. It focuses on this time period as some of Ireland’s biggest coal-fired plants are set to close after 2020, including at Moneypoint in Co. Clare and Kilroot near Carrickfergus.

The report, entitled Low Carbon Generation Options for the All-Island Market, examines the principal generator technologies for the the whole island of Ireland. Both the Northern Executive and the Irish Government are targeting a reduction in carbon emissions by generating 40% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources.

The purpose of the report is to stimulate and contribute to a debate on Ireland’s energy options for the future. The full report is available to download from the EirGrid website.

EEA Signals 2010:

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has published its annual EEA Signals booklet. The publication provides short insights on issues of interest relating to environmental policy debate within Europe.

This year’s publication is entitled Signals 2010: Biodiversity, Climate Change and You. Some of the issues focused on include:

Tapestry of Life: biodiversity
The Apls: the impacts of climate change in Europe today
Eyewitnesses: climate refugees
Soil: the forgotten resource
Marine: biodiversity under pressure
Urban: from urban spaces to urban ecosystems

Signals 2010 is available for download from the EEA website. Older editions of the Signals are also available to download.

Play Biodiversity Bingo!

To help celebrate International Year of Biodiversity, the National Biodiversity Data Centre is running an exciting new competition – Biodiversity Bingo! It’s a great way to learn about new species and build up your own biodiversity records.

Biodiversity Bingo will be run each fortnight from 6^th April to 13^th September 2010. The Biodiversity Data Centre will choose six species from various taxonomic groups for each of the fortnightly Biodiversity Bingo games. The aim is to find as many of the six specified species as possible between the start and end date.

Entrants who submit valid records will be entered into a draw for that Biodiversity Bingo game and the lucky winner will receive a Biodiversity Bingo 2010 key-ring as well as a €20 Amazon.co.uk voucher.

Full details of how to play Biodiversity Bingo and the competition rules are available on the National Biodiversity Data Centre website.

OECD publish book on green growth

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) has published a book entitled Eco-Innovation in Industry: Enabling Green Growth.

The book is based on research carried out for the OECD project on sustainable manufacturing and eco-innovation. According to this new research, industries’ efforts to tackle climate change and achieve ‘green growth’ will be achieved through eco-innovation. The book itself aims to encourage eco-innovation by providing a thorough understanding of innovation mechanisms and processes.

Eco-innovation involves more efficient introduction of new technologies and also provides opportunities for new industries to develop, increasing competition.

Water use in Ireland

A survey carried out by Ideal Standard for World Water Day (22^nd March) shows 90% of Irish people have no idea how much water they consume on a daily basis. Water is one of our most precious resources and although Ireland receives enough water from rainfall to meet the needs of the population, the distribution of the water is unbalanced and there is a need in Ireland to be more conscious of water consumption.

One of the results of the survey indicated that 60% of people spend at least 10 minutes in the shower each day. Almost 70% of people admitted to letting the shower run for a minute or two before getting in. As 9 litres of water are used on average per minute, this means that most people use 108 litres of water per day on showering alone, whereas people in developing countries use an average of 20 litres of water per day.

As the Government is planning to introduce water charges from 2011, it will make the Irish population more aware of water use and value. Water consumption will be measured by water meters which the Government will install in every home, although charges will only apply to when a set allowance has been exceeded.

EEA's 10 messages for 2010: message five published

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has published the fifth of its series ’10 messages for 2010’, entitled European forests – ecosystem conditions and sustainable use. This report provides an overall assessment of the state of Europe’s forests and the main threats they face.

This campaign by the EEA is in support of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. Each message highlights a particular ecosystem or issue relating to biodiversity in Europe. One message per month will be published until the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October.

Messages for January, February and March are available to download from the EEA website.

Roadmap to New Waste Policy

On March 30^th, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Mr. John Gormley T.D. set out his Roadmap to New Waste Policy in Ireland. The Minister has launched a public consultation on a draft bill for applying levies to landfills and incinerators. The measure has already been approved by Government. A further public consultation will be launched in the coming weeks which will set out specific issues being considered as part of Ireland’s new waste management policy.

Volunteer for the National Tidy Towns Competition 2010

Today, April 1^st, marks the first day of the National Tidy Towns Competition 2010. The theme of this year’s competition is volunteerism. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in their Tidy Towns Committee and help to create a cleaner, greener community. All Tidy Towns Committees that are calling for volunteers are listed on www.volunteeringireland.com.

This year, the Department of Transport will sponsor a new “Smarter Travel” Award. The award aims to recognise community efforts at implementing environmentally-friendly, more sustainable transport options instead of relying on private cars for making local journeys.

The closing date for receipt of entries to the Tidy Towns Competition 2010 is May 24^th. Application forms can be downloaded from the Tidy Towns website.

Poolbeg "Pigeon House" stacks decommissioned

Power Station
Copyright the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Yesterday, March 31^st, the iconic ‘Pigeon House’ stacks at Poolbeg were decommissioned. The red and white striped twin stacks have dominated the Dublin Bay skyline for over 30 years.

Dublin City Planners have already rejected a proposal to place the stacks under a preservation order due to a lack of architectural, social or historical value. It is speculated that they may eventually be demolished. However, the ESB has said that no decision has been made on the future of the stacks.

Take part in BioBlitz this May

Biodiversity Day will be celebrated on May 22^nd and this year Biodiversity Ireland is marking the event by organising a 24 hour BioBlitz.

BioBlitz is a scientific race to find as many species as possible within 24 hours. Scientists, students and the general public are all encouraged to take part in this exciting event to learn more about the variety of life that shares Ireland’s environment. This scientific race will begin at 5pm on Friday 21^st May and finish at 5pm on Biodiversity Day, 22^nd May.

BioBlitz will take place at five locations around Ireland and all will be in direct competition to find the most species! The properties are listed below. Remember, it is important to book your place in advance by contacting your closest participating park.

Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal
Connemara National Park, Co. Galway
Coole Park, Co. Galway
Wicklow Mountains National Park, Co. Wicklow
Newbridge Demesne, Fingal County Council

For further details on this fun-filled event, please see the following BioBlitz pdf.