Ireland is far too dependent on fossil fuels, and is not on target to meet it's Paris Climate agreements. It is vital that this be part of the clean energy portfolio as soon as possible. (Clarification and lots of facts here...)

Since 2008, Shannon LNG have held planning permission to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in northern Kerry. The terminal was never built, but now the company are looking to get an extension of the planning permission. We are calling on An Bord Pleanála to deny that extension, because LNG is not the right step for Ireland’s future. Liquefied natural gas is fossil gas which has been turned into a liquid so that it may be transported. It is highly flammable and very dangerous to the local environment [i]. The coastal area surrounding the proposed site for the LNG terminal is a Special Protected Area with a large population of waterbirds [ii]. An LNG terminal would be a huge threat to the biodiversity of this beautiful area. The LNG processed at this terminal will most likely be fracked gas imported from other countries, such as the US. Ireland banned fracking because of the devastating impact it holds for both people and wildlife [iii]. We cannot now profit from the exploitation of other communities at the hands of the fracking industry. Importing LNG and increasing our dependence on fossil gas is the wrong direction for Ireland. The planned Shannon LNG terminal would import twice as much gas as we currently use [iv]. If we want to prevent catastrophic global warming, we need to transition away from fossil fuels now. Europe can only afford to burn gas at current levels for 9 more years [v]. If we build LNG terminals with a life span of 30 years or more, it will be very difficult to ensure the necessary transition to renewable energies. We need to take a stand and say no to investment in new forms of fossil fuel infrastructure, and focus on creating a safe and sustainable future for all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] Associated Press in Plymouth, Washington. ‘Five workers hurt after natural gas plant explosion in Washington state’. The Guardian. 1 April 2014. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/01/five-injured-natural-gas-plant-explosion-washington]. [ii] National Parks and Wildlife Service, [https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/spa/004077] . [iii] The Irish Times, ‘Ireland joins France, Germany and Bulgaria in banning fracking’ [https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/ireland-joins-france-germany-and-bulgaria-in-banning-fracking-1.3137095]. [iv] European Commission. Projects of Common Interest. PCI 5.3 – Shannon LNG Terminal and connecting pipeline. [http://www.lngworldshipping.com/news/view,northwest-europe-ponders-new-deepsea-lngimport-capacity_47036.htm https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/pci_5_3_en_2015.pdf] [v] Kevin Anderson and John Broderick, Natural Gas and Climate Change (2017).

We want the people's voice to be heard respecting water and sanitation services in Ireland, and a referendum be held. Across the globe ordinary people have undergone tremendous hardship and suffering when water services are privatised. Water is a human right and must never be under the control of 'for profit' companies. Publicly owned, funded and managed water and sanitation services, free at the point of use, is the only way to guarantee access for all.

To ensure a safer, cleaner living environment for our current and future generations we want a complete ban of glyphosate weedkiller. We are extremely concerned that our Agricultural sector/farmers are bombarded with misinformation and pressure from government bodies that are directly lobbied by toxic chemical companies. We are also calling on the county council to use alternative organic based methods for all weed control. We are aware of the seriousness of the invasive species 'Japanese Knotweed', but studies have concluded that the long term use of glyphosate weedkillers does not actually kill Japanese knotweed. By using organic means to kill this highly invasive species it is proven to be eradicated in the exactly the same time frame. With the projected construction of Irelands first Soil Recovery centre in the Midlands, it has been stipulated that it won't accept any plant or soil material that's contaminated with any chemicals. It makes no sense to use contractors who have no regard for anything but chemical control, which also includes chemicals such as Garlon Ultra and Speed lite Pro which do not have a base glyphosate ingredient. These weedkillers have two other active ingredients (1.) Amino Pyralide (2.) Triclopyr. These active ingredients are incredibly toxic and will leach into the soil and groundwater. They, like RoundUp, do not ever break down and our filtration systems are unable to remove these deadly chemical time bombs. These chemical-based weedkillers are highly carcinogenic and linked to a variety of potentially fatal diseases. Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller, Pathclear, Gallup, Pistol, Weedol and Mossgo are to name but a few of the weedkillers currently on the market that contain the cancer-causing chemical glyphosate which is lethal to all living organisms. Ireland has the second highest level of glyphosate in our surface water in the EU and the third highest death rate of cancer in Europe. 1. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/farmers-weapons-of-mass-destruction-carry-cancer-fears-1.3148492 2. http://greennews.ie/why-is-ireland-diluting-legislation-on-banning-hormone-changing-chemicals/ 3. https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/france-tables-eu-wide-non-agricultural-pesticide-ban/

In December 2017, with the lead up to Christmas, Tony Lowth and the Gardeners arrived one day to find that the Garden gate had been arbitrarily chained up to prevent us access to a space that we diligently maintain. This act was done with zero forewarning, communication, and ultimately any level of human respect or considerations toward the Caretakers of the Garden. This lack of communication, empathy, and essentially acts of adult bullying, hit Tony particularly hard over Christmas - where he became ill with Shingles from the stress of the situation. The slogan of our Community Garden is "Grow Me" to highlight the concept of "no-dig organic gardening" and "growing" positive social economy - by specifically focusing on soil and compost production, by using local waste around Dublin to "grow" new soil. We source our "soil food" through local businesses which helps them to reduce unnecessary bulk waste; minimizing city rubbish collection output. For instance, we collect coffee grinds from local businesses, leaves and grass cuttings from parks and streets, wood chip and other material from local stables, etc. The Garden essentially acts as a hub for this "waste" by transforming it into incredibly fertile soil - which needs to be maintained daily through physical labour to optimize its effectiveness. Tony Lowth, the founder of the Garden space, has been a pillar to the community by transforming a once neglected space FULL with cans and rubbish, into an amazing plot of green. This space is now home to an array of organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees, wildlife, and to the people that pass through. Speaking as a Volunteer Gardener, this space has offered me an opportunity to learn planting and composting wisdom directly from Tony which has been invaluable to me. I have further benefited from being in nature which has been extremely beneficial to my well-being and mental health. And the Garden has allowed me to feel a connection to a community which has inspired me on so many other levels. Going to the garden twice a week was the best part of my week. The purpose and benefit of a Community style Garden, is that it weaves all walks of life together to express, inspire, grow, learn, and connect in an open space. These are all concepts that a school - or any form of creative institution, should be promoting at grassroots level, not ostracizing with a lock.

Eirgrid has an important job to ensure our energy needs are met. However this can not be at any cost. The only issue of placing lines underground for Eirgrid is an increase in cost. Surely protecting our beautiful country is worth the increase in cost. It is also important to protect important landmarks, such as the Hill of Tara, which is seeking UNESCO status. It is time to start looking to the future and build the Interconnector and other national projects underground where they will be safe from storms, and keep our country beautiful for the next generations (and tourists).

If the incentives are directed towards the large energy utility companies including the ESB, Board Gas, Coilte, Board Na Mona etc and large private companies funded by venture capitalists they will build large scale solar parks mainly in the South and South East of Ireland. This would be good news for Ireland for efforts to meet our 2020 C02 obligations and a renewable future. But there will be no benefits for the majority of the population of Ireland. We will continue to pay the second highest electricity prices in the EU. A grant and a feed in tariff and possibly a generation tariff for the installation of Solar PV on houses, farm buildings and all types of commercial buildings could reduce the annual electricity bills by up to 50% and contribute towards a large reduction on Ireland's dependency on imported fuel bill of €6 billion per year.

Past decades DST has become more of a hindrance than help as the way we work has changed with ubiquity of electric lighting, not to mention the Internet. The benefits it may have brought a century ago are no longer relevant. Although it is quite common elsewhere in the world, Poland is the first EU country to start doing away with the DST nonsense (starting 2018). Let's follow this example and help the rest of EU out of DST. Good (and hilarious!) commentary on DST by Last Week Tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br0NW9ufUUw The number of people impacted by DST all at once leads to some surprising associations, including a spike in heart attacks, increased numbers of work injuries, automobile accidents, suicides, and more in the days following. Sources: [ http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/03/09/daylight-saving-time-could-have-an-impact-on-your-health/ ] [ http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/apl/94/5/1305/ ] [ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457503000150 ] [ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00331.x/abstract ] The psychological impact is not everything. The banking, transportation, people working nights are all adversely impacted. It can stop right now.

Petition Update December 2020: In mid-December, we are going to deliver this petition and letters signed by both civil society groups from across the globe and members of the Houses of the Oireachtas urging Minister Eamon Ryan to support the granting of a money message from the Government so the Climate Emergency Bill can progress to committee stage as soon as possible. Petition Update September 2020: Not Here Not Anywhere has been campaigning to ban offshore drilling since 2017, and in that time we have seen progress and changes in government policy. In the 2020 Programme for Government agreed by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and Greens stated the following on oil and gas drilling "End the issue of new licenses for the exploration and extraction of gas, on the same basis as the recent decision concerning oil exploration and extraction" [1]. Now that Eamon Ryan is the Minister for Climate Action, he has the power to legislate and ban offshore oil and gas drilling outright. Recently, we submitted a Parliamentary question to find out when the legislation when going to be enacted. We got the below response from Minister Ryan "While there is no requirement for legislative underpinning, I and my Department will evaluate whether any further actions would be useful in terms of providing maximum clarity." [2]. We disagree with the Minister’s assessment, if the current government falls with no legislation passed it could lead to future licenses been issued under a new administration. Also, if legislation was passed it would be a major victory for the climate movement both in Ireland and globally and we would be joining other countries around the world which have shown this climate leadership [3]. We need to shed our climate laggard status, legislate to ban offshore oil and gas drilling, and KEEP IT IN THE GROUND. Original petition: On 11th July, just one week after onshore fracking was banned in Ireland, Minister of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, granted consent to oil & gas drilling by Providence Resources PLC in the Porcupine Basin off our south-west coast [4]. They expect to find 5 billion barrels of oil [5]. In an Orwellian twist, a “Department of Climate Action” has allowed for the burning of 5 billion barrels of oil when international climate experts state that 80% of the known fossil fuels have to stay in the ground if we want to avoid going over the safe 2 degrees limit of global warming [6]. Any investment in fossil fuel industry and infrastructure will result in what is known as “carbon lock-in”, taking us on a one-way unstoppable trip to dangerous levels of global warming that threaten global health and eco-systems [7]. Oil and gas exploration is also deadly for Ireland’s unique dolphin, whale and porpoise population [8] and plankton, the basis of the marine ecosystem [9]. Yet, Minister Naughten has refused to confirm if drilling will stop if a threat to the population is found [10]. We call on Minister Naughten to retract the Providence Resources permit immediately. Furthermore, we call on the Minister to follow the lead of France [11] and ban all new oil and gas exploration in Irish waters. We need to halt all dead investments in the fossil fuel industry and prepare a just transition to an economy that can provide workers with real, sustainable long-term jobs that can provide for their families and their future [12]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1]https://www.greenparty.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-06-15-ProgrammeforGovernment_Corrected-Final-Version.pdf [2]https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2020-09-15/162/#pq_162 [3]https://www.looptt.com/content/new-zealand-next-list-ban-offshore-drilling [4] http://www.independent.ie/business/world/providence-resources-commences-drilling-off-the-southwest-coast-of-ireland-35921724.html [5] http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/amp/news/180745 [6] http://www.carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Unburnable-Carbon-Full-rev2-1.pdf [7]http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/ [8] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/02/140228-atlantic-seismic-whales-mammals/ [9] https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/23/15861932/offshore-drilling-airgun-seismic-surveys-zooplankton-death-oceans [10] https://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2017-02-07a.382 [11]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-ban-new-oil-gas-exploration-stop-granting-licences-macron-hulot-renewable-energy-drive-a7806161.html [12] http://www.impact.ie/climate-change-workers-communities-must-protected-just-transition-carbon-free-economy-says-impact/

Bernie is giving a speech on June 4th which sold out after 1 minute. There are thousands of people who are willing to pay to hear him speak, to hear a voice for the people. Someone who stands up for the environment, all people and the planet as a whole. My hope is that hearing Bernie speak could spark the revolution that is needed in Ireland so we can transform our country and go back to the values it was founded on.

Bottled water is an invented consumer need.Thirty years ago the Irish public laughed at the idea of being sold a product that you could get from the tap for next to no cost. Today we feel as though bottled water is just a normal, or even essential, item to be included in our shopping baskets. In 2016, Irish consumers spent around €76.5 million on bottled water. We are sending about 800 million plastic bottles to be processed every year and are spending about €38 million annually on disposing of plastic bottles alone. This money could be used for investment in public drinking fountains, or for improving our public water infrastructure. By choosing to not consume bottled water, you will not only reduce the environmental impacts of plastics, but you will also eliminate a senseless daily expense. Plastic bottles pollute our oceans. About 80 percent of plastics found in our oceans come from land-based sources. In 2016, the United Nations World Oceans Assessment reported that as plastics entre the oceans they breakdown into microplastics. Plastics ingested by animals, such as fish, seabirds and marine mammals, can harm the intestines, and results in infection or death. Plastics also leach an assortment of dangerous chemicals into the water, and also act as a carrier for invasive species which can contaminate remote areas of the globe. The production and distribution of bottled water is a waste of resources. Research carried out by the Pacific Institute on the "energy implications of bottled water" in the United States worked out that bottled water is estimated to cost 2,000 times more than tap water to produce. The bottled water industry in the United States required an energy input equivalent to 54 million barrels of oil and roughly three times this amount is required to satisfy global bottled water demand. This adds around 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide to our atmosphere every year. The high energy cost of bottling water is not the only way in which this industry is needlessly wasteful. One litre of bottled water takes three litres of water to be produced. Fresh safe drinking water is a valuable, and over exploited resource that every living organism on this planet depends upon. It is not an overstatement to argue that the continued use of single-use plastic water bottles should be considered nonsensical, wasteful and extraordinarily expensive. By eliminating bottled water from your shopping bag you are helping us move towards meeting four Sustainable Development Goals. Often the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are thought of as only being relevant for protecting the most vulnerable ecosystems, and supporting the most disempowered communities, on our planet. People often forget that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, social, economic and environmental problems that are endemic within western consumer-lead countries must be considered as integral to the project. Our seemingly inconsequential habits have direct effects on the health of the planet, and the livelihoods of some of the world's most vulnerable communities in the world. We need to become aware of the consequences of our actions, but we also need to be responsive, and take brave steps towards a truly sustainable future. Let's reduce our use of plastic bottles in Ireland, and all place pressure on the Irish government to stop selling, or providing, bottled water in public institutions. Don't Bottle It! Be Brave we can make this change.

Cycling offers a wide range of benefits to our society including reducing carbon emissions, relieving congestion, improving health and making our towns safer, more pleasant places to live and move about. Unfortunately, the resources allocated to cycling at present are nowhere near sufficient to make it a safe and normal activity for people of all ages and abilities. Therefore, we are calling on Minister Ross to: 1.) Allocate at least 10% of the Transport Budget to cycling. 2.) Implement the National Cycle Policy Framework in full. 3.) Take action to reduce transport emissions so that Ireland fulfils its obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.