AnTaisce
The National Trust for Ireland
Spring 2011
€3.00
Economic
progress that
won’t cost
the earth
Articles include
Urban Dereliction
Rural Suicide
Do we need a Property Tax
Sustainable Tourism
Losing our Bog lands
20.08.2011 – 28.08.2011
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AnTaisce 2
An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland
MAIN OFFICE
The Tailors’ Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8
Phone: 01 454 1786 - Fax: 01 453 3255
Website: www.antaisce.org
ADMINISTRATION
Carol O’Connor (Office Manager)
Ph: 01 454 1786 - E: [email protected]
HERITAGE & PLANNING OFFICE
Ian Lumley (Heritage Officer)
Ph: 01 707 7064 - E: [email protected]
Bina Shah (Planning Administrator)
Ph: 01 4541786 - E: [email protected]
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OFFICE
Anja Murray (Natural Environment Officer)
Ph: 01 707 7063 - E: [email protected]
Camilla Keane
Research Officer
Ph: 01 707 7063
E: [email protected]
PROPERTIES & CONSERVATION
OFFICER
John Ducie
Ph: 01 707 7076 - E: [email protected]
ENERGY OFFICER
Elizabeth Muldowney
Ph: 087 282 3842 - E: [email protected]
AN TAISCE ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION UNIT
Unit 5a/b, Swift’s Alley, off Francis St., Dublin 8
Phone: 01 400 2202 - Fax 01 400 2285
Patricia Oliver (EEU Director)
Ph: 01 4002202 - E: [email protected]
Michael John O’Mahony (EEU Assistant Director)
Ph: 087 942380
E: [email protected]
IBAL Anti-litter League
Patricia Oliver (Manager)
Ph: 01 4002202 - E: [email protected]
Green Schools
Cathy Baxter (Manager)
Ph: 01 400 2222 - E: [email protected]
www.greenschoolsireland.org
Green Schools Travel
Jane Hackett (National Manager)
Ph: 01 400 2215
E: [email protected]
Green Home
Dorothy Stewart (Manager)
Ph: 01 400 2218 - E: [email protected]
www.greenhome.ie
National Spring Clean
Ian Diamond
Ph: 01 400 2219
E: [email protected]
www.nationalspringclean.org
Coastal Programmes Manager
(Blue Flag & Clean Coasts)
Annabel FitzGerald
Ph: 01 400 2210 - E: [email protected]
Green Communities Officer
Emlyn Cullen
Ph: 01 400 2212
E: [email protected]
Greening Communities Manager
From the Editor...........Judy Osborne
S
o a new government has taken over the reigns of the country and
so far is confident and energetic. But are their efforts directed
towards doing what we have always done, even if better?
How can the old ways work and sustain us into a radically different future dominated by climate change and resource depletion?
And not forgetting the economy stupid! Talk of debt and
austerity fill our airwaves with little talk of what sort of society
we want our economy to provide, and no talk of whether proposals for growth will undermine the long term productivity of our supporting ecosystems or damage our built and natural heritage.
An Taisce has a different view of the future, recognizing that some radical reforms
are needed. The magazine has touched on environmental economics before and
this issue keeps this as an underlying theme. Articles by James Nix and Hans
Diefenbacher question whether growth deserves the attention we give it and Ian
Lumley’s experience of planning for tourism gives cause for concern. Smart Taxes’
Dara McHugh’s piece on the relevance of Site Value Tax is a counterpoint to an article
by Kevin Duff and myself on urban dereliction that is still a problem despite 20
years of development. Thank goodness for An Taisce’s Greening Communities
scheme described by Michael John O’Mahoney.
Do stay in touch. The website is updated regularly and includes
many of the submissions that clearly elucidate our vision.
Face-book too is there to share the experience of members
and non members. See you there.
CONTENT
4 Urban Dereliction, by Kevin Duff and Judy Osborne.
Can we stop our streets getting run down in the recession?
7 Denial, reform or transformation, by James Nix.
Our fixation on growth is perverting our response to current economic problems.
10 Growth and Progress, by Hans Diefenbacher.
How a National Well Being Index could change our choices
12 Do we need a property tax?, by Dara McHugh.
Taxes aren’t all bad. Site Value Tax has much to commend it.
13 Arklow Rock in Wicklow is saved by An Taisce’s appeal
14 Isolation in rural Ireland, by Gavin Daly.
Suicide is now ‘rampant’ in rural Ireland. Why would that be?
16 Health or Heat?, by Ian Lumley
What future for tourism in an age of peak oil and climate change
19 The economic importance of Ireland’s natural heritage,
by Lorcan O’Toole of the Golden Eagle Trust.
20 Greening communities, by Michael John O’Mahoney.
Practical solutions from An Taisce’s Education Unit.
22 Why do we care so much about the bogs, by Anya Murray.
Can we afford to destroy rare habitats?
25 Wetland environments and the past, by Dr. Mark Clinton.
Archeological sites in wet environmnets offer unique insights into our heritage.
Ph: 01 400 2202 - E: [email protected]
26 Music room Reflections, by Aine Nic an Riogh.
A study of music rooms in country houses
President of An Taisce The National Trust
for Ireland
28 Fleeing Vesuvius, by Andy Wilson.
What could we do – before it’s too late! A review of a collection of essays from Feasta.
Magazine design by Nick van Vliet Design
30 Other book reviews
Bridin Mulhall
Prof. John Sweeney - c/o [email protected]
An Taisce
3
In the last 20 years Ireland has become cleaner, tidier and
more colourful than before but what about the future?
In the last 20 years Ireland has become
cleaner, tidier and more colourful than
before. With concerns that incomes and
profits will decline over the next period,
dereliction is likely to increase - particularly
in main streets with many shops closing,
but can anything be done about this?
O
ne critical aspect in how we
perceive our urban environment
is the condition of shop fronts.
Good design and presentation improves
business for traders in towns and cities
and thus contributes to overall
economic health.
As shops close down, they are frequently
left in an appalling state bringing a
terrible air of desolation to a town.
Would it be so difficult for the window
made to Dublin City Council in February
this year by An Taisce describes some of
the worst examples in the city.
This well-illustrated submission brings
the problems into sharp focus. It can be
seen on the An Taisce website
www.antaisce.org
The current level of
planning enforcement
action is not achieving
results, culminating in
major deterioration
in the quality
of key streets
by Kevin Duff and Judy Osborne
It was recommended that the City
Council needed to appropriately staff
and resource its planning enforcement
section in order to tackle the serious
problems of unauthorised and
non-compliant development in the area.
OK, so the councils are all very busy.
However, following an EU case against
Ireland (Infringement no. 2000/4384,
Case C-215/06 ) the Department of the
Environment has been drafting new
guidelines for local authorities on how
enforcement departments must be
restructured to achieve better results.
There’s no point having a shiny new
RPlanning Act if we cannot enforce.
A street-level view illustrates the chronic signage clutter on Westmoreland Street, Dublin, which is
within an Architectural Conservation Area
at least to be left in some sort of attractive
finish? Do we really need huge dirty ‘for
sale’ signs to tell us that the shop is
available. Couldn’t retail trade organisations
work to encourage their members?
But even the shops that are open could
often be so much better. A submission
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The core finding of the submission was
that the current level of planning
enforcement action was not achieving
results, and that this was resulting in
major deterioration in the quality of key
streets in Dublin 2 which directly adjoin
the tourist areas of Temple Bar, Trinity
College and Dublin Castle.
Removed redundant poles clutter the pavement
in Dublin city centre
Did all this street clutter need to be clustered around this iconic view of the Norman arch to Wicklow’s Black Castle?
Street Clutter
An Taisce's Dublin City Association also
made an interesting study of street clutter
and in particular the number of unused
poles in the streets.At the end of a lengthy
economic boom, the study found that
the public realm of Dublin city centre
was in poor condition. An excess of
utilitarian and poorly- tailored signs and
fixtures blight almost every street, even
in areas of renowned civic and historic
character such as the Georgian squares,
College Green and Dublin Castle environs.
The new Dublin City Development
Plan 2011-17 contained a variety of
objectives to uphold the quality of the
city core as the premier cultural, social
and business district, but this is not the
reality on the ground. Aside from the
degradation of the visual character of the
street, these poles create an obstacle
course for the visually or physically impaired.
A new tourist wayfinder signage scheme
installed by Dublin City Council is of
smart design. However this scheme is
being introduced against a backdrop of
years of uncontrolled clutter and nonremoval of redundant items from the
city's streets. A massive cull of poles and
other fixtures from the streets in Dublin
needs to be made. Other towns have
similar experience.
Look at the picture of one of Wicklow
Town’s iconic views of the Norman arch
in front of the 11th century Black Castle.
The parking restriction sign, the dog litter
bin, the ‘keep your dog on a lead’ sign,
the parking ticket machine and the
general litter bin could all have been
sited a few meters away in the car park.
Why weren’t they? Who would accept
responsibility for this?
The problem of vacant and
deteriorating protected
structures even extends to
major historic landmarks
A letter has been sent to the town clerk
about this. Wish us luck! Poor management
of the public realm will have real impact:
Dublin recently missed out on a UNESCO
World Heritage Site designation for
Georgian Dublin. It is hard to imagine
that the cluttered state of the streets, and
other factors (such as butchery of listed
antique stone paving and setts during
the introduction of a bus gate in College
Green in 2009), were not contributing
factors. Such scenarios are costing towns
and cities in terms of lost revenue and
status.
The poor quality of
pavements
A general lack of concern for the public
realm is a cause of some of the current
problems. For example the importance
of the treatment of pavements is rarely
considered, yet this has a remarkable impact
on the pedestrians' experience of an area.
With this in mind I would personally
express my disappointment that proposals
for taxing chewing gum to pay for cleaning
the streets were dismissed by the
government in exchange for accepting a
charitable donation towards An Taisce’s
Educational Programme. We have still
seen new paving ruined within weeks of
it being laid. An article in the Spring
2007 edition of the An Taisce magazine
dealt with the treatment of historic
stone pavement in Dublin. This can also
be seen on the An Taisce website.
Poor maintenance of
protected structures
There is also a problem with the maintenance
of protected structures which are
commonly left to rot - often with the
intention of going for the easy option of
demolition and redevelopment thus
increase profit from speculation.
It is interesting to note that, at an inquiry
in an Oireachtas Committee in September
2009, the Department of the Environment
officials were unable to say how many
protected structures were in or near to a
state of dilapidation.
The website abandonedireland.com has
some impressive photography of derelict
manor houses.
In Dublin the problem of vacant and
deteriorating protected structures even
extends to major historic landmarks
Johnson-designed former Richmond
Lunatic Asylum at Grangegorman.
Elsewhere in the city, a large section of
the historic streetscape of Thomas Street,
once to be regenerated by the Digital
Hub initiative, lies vacant and semi-derelict,
another victim of the property crash.
However, we should be thinking about
how such historic buildings might be
An Taisce 5
Local authorities have
powers to enforce
compliance with existing
legislation that regulates
dereliction and littering
Aldborough House, the last of the great 18th century mansions to be built in Dublin, lies vacant
and semi-derelict
used, rather than simply left to rot.
In Amsterdam, if a building was abandoned
for more than a year and the landlord
did nothing with it, it could be used by
anyone as a squat or studio space.This
policy operated until very recently and
breathed life back into many
decrepit buildings.
The local authorities have powers, under
the provisions of the Derelict Sites Act
1990, to intervene in these circumstances,
but rarely do so, maybe because nobody
monitors the situation. However, local
councillors could put pressure on their
officials to take action. Another good
example, or should that be a bad example,
is the La Touche Hotel in Greystones.
Planning permission was granted for a
mixed development in 2005, but it never
happened, and the developer went bust.
The beautiful old hotel is now in a terrible
state but nothing has been done about it.
some Litter Wardens and Tidy Towns
Committees etc. there is still a long way
to go. Litter is still strewn along the
roads around the countryside.
Whose job is it to clear this I wonder?
Perhaps this is another example of poor
management practice in local authorities
but property owners can be obliged to
fulfil their duty to pick up along the
boundaries of their land. This is covered
in the Litter Acts.
Some of the mess left around not-quitefinished developments could be a
planning compliance issue. In this case
anyone can report unauthorised
development under section 152 of the
Planning Act. The local authority are
obliged to issue a warning notice and,
since the new Planning and Development
Act 2010, shall issue an enforcement
notice if planning permission cannot be
established. An unfortunate gap in the
Act is that no time lines have been
included for this! And of course what if
the developer has gone? Well, again, a
new manual is being prepared – Unfinished Housing Developments Manual.
It is designed to help with the resolution
of unfinished housing estates, but gives a
helpful outline of measures that could be
taken with other developments too,
including how to trace a run-away developer. A draft of these can be seen
on housing.ie.
The draft highlights a number of actions
that are currently available including
those already mentioned, namely
development controls under the Planning
and Development Act 2000, the
Derelict Sites Act and Litter Acts.
All in all it seems that something CAN
be done about all these issues if only we
can be bothered!
Litter
Litter is a general problem that the
country still hasn’t quite got its head
around. Despite valiant efforts by
An Taisce’s own National Spring Clean,
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The La Touche Hotel. This beautiful building in the heart of historic Greystones was allowed to
fall into disrepair during the most prosperous years of the last decade.
Denial,
Reform or
Transformation
Is economic growth possible? Many environmentalists believe we must
reverse economic growth. James Nix writes that we should instead focus on practical
measures for sustainability.
I
f you’re following climate science
you know we’re hurtling toward
catastrophe. That doesn’t come from
a scientist but from an economist.
Back in 2009 Paul Krugman observed
that in a more rational world the looming
climate disaster would be our dominant
political and policy concern.
“a suicide
pact, an
incineration
pact”described by the
chief negotiator for 77
developing countries at the
Copenhagen summit.
But it isn’t. Our world structures push
us away from rational choices. But before
turning to our choices we might recap
briefly on where we are.
Ocean sea levels have risen by
around one third of a metre over
the last 100 years, a rate expected to
increase over the next century.
Twenty two of the world’s largest fifty
cities are at risk of flooding as coastal
surges become more vociferous,
including Hong Kong, London,
Miami, Mumbai, New York,
Shanghai, St Petersberg and Tokyo.
Climate change impacts in
Ireland and across the
globe
The build-up of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases is creating a
‘blanket effect’ on the globe. It’s a blanket
that grows thicker each year, causing
temperatures to rise slowly, and
exacerbating drought, heavy rainfall and
the severity of other weather-related
events. The UN has become more
definitive with each assessment report.
In 2007 it said “warming is unequivocal,
and most of the warming of the past 50
years is very likely (90%) due to
increases in greenhouse gases”.
In Ireland rainfall will increase 20 per
cent in the northwest but decrease 40
per cent in the south and east, leading to
water shortages, and occasionally, severe
droughts. This will happen inside 45
years according to the Icarus research
unit at NUI Maynooth, which has
published rainfall projections to 2055.
Rising temperatures will reduce the
range of places capable of sustaining
human life. For many developing countries a 2° rise in temperature is
We’re set to run out of
atmosphere before we
run out of oil, gas or coal.
Average global temperatures have
already risen .8 degree since the
pre-industrial era, with higher
increases recorded at the poles of 1.5
to 3 degrees. Because of the inertia
within the earth’s system - energy
retained in the oceans for example we have already stored up additional
warming about which there is nothing
we can do, even if we
stopped
emitting any
further
greenhouse
gases
tomorrow.
James Nix
Can the economy
keep growing
without
undermining the
long term
productivity of the
underlying
eco-system?
An Taisce 7
How much fuel
can we burn?
Without radical intervention the use of
fossil fuels will continue at a pace that
causes dangerous climate change. Put it
another way, we’re set to run out of
atmosphere before we run out of oil, gas
or coal. We can only afford to burn 22
per cent of current fossil fuel reserves
before 2050 if we are to avoid a two-degree
rise. That’s according to a study by
Meinshausen published in the journal
Nature in April
2009. Even studies
that say we could
burn a higher
proportion of
existing reserves
agree with
Meinshausen that a
radical reduction in
fossil fuel
consumption is
required, a
reduction that needs
to happen ever
before resource
constraints make
these fuels
prohibitively
expensive.
succinctly when he said “either capitalism
dies or mother earth dies”, but what
exactly replaces capitalism is not
articulated, or there are a number of
perspectives. The literature rejects the
Denialist view; it doesn’t come down
one way other or the other as between
Reformists and Transformists.
Transformists have tended to argue that
it’s impossible to have annual growth in
the value of goods and services (GDP
growth) while reducing emissions and
meeting other sustainability goals at the
The reasons many environmentalists
back Reformism over Transformism is
that it is the “only viable approach
within the current political and
economic space”, according to Don
Curtain in an article in a recent edition
of the Journal of Sustainable Development.
“Reformism's dominance is grounded in
its support within political and
economic power centres”, and here
Curtain cites the UN’s Brundtland
report and national governments, to
which we could add the
OECD, EU and Japan.
Does the use of
GDP to measure
growth affect
decisions we
take?
Denial,
reform or
transformation
The current political debate focusses on how to get economic growth moving again and rarely
questions what sort of society will evolve from the models we adopt. Shouldn’t we consider
The response to this what sort of society we want and determine what sort of economy will provide that?
An Taisce supports the view that the consideration of heritage, both natural and the built
challenge can be
environment, must play an important part in that debate.
catergorised into
three very broad
categories. There is Denial, which is self
explanatory. Then there is the
Reformist view, which argues that the
current system can be fixed by making
changes. The third view is described as
Transformist – that we need to change
the system, namely capitalism, in order
to achieve sustainability.
Denialism goes hand in hand with
laissez faire – the idea that ‘self-regulating’
markets will deliver the optimum
outcome, in spite of the evidence to the
contrary. Reformism is essentially a
commitment to alter our current
economic system by placing values on
inputs and outputs, and implementing
proper pricing accordingly. Evo Morales
put the Transformist view very
AnTaisce 8
same time. Some transformists go further,
arguing that it’s necessary to decrease
GDP in order to protect our environment,
and use the term Degrowth to describe this.
Some environmentalists
back reformism over
transformism because it is
the “only viable approach
within the current political
and economic space”
Some – but not all - reformists have
tended to argue that it is possible to
persist with increases in GDP so long
emissions and other pollution decrease.
GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) is racked by
shortcomings as a
measure of wealth and
growth but it is difficult
to say how widespread
the awareness is here.
To illustrate these
shortcomings, greater
sales of obesity drugs for
children, more car
accidents, and higher
fuel consumption all
raise GDP – registering
as ‘growth’ – even if all
these things are blatantly
negative in their own
right.
Van den Bergh draws a clear distinction
between highlighting the obvious flaws
in GDP on the one hand, and pressing
for degrowth on the other. He points to
the existence of different types of
degrowth. Reduction in output may not
deliver benefits because the dirty industry
we want to shrink might remain strong;
in other words a commitment to
degrowth doesn’t rule out dirty degrowth.
Similarly, degrowth in consumption is
subject to the rebound effect, for example
where a family with a warmer home
now leave the heating on much more, or
money saved can be spent on something
even more polluting (e.g. aviation).
The concept of degrowth is more of a
re-labelling he argues and doesn’t
provide a prescription for action,
namely, it doesn’t guide us within safe
limits in terms of “relevant substances
and materials, inputs/resources, and
outputs/waste/emissions”.
inherent weaknesses - but he urges us to
leave it at that. If GDP was a poor measure
as it rose, it will also be a poor measure
in declining. And so we should be
agnostic about growth itself, a stance he
terms Agrowth.
GDP is a distorting, debilitating measure
- “the largest information failure in the
world” according to Van den Bergh, and
he leaves us in no doubt about the
amount of work we need to do here:
“GDP affects decisions in many parts
and at many levels of the economy and
thus acts as a systemic barrier to good
policies - in the realm of the environment,
social security, labor markets, income
inequality and poverty, and health and
leisure. If we manage to get GDP
information out of the centre of political
attention we will have removed an
enormous hurdle to good environmental
policies.
We must focus on policy and regulation
to achieve real goals. “Policies should be
set such that we keep within safe
environmental limits. Whether such
policies will then give rise to GDP
growth or degrowth should be irrelevant,
as GDP or GDP per capita is not a good
proxy of social welfare.”
He notes that “effective environmental
regulation is likely to result in GDP
degrowth, or at least during an initial
period of transition, simply because a
large part of economic growth is realized
in sectors which generate much pollution”.
GDP is a distorting,
debilitating measure –
“the largest information
failure in the world”
Drawing attention to the role of fashion
and our propensity to imitate others,
Van den Bergh sees the need to
significantly upscale practical grassroots
initiatives.
So what can we do?
To me our focus must be two-pronged pressing government to act, and also
guiding our own personal behaviour.
Looked at in isolation, the changes will
seem small. Engaging with government
future measures range from expanding
the Green Schools programme, to the
introduction of a packaging levy, to a
greater shift away from burning turf,
coal and other fuels in favour of saving
energy and renewables.
We need to significantly
upscale practical
grassroots initiatives.
On a personal level, we have to look at
what, where and from whom we purchase,
as well as engaging and supporting
practical initiatives. On both fronts a big
debate is being distilled into practical
endeavour. Will it be enough to prevent
catastrophe? Arguably yes, but only if
large-scale socio-cultural change sweeps
quickly in behind a strong initial
movement.
GDP represents the largest
information failure in the world. It has
more impact than many economists and
environmental scientists realize. Witness
the intense media attention for negative
and positive changes in GDP during the
crisis, both when it started and now that
things are getting better in some countries.
It reflects the ultimate priority assigned
to GDP in politics and society at large.”
He points out that economists that
emphasise GDP are typically guilty of
contradiction, saying it is not really that
important as a measure on the one
hand, and also admitting its weakness as
a social welfare indicator, but then on
the other hand, contending that it still
serves a useful purpose.
Growth is irrelevant.
Van den Bergh argues that we should be
critical of those relying on growth as an
indicator simply on the basis of its
What can WE do? For one thing, we have to look at what, where
and from whom we purchase. What are the social and
environmental costs of the products we buy and the choices we make?
James Nix co-ordinates transport and planning policy for the IrishEnvironmental Network (www.ien.ie), where he works on behalf of its 33member organisations, but most particularly for four - An Taisce, Friends of the Earth, Friends of the Irish Environment, and FEASTA,inputting to
policy-making in a joint coalition known as PlanBetter (www.planbetter.ie).
An Taisce 9
Growth and
Progress
Prof. Hans Diefenbacher
photograph by Anne Jessen
Hans Diefenbacher also questions if GDP is the best way to measure progress or if it may
even lead us along the wrong developmentpath.
Q. Why should we invent new ways of measure growth and
welfare? Couldn’t we just use Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
Don’t we know enough about our economy and quality of life
just by regularly consulting this central index, supplemented
maybe by the unemployment rate, the foreign trade balance
and the inflation rate?
A. There are some reasons why this might not be sufficient,
at least not at the beginning of the 21st century.
During the last decades, politicians, the broader public and
the mass media gave GDP ever greater attention. GDP
forecasts, calculated by expert groups and institutes for economic
research, are presented to the general public as if this would
determine the propsperity or hardship of the country: as if the
lives of every single citizen would be dependent solely on this figure.
Following these lines, the perception of the economy has been
increasingly narrowed down to Gross Domestic Product.
Neither economists nor statisticians ever claimed that GDP
figures express the quality of life or the welfare in a given country.
But on the other side, this scientific establishment did not
seriously contradict the increasing use of GDP as an indirect
measure of welfare.
In the meantime it is well known why it can be dangerous to
equate GDP and welfare. GDP is nothing more than a measure
of the economic value exchanged in markets. Household and
voluntary labour in not considered in the calculation of GDP,
neither is income distribution, though these are significant factors
for the welfare of a nation. GDP is also blind in respect to the
question whether production exploits the natural wealth of a
country or whether it follows the patterns of a circular flow
economy.
Most importantly, there is no distinction within GDP between
products that directly increase the welfare of its consumers and
the production of negative external effects that have to be
repaired by other economic activities: for example noise protection
walls or medical treatment to cure illnesses from air pollution etc.
How economic measurement systems
look at these external effects is critical.
When chosing which indicators to use to measure progrress we
must question whether external effects all treated positively, as
does GDP , or are they subtracted to enable a much better
understanding of the welfare aspects of the economy?
In addition we have to consider that a substantial part of costs
that result from current economic decisions will emerge only
far in the future, for example most of the costs of climate change.
AnTaisce 10
In cooperation with Roland Zieschank, Free University of
Berlin, the author of this text has developed a new “national
welfare index“ (NWI) as an alternative welfare measure to
supplement GDP.
A National Welfare Index offers
alternatives
Within a National Welfare Index, private consumption is
weighted by a measure for income distribution.
Household and voluntary labour is added and a number of
social factors are considered, such as public expenditures for
health and education. A number of ecological factors are also
included: the compensation of environmental damages, costs
of air pollution, costs of climate change, costs for the use of
non renewable resources.
If we compare the development of Gross Domestic Product
and the National Welfare Index for Germany, there is cause
for concern. Whereas the GDP is more or less continuously
growing over the last twenty years, the NWI reaches its maximum
around the turn of the century. Since then, it is steadily going
backwards. Important reasons are a significant worsening of
income distribution and negative environmental external effects.
Calculation exercises of this kind are far more than unworldly
academic experiments. Because GDP has become so dominant,
its increase is one of the most important criteria for success.
Politicians focus their instruments on GDP growth. But the
policial system will encounter problems to keep its legitimacy
if it concentrates on indicators like GDP that do not reflect
correctly the reality of the life of the people.
If GDP is growing steadily but these increases do not translate
into welfare gains for the majority of the people because of the
increasing inequality of income distribution the system will
lose its credibility. Sustainable development cannot be
measured by GDP growth or de-growth.
A second argument for supplementing GDP is even more
important. Restructuring the economy so that it would meet
the requirements of sustainable development cannot be
measured by GDP growth or de-growth. There will inevitably
be something like „green growth“. Certain parts of the economy
will have to expand, for example, to make old buildings more
energy efficient or to handle the expansion of renewable energy
production.
But other parts of the economy will shrink; and they will
shrink even more if an increasiung number of people would
explore how an „economy of enough“ could positively effect
their lives.
The net effect is very uncertain – green growth on the one
side, on the other side the reduction of production harmful to
the environment and living up to sustainable consumptuion
patterns. A slow decrease of GDP would be the most likely result.
But how should a politician „sell“ such a strategy if his success
is measured by GDP growth rates?
A political strategy whose purpose would be to increase
Wellbeing has to be completely different from a Gross
Domestic Product growth strategy.
Where should a NWI growth strategy focus? The Well Being
will increase if the income distribution develops towards a more
even distribution,
In Germany, the income situation of the poor had to be improved.
Volunteer labour had to be promoted by the enhancement of
its infrastructure. Above all, the reduction of pollution and a
cutback of the use of natural resources would directly increase
the NWI.
Utopia? For the time being: maybe.
But that GDP could lead us in the wrong direction is a
disquieting thought that entered not only politics but also the
traditional economics and maybe even the official statistics.
It remains to hope that all the commissions and boards
currently working on these topics do not need too long before
they produce results that can be put into practice.
Hans Diefenbacher, born 1954 in Mannheim/Germany, professor (extraordinariate) for economics at the University of Heidelberg, deputy
director of the Protestant Institute for Interdisciplinary Research.
A fairy tree (rowan:
Sorbus aucuparia),
growing on top of a pile
of stones in a bog in the
Blue Stack Mountains,
Co Donegal, as seen in
Programme 5 of Spirit of
Trees TV series (presented
by Dick Warner, produced
and directed by Edward
Milner). This and other
examples of our natural
heritage can be seen in
Edward Milner's book
Trees of Britain and Ireland,
which is to be published
by the Natural History
Museum, London in
September 2011.
An Taisce members may
avail of 20% discount and
free p&p to the UK and
Ireland, so readers will
pay only £16 per copy.
Quote the code NTI/Trees
This offer is only available
from our distributor,
Bookpoint Ltd.
To pre-order the book at
the special price please
call 00 44 1235 827702
or email:
[email protected]
An Taisce 11
Do we need a property tax?
Some taxes are better than others. Site Value Tax does more than raise money.
It can also play an important role in incentivising sustainable development. by Dara McHugh
S
ite Value Tax was included as an
aspect of the Four Year Plan
brokered with the ECB and the
IMF and it is clear that some form of
property tax is necessary to resolve the
unsustainable reliance on stamp duty
revenues. Of any property tax, Site
Value Tax is the best from a planning
perspective; it addresses the perverse
incentives embedded in Irish land use
and provides a rational and fair basis for
planning and development.
In many ways, the Celtic Crash was
exacerbated by the parlous state of property
taxation. Local authorities depended
financially on development as they gain
much-needed income through
development charges and special
contributions. This dependence
(development levies and commercial
rates made up over 30% of some councils’
budgets) lead to an powerful and
problematic pressure to over-zone.
Incentives are similarly skewed for land
ownership. Speculators could hold vast
swathes of zoned land, waiting for the
price to rise to their liking. Those with
land, but without the means or the
inclination to develop have no need to
sell, meaning that urban sites and
properties go unoccupied or underused.
The result of all this? The Irish landscape
is blighted with hundreds of thousands
of excess houses, many in disrepair or
drastically poorly-located. At the same
time, cities have plenty of idle land and
unoccupied buildings. Ireland has
enough zoned land to build over a million
new homes, but attempts to de-zone
have been resisted by councillors and
developers. Despite this glut of overzoning,
local authorities desperately require new
income sources to maintain and develop
infrastructure, with water taxes leading
the list of proposed new charges.
Poor taxation measures contributed to
the mess, and smarter taxes can help sort
it out. Site Value Tax would apply to all
zoned land, whether developed or not.
While zoning fees and development
levies were not connected to service
provision, the value of land definitely is.
it is needed, without contributing to
further urban sprawl.
In many ways, the Celtic
Crash was exacerbated by
the parlous state of
property taxation.
A buildings-based property tax would
lack these advantages. Although it could
make money, it would do little to
encourage the more rational use of land.
Instead of drawing its revenue from the
value added to property by wider
investment, a buildings-based tax
charges owners for developing their land
and improving their buildings. Taxation
should penalise the behaviours we wish
to avoid, not those we should encourage.
This means that local authorities will
want to develop where the services are,
so that existing infrastructure will be
used to capacity, and authorities will
desire to increase revenue through
enhancing services. In this case, Site
Value Tax will offer a clear cost-benefit
analysis for development, as new
infrastructure can, if it is well-planned,
repay its costs through increased site values.
Local authorities will have a powerful
tool for planning and development and
suitable rewards for doing it well.
The existing property taxation regime
contributed to a land market that was
highly lucrative for a small number but
ruinous for the bulk of the country.
With SVT in place, land would cease to
be purely a means for private enrichment
but would be a resource to be used for
the benefit of society at large. With a
revenue stream based on enhancing land
values, local authorities will be freed to
focus on providing services and amenities
to improve their constituents’ quality of
life. Developers would have access to an
Poor taxation measures contributed to the mess of excess houses and ghost estates. Smarter taxes can
help sort it out
www.thehelpfulengineer.com
For landowners and developers, the
incentives are also improved. If idle
zoned land is not likely to turn a profit
quickly, the annual charge will push the
owner towards dezoning. If the owner
can’t develop, but the land is in demand
(in an urban area, for example), they’ll
have a strong inclination to put it on the
market. Development will occur where
invigorated land market and improved
services for their developments. Site
Value Tax isn’t a panacea, but it will ensure that a revitalised land market would
not be the foundation of another
disastrous bubble. Instead, land could be
one aspect of a better Ireland;
sustainable, equitable and innovative.
Dara McHugh is a freelance journalist and the Coordinator of Smart Taxes Network, the research group that develops policy options for financial
and taxation measures to improve sustainability.
AnTaisce 12
Arklow Rock in Wicklow
An Taisce appealed the County Council decision to permit the existing quarry to extend into this important coastal landmark.
An Bord Pleanala accepted the arguments made by An Taisce and requested amendment of the proposal to protect the summit
and surrounding area. The Board’s reasons were stated as "in the interest of visual amenity and recreational amenity in in this
designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to protect the proposed National Heritage Area ..."
Phtograh by Helen Pullen, a Wicklow artist who loves to paint local scenes in watercolour and also produces her own range of cards which can be
found in Kilmantin Art Gallery in Bridge Street, Wicklow. See helenpullen.blogspot.com.”
An Taisce 13
Isolation in
rural Ireland
M
Are we storing up trouble for the future?
uch as in the recent scandals
in the Catholic Church, the
banks or in politics, the
human tragedy of Irish society’s uncanny
ability to consistently and wilfully deny
the truth until it is too late, was typified
in the recent comments of the Offaly
County Coroner, who warned recently
that suicide was now ‘rampant’ in rural
Ireland. The comments echoed those of
the Clare County Coroner and separately by the Kerry County Coroner,
who also highlighted a worrying trend
in the growth in the number of rural
suicides in both counties. The latest
published figures for suicide in Ireland
produced by the Central Statistics Office
show that there were 527 cases, up from
424 in 2009.
Why is the trend in rates of suicide
amongst the elderly rising?
Pointing to newly released figures from
South Kerry, Terence Casey, the Kerry
County Coroner, was particularly
concerned of the rising trend in suicides
in elderly people.
Most of the suicides
recorded in 2009 were in
rural parts of the country
In the past five years older age groups
made up the highest numbers of suicides.
In 2009, four of the 13 suicides were
aged 60 and over; three in the 40-50 age
group and two aged over 30. Provisional
figures for 2010 showed eight verdicts of
suicide were returned. Three of the dead
were people aged 50 to 60. Mr Casey
said it was critically important that society
asked why the trend was changing.
Most of the recorded suicides were in
by Gavin Daly
isolated rural parts of the county where
meeting places like the local pub and the
creamery no longer existed and the mail
was left at collection points rather than the
post office. Loneliness and isolation seems
to be at the heart of the problem.
“There is a gap in social life in rural Ireland.
We have to question the suicide trend in
the older age groups” Mr Casey said.
Of course it is easy to call for people to
question, but will anyone respond?
Historic evidence suggests not.
Irish society is extremely adept at avoiding
such issues which are briskly brushed
under the carpet to ensure the status quo
is maintained until a report in twenty or
thirty years hence finds that in hindsight
society should perhaps have been more
questioning.
Some, including organisations such as
An Taisce, have in the past attempted to
answer questions and draw the link,
www.macmonagle.com
AnTaisce 14
quite logically, between isolated one-off
housing and social isolation.
In the context of an aging population it
has been suggested that the current
laissez-faire approach to isolated one-off
housing is storing up major social costs
for the future. Regardless of your
pre-programmed view on this matter, at
least they are asking questions.
Yet the slightest attempt to challenge
such a sacred cow of Irish rural life is
promptly denounced with cries of Elitism!
Big-Brotherism! Despotism! Fascism!
and the like. Ironically this sentiment is
no more keenly felt than in the South
Kerry region, the home of the Healy-Rae
dynasty, who have been vocal opponents
of those who dare to question the
wisdom of unfettered rights of local
people to build on their own family
land. Like many rural regions, one-off
rural housing has long been a key source
of political capital in South Kerry.
The political value of this fiercely
guarded right-to-build is self-evident.
Securing planning permission essentially
amounts to a massive windfall gain for
the fortunate landowner while the
inflated costs – in infrastructure and
service provision – are transferred to
everyone else. For a politician at local or
national level, this rich source of local
political capital fits neatly with short
election cycles, wider conservatism and
the large land owning class in Ireland.
Since 2001, 170,000 planning permissions
have been granted planning permission
in Ireland. One-off houses are defined
by the CSO as detached houses in rural
areas with an individual septic tank or
other individual sewerage treatment system.
While many rural politicians rebuff the
CSO statistics on the basis that they
may include individual houses built in
urban areas, the empirical evidence
available to all but the most biased
observer would indicate that we are
continuing to build a significant
proportion of our housing stock in
isolated and sparsely populated rural
areas. For many, halting population loss
and ensuring the continuance and
regeneration of rural communities has
always been the overriding imperative
and justifies all new development in
rural areas.
The setting is idyllic and the new houses for sale. Will new occupiers think of the future or be
tempted by the beauty of the location?
This understandable rationale has
become even more acute with the return
of emigration and mass unemployment
which has disproportionately affected
rural areas.
But at what cost? The National Council
on Aging and Older People has estimated
that by 2021 the number of males aged
over 65 will have increased by over 70%.
The corresponding figure for females is
over 50%.
The current
laissez-faire approach to
isolated one-off housing is
storing up major social costs
for the future
The counties with the highest projected
increases are predominantly in the western
half of the country – the region where
the proliferation of existing and new
isolated rural dwellings is at its greatest.
It is clear therefore that more and more
older people will be living in isolated
rural areas. The customary repost from
rural politicians is to call for greater
investment in rural social services,
expand rural public transport and
maintain rural postal services.
But who pays? These services are
notoriously expensive to provide and
have always been on the edge in terms of
viability. In an age of fiscal austerity
maintaining investment in such services,
which are a lifeline for many rural
communities, will be increasingly difficult
if not impossible. But the public
exchequer and social costs are not the
only concern. A recent report by
the Vincentian Partnership for Social
Justicefound that a large number of
rural-dwellers cannot afford a minimum
essential standard of living if they are on
social welfare or the minimum wage.
The report found that rural households
need between €70 and €109 more than
their urban counterparts, depending on
the type of family, to reach an essential
minimum standard of living.
The report found that when housing
costs were excluded, the two biggest
factors adding to costs of living in rural
areas were transport and food.
The inflated transport costs were due
the necessity of many rural households
to have two cars making them highly
susceptible to rising oil prices.
With energy prices anticipated to inflate
significantly over the coming decades, it
is clear that the collective blind spot of
the body politic to the long-term issues
associated with one-off housing will
mean that rural families will be forced to
face many additional challenges even
long before they reach old age.
However, a steadily fed diet of
exaggerated self pity and paranoia about
‘them up in Dublin’ will mean that they
may never stop to question.
Gavin Daly is a Chartered Town Planner and former Special Advisor to the Government on Planning & Climate Change. He is currently managing
'This Place Matters' community capacity building project for An Taisce to encourage greater community participation in the planning process..
An Taisce 15
Health or Heat
Outdoor recreation is a key part of health and well being in a society, and tourism has
a role to play in our economy - but can we continue to rely on air travel?
by Ian Lumley. An Taisce’s Heritage Officer
S
ince its foundation in 1948,
An Taisce has promoted outdoor
recreation which remains a core
concern of National Trusts across the
world. In his 1948 Radio Eireann address
An Taisce founder Robert Lloyd Praeger
referred to ‘the provision of open spaces
large and small for the health and
enjoyment of the people’. The early
campaign work of An Taisce focused on
the protection of Bray and Howth Heads,
the Wicklow Uplands and the Killarne area.
An Taisce can play a lead role, both at
home and abroad in the promotion of
tourism and outdoor recreation.
The imagery used by Failte Ireland in its
current campaigns is based on the quality
of landscapes and attractive towns and
villages.
The focus of An Taisce’s involvement
in planning during the boom years was
to protect this legacy, for which we were
often attacked by vested development
interests.
AnTaisce 16
Outdoor recreation is a key part of
health and well being in a society where
sedentary suburbanised lifestyles prevail.
It brings understanding of the wealth of
the natural world, the changes in season
and our and dependence on a healthy
environment and stable climate.
Future tourist development
and visitor promotion
must now focus on climate
and resource protection.
The high level of energy consumed by
aviation, cruise liners and recreational
travel is no longer tenable.
In his 1948 Radio Eireann
address An Taisce founder
Robert Lloyd Praeger
referred to ‘the provision of
open spaces large and small
for the health and
enjoyment of the people’
In common with environmental NGO’s
across the world An Taisce has taken a
strong stand against air travel growth.
We opposed both the Dublin Airport
northern runway and Terminal 2 projects.
An Taisce has also made legal complaint
on the EU approved subsidy of 6
regional Irish airports including Knock
and Sligo for flights to Dublin, something
which has been partially addressed in
cuts to date.
The proposal to extend Sligo airport to
accommodate longer distance jets by
pushing the runway out to the sea, was
knocked out by a legal challenge, and
hopefully will not now proceed.
The climate pollution emissions from a
single transatlantic flight are greater on a
per capita basis than the yearly impact of
a native of sub Saharan Africa.
The Kyoto Protocol failed to address or
even quantify shipping and aviation
emissions nor is there any political will
to confront this in future agreements.
The emissions from a longer cruise liner
trip are as problematic as a plane trip and
are usually linked to air travel to and
from the cruise start and return port.
Can we market walking
trips as eco-tourism if it
depends on travellers who
are multi-annual flyers?
The widespread marketing of everything
from African safaris to Irish walking
trips as ‘eco tourism’ is a paradox if it is
dependant on long distance aviation, or
if it is targeting travellers who are multi
annual flyers.
Over the last decade
tourism in Ireland has
been fuelled by building
tax relief rather than any
real strategy.
Schemes for the upper and middle
Shannon counties and seaside holiday
resorts were accompanied by poor
planning control and a uncritical local
attitude to development.
A concern for emissions is not the only
reason to reverse Ireland’s current tourist
dependence on aviation. The future cost
of fossil fuel is unpredictable and the
range of subsidies for aviation including
fuel tax evasion, are no longer tenable.
The 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption
also showed the vulnerability of jet aviation
to natural events. For a range of reasons
there is a particular urgency for Ireland
to develop a more carbon and time efficient
link between Ireland and the UK.
An Taisce took a major role in successfully
appealing some of the most
inappropriately located developments
notably around Lough Allen and the
Shannon to An Bord Pleanala.
This requires the development of new
low emission cross channel ferries to
Britain and the continent and the
continuation of the electrification of the
London to Holyhead line from Crewe
through Wales. This should be a
national transport priority with support
sought from the UK Government.
All too often An Taisce is portrayed in
political or media comment in negative
terms but the vision is simply to protect
the natural and culteral environment
that has served the country so well.
There is an urgency to
develop a more carbon and
time efficient link between
Ireland and the UK.
The tax relief given to hotel development
was a contributing part to the unsustainable
Irish construction boom and property
collapse.
The Irish Hotels Federation
commissioned a report establishing that
the country now has a surplus of hotel
bedroom capacity of 15,000 spread
widely across the country. Many of these
are in poorly designed 4 or 5 storey
blocks located on surface car parks near
road interchanges outside urban areas
and have undermined the viability of
traditional town centre hotels.
Golf courses and casinos
are popular projects for
development.
The tax schemes also fuelled the
development of golf resorts which damage
the character of major country house
estates. In the last few years An Bord
Pleanala has shown a more progressive
attitude towards the protection historic
landscapes such as in its overturn of the
scheme for Palmerstown demesne,
County Kildare. Most recently An Bord
Pleanala refused permission for a large
scale hotel north of Omeath in County
Louth on the basis of its adverse
landscape impact on a wide area of
Carlingford Lough and views from
County Down.
An Taisce 17
The most controversial proposal of the
last year has been the ‘Tipperary Venue’
for a Las Vegas type casino, a full scale
replica of the White House, 15,000 seating
capacity event venue and a new race
course which would lead to the closure
of 3 existing venues in Munster.
The scheme could not possibly be a
more inappropriate model for tourism
in Ireland. An Taisce was the leading
appellant against the scheme, arguing
that tourism and recreational development should focus on the existing natural
and cultural endowment. A decision
from An Bord Pleanala is awaited.
The Tipperary Venue with race course
casino, and concert venue is based on the
concept of encouraging what one of the
promoters called ‘high flying’ visitors from
across the globe. The site is deliberately car
based, located off the M8, in the middle of
County Tipperary with over 8,000 parking
spaces. An extensive facility for helicopters is
also provided.
Another problematic proposal also
linked to a likely casino application is
for a Dubai type indoor ski slope beside
Dundalk Racecourse. This application is
still with Louth County Council.
The challenge for the
future is to better promote
Ireland for tourism and
outdoor recreation both
within the country and to
our nearest neighbours.
A proposal for a national cycle network
have now been put forward by the
National Roads Authority and needs to
be given priority over further over scaled
road investment. A good example has
been set by the cycling/walking route
created on the abandoned Achill railway
line between Newport and Mulranny in
County Mayo, which is now being
AnTaisce 18
Dundalk race course casino and ski slope. Despite an appeal by An Taisce An Bord Pleanala
has recently permitted this development. Apart from the specific issue of site impact and site
suitability An Taisce do not consider that this proposal is strategically appropriate or sustainable. The material resource consumption and level of greenhouse gas emissions generated by
transport to the venue indicate that the proposal is based on a failed international development
model which does not address the needs of the next generation. The current period of development slowdown provides an opportunity ensure that planning and investment priorities in Ireland for the future are appropriately directed.
extended. The leadership for rural
recreational tourism is best achieved by
fostering local co-operative and
community initiatives, such as the example
lead in the Ballyhoura Hills area in
County Limerick.
A proposal for a national
cycle network has now
been put forward by the
National Roads Authority
and needs to be given
priority over further over
scaled road investment.
Future tourism development will be
detrimental unless a progressive
reduction in current levels of transport
greenhouse gases are achieved.
This means less short trips particularly
city breaks, more longer trips, more
home tourism and more travel between
countries nearer each other than further.
There are many areas of economic
development and resource consumption
that have to be curtailed if we are to
maintain a living planet.
Outdoor recreation tourism based on
low fossil fuel consumption and emissions in both travel and accommodation
does is one of the areas where growth is
desirable.
Walking, trekking, cycling and canoeing
and other outdoor activities for different
ages and abilities can be managed with
low environmental impacts and achieve
multiple benefits in health, well being,
environmental protection and maintenance of local economies. An Taisce can
play a positive role in promoting this.
The Economic Importance of Ireland’s Natural Heritage.
What are the facts?
The Annual Visitor Attraction List
The visitor attraction figures compiled by Fáilte Ireland for 2009 list Muckross House (95,773), Glendalough Visitor Centre
(80,336) and Glenveagh Castle (50,871) among the important visitor attractions nationally.
Presumably, these figures are solely based on ticket sales at these locations within each National Park. The Annual Visitor
Attraction list also include non fee paying attractions and the much larger visitor numbers to these National Parks are not listed,
Hopefully the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be able to draw attention to the National Park Network, by name in the
2010 list and highlight that the overall National Park figures, even if just estimates, which are at least 200,000 visitors more
than presented in the 2009 list. Indeed it would be helpful if the visitor figures from the other National Parks were added to the
2010 list as well. it is likely that Killarney National Park and Wicklow National Park visitor numbers might be among the top
ten free attractions list in Ireland!
Fáilte Ireland Tourism Facts
Hiking and Cross Country Walking is the commonest activity noted amongst holidaymakers (830,000) and was over four times
more important than the next commonest activity listed, Golfing (143,000). Indeed amongst oversees holidaymakers it was
almost five times more important than the second commonest activity.
The importance of beautiful scenery, natural unspoilt environment and a good range of natural attractions are shown as three of
the 8 most important issues for visitors. Thes results underpin the importance of the role of the National Parks and Wildlife
Service in both their National Park and general habitat management.
23% of domestic holiday makers visited National Parks – and that this was the third commonest activity amongst domestic
holidaymakers.
Executive summary of the MillwardBrown Landsdowne survey for Fáilte Ireland.
The findings in this document have a slightly different emphasis but it again emphasises the importance of beautiful scenery,
natural unspoilt environment and good range of natural attractions
The importance of Nature, Wildlife and Flora are shown as having a particular resonance with German and French visitors.
[German and French visitors are the 3rd and 4th commonest nationalities coming to Ireland (after British and USA citizens),
totalling 798,000 visitors in 2009
An Bord Bia’s Performance and Prospects Report 2010-2011
An Bord Bia published the overall Agri-Food sector sales figures for 2010 in January 2011. The increase in the level of
Agri-Food exports in 2010 was a significant positive economic news story, in light of current circumstances, and deservedly
garnered widespread positive media coverage.
The only reference to its branding and marketing in the entire 40 page document states:
“Brand propositions and sets of values have been developed for consumer and trade testing in six
international markets. These propositions occupy different and distinctive territories, linked with the
essence of Ireland’s reputation, and are credible tosupport a “we are natural and we can prove it” brand promise.”
Summary
It would seem reasonable to state that the two key drivers of any potential economic rural recovery use Ireland’s ‘Natural Image’
as a key selling point. Crucially, it was the Agri-Food and Tourism sectors themselves that have identified this Natural Image of
Ireland, among potential markets, as vital. Rural communities deserve and expect to maintain and enhance both their incomes
and local job opportunities. Senior managers in Rural Development have previously outlined the distrust between the
Agriculture and Environment pillars, both in Ireland and across Europe.
This new understanding of the importance of Ireland’s Natural Image abroad, may present an opportunity to
establish better communications and synergies between the Tourism, Agri-Food and Environmental sectors,
in order to advance mutually beneficial practices. Linking these vital rural economic drivers with our
landscape and nature may allow the wider rural communities to find agreed solutions and shared benefits.
Lorcán O Toole / Golden Eagle Trust / www.goldeneagle.ie
Golden
Eagle
Trust
An Taisce 19
Greening &
Green
Communities
in Ireland:
starting to
join up the dots
O
ver the last three years the
Environmental Education Unit
has been developing the idea of
a “Green Community” in a number of
new programmes.
Green Communities
The Green Communities Programme is
funded by a grant from the European
Regional Development Fund Interreg
4A Ireland Wales Programme and is
operated jointly by the An Taisce
Environmental Education Unit in Ireland
and Keep Wales Tidy in Wales.
Previously, the Education Unit has
worked very successfully with Keep
Wales Tidy on the initiation and
development of the Clean Coasts
Programme through Interreg funding.
The Interreg funding of the Green
Communities Programme will end in
September 2011. However, it is envisaged
that due to the success of the programme
further funding can be secured to
continue and develop the programme.
The initial development of the programme
was based on the fact that many
community and voluntary groups were
actually, through no fault of their own,
undertaking environmental enhancement
activities that were high impact on both
biodiversity and climate change.
This was mainly due to the counterintuitive nature of these subjects and a
lack of appropriate knowledge.
AnTaisce 20
The aim of the programme
is to work with community
groups to enhance local
biodiversity whilst
minimising the carbon
footprint of group activities
Typical examples would include overuse
of herbicides and pesticides, overmanagement (cutting) of green areas,
selection of non-native plants for
enhancement projects, using potable
The Environmental Education
Unit of An Taisce has been
involved in environmental
education and management
programmes since the 1990’s.
These include international
and national programmes such
as the Blue Flag, Green-Schools,
National Spring Clean,
Green Home, Clean Coasts
and Green Campus.
When these programmes and
others such as Tidy Towns are
combined at a community level
it gives the initial foundation
of a “Green Community”.
by Michael John O’Mahoney
mains water for watering of plants
instead of collecting rainwater and not
making full use of information &
communication technology to minimise
waste and improve communication for
the group. The primary aim of the
programme is to work with volunteer
community groups in Ireland and Wales
to actively enhance local biodiversity
while also minimising the carbon
footprint of group activities. This is
undertaken by training, facilitation, best
practice exchange and small scale funding.
Green-Communities could be probably
bettered described as Green Community
Groups. Currently there are 85 groups
LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO PATRICIA OLIVER
Patricia Oliver receiving a mirror set in bog oak from members of the Donegal Association of
An Taisce “In recognition of her achievement in founding the Education Unit of An Taisce and in
particular for bringing the Green Schools programme to Ireland.”
Pictured are from left: Patricia Oliver, Eithne Diver, Niall Foley, May McClintock, Una Cronin,
Mary Gallanagh-McBride, P.J.Corry and Mary Monaghan.
working on the programme in SE Ireland.
These include Tidy Towns Groups,
Residents Associations, Youth Groups,
Sports Groups, Local Development
Groups, Community Gardens, Allotments,
Community Councils, Addiction
Groups, Lone Parent Groups and Asylum
Seekers Groups. These are undertaking
actions such as dealing with invasive
species, biodiversity enhancement,
training, community gardening and
Coastcare. Overall one of the largest
areas of interest for Green-Communities
Groups is the area of community
gardening and allotments.
In essence the Irish Greening
Communities programme aims to be
two fold; firstly enhance coordination
and collaboration between the public,
private, non-governmental and voluntary
sector organisations in the area of
environmental sustainability in Ireland;
and secondly provide support and help
to empower individuals, communities,
businesses and institutions to adopt
more environmentally sustainable habits
and behaviours, in the most economically
efficient manner possible. In short a
synchronous top-down, bottom-up cost
effective approach.
Greening Communities
The Greening Communities
programme aims to
enhance coordination
between the public, private,
and voluntary sector
and to empower individuals,
communities, businesses
and institutions to adopt
more environmentally
sustainable habits
A national conference ‘Greening Irish
Communities’ was held on the 27th
April 2009 at Farmleigh, Dublin.
The conference was co-hosted by the
Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government and An
Taisce. This conference provided a valuable
platform to showcase some existing
initiatives that could form the foundation
for a Green Communities Programme in
Ireland. After this conference the
Environmental Education Unit of An
Taisce was funded by the EPA to
co-ordinate and develop a Greening
Communities Programme. In October
2010 a co-ordinator was appointed to
undertake this role.
The programme will also form an
overarching environmental management
and accreditation framework for applicable
existing and future environmental and
community programmes and structures
in Ireland. The accreditation will provide
a structure and framework for the
programme to be implemented.
It would also provide a valuable baseline
for Local Authorities and community
groups to develop the programme.
Since the appointment of the co-ordinator
the baseline mapping and evaluation of
all applicable projects has taken place
and the certification and accreditation
process is well on the way to being
developed. The programme will also
undertake a number of pilots to
demonstrate how to green a community.
The pilots are (1) Wexford Opera Festival
– looking at ways to green such an event
and engage the wider community in the
process (2) Docklands, Dublin – looking
at ways to green a large scale business
administration hub (3) Frenchpark, Co.
Roscommon – getting best practice and
lessons learnt from an already green
community (4) Communo-Gardening in
Co. Wicklow – developing a model for
better systems of community gardening.
Overall the Green-Communities
programme will form a large component
of the overall Greening Communities
Programme. The baseline mapping has
indicated that Education Unit
Programmes such as National Spring
Clean, Green-Schools and Coastcare
provide a very strong and fundamental
framework to a Green Community.
Pictured at the Green Communities website (www.greencommunitiesproject.org) launch at South Circular Road Community Garden;
L-R Deirdre McGovern (Green Communities Officer, An Taisce), Seoidín O'Sullivan (South Circular Road Community Garden), Trevor Sargent
TD, William Brennan (South Circular Road Community Garden), Emlyn Cullen (Green Communities Officer, An Taisce).
An Taisce 21
Why do we care
so much about
the bogs?
T
by Anja Murray. An Taisce’s Natiral Heritage Officer
he government has established
an independent non-statutory
Peatlands Council “to respond to
commitments set out in the Programme
for Government and to assist Ireland in
responding in a strategic way to the
requirements of the EU Habitat’s Directive
which requires Ireland to protect and
conserve important peatland habitats”.
Ian Lumley of An Taisce has been
elected as the representative of the Irish
Environmental Network to this council.
Habitats we must protect
The Habitats Directive sets out how
each member state selects and safeguard
habitats and species to ensure the long
term survival of Europe’s most valuable
and threatened species and habitats.
A legal warning letter
was issued to Ireland
earlier this year.
Since it came in to being in 1992 the
implementation of the Habitats Directive
has been hugely problematic in Ireland.
The obligation to implement democratically
agreed European Law has been
hampered by conflict and a high degree
of politicisation, exacerbated by poor
communications, widespread
misunderstanding and misrepresentation
of the facts surrounding many
conservation issues and opposition from
influential sectors of the electorate.
Ireland’s response to
international criticism
Ireland’s response during almost 20 years
of the Habitats Directive has been
characterised by delayed implementation;
resistance from various authorities to set
up proper procedures to protect species
and habitats that are listed in the
annexes of the Directive; and emaciation
of nature conservation authorities of the
resources needed to address the issues
face on. As a result, Ireland ranks last of
the EU 15 for State of progress by
The obligation to implement democratically agreed European Law has been hampered by conflict and a high degree of politicisation, exacerbated by
poor communications, widespread misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the facts surrounding many conservation issues and opposition from
influential sectors of the electorate.
AnTaisce 22
Peat bogs and flood attenuation
Recent research commissioned by
An Taisce about the role of various
types of wetlands in flood
attenuation points to the vegetation
cover on peat bogs affecting the
extent to which peat bogs
potentially attenuate flooding by
slowing down overland water flow
from hillslope into channels.
Drain blocking has also been found
to reduce the flood peak of some
types of flood event. However this
is a complex process with many
variables affecting the extent to
which bogs do or no not contribute
to flood attenuation thus consideration
of the role of bogs and other
wetlands in flood attenuation
requires careful consideration.
‘The Use of Wetlands for
Flood Attenuation’ DRAFT Report,
February, 2011 produced by
Aquatic Services Unit, UCC for An Taisce
Member States in reaching sufficiency
for implementation of the Habitat
Directive. There are 35 cases currently
open against Ireland for failure to transpose
or implement EU environmental law,
including numerous cases for our failure
to protect species and habitats under
both the Birds and Habitats Directives.
So why do we care so
much?
coloured Sphagnum mosses that typify
bogs. Bog rosemary, cranberries, bog
myrtle and bog cotton, all characteristic
Previous editions of this magazine have
highlighted the various ecosystem values
of bogs. Irish Bogs are a huge long term
store of carbon and play an important
role in combating climate change by
actively removing carbon from the
atmosphere (irish bogs sequester 57,402
tonnes of carbon per year).
When damaged, for example by turf
cutting, this role is reversed and bogs
release greenhouse gasses, contributing
to climate change. Domestic peat
extraction, turf cutting, is one of the
greatest threats to protected peat bogs.
Because of the very nutrient poor status
of waterlogged peat, raised bogs contain
wonderful flora and fauna that have had
to adapt to the extreme conditions to
survive there. Many are found nowhere
else. Sundew, for example, has sticky little
tentacles that catch little insects which
the plant then eats by secreting an enzyme
to digest the insect. Three different
types of sundew live among the brightly
of raised bogs, also have amazing adaptive
strategies. It is the remarkable
characteristics of bog ecosystems and the
rate of their loss throughout Europe
from over exploitation that gives rise to
their inclusion in Annexes of the
Habitats Directive.
What’s the situation today
Raised bogs are a priority habitat,
requiring particular protection because
their global distribution largely falls
within the EU and they are in danger of
disappearance. Intact active raised bog
is extremely rare in Ireland having
decreased in area by over 35% in the last
10 years. Their conservation status in
Ireland is officially ‘bad’. There are 55
raised Bog SACs in Ireland and 75
raised bog NHAs which are among the
best examples of the tiny portion of
raised bog habitats left in Europe.
Another chapter in this
long running saga is the
setting up of this
‘Peatlands Council’
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the
Gaeltacht, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, T.D.,
who now has charge of the National
Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS has
been moved from its former home in the
Department of the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government),
recognises the need for Government “to
bring an effective end to turf-cutting on
31 raised bog SACs from 2010”.
Concurrent with this is the initiation of
further legal proceedings from the European
Commission, with a legal warning letter
issued to Ireland earlier this year.
© Margaret Oomen ~ resurrectionfern.typepad.com
Because of the very nutrient poor status of waterlogged peat, raised bogs contain wonderful flora
and fauna that have had to adapt to the extreme conditions to survive there. Many are found
nowhere else. Three different types of sundew live among the brightly coloured Sphagnum mosses
that typify bogs.
An Taisce 23
The major cause of the loss and degradation
of this priority habitat type is domestic peat
cutting. Continued turf cutting is not
compatible with the conservation of
these sites.
Hand and mechanised turf
cutting
Successive governments have postponed
action on ceasing turf cutting on
protected bogs despite turf cutting being
directly contrary to legal and ethical
obligations to protect the remainder of
this habitat type.
Unofficial ‘derogations’ were permitted
by successive governments to allow
continued turf cutting and in 2010 the
government was to bring an effective
end to turf cutting on 31 of the raised bog
SACs and on a further 24 SACs from
the end of 2011. Again turf cutting has
continued throughout this time.
The decline in hand cutting of turf over
the last few decades has been offset by an
increase in mechanised turf cutting.
Mechanised cutting involves intensification
of drainage of both the cutover bog and
the high bog and is considerably more
destructive of the protective bog habitat.
Very little hand cutting continues any more.
As contactors are used to carry out the
mechanised cutting it is difficult to
distinguish this practice from outright
commercial (as opposed to domestic)
exploitation.
A voluntary purchase scheme was put in
place in 1999 until January 2004, and then
a second scheme was put in place in 2004
offering €3,500 per acre for the first acre
of raised bog and €3000 per acre thereafter
for purchase of freehold, or purchase of
turbary rights only at a rate of 85% of this.
Alternative options include a
comprehensive programme
to insulate the affected
homes and comprehensive
support to manage wood
lots for ongoing supply
of alternative
carbon neutral fuel
Many of the plots being purchased under
this latter scheme were not being actively
cut, while cutting and associated habitat
damage continued even in the most
sensitive areas of designated bogs.
Another commitment was made by
government to allow continued cutting
on their plots for ‘up to ten years’ (i.e.
2013). Alternative options put forward
by An Taisce in 2009 include that in
addition to the basic compensation
package a comprehensive programme of
high quality insulation of the affected
homes be undertaken in addition to
comprehensive support for the establishment
of sustainably managed wood lots for
ongoing supply of alternative carbon
neutral fuel. A range of options to cease
turf cutting have been examined by
government, and the scientific advice is
that “immediate cessation of turf cutting
on all SAC’s and NHAs is recommended
as the most appropriate from a nature
conservation perspective. The phasing
out approach…will involve further losses
of priority habitat in the medium term
and a permanent significant decrease of
the potential to restore such habitats”.
The report goes on to state that “although
this option will result in the highest
short-term economic cost, all the other
options have similar or larger economic
costs in the medium term”.
It is the remarkable characteristics of bog ecosystems and the rate of their loss throughout Europe from over exploitation that gives rise to their inclusion
in Annexes of the Habitats Directive.
AnTaisce 24
Wetland Environments
and the Past
Bogs and wetlands are so much a part of Ireland, both in terms of identity and perception.
Their loss would go a lot deeper than the mere disappearance of an element of the
Irish landscape. by Dr. Mark Clinton Chairman of An Taisce’s National Monuments and Antiquities Committee
T
he Bog Bodies exhibition
currently on show in the
National Museum in Kildare
Street reawakens us to the vast wealth of
archaeological material that lies in our
wetland environments. The level of
preservation afforded by these
environments is wonderfully illustrated
in the facial expressions, hairstyles and
even fingernails of Old Croghan and
Clonycavan Man. Ranking in importance
with these two recent discoveries was the
Psalter also found in a bog and currently
undergoing the preservation process.
Major discoveries from our wetlands is
nothing new. The 19th and early 20th
centuries provided a steady stream of
archaeological finds from the bogs.
These ranged from votive offerings to
objects casually lost.
In 2007 Aidan O’Sullivan of the Department of Archaeology in UCD
published ‘Exploring past people’s
interactions with wetland environments
in Ireland’ in the Journal of the Royal
Irish Academy (Vol. 107c, pp. 147-203).
In this comprehensive study many
observations of concern to us were
made. As he noted: ‘People have engaged
with Ireland’s wetland environments
since the earliest times, leaving a unique,
fragile and valuable archaeological and
environmental legacy’.
Many people are probably unaware of
the range of discoveries that have been
made in our wetlands. These range in
diversity from perfectly preserved
wooden carriageways to Early Historic
period crannógs , slabs of ‘bog butter’,
fish traps, basketry, and a wide range of
tools and weapons. As O’Sullivan puts it:
‘Archaeological sites in wet environments
in Ireland and elsewhere are also
empirically valuable and arguably more
informative than other archaeological
sites due to the much wider range of
evidence that they produce’. The crucial
difference between ‘dryland’ archaeological
sites and their wetland counterparts is in
the range of additional aspects of life
that they can produce. Thus there is the
potential for clothing, footwear, and all
the wooden and leather goods that would
never survive under ‘dry’ conditions.
Then, of course, there is the bigger
picture, the landscape and conditions
under which people lived. To quote
O’Sullivan: ‘Environmental archaeological
investigations can enable reconstruction
of past ecological habitats and economic
practices; an understanding of past
woodland histories, species selection and
woodland management; the faunal
evidence for past mammal, bird, fish
and insect life and an investigation of
past people’s cultural and economic
choices and use of plant resources’.
wetlands since their arrival here thousands
of years ago. It is only when one pauses
and considers for a few moments the
sheer amount and scale of the damage that
has been caused to these environments
by draining, ditching, reclamation,
machine-cutting and conifer planting.
It has been nothing short of disastrous.
And this trajectory is sadly to continue.
Again, in the words of O’Sullivan:
‘Undoubtedly, these transformations
continue. The large-scale industrial
exploitation of boglands will undoubtedly
reveal more and ultimately destroy all
the types of archaeological and
environmental information. Industrial,
pipeline, infrastructural and housing
developments will continue to impinge
on buried wetland sites. Climate change
may desiccate wetlands or cause flood
conditions that will erode them.
Sea-level rise will cause the scouring of
the mudflats and salt-marshes of estuaries
The level of preservation
afforded by these
environments is
wonderfully
illustrated in the facial
expressions, hairstyles and
even fingernails of
Old Croghan and
Clonycavan Man.
Beyond percentages, bogs and wetlands
are so much a part of Ireland, both in
terms of identity and perception. Their
loss would go a lot deeper than the mere
disappearance of an element of the Irish
landscape. At some point in time in
post-Medieval Ireland the hunger for
land overcame the quasi-religious and
mystical associations that the people of
this island had attached to the bogs and
and erode archaeology, or threaten the
hidden deposits in alluvial wetlands.’
Having read this paper by Aidan
O’Sullivan the reader will appreciate
that never before has there been such an
urgent need to ensure the protection of
these rapidly disappearing cultural assets
of the Nation.
An Taisce 25
Music room Reflections
Can Irish country houses survive the current economic climate?
by Áine Nic an Ríogh
The ‘classic’ English and Irish country
houses of the 18th century have long been
synonymous with Jane Austen’s books,
period films and romance, a far cry from
the often harsh realities facing these stately
properties in the 21st century.
T
he golden age of the country
mansion is long gone. Our
current economic climate, as
well as high inheritance taxes, expensive
repairs and upkeep costs prove a
challenge to owners. The estates of these
mansions, now often much smaller than
in their heyday, can no longer support
the houses and house owners have been
looking at new and inventive ways to
support their properties.
Music and musical
entertainments in 18th
century Irish country houses
has remained a constant
throughout the centuries
Houses are open to the public for tours,
some are converted into schools and hotels,
while others have now been restored and
opened to the public by the Office of
Public Works, and by other trust funds.
However, it is interesting to note that
music and musical entertainments in
these houses has remained a constant
throughout the centuries.
In 1984 the drawing room in Slane Castle
was used as a recording studio by U2 to
record The Unforgettable Fire and the
video for Pride was filmed in the ballroom.
Such modern musical uses for the
reception rooms of the 18th century
country house are not unique.
Beaulieu House, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
There is to be a concert here on 26th August.
Contact Aine on [email protected]
rooms in 18th century Irish country
houses and analysing the acoustics in five
of these music rooms. By using these
rooms as investigative tools, the project
will analyse the effect of architectural
forms and decorations on room acoustics.
The architect’s input
To what extent did the architects
themselves deliberately seek particular
acoustic effects in the rooms they
designed? Did they know about the
scientific principles of acoustics from
treatises or from practical experience?
These are questions which the project
will address in an effort to understand
18th century music room design principles.
The project will also question the degree
of active involvement of architects in the
configuration of spaces for musical
performance: were the rooms specifically
designed for music or perhaps naturally
occurring acoustics were exploited by
the room users?
The great hall in Beaulieu House has
also been used as a recording venue and
is regularly used as a concert venue.
The Music in Great Irish Houses series
is one of the more popular events which
takes place annually in a number of
these great Irish homes. The acoustics of
these spaces, whether accidental or
premeditated, are still valued by musicians
and audiences alike. Music has returned
to the country house.
Isaac Ware in his 1756 treatise on
architecture suggested that ceilings in
music rooms should not be highly
decorated or ornamented as the plaster
details captured the sound and distorted it.
The Music Room Reflections research
project in the School of Architecture
UCD is currently investigating the
architecture and social context of music
“...sounds should be echoed back, not
swallowed up in the surface of a ceiling; and
that a plain superficies would return the
sound, while one thus enriched absorbed it.”
Áine Nic an Ríogh and Catherine McHale at initial acoustic testing Castletown House, Co. Kildare. By Dr. John Olley with kind permission from OPW.
AnTaisce 26
Concerts in country houses
today
The public’s awareness of architecture
and acoustics in Irish country houses
will be developed through a series of
concerts in some of the country’s finest
Georgian country houses. An audience
will be invited into each of the selected
houses, and encouraged to interact and
engage with the performances, and with
the architecture of each venue. This is a
collaboration of classical and traditional
music, and architecture.
The public’s awareness of
architecture and acoustics in
Irish country houses will be
developed through a series
of concerts in some of the
country’s finest Georgian
country houses.
Through these concerts the acoustics
will be tested and an acoustic
characterisation of the spaces will be
carried out. These concerts and the
investigative test results will create more
awareness of sound and acoustic
manipulation of spaces among the
architectural and academic community.
Desmond Cahalan, Eoin Dillon, Steve Larkin,
Daire Bracken prepare for concert at Headfort
House, Co. Meath. By Dr. John Olley with
kind permission from the Headmaster and
governors of Headfort School
To date three concerts have been held,
in Castletown House, Celbridge, Co.
Kildare (17th October 2010), in Headfort
House, Kells, Co. Meath (9th October
2010) and more recently in Birr Castle
(19th June 2011). An architectural survey
of these spaces is complete. Acoustic
characterisation of Castletown has been
completed in conjunction with Trinity
College Dublin engineers. These concerts
were highly successful. Desmond Earley,
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, the Nic an
Ríogh Quartet and Eoin Dillon and his
band The Third Twin performed at
Castletown House and Headfort House.
The concert in Birr Castle, held as a
fundraiser for An Taisce, was a
wonderful event. The evening opened
with a short introductory lecture by
Dr. John Olley, UCD on the history of
music in country houses followed by
traditional Irish music including authentic
18th century tunes performed by Eoin
Dillon (Kíla’s uillean piper), Des Cahalan
(guitar), Steve Larkin and Daire Bracken
(fiddles), the Martello Trio performed
Beethoven’s Archduke Piano Trio and
the concert concluded with a cello and
piano duet by Edward Holly (piano)
and Margaret Doris (cello). Each of the
performers was recorded directly and a
number of microphones recorded the
ambiance sound in the room.
These recordings will now be used to
analyse the acoustics in the room.
Binaural Head microphone at Castletown
House, Co. Kildare. By Dr. John Olley with
kind permission from OPW.
The project’s investigative work will
continue with a further concert this
summer 7pm Friday 26th August 2011
at Beaulieu House, Drogheda, Co.
Louth, with performances from
Desmond Earley (harpsichord), Eoin
Dillon (uillean pipes) and the Third
Twin and award winning choir the
Treadagh Singers.
More information on the project and
concerts available from
www.musicroomreflections.com and
[email protected]
Salon Birr Castle. Venue for concert and testing on June 19th. By Áine Nic an Ríogh with kind
permission from Lord Rosse
Áine Nic an Ríogh received a scholarship to
study Architecture at
University College Dublin where she is now
researching acoustics and architecture in
Irish country houses.
She enjoys music, architecture and writing.
Áine is an accomplished violinist and pianist.
An Taisce 27
Fleeing Vesuvius
Ideas for a post crash community
by Andy Wilson
I
n the last few years, there was been
something of a deluge of books of
an apocalyptic nature, warning of
impending catastrophes for humanity as
fossil fuel supplies dry up, the global
(credit-based) monetary system
collapses, and supply-chains cease to
function.
A wider debate has also examined the
consequences of irreversible climate
change (caused by humanity's
unsustainable practices of energy and
land use), not just in terms of the
implications for our own species, but for
the wider web of life we call the biosphere.
The more pessimistic forecasts predict
that up to one third of all species will
perish, while gaia theorist and former
NASA scientist James Lovelock, now
nearing the end of his own life, warns of
humanity being reduced to a "few
breeding pairs" at the Arctic.
AnTaisce 28
There is a growing sense
that these proponents of
minor modifications of the
manner in which humanity
conducts its business are
missing the point
The responses from the business-asusual world, has generally been to argue
that either there is no problem, or if
there is, that technological innovation
and human ingenuity can easily deal
with it. Many intellectuals and
environmentalists, perhaps the most
notable being the writer and climatechange campaigner George Monbiot,
but also several international
environmental NGOs (including
Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace),
have also adopted this latter argument
to varying degrees, though they may
disagree on the actual details.
However, there is a growing sense that
these proponents of minor modifications
of the manner in which humanity conducts
its business are missing the point, so well
articulated almost 40 years ago in the
seminal work
Among the realists, the
debate is now focussing
on what can humanity do,
in the short time
left available
Limits to Growth and by many others
since. Humanity is facing an imminent
BOOKS
and unavoidable conjunction of
multiple-system collapse.
Moreover, it is unlikely that the transition
to a world of limited energy, raw materials,
and food availability will be
accomplished in any sort of smooth,
managed fashion - and especially since
the global credit-based monetary system,
that otherwise might underwrite some
of the necessary infrastructural changes,
is no longer tenable.
Instead, the future is far more likely to
be heralded by a cascade of unwelcome
crises and discontinuities, each as
individually unpredictable as the cracks
in the inner cores of the Fukushima no.
2 and no. 3 nuclear reactors, but utterly
consequential on what has gone before.
As Richard Heinberg might put it, the
party's well and truly over.
Among the realists, (those who form
part of the emerging post-crash
community), the debate is now
focussing on what can humanity do, in
the very short time left available, that
might influence the outcome and which
outcomes, of those still viable, are most
desirable.
The book pulls no punches
‘Fleeing Vesuvius’, edited by Richards
Douthwaite and Gillian Fallon, and
published by Feasta, is one of those rare
attempts to portray the end of the
civilisation of oil as it really is, with no
punches pulled. This wide-ranging
collection of 28 individual essays, plus
a short summing up, treads where
very few publications have the courage
to go, and in doing so, faces down
those worst-case scenarios - massive
societal change (imposed or voluntary),
social disintegration and resource
scarcity. But whilst the economy
might falter, social capital can not
only be saved but could be brought to
a state of well-being not experienced
for many years.
The need for a change in attitude
In a different analogy, we might
compare the journey to one made by
survivors on a lifeboat, who eventually
land on a strange shore, with little but
their wits to fall back on. While actual
survival relies on hard skills, the much
harder to pin down purposefulness
and meaningfulness require a sea-change
in attitude. It is this articulation of the
need for change in attitude, expressed
from various perspectives by individual
authors, that gives Fleeing Vesuvius its
edge. However, it would do the book an
enormous injustice to say that is all it is
about. The piercingly sharp earlier
pieces on energy and its relationship to
money provide the base tones and
colours for the more subtler shades that
follow. From Richard Douthwaite's
brief introductory piece 'Where it All
Went Wrong', through David Korovicz's
'Energy Availability' and Richard again
on 'The Supply of Money in an Energy
Scarce World', the context is set.
Dmitri Orlov at his wittiest, darkest best
reminds us that humanity is not a special
case in terms of its vulnerability to die
off, but he lightens the tone with his
hilarious list of the 'Five fastest ways to
lose all your money and have nothing to
show for it'.
Perhaps it’s unfair to single out particular
authors and essays, but these ones stood
out for me: Bruce Darrell’s 'Nutritional
Resilience approach to Food Security'
Brian Davey’s 'Danger Ahead - Prioritising
Risk Avoidance in Political and Economic Decision Making', Nate Hagens’
'The Psychological Roots of Resource
Over-Consumption' , Mark Rutledge
and Brian Davey’s 'Seven Reasons for
Humanity's Inertia in the Face of Critical Threats', John Sharry’s 'Cultivating
Hope and Managing
Despair' and Anne B. Ryan’s 'Enough:
A Worldview for Positive Futures'.
I also enjoyed David Phillips’ 'Transition
Thinking', and found Lucy McAndrew's
piece 'We Need Respect to Survive'
thought-provoking.
Other readers will find different pieces
of interest. While the titles may appear
somewhat couched in academic-speak or
jargon, the content is highly accessible.
Q. Who should read this book?
A. Basically anyone with an interest in
how the project of civilisation may be
continued, post fossil-fuel, post
supply-chain and economic collapse.
Because of the clear emphasis on social
capital, community building, networking,
psychological and emotional responses
to change, ‘Fleeing Vesuvius’ will be of
particular interest to those who already
interact with other people, whether in a
social, voluntarily, vocational or
professional capacity. The point
hammered home repeatedly is that solo
runs are futile, while collaboration and
working together offers communities
their best chance.
Who should read this book?
Basically anyone
with an interest in how
the project of civilisation
may be continued,
post fossil-fuel,
post supply-chain and
economic collapse.
If I have one criticism, it is that in its
attempt to offer the broadest range of
analysis and opinion, the overall
message loses its clarity at times.
Does the debate on long-term
internationally-brokered, greenhouse gas
emission-reduction have any place in a
book which is really saying the industrial
era is all but over? Possibly it is far, far
too late for that. But the readers can
decide for themselves. Wonderful book.
Buy it.
‘Fleeing Vesuvius. Overcoming the risks of
economic and environmental collapse,
edited by Richard Douthwaite and Gillian Fallon.
Feasta, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9540510-1-3
An Taisce 29
BOOK REVIEWS & REPORTS
43 Principles of Home,
by Kevin McCloud.
2010 Harper Collins
ISBN: 978-0-00-726548-0
COF Priorities Booklet
Claiming our Future has published a
short report of its founding assembly
which gave particular priority to equality
and environmental sustainability. COF
Priorities sets out the values that this
movement is based on and the priority
themes it is working to. It is available on
www.claimingourfuture.ie.
This is the best book I have read in a
decade. The publishers bill it as a book
on interior design but for me it talks
about the heart of sustainable development.
The book should be required reading
for all planners. It is an inspiration.
It starts with a history of fire and its role
in cultural development and ends with a
treatise on sharing. In between there are
'interviews' with Benjamin Franklin,
Christopher Wren and the Duke of
Edinburgh. Town planning (though this
word is never mentioned) comes into
stories of Michelangelo's designs for
Rome, a tour of a French suburb and an
amazingly detailed account of the
morphology of a modern Indian
settlement (usually called a slum) with 1
million people per square mile. There's a
section on shopping and all the ‘stuff ’
that we accumulate describing our
passion for shopping centres, and
another on design principles, another on
our sense of privacy and inequitable
resource use. And that’s only a sample!
It looks like a coffee table book but
deserves to be read line by line with
attention. Seemingly disparate ideas are
drawn together effortlessly in this
treatise on sustainability.
Reviewed by Judy Osborne
The Song at
Your Backdoor,
by Joseph Horgan.
2010 The Collins Press
ISBN 978-1848890336
This is a book that brings you back to
an older era in Irish life, before the
excesses of the Celtic Tiger.
Horgan certainly does not like cars and
the extensive road structure to facilitate
them. It is a paean to Ireland’s wonderful
natural environment that is outside your
backdoor, but is being forgotten about
and being degraded as we live a more
materialistic lifestyle.
In a poetic way, he explores the byways,
boreens and coastline of his backdoor
somewhere in rural Ireland near the
coast. He quotes regularly from poets,
botanists and other commentators along
the way. From an An Taisce viewpoint,
he quotes extensively from Robert Lloyd
Preager, our first president. In the Introduction, he has Preager talking of
“the mind jaded with the meaningless
noise and hurry of modern life”. I can
fully understand that, having just had a
few journeys on a motorway recently.
Horgan takes in the seasonal cycle of
nature by framing his book around the
departure of the swallow in the autumn
and its arrival back in Ireland.
Some passages are more lyrical than others
– there are patches in the book that are a
little flat and uninteresting. In general it
is a very enjoyable read for those who love
our beautiful natural environment and are
trying to preserve it for future generations.
Reviewed by Eric Conroy
AnTaisce 30
The Local Sustainability
Newsletter,
Compiled by Comhar,
The Sustainability
Development Council,
http://www.comharsdc.ie/_files/201104_Newsletter_pamp.pdf
This newsletter aims to provide a platform
for information sharing for local
authorities and communities on best
practice on local sustainability. It features
case studies from around the country
demonstrating how projects have worked
and how they have made an impact.
Effective information sharing avoids
duplication of work and provides a
selection of tried and tested projects that
local authorities and communities can
assess to meet their objectives.
If you have an innovative project
happening in your local authority or
community, send the details in to
Comhar at [email protected].
If you have an innovative project The
newsletter covers a wide variety of
themes, including for example, climate
change, energy, biodiversity, sustainable
consumption and
production and local
economic prosperity.
World on the Edge,
By Lester Brown.
Earthscan, 2011.
ISBN 9781849712743
Earthscan continues to present interesting
and challenging books and blog-sites on
their website www.earthscan.co.uk
One of their titles published in 2011
was World on the Edge by Lester Brown
a highly respected environmental thinker.
"It's the food, stupid." That's essentially
the message of "World On The Edge," a
new report by Lester Brown, head of the
Earth Policy Institute. Feeding a growing
global population on a finite planet is a
problem whose time has come.
Trees of Britain
and Ireland
By Edward Milner.
To be published by the Natural History
Museum, London September 2011
ISBN 978 0 565 09295 5
Trees of Britain and Ireland is a celebration
of the trees of Britain and Ireland with a
history of their development, man’s
relationship with them, and portraits of
all the major native species.
Brown argues that pressures on the
environment -- from climate change to
soil erosion to deforestation and declining
water resources -- are rapidly combining
to create a "perfect storm" that could result
in massive disruptions in food supply, the
collapse of the current economic
structure, widespread unrest, and worse.
And the clock is ticking. Brown rejects
the idea that we have until, say, 2050 to
get things on the right track. "World On
The Edge" is a shrill call for action by 2020.
"We are handicapped by the difficulty of
grasping the dynamics of exponential
growth in a finite environment - namely,
the Earth," Brown writes. "For me,
thinking about this is aided by a riddle
the French use to teach schoolchildren
exponential growth. A lily pond has one
leaf on it the first day, two the second
day, four the third, and the number of
leaves continues to double each day.
If the pond fills on the 30th day, when is
it half full? The 29th day. Unfortunately
for our overcrowded planet, we may
now be beyond the 30th day."
Endorsed by the Tree Council and
illustrated with over 200 stunning
colour photographs, it contains all the essential facts about native trees, including
where different trees grow naturally,
what insects, fungi and animals you
might see on them, what traditional beliefs are associated with them, how they
are managed and what products are
obtained from them. There are reference
lists for each tree, and tables of data
about the characteristics, associated
species, diseases and altitude records.
Edward Milner brings together recent
research on managing trees by scientists
and historians to help build an up-to-date
account of what we know and understand
about Britain’s native trees. All those
interested and concerned about trees
will treasure this beautiful book.
www.smarttaxes.org
The dawning realization that conventional
economic thinking cannot help solve
the problems we now face, means that we
must be open to exploring new economic
ideas. It is time to move beyond criticizing
the clear shortcomings of our country’s
economists and politicians and consider with open minds - economic ideas that
are being developed outside of the
mainstream. Such a new macroeconomic
model has been developed by a pioneering
community of heterodox economists
based in the University of Missouri, Kansas.
Their Modern Money Theory (MMT)
approach predicted the current crisis and
so unsurprisingly, their analysis and
economic solutions have attracted
intense interest amongst economic
commentators. A conference was held in
Dublin last May and reports of this can
be seen on the Smart Taxes website.
From the home page, Friends of the Irish
Environment’s website provides links to
the the organisation’s campaigns and slide
shows. These include the decline in
Ireland’s birds like the hen harrier and the
vast unregulated industrial peat extraction
that is devastating Ireland’s midland bogs.
Separate sections of the site host the best archive of environmental stories in Ireland in
‘The Papers Today’ with more than 14,000 stories from national and rural papers
spanning the last ten years - including those provided by a Northern Ireland
correspondent. The extensive Library holds Reports like ‘Clearfell, The Environmental
Consequences’ (2,800 downloads) and ‘Toxic Island’ about Haulbowline Island
Cork (878 downloads). The EU Law Section includes all the European Court of
Justice Decisions against Ireland on the environment, some of them now
downloaded more than 3,000 times. This section includes a table showing the inexorable
progression of the cases, including 14 heading towards daily fines. Updated daily.
For a 20% discount for An Taisce members please enter code ATWOTE20
in the voucher box when you order online from www.earthscan.co.uk/wote
An Taisce 31
The Tailors’ Hall
at the heart of Dublin for over 300 years
The National Trust
for Ireland
The Great Hall
The Courtyard
15th century fireplace in Lower Hall
THE TAILORS’ HALL IS AVAILABLE to those who like stylish and elegant surroundings for their weddings or
other functions like; film and photo shoots, music recitals , private parties, launches etc.
Hire of the Hall for your event includes the front courtyard an ideal place for assembly, photographs etc.,
The build-ing is equipped with dance and alcohol licences, modern catering kitchen, disabled access and bathroom.
The Great Hall has the elegance you expect from an early 18th century building.
The Lower Hall, with its beamed ceiling and original stone walls, is ideal for entertainment of your choice.
Our dedicated in house caterers will supply the excellent food and drink that you need to make your day complete.
For a reception with a difference, The Tailors’ Hall in Dublin is both beautiful and historic.
WEDDINGS – RECEPTIONS – DINNER DANCES – CONFERENCES – EXHIBITIONS – PRODUCT LAUNCHES CIVIL
MARRIAGES- FILM & PHOTO SHOOTS
The Tailors’ Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8.
Phone: +353.1.7077076 ~ Fax: 5+353.1.4533255 ~ Contact John Ducie
E-mail: [email protected]
475324 VAT no. IE9748006M
Tailors Hall t/a Tailors Hall Events Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland
Reg. no 12469 ~ Charity No: 4741