Action 17 of the Green Party’s energy security policy reads: " To create a Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve to protect Ireland in the event of a gas supply disruption as Ireland makes a secure transition to majority renewable energy" under a timeline of "accelerated implementation". This Action was signed off by Minister Eamon Ryan of the Green Party, Action 17 and is a Greenwashed statement that translates as Minister supporting the building of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Put simply, Action 17 has created an opening for a fracked gas import terminal to be built In Ireland. Shannon LNG’s application for a terminal on the Kerry coast has recently been remitted to An Bord Pleanála on the basis that there was no clear policy against LNG, according to High Court Judge Humphreys. The proceedings of the court, specifically in Point 117 refers to Action 17.   The Green Party on entry to the current coalition government, promised policy against LNG  and again in 2021 - but the party didn't deliver on its promises so far. Now time is running out and Action 17, along with the application for Shannon LNG being remitted to Bord Pleanála and the lack of policy against LNG terminals spells just one thing, and that is: "Fracked Gas Imports". Thousands of people came out on the streets against fracking in Ireland for public health reasons. We can't ban fracking in Ireland and then import fracked gas from the US that has poisoned men, women and children across the waters - can we?  To prevent an LNG terminal that imports fracked gas from the US, Green Party members, including its leader Roderic O'Gorman, must URGENTLY put pressure on Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan to revoke Action 17 and implement clear policy against LNG terminals before the government dissolves. 

The climate and biodiversity emergency (and the wider global polycrisis it represents) is entirely different from all other issues in this general election campaign. It is global in scope, raising genuine existential risk for the stability of all human civilisation within the lifetime of young people already of voting age. It transcends and dwarfs the other “conventional” political issues: there can be no enduring solution to housing, healthcare, education, emigration, economic development, peace or justice unless there is a successful response to the climate and biodiversity emergency. For Ireland to play even its minimal fair share in such a global response would now require fundamental and disruptive changes in current political priorities. It is utterly impossible to do justice to this issue without a full debate devoted exclusively to it, and driven by an audience selected explicitly to represent future generations who are entirely reliant on the decisions being made now. "We need to focus every inch of our being on climate change. Because if we fail to do so, then all of our achievements and progress will be for nothing. And all that will remain of our political leaders’ legacy will be the greatest failure of human history. And they will be remembered as the greatest villains of all time because they have chosen not to listen and not to act." - Greta Thunberg, speech to the European Economic and Social Committee, February 2019. [Note: This initiative follows on a previous petition during the #GE2020 election campaign. Image credit: sculpture by Isaac Cordal, "Follow the leaders".] 

From the Causeway Coast to Newcastle, NI Water have discharged sewage into coastal bathing waters across NI for 8,993 hours in 2023. According to the new analysis from the Belfast Telegraph, those pipes are releasing untreated sewage directly into or close to bathing waters that are protected by law. Not only that, NI Water is only monitoring a fraction of the pipes. NI Water needs to first come clean on the amount of sewage it is pumping into our waters. Analysis found in bathing waters in Newcastle found a pipe near the central promenade discharging for 1,532 hours! Testers are discovering forms of bacteria found in human intestines and poo. Swimmers, kayakers, coastal walkers and everyone in society deserve clean and safe bathing water. It is time for NI Water to stop protecting polluters and start protecting our waters and livelihoods. 

We urge decision-makers to reconsider this project and look for sustainable alternatives to meet energy needs while protecting the livelihoods, health, and wellbeing of people in East Galway.  Please sign this petition and support our urgent cause.

We are in a biodiversity crisis, this is the absolute minimum that can be done. Herbicide use is indiscriminate of plant and destroys the remnants of nature in places. We have seen the low numbers of butterflies and bees this year - how can we expect the numbers to increase when we spray the plants and pollinator corridors vital to their life cycles.

Northern Ireland, particularly the Sperrins, is being overwhelmed by wind farms, with insufficient consideration of their drawbacks. The Sperrin region, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), faces the imminent threat of becoming a dumping ground for large, seemingly eco-friendly energy projects. We believe there is currently an unsustainable over-reliance on wind energy development as the primary means to meet renewable energy targets. This over-dependence on wind energy endangers our overall energy security, further diminishes our already shrinking biodiversity and natural heritage, negatively affects community well-being and health, and eliminates fair opportunities and benefits for everyone in our transition to a greener, more sustainable future.

High energy users putting pressure on renewables.

Brigid as the Celtic Goddess of Spring and the Matron Saint of Ireland has been revered for generations yet her 9 day Pilgrimage route from her birthplace in Faughart, Co. Louth through Co. Meath and the Hill of Tara to her monastic community in Kildare is not waymarked. We wish to help encourage the County Councils, Ireland's Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland Tourism Agency, Tourism Ireland and the Dept of Rural & Community Development to provide funding and commission a feasibility study to create signage along the route with an App and a Map. Then Brigid's Way may join her 12 brother Pilgrimages who have been signed for many years (St Kevin's Way, St Declan's Way, Croagh Patrick etc)  Please sign your name and write your location. Spread the word - the more people who sign the quicker anyone can walk this 9 day Pilgrimage themselves similar to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Currently a group of volunteers lead groups once a year and 1 day walks twice a year. We want to make this accessible for everyone.  Dr Karen Ward, on behalf of the Brigid's Way volunteers https://www.uplift.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/image.png

Citibank is facilitating the supply of billions of pounds of Israeli weapons and enabling the slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians. Additionally, they are also funding several fossil fuel companies to drill for gas off Gaza. A report released this week revealed that Citibank is the second biggest funder of oil, gas and coal in the world. By allowing Citibank to sponsor Belfast Pride, Citibank to distract from their destructive business practices and putting the festival's values of inclusivity and freedom into disrepute - this is pinkwashing at its very worst. 

You should join this campaign if you are a believer in sustainable public transport, and wish to see Ireland have a rail network for the 21st century, and not continued investment into Greenways.

We, the undersigned, demand an immediate halt to the proposed Mourne Mountains Gondola project. This ill-conceived venture threatens to irreversibly damage our cherished natural landscape, endanger wildlife habitats, and impose financial burdens on rates payers. We implore the Newry, Mourne, and Down District Council (NMDDC) to reconsider and explore more sustainable alternatives that prioritize environmental preservation and community needs. Reasons for halting the Gondola Project: 1. Lack of public consultation. Despite overwhelming local opposition (as evidenced by our recent poll indicating 77% dissent), the council has proceeded without adequate consultation. 2. Disregard for Alternatives. The council has dismissed viable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternatives in favour of the gondola, demonstrating a concerning lack of consideration for community preferences and environmental impact. 3. Financial risk. The project's secrecy regarding its business plan, coupled with unrealistic user projections and escalating costs, poses an unjustifiable financial risk to ratepayers.  4. Environmental Threats. Its operation threatens sensitive habitats including a Special Area of Conservation and an Area of Special Scientific Interest.  It would endanger wildlife habitats and protected species. 5. Adverse Aesthetic Impact. Pylons, the cableway and quarry centre will mar the pristine beauty of the Mourne Mountains, detracting from the experience of visitors and local people in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 6. Negative Economic Impact. Contrary to promises of local economic benefits, the gondola project is likely to divert money from local businesses. 7. The National Trust, which is the owner of the quarry and the mountain is a conservation organisation and is very unlikely to approve its construction.   8. Weather and seasonal factors. The gondola is projected to operate eleven months a year but factors like high winds and bad weather are likely to drastically reduce the days it can work and generate income.  We urge the NMDDC to heed the voices of the community, prioritize environmental sustainability, and abandon the Mourne Mountains Gondola project in favour of more responsible available alternatives.  Let us preserve the natural beauty of the Mourne mountains for future generations to enjoy.

In 2021, the Bus Éireann route 20/X20 was cancelled, impacting commuters in Galway City and towns such as Craughwell, Loughrea, Aughrim and Ballinasloe. The route was privatised and replaced with the 706/706X route ran by a private company. This route ignored Craughwell, Loughrea and Aughrim and left Ballinasloe with less frequent services. Now in 2024 the private route is being cancelled, with the company saying it is not profitable enough. Public transport is an essential public service and should be ran as such, not left to the whims of private companies.