Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Environment and Ireland's National Development Plan 2007-2013

During the lifetime of Ireland's National Development Plan 2007-2013 a number of environmental issues will come to the fore:

By 2010:
The EU National Emissions Ceiling Directive has set a limit for Ireland of 65 kilotonnes nitrogen oxide for 2010. In the absence of increased investment in and take up of public transport and renewable energy, the country's rapidly increasing traffic and fuel consumption will literally drive Ireland over the emissions ceiling. In the 14 years to 2004, Ireland's transport related fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions doubled, as did vehicle numbers.

By 2012:
The Kyoto Protocol requires Ireland to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2012, but at the moment cars usage, heating and industry are driving up emissions. To meet its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Ireland needs to purchase 18 million carbon credits and increase the use of renewable energy.

By 2015:
The Water Framework Directive requires that Ireland protect, enhance and restore all bodies of surface water by 2015. River and estuary eutrophication remains a problem in Ireland. One of the primary causes is poor agricultural practice. This may improve under the recently introduced Nitrates Action Programme coupled with an increased uptake in the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (Reps) by farmers. Even so, it is unclear whether Ireland will be able to meet the Directive's requirement.

By 2016:
The Landfill Directive requires Ireland to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable waste to 35 per cent of its 1995 level by 2016. Being a prolific waste generator and overly landfill dependent, Ireland may not meet this Directive either.

The National Development Plan (NDP) 2007 - 2013 has made provisions for improving, encouraging and investing in public transport, renewable energy and better waste management, along with the purchase of carbon credits. Whether this will be enough has yet to be seen. Check back here in 10 years...

This is a summarised version of an article by Fiona Gartland in The Irish Times, Home News pages, 31 Jan 2006.

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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.