Having a large mural of US president Joe Biden in Ballina reflects very badly on the people of Ballina, Mayo and Ireland who hold very different views to Joe regarding the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

We need a woodland in Corca Dhuibhne to help act against climate change and to support biodiversity and our community's wellbeing - a space that will be of benefit to all. The Dingle Peninsula is a place of outstanding natural beauty, we are blessed with a rugged coastline, small sheltered coves, long sandy beaches, rolling hills, majestic mountains, cliffs, wetlands, valleys, lakes and much more, except we have no natural native woodlands. It is the one missing piece in the mosaic of our landscape. To get an immersion in a woodland habitat, residents of the peninsula need to (most likely) drive to Tralee or Castlemaine - our nearest woodlands and a journey of one hour. Our nearest forest, the south side of Killarney National Park, is an hour an a half away. There has been a desire to have a woodland on the western half of the peninsula for many years - this desire coalesced in a working group being formed in Dec 2020 but then the covid lockdown struck and the energy and cohesion dissipated. We are trying to revive the idea again, and the Kerry County Council Climate Action Fund might be an avenue to acquire land and the other necessary resources. We have built up a considerable stock of trees over the years, through seed collection outings, seed processing workshops and nursery care meitheals. Our nursery contains over 3000 native trees, which would be a great start to populate a couple of acres of land. Our vision is to have a native woodland for nature, to support biodiversity, and for the local community. It would be a great asset for the locality, locals and visitors alike, it will enhance our health, wellbeing, community cohesion and offer education possibilities for all ages. Get in touch if you want more information or if you want to be involved [email protected]

Flying has hugely damaging carbon impacts, and to travel overseas from Ireland, the only lower-carbon option is to take a ferry. Travelling by ferry as a foot passenger or cyclist is lower carbon than taking a motorised vehicle on the ferry. However, the ferry companies which provide services from Ireland to overseas prioritise passengers with motorised vehicles, and in many cases refuse services to cyclists and foot passengers. I have heard many stories from friends who can't get a ferry on a particular route or at a particular time simply because they are travelling without a motorised vehicle instead of with one. I experienced this myself recently on the Irish Ferries Pembroke-Rosslare route, when I decided to pay for a motorcycle ticket with the intention of cycling onto the ferry with my bicycle instead of a motor cycle, but was refused entry to the ferry, and forced to take a much longer and more complicated journey home. See: - https://cyclist.ie/2024/02/inexplicable-bikes-not-on-ferries-policy-highlighted/ (article on Irish Cycling Campaign website) - https://bit.ly/3OWaPCG (my video blog folder about this trip) Other cyclists have also documented their experiences as cyclists crossing the sea to and from Ireland, highlighting ferry companies' nonsensical policies on cyclists. https://philsturgeon.com/bikes-on-ferries/ - documents the nonsensical reasons given for refusal to take cyclists (P&O Ferries). I have heard from families who have been forced to pay a higher price for traveling without a car than than they would if they traveled with a car (Brittany Ferries). This petition: - calls on ferry companies operating from Ireland to provide services to cyclists and foot passengers on every ferry service on which they provide services to motorised cars and motorcycles. - calls on the National Transport Authority to make passenger ferry licenses conditional on non-discrimination against cyclists and foot passengers Please sign and share this petition. Thank you, Elaine Baker, cycling campaigner and environmental activist ( @ElaineActivism on twitter and mastodon, member of Irish Cycling Campaign http://cyclist.ie ).

The stated main goals of Ireland's aviation policy are about: 1. Enhancing connectivity for the needs of business, tourism and consumers. 2. Growing aviation enterprise 3. Maximising the contribution of the aviation sector to Ireland’s economic growth and development Goal 3 is incompatible with other areas of government policy, in particular in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. Goal 3 also encourages the aviation sector to behave in ways which are contrary to the well-being of the citizens of Ireland in the future, as well as to other people outside Ireland likely to be impacted by climate change. Given that commercial aviation fuel is tax exempt, this amounts to a subsidy of tens of billions of euros in Europe annually, and this subsidy should be discussed in the formation of Ireland's new aviation policy.

At COP 28, the Irish government spoke on the news about false solutions, like carbon capture and storage. These insufficient solutions are a distraction and so many people around the world know this truth. As young people, we already know that burning fossil fuels is causing climate change and that fossil fuels are responsible for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. We are the ones that will have to face the climate chaos that we didn’t create. We need to make sure Ireland does not fall into the trap of the fossil fuel industry! Please sign your name and SHARE! Bella, Aya, Zoe, Lucas, Tom, Roisin & Riley! students from North Wicklow Educate Together secondary school

Every 5 seconds in the Amazon, land nearly the size if a football pitch is cut down, just for the use of palm oil! When we reach our 1000 signatures goal, we are going to send this petition onto Nestle, the company that uses the most palm oil in there products in the world

Generations of people have found inspiration in the breaktaking views and enjoyed the scenic walks across the dramatic landscape. People all over Ireland have a deep emotional connection with the iconic Conor Pass and many of us were shocked to discover that it had been in private ownership all this time. Now, you have a chance to do something extraordinary and leave behind a legacy that will enrich and benefit Ireland for generations to come. The Irish government has said that they are interested in buying but would not be able to do so for such a high cost. Despite lots of public support, procurement rules means that the state cannot offer above the market value for a piece of land. The risk is that an international investor will come along, buy the land, and remove public access. The Irish have a very deep and complicated relationship with land and the public loss of such a special area would be devastating. In order to ensure that the Conor Pass can be enjoyed by everybody, for generations to come, we are asking you to enter negotiations with the state to find a way that the ownership of the Conor Pass passes to the Irish public. We are people from all across Ireland, all ages, all walks of life, all religions and none who have come together to make this request of you. Not many people have the opportunity to leave behind such an incredible gift and we are asking you to do everything in your power to make sure that the people of Ireland become the custodians of the Conor Pass. Thank you

If we are going to reverse the consequences of climate change on our planet, we will have to all play our part, town by town, city by city, country by country, starting with our own humble Ballyragget.

Lough Neagh is the largest lake on these islands.  Steeped in history and unique biodiversity, a pollution expert has said that without intervention Lough Neagh will become “a stinking septic tank that’s 400 square kilometres with no lid on it” from which we can no longer draw drinking water.  The owner of the lake-bed makes huge profits by selling licences to sand extraction companies. It's not enough to offer to sell the Lough, it must be given freely over to the peole so that the desecration can stop.

The government buying the Conor pass on behalf of the people would ensure public access to the world-famous site for generations to come. The Conor Pass is a rich cultural and archeological area and has enormous potential for nature restoration. The purchasing and rewilding of this land would show that the Irish government is serious about restoring nature for the benefit of all of us. Leo Varadkar, Malcolm Noonan, and the government have a responsibility to respond to the biodiversity crisis and climate collapse. The restoration of land and ensuring that land is held for the benefit of all should be the primary goal of the government and buying this parcel of land would be a great step towards that.

The sale must be halted to provide a pause to consult stakeholders on the future of the site. The sale contains no conditions for the protection of the factory building and its preservation should be considered on the grounds of the social and architectural significance of the last Briquette factory in Ireland.

As the US dept of Energy points out......"Tires can make a big difference in the number of miles a driver gets to a tank of gas. In fact, 20% to 30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption and 24% of road vehicle CO2 emissions are tire-related. Tires affect vehicle fuel efficiency primarily through rolling resistance....... "Under inflation also increases the rate of wear on tires and are estimated to cause as many as 10 to 25 percent of blowouts......... "A tire that is 20 percent underinflated can increase a vehicle’s fuel consumption by 10 percent. " "because it provides more resistance, causing your car to expend more effort to get going." https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/tires-and-fuel-economy People would be far more inclined to have their tyres checked if it was free and if someone were to do it for them. This was once normal procedure in garages across the country. This could see a huge drop in transport emissions which in the past year saw a 6% rise. We can cut emissions very easily if the will is there. Tyres need to be checked at least once a month for optimum performance. Every sector needs to strive for optimum performance in reducing emissions. Transport can easily reduce theirs with this small and effective action. It is time fossil fuel merchants were asked to do their bit to reduce emissions.