Saturday, December 02, 2006

Ireland's emissions of pollutants

EPER is the European Pollutant Emission Register. Every three years Ireland, and the other Member States of the European Union, produce a report on the emissions of their industrial facilities into air and waters. The report must detail any of 50 pollutants where emissions have exceeded threshold values cited in the EPER Decision.

The most recent report, published in 2006, reflects emissions made in 2004. For the next report (on emissions made in 2007), EPER will be replaced by the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (European PRTR).

EPER was established by a Commission Decision of 17 July 2000. The EPER Decision is based on Article 15(3) of Council Directive 96/61/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control.

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The island of ireland

Once upon a time, and for 15000 years, ice a mile high blanketed Ireland. When the lingering Ice Age finally released and the Irish ice departed it left a landscape scoured. Across land bridges linking Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe plants and animals arrived to colonise the new lowlands, mountains and valleys. The world’s ice continued to melt, the sea levels to rise, and some 8000 years ago Ireland became the island we now know, accounting for just 0.01% of the world's total land area and the most westerly point of Europe.

Though at Alaskan latitudes, the country's climate is tempered, due partly to the neighbouring waters of the Gulf Stream and partly the prevailing southwesterlies that veering and backing make landfall on our sodden coast. These offerings from the Atlantic mean it is never too hot, never too cold. But without doubt it is wet. Rain lingers year round, never far away, though is most frequent in winter, the western counties and, inevitably, on the day of your parade.