Kilsaran have submitted an application Kildare County Council to start a new quarry in Racefield, Ballyshannon. This is a rural but buoyant neighbourhood that would be blighted if this application were to succeed. There are a lot of farmers in the local area that would be affected, as well as 3 national schools all within a few miles with 1 being only a mile away. It is this school that would be affected the most, as it is situated at the junction that the 70+ lorries per day would use and would be affected not only by the dust polution but elevated levels of exhaust fumes. We need your help in sending a signal to the council that this quarry is not wanted.

More walking Walking has been with us since humans first learned to…you get the idea. And still, there are few better ways to get around. Cities are finally waking up to walking. Car-free zones and pedestrianised areas have transformed shopping districts and town centres from New York to York. London is planning to become the ‘world’s most walkable city’ by improving signage and reconfiguring pedestrian crossings to give people shorter waits and longer crossing times when they cross the road. Walking isn’t for everyone all the time. But by making walking more attractive and easier, cities can cut congestion, improve air quality and encourage more activity in people’s lives. So many trips we take are under 2 miles (3.2kms). 42% of people agreed that they could just as easily walk these as drive them. There’s so much potential for walking! More cycling Cycling is great for cities and the people who live there. Bikes are the original ‘zero-emission vehicle’ so more people cycling helps cities respond to the twin crises of air pollution and climate breakdown. Cities are dramatically increasing the number of people who cycle by safely separating them from other road traffic. In Copenhagen, 62% of people now cycle to their place of work or study. More e-mobility Across the world, companies like Lime, Bird or Jump by Uber are rolling out thousands of electric scooters and bicycles that are paid per ride via a mobile app. These services are potentially great news for cities as they make it easier for people to access public transport. There are caveats though. These systems need to be built to last, with easy, low-energy mechanisms to keep batteries charged up. And above all, they need to operate in the public interest – integrating into public transport systems without littering the streets or endangering the public. More renewably-powered public transport Trains, buses, ferries, trams – these are the backbones of urban transport. A bus can carry far more people than a car, which means it can move far more people through a city. Fewer cars Cars are everywhere in cities today. But as we move toward more sustainable transport, this needs to change. Fewer cars will benefit general human well-being and air quality massively. And it will also free up space. Loads of it. Parking takes up 200 square miles (517km²) of Los Angeles. That’s enough to fit in a city the size of Singapore. Imagine what we could do without car parks; we could build more green space, more shops, more restaurants. The choices are endless. But cars will not disappear. We will need them for some journeys – particularly those of us with additional needs. For these, will need car clubs; cars that we rent per minute, and share with everyone. These cars will be electric, and small, to make sure they sip energy rather than guzzle it. And they can be self-driven if you want, sure.

Climate change is at our doorstep and not enough is being done to help the situation. Ireland's climate action plan is the ambiguous aim to reduce carbon emissions by 30% between 2021 and 2030, but I see little progress being made. As young climate activist Greta Thunberg said, "People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth," which truly highlights that we need to do more, and fast. I am making this petition in hopes that we can ban any non-recyclable packaging materials in Ireland by 2025 because time is valuable and we aren't feeling the heat.

Deforestation has a detrimental impact on the people who live in the rainforest and the environment globally. The world's rainforests are home to over half of all plants and animals on earth despite the fact they cover less than 5% of it's surface. The rainforest is disappearing alarmingly quickly and many plant and animal species are going with them. The destruction of the rainforest is also a major contributor to global warming - which affects us all. The lifestyles of indigenous tribes are also at risk as the forest their livelihood relies upon is destroyed. Until such point as this is achieved, I urge you to boycott companies sourcing their palm oil unsustainably (information about which can be found via the WWF or the Ethical Consumer). Palm oil is used in a number of everyday products such as lipsticks, chocolates and soap and companies often use a number of alternative names, such as palm kernal or palmitic acid.More information on products that use palm oil can be found at: https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/which-everyday-products-contain-palm-oil I believe that taking care of our planet is essential, not only to save endangered species from extinction but also to ensure that future generations have the same opportunity that we do, to admire its many wonders. I hope that in signing this petition you can help to lead the way in sourcing palm oil more sustainably so that our planet can breathe again.

Along with the listings of animal cruelty above, industrial factory factory farming is a major contributor to water and air pollution as well as deforestation. ... This can contaminate local water supplies, reach neighboring populations physically and in a sensorial capacity, and emit harmful gasses. Likewise, livestock release methane gas during their digestion process which accounts for and directly contributes to climate change.

We need to preserve the wild woodland habitat which currently links the villages of Rathcoole and Saggart. This site, by our local park, has real potential as an amenity for our communities, as a haven for wildlife and as a living example for nature education. Wild green spaces are becoming rarer in South Dublin. Spending time in nature improves our mental and physical health, and reduces stress. The woodland provides great walking trails. The trees, wildflowers and waterways within are vital habitats and food sources. They enable birds, frogs, mammals and insects like bees and butterflies to thrive. Trees absorb water, lessening local flooding. They release oxygen, improving our air quality. They store carbon, helping against climate change. Help to secure the woodland for future generations. Please visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Four-Disticts-Woodland-Group-458412544573936/

There are 22 children in the Killenagh/Ballygarrett area seeking school transport to Creagh College in Gorey, approximately 16km away. Half of the parents in our group have already built their lives around the fact that the children can be brought to Creagh College by the School Transport system. Some of these children are going into 6th year. This is an additional stress on an already stressful year for any student. We’ve looked into private busses and it is simply not affordable at €40-€50 per week per child. Some families have 3 children in the school and most of us will have multiple children over the coming years. We have been advised that €4m would solve this situation nationally. We need a solution locally in two weeks. We need action NOW!! #22forcreaghbus

County Clare is vulnerable to increasingly severe climate events, including drought, flooding, high winds, and storm surges according to Clare County Council's Climate Adaptation Strategy 2019 - 2024. These events are likely to affect farming, transport, economic activity and day to day living and as such must be considered to be of major concern to the county. Equally, Clare Country Council has acknowledged the threat to biodiversity and our natural human dependence on maintaing both plant and animal biodiverisity to sustain our local communities (Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2023). However, the extent of the threat must be acknowledged by the council in order to educate the public and provide a detailed and coherent emergency response which matches the real urgency of the problems we are facing. Therefore, we are calling on Clare County Council to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency and to publish both a climate and biodiversity emergency action plan which details practical solutions to ensure that Clare is prepared for the likely effects that climate change will have over the coming years.

It looks as if all routes leading to City Centre will suffer a great loss in trees/wildlife.. And Shane Ross, Minister for Transport and the National Transport Authority have been extremely vague on what steps they are willing to take to avoid this! Quite simply, this is not good enough: Dublin you have a choice to make, Dublin you have voice to be heard, Dublin this is your city and your home, Dublin don't just let them do what they want this time! Dublin there must be an ecological balance in progress and the future. DUBLIN IF WE GET THIS WRONG THERE IS NO GOING BACK TO FIX IT.

We call on Carlow County Council to declare a climate emergency and mobilise every section of the local authority and related organisations to respond to the crisis through a radical shift in policy that will lead towards greater community resilience and sustainability. We are in the midst of a climate emergency. The world is nowhere near meeting the internationally agreed goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Emissions need to be reduced to net-zero by 2030 or we face tipping the earth into runaway climate change and leaving our children a broken planet. By declaring a Climate Emergency the council can take the lead in developing a local climate emergency plan and engage with all sectors of society in establishing a roadmap for a rapid, equitable and just transition to a fossil free future.

We have a decade left to avert a complete climate breakdown yet our emissions are still rising. To change this we need to first recognise and verbalise our current predicament: we are in a climate emergency. In itself, it is a small, symbolic step - but declaring a climate emergency is an effective way to engage the public sector, business and society in stepping up action to the level needed.

The Four Masters' Park is a small green lung on Berkeley Road in the heart of the North inner-city; one of the very few. It has many historic resonances, as it commemorates the Annals of the Four Masters while the memorial itself was commissioned by Sir William Wilde and executed by James Cahill. It was given by the Sisters of Mercy for the benefit of the local community. The current plan for the new MetroLink is to consume a substantial part of our green space for the new metro station. Less than 100 metres away from our park is a station already built under the Mater Hospital. This was a part of the old Metro North plans at the time Leo Varadkar was Minister for Transport in 2012. €20 million was spent on installing a station box beneath the new adult hospital. The Metro North enabling works were completed in 2013 under the Mater Whitty Building by BAM Contractors Ltd on behalf of the Railway Procurement Agency. It makes no sense to waste €20 million of public money and destroy a beloved local park. Recently, two vacant industrial sites nearby have been identified as possibilities, yet neither have been investigated by MetroLink. The beginning of 2020; a New Year of campaigning and we're delighted to welcome the support of the DUBLIN NORTH CITY BUSINESS & CULTURE COMMUNITY which comprises of 107 individual businesses from Parnell Square, Frederick Street, Upper and Lower Dorset Street, down to Croke Park and the Croke Park Hotel, who have added their signatures to the petition. Please join us in supporting this campaign.