| National Strategies for dealing with Ireland's debt crisis: Exploring the options Thursday afternoon 22nd - Friday 23 September 2011 Mont Clare Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin Ireland's current national economic and monetary strategy has been described as 'relying on the kindness of strangers'. Very few alternatives to the current policy have been properly explored. There are plausible reasons for this - the fear of an adverse market response, the lack of intellectual leadership, perhaps the vested interests of the status quo. Whatever the reason, alternative strategies that [...] Just Forests founder to face charges Mr. Tom Roche, founder and coordinator of Just Forests, an Irish Non-Governmental Charity, working on forest/timber education projects was arrested, hand-cuffed, detained in custody and charged with a "Crimal Offence" at Tullamore Garda Station yesterday, Saturday 10th September 2011, for allegedly damaging plywood by painting a statement on the plywood hoarding around Tullamore Town Library building site. "Why FSC-certified SMART-PLY panelboard, which is made in County Waterford, from the 'thinnings' of Irish forests and is [...] New EIA Regulations 'deplored' Moving the control of rural planning out of the Department of the Environment and into the Department responsible for massively increased production goals will be a costly exercise that will do nothing to protect the areas of the countryside that are most at risk, the environmental lobby group Friends of the Irish Environment has said. A spokesman said that 'the high thresholds - given the average farm size in sensitive areas - and failure to [...] Irish Wildlife Trust Setting up a New Branch for Co. Kerry Irish Wildlife Trust is delighted to announce the formation of a new branch in Kerry. Louise Overy is leading the way by organising a meeting at 19:30 on the 8th of September in the Grand Hotel, Dennys Street, Tralee and everyone is welcome. The guest speaker is Joanne Pender, IWT's Development Officer, who will give us some guidance on what is involved in setting up a local branch and the work of the Trust. The [...] Book now for CELT Weekend in the Woods Book now for CELT Weekend in the Woods - 1st / 2nd October - Bealkelly Woods, Tuamgraney, Co.Clare Choose from 15 trad skills courses including new ones : Bowl & Spoon making, Knife making, Musical Instrument making also new kids course (8 - 14yrs) - Adventure Bushcraft and many old favourites : Basketry, Wood Carving,Wet Felting, Herb Lore, Blacksmithing, Coppersmithing, Silversmithing, Leather craft, Natural building, Sugan Chair making, Longbow making, Bent-wood Furniture Cost : 120 [...] ECJ ruling may force honey bans The EU could be set to face a honey shortage in the future with restrictions on imports from 3rd countries after the European Court of Justice (ECJ)* ruled yesterday that honey containing pollen from GM crops cannot be marketed in the EU without prior authorisation. The case was initially brought by an amateur beekeeper against the State of Bavaria, Germany, after Genetically Modified (GM) proteins were detected in samples of his honey & pollen. Germany's [...] Wood of Life at Wood Quay Just Forest's very popular Wood of Life exhibition is setup in The Atrium of Dublin Corporation Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin from 7th to 23rd September. This is a hands-on exhibition consisting of wood samples from around the world. It consists of 22 very colorful and informative panels that tell what is happening to our forests and what we must do to ensure responsible timber sourcing and manage our forests better. We often forget how important [...] Review of the Effectiveness of SEA in Ireland RPS has been commissioned by the EPA to carry out a review of the effectiveness of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Ireland. The primary purpose of the Review is to identify how effective the SEA process is in integrating environmental considerations into Irish Plans / Programmes with reference to the following key questions: What influence is the SEA process having in identifying significant effects of implementing plans and programmes; Is the SEA process informing and supporting effective [...] Proposed changes to Romania's Mining Law open the door to controversial gold-mining operations at Rosia Montana Bucharest, Romania - Proposed changes to Romania's Mining Law to be voted soon by the Romanian Parliament would threaten not only sustainability of the region, but would also allow private interests to overtake state interest, according to WWF. Under the new provisions, private investors who obtain a license for exploitation would also gain the right to expropriate the concerned properties in the name of the Romanian state. According to the current Romanian legislation, the holder [...] 5th Annual Irish Earth Observation Symposium Realising the potential of Earth Observation for the national benefit First call for abstracts - closing date Friday October 21st 2011 Earth Observation by satellite, air, ship and ground-based imaging is increasingly being exploited in academic and commercial sectors in Ireland due to a growing awareness of the potential offered by these technologies in seeking solutions to contemporary problems. This Symposium provides an opportunity for those working in the Irish Earth Observation sector to meet [...] Irish Regions in the Smart Economy Irish Regions in the Smart Economy One Day Conference Date: 10.30-17:00, Monday 12th September 2011 Location: Renehan Hall, NUI Maynooth Full Details: http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/events/2011/sept-ireland/programme.pdf Wind Energy 2011 - Planning, Policy and the Environment Thomas Prior Hall, Bewley's Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 - Thursday 22nd September 2011 Hosted by the Sustainable Energy of Authority of Ireland's Renewable Energy Information Office (SEAI REIO) the Wind Energy 2011 - Planning, People and Environment Conference takes place in Dublin on Thursday 22nd September and revives the Energy from Fresh Air conference which was a stalwart in Ireland's wind and renewable energy calendar in the past. The conference will provide delegates with up-to-the-minute [...] Good Practice Wind Energy Workshop The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is engaged in a number of activities which focus on the interrelated areas of social acceptance1 and planning of renewable energy projects. The activities include participation in the International Energy Agency Task 28 on Social Acceptance of Wind Energy, participation in the European project on Good Practice Wind, hosting a steering group to develop a template for local authority renewable energy strategies and commissioning a guide to fostering community [...]. 6EAP an anchor in uncertain times, says EC The EU's sixth environmental action programme (6EAP) has not been a major driver of new legislation but it did give a sense of direction in times of uncertainty, the European Commission concluded on Wednesday as it published its final assessment. The assessment paints a mixed picture of the programme's achievements. Climate goals will be met, due to a large extent to separate initiatives such as the climate and energy package. Biodiversity objectives turned out to [...] Academy of european law annual conference on EUropean water management law 2011 Academy of european law annual conference on EUropean water management law 2011 Practical implications of European policy for water conservation SAVE THE DATE: Trier, 8-9 December 2011 Registrations reaching ERA before 8 November 2011 will be eligible for a 10% discount! Objective: This annual conference will analyse the legal implications of water scarcity and water conservation in light of the consolidation of European water legislation and the critical balance between water demand and availability in [...] EPA Sustainable Environment & Water Fellowship Research Calls - Closing Date Reminder The closing date for the submission of proposals in relation to the following research calls is 13 September 2011 at 5pm: Sustainable Environment Research Call Water Research Call (Fellowships) After this time the system will shut down automatically and applicants will be unable to submit proposals. Please therefore submit proposals as early as possible. Following the submission of proposals by applicants, Research Office Administrators / Company Managing Directors will have until 5pm on [...] Water Supply Project - Dublin Region The Dublin Region (Water Supply Area) will require a new source of water supply within the next ten years in order to meet projected growth in water demand due to forecast population increases and economic growth. This new source is required in conjunction with maximising supplies from existing sources and optimising water savings through leakage management and conservation activities. The water supply plan and environmental statement are on view at the planning counters of Dublin's [...] Limerick's First Home Composting Demonstration Site to be Opened at O'Brien Park Families and businesses throughout Limerick are keen to save money and a new local initiative can help to do just that. Almost a 1/3 of all food purchased by households end up in the bin. This includes scrapings from plates, food past their use-by dates and food preparation residues. This is a lot of money wasted, both in food bought but not eaten and also charges to dispose of the waste. Food waste prevention and home [...] Environment Ireland Conference Environment Ireland®, now in its seventh year, is Ireland's largest conference on environmental policy and management. The conference is organised in association with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The conference is attended each year by delegates representing all the main sectors with an interest in Ireland's environment, including many from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Environment Ireland provides an important opportunity for all the key players [...] Bog of Allen Nature Centre celebrates the International Year of the Craft The Bog of Allen Nature Centre will be hosting two events throughout the coming month celebrating 2011 the International Year of the Craft. On 14th September from 10.30am-1pm well known artist Yanny Petters will be facilitating a workshop at the centre entitled 'Drawing from Nature'. Botanical drawing has been an important art since man has used plants for medicinal purposes. Yanny Petters workshop exploring botanical drawing will include a brief history of illustrative techniques used [...] Consultation on the the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive in Ireland http://www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/regulations/Public%20Consultation%20-%20Sustainable%20Use%20of%20Pesticides%20Directive.pdf http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:309:0071:0086:EN:PDF Who may comment Comments are invited from Government Departments and agencies, industry stakeholders (food producers, chemical companies, distributors, consumer groups, farm organisations, etc.) and the general public. How to comment The text of each Article of the Directive precedes the text of the proposed actions. The full text of Directive 2009/128/EC can be downloaded from the following website: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:309:0071:0086:EN:PDF Comments submitted should clearly indicate the Article, page number and paragraph to which the [...] Bog Walk, Live Moths and Fun for all the Family The Bog of Allen Nature Centre in Lullymore will be holding an open day from 2-5pm on Sunday 28th August to celebrate National Heritage Week. This free event will include children's nature activities such as pond dipping and a froggy and newt search in the wildlife gardens of the centre at 2pm. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council will present a talk updating visitors on developing a new Lodge Bog Management plan at 2.45pm followed by [...] Climate Change Lecture Series: Tyndall. His Work and Scientific Heritage Lecture Topic: Tyndall : His Work and Scientific Heritage Speaker: Professor Richard Somerville, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, USA. Prof. Somerville is an expert meteorologist whose research interests include geophysical fluid dynamics, thermal convection, computational methods, predictability, atmospheric modelling, numerical weather prediction, radiative transfer, cloud physics and climate. He has also written on the communication of environment issues, including Climate Change. His book " The Forgiving Air- Understanding Environmental Change" is [...] Forest Friends host two Heritage Week events THE BOOTERSTOWN MARSH EVENT Tree biodiversity event at Booterstown Marsh in association with the Dun Laoghaire branch of An Taisce which this year is on August 28th as part of the National Heritage Week. The tree biodiversity element to take place between 2 and 4pm in the vicinity of the marsh. The appropriate elements of the previous day event at Mountjoy Square will be demonstrated to celebrate the UN Year Of Forests. You can find [...] Environment Ireland 2011 The seventh Environment Ireland conference will take place on Thursday 15th September in the Croke Park Conference Centre. Environment Ireland is Ireland's largest conference on environmental policy and management and is organised by BMF Conferences in association with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It is attended each year by delegates representing all the major sectors with an interest in Ireland's environment, including many from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [...] Offaly Leader funds Just Forests project Just Forests are delighted to announce that Offaly Local Development Company (OLDC) has approved funding to Just Forests for a schools pack for Offaly schools. The pack will consist of a KNOW-WOOD Board complete with real wood samples, a KNOW Your Wood Guide and activity sheets. According to Tom Roche of Just Forests, "We are delighted to receive this funding support from OLDC as it will enable us to ensure all Offaly schools are given [...] Clare Windfarm granted permission but may never be connected An Taisce Calls for joined up thinking between the Commission for Energy Regulation, The Department of Environment and Planning Authorities. An Taisce recently appealed two wind farms on environmental concerns, one in Co. Galway (PL07.238734) and one in County Clare (PL03 .237524). Last week An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the one in Co. Galway and this week they granted planning permission for the one in Co. Clare but this may never be connected [...] Second International Conference on Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems and Landscapes IUFRO 2012 in association with the Irish Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Second International Conference on Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems and Landscapes 28-31 August 2012, University College Cork, Ireland. First announcement and call for Symposia Scope and objectives This conference will provide an international forum for researchers, practitioners and students to discuss the challenges of maintaining and enhancing biodiversity in forests, and consider emerging trends in the sustainable management of forest ecosystems and landscapes. [...] | 
