The Clare Echo Green Feature Part 1 & 2

Clare can become greenest county CIAN O’BROIN cianobroin@clareecho.ie

O

N the 5th of July 2019, the Irish government published its long overdue Climate Action Plan. Highly detailed and ambitious, the plan sets out the targets which must be met in accordance with the EU’s desire to ultimately achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. In theory and by the strict application of these contingencies, the government hope to reduce the carbon emissions by up to 30% in the year 2030. Let’s call this phase one.

Courageous, compact and conscientious.

But how competent? One million electric vehicles on Irish roads by the year 2030 is certainly a very assertive figure. Do we really have the infrastructure to support such an idealistic energy network? How about the phase out of coal and peat for electric-

ity generation to be replaced by microgeneration or simply put, selling back to the grid on an individual level? Let’s clean up the streets, the rivers, the ocean. A familiar sound these days. But what is taking place on a local level to ensure all of these measures are being put into place?

Here at the Clare Echo we have decided to take a closer look, translating your actions into words with a two part series on Green Clare. Positioned neatly on the West Coast, Clare has a huge potential to harness a vast amount of renewable energy.

An avaricious appetite for change could see us as the greenest county in Ireland. Putting our schools, companies, politicians and initiatives under the microscope, we hope to rigorously deconstruct Clare’s position in the face of 2019’s ‘Climate Change Emergency’.

We certainly hope you enjoy reading and perhaps learn a thing or two about the necessity of treating our planet with respect, both individually and collectively.

Pick up next week’s Clare Echo for part 2 of this series.

Meet the Clare business woman greening the hospitality sector

R

AQUEL Noboa, a resident of Liscannor, Co.Clare started a nationwide campaign back in May, to Green the Hospitality Industry one-step at the time.

Raquel has worked in the Hospitality industry for the past 21 years, working in hotels around the world since the age of 17. She knows the industry well, the challenges it faces and the mind-set barriers to greening a Hospitality business.

Now in 2019, Raquel has gathered all her knowledge and easy to implement actions into Online training courses, so she can serve more businesses around the world and help Green the Hospitality Industry one step at the time.

Her Online training venture, Fifty Shades Greener, aims to help hospitality business owners that wish to start Greening their businesses. Raquel believes that a small action, taken by many people, could have a large environmental impact, and to prove her point, she created the Saucy Challenge campaign.

The challenge in question is to completely abolish individually wrapped sauces and condiments from the Irish Food Service industry. Every time a packet is open, it ends up in our landfill bins.

There are 16,000 food service businesses in Ireland, if each business served an average of 100 customers a day, using at least 1 individually wrapped sauce or condiment, we would be creating 1.6 million single use plastics just in one day.

Raquel started this campaign as a social media challenge and the response of the public has been over whelming to date. Consequently she has been interviewed live in NearFm and ClareFm, recording a podcast also about the challenge with The Green Divas, an American podcasting agency.

The IHI, IHF, RAI and Mr.Richard Bru-

ton have also been contacted to support the campaign.

“While I feel humble by the public’s response to this challenge, I want this shift in mentality to come from the Industry itself, not because customers demand it or because new policies might be in place in a few years. This change, should come from the hospitality industry itself, so we can send a clear message to our customers, our government and the rest of Europe, that we want a Greener Ireland, and in particular a Greener Tourism and Hospitality Industry.” Raquel explains.

Doolin Tourism, have now accepted the challenge, and are aiming to abolish these single use plastics from the entire village of Doolin in the next 8 weeks. Raquel has been in contact with other tourism destinations so that they can also engage with the campaign.

“The Saucy Challenge is just the start, my mission, is to Green the Hospitality industry worldwide one step at the time.

Tourism & Travel account for 10% of all the Global Carbon emissions, and at the rate Tourism is growing, there is a possibility to become an even more polluting industry and to face the wrath of the customers of the future. Society is changing, our customers of the future are the children of today, and they have been protesting against climate action, every Friday, for the past 48 weeks. We need to listen to our customers and we need to align the industry to their values, so we can be proud to work in an industry that strives to reduce their Carbon Footprint.”

For more information check www. fiftyshadesgreener.ie Or to arrange a discovery call and find out how your business can start it’s own Green Journey please email info@fiftyshadesgreener.ie

How to Recycle Properly

CIAN O’BROIN

cianobroin@clareecho.ie

R

ECYCLING is tantamount to ensuring the reduction of finite raw materials as well as conserving energy and controlling air, water and land pollution. Those bins you see stacked inside the utility room no longer have to instill a sense of uncertainty about their purpose and direction. Recycling is simple. Here’s how to ensure you do your part for our environment: Firstly, ensure that items are placed loosely into your recycling bin. This is quite a common mistake. Items placed inside one another pose a serious dilemma for the machine to sort out, which allows for undesirable items like nappies and food to enter the system in turn allowing valuable recycling material to be lost.

Before placing these items into their respective recycling bins, it is essential that they are both clean and dry. If the item once contained food, they must be given a rinse followed by a competent shake

before being placed into the recycling bin.

Food and liquid are contaminants in the recycling process. In addition, wet paper cannot be recycled.

Next up is the question of glass. The household recycling bin is not where empty glassware goes. Glass should be placed in glass/bottlebanks for separate collection to recyclable waste materials. However, glass is 100% recyclable. It can be recycled repeatedly without losing any of its properties. There are limitations to what particular types of glassware can be recycled. Pyrex, plates, cups and ceramics cannot be placed in glass banks due to a different melting point to traditional glass.

Metal and plastic lids of glass items can be placed in the recycling bin.

The correct application when managing household items for recycling has huge benefits for Ireland as a nation on the global market. Countries like India and China request high standards of recyclable material and no longer look for mixed materials.

This comes down to the vigilance of the Irish public in taking note of the do’s and don’ts of recycling. Here is a list of items which cannot be recycled and their respec-

tive reasons: Coffee Cups: A disposable coffee cup is made from paper but contains a plastic lining that is difficult to remove. These items must be placed within your black bin.

Carrier Bags: Plastic bags slow down the recycling process by catching in the machines.

Aluminium Foil/Trays: These items must go into your black bin as food residue can be difficult to wipe off from these types of materials.

Soft Plastics: For example, wrappers.

We do not currently house the technology to recycle these items.

Dirty Pizza Boxes: These should be placed inside a general waste or compostable bin as they are a major contaminant in paper recycling.

Paper Towels/Napkins: These items have a limit on the number of times they can be recycled. They can be placed in a compost bin.

For more information on recycling and

Top 5 Green Initiatives in Clare 1

CLEAN IRELAND RECYCLING’S – LET’S RECYCLE:

2

MAKE KILKEE PLASTIC FREE: This highly consciences initiative has worked closely with the administrative bodies of the Kilkee Coast in order to sustain a plastic free eco-environment.

Working closely with the Kilkee Chamber of Commerce, Kilkee Tidy Towns and Irish Water this collaborative effort has garnered much media attention for its efficiency. This projects baseline closely aligns itself with local business’, encouraging the replacement of single use plastics with reusable or compostable products instead. MKPF was a 2019 Best Environmental Tourism Innovation finalist!

This initiative was born in April 2018. It looks at building the foundations, whereby workshops are held in schools across the county for 3rd and 4th class students.

Branching out over a total of 67 schools and 2,700 children, this initiative’s workshops delve into the nuts and bolts of waste management are recycling through fun one-hour long workshops. Free of charge of course

3

THINK BEFORE YOU FLUSH CLARE:

Ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, this initiative took place in Lahinch. In connection with Irish water and An Taisce’s Clean Coast as well as Clare County Council, Think Before You Flush provides information about what can and cannot flush as well as the biodegradability and lifetime of certain products which are flushed into our water streams. The initiative hopes to preserve West Clare’s sacred marine environment. Their website contains a wealth of information for all those interested!

4

GREEN FLEADH: This stalwart initiative allowed Clare to reduce its carbon footprint by up to 40%. The programme which is the first of its kind in the country, is an initiative of Clare Tourism and was fully funded

by Clare Local Development Company through the LEADER programme. A multitude of festivals across the county reaped the rewards. The project pays special attention to food waste, compostables, recycling and general waste.

5

NATIONAL TREE WEEK:

This initiative takes into account the seminal place trees hold in both our lives and our history. Taking place between March 31st to 7th April 2019, National Tree Week allowed for communities to plant new trees in open public spaces. The project is run by Clare County Council in conjunction with The Tree Council of Ireland and Coillte This project feeds in to the unique Biodiversity of County Clare.

Keeping Lahinch Green and Clean during the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open 2019

C

LARE County Council Greener Clare programme were delighted to have worked with the local community in Lahinch to help reduce the environmental impact of such a large scale event as the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on the receiving environment. EPA Local Authority Prevention Network (LAPN) funding was secured by Clare County Council under the National Waste Prevention Programme to support this initiative Twenty recycling stations were set up

by Clare County Council in Lahinch town during the event. Visitors were able to segregate their waste to Recycling; Food Waste and Compostables and General Waste.

Business were visited by Clare County Council staff. A Helpful Hints For Visitors infographic was developed and provided to businesses to display in their premises to remind visitors to reduce their impact on the receiving environment. Tips included avoiding single use plastics; encouraging people to bring their reusable cups or bottles; encouraging people to walk and cycle and of course to keep the streets and beach litter free.

Irish Water and Clean Coast “Think Before you Flush” tips were provided by Clare County Council to seventeen businesses in the hospitality sector for display in their toilets – see attached Think Before You Flush photo with Irish Water and An Clean Coast An Tasice reps Greener Clare litter packs were provided

thirty five business to assist with keeping the streets clean. Litter packs include Litter picker; gloves and bags; Through support from the EPA National Waste Prevention Programme a team from Clean Technology Centre met with ten interested businesses. They assisted the individual business with filling out a Resource Efficiency Questionnaire (relating to waste; water and energy usage) where a report unique to their business was provided; Clare County Councils Greener Clare team encouraged people to avoid the use of single use plastic. To assist free Greener Clare reusable bottles were distributed to visitors to Lahinch by the Greener Clare team.

Clare County Council hosted with An Taisce Clean Coast a free Beach Yoga class followed by a #2minutebeachclean Casual traders set up in the town of Lahinch at the promenade were asked to:

package and supply all food in certified compostable food service packaging that conforms to ISEN13432. Pour and supply all single use drink containers in certified compostable beverage containers that conform to ISEN13432. Supply Clare County Council with advance documentary evidence that all packaging intended to be used by the trader to package the food and drinks complies with IS EN 13432. This documentary evidence must also be held at the individual stalls and be available for inspection during trading.

4 5

Communicate good environmental practices to the public.

Source and use local seasonal produce where possible.

l Mixed dry recyclables in accordance with www.mywaste.ie l Food Waste and compostables l General Waste (non recyclable waste) If applicable to your stall, supply Clare County Council with advance documentary evidence on how it is proposed to collect, store and manage fats, oils and grease (FOG) arising from event catering and method of disposal of same.

Take steps to prevent littering from your stall during the event. At the end of each day/night and when the event finishes leave no trace of litter or waste from your stall.

Provision to be made to segregate all waste to the following waste streams:

Take steps to minimise waste, and reduce water and energy consumption.

1 2 3

Eliminate single portions of condiments, such as ketchup, sugar, salt, butter, jam, etc.

Eliminate the provision of plastic straws and plastic cups.

Where single use food and drink packaging is being provided to the public use

ALL LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE ADOPTING SIMILAR BYE-LAWS ENSURING A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO MANAGING WASTE ACROSS IRELAND. In order to comply with the new Bye-Laws: • You need to demonstrate that you are disposing of your waste in a responsible and legal manner; • You must segregate your waste correctly.

YOU MUST USE ONE OF THESE OPTIONS

OR KERBSIDE COLLECTION L-R Conor Leyden, Environmental Community Warden, Alan Logue, Hotelier and Lahinch Community Development, Dan Skajarowski from Lahinch Hostel and GreenRoom Surf School and Carmel Connaire, Green Business consultant; Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer, Clare County Council.

Photo by Eamon Ward

Find out more at www.mywaste.ie

AUTHORISED WASTE FACILITY

BURREN ECOTOURISM NETWORK ACCELERATES CLIMATE CHANGE AGENDA COUNTY CLARE NOW A LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Practice Climate Change and Sustainability have become hot topics over the last year. County Clare has been to the forefront of innovation and leadership in the area of sustainable tourism over the last decade. Clare County Council, for example, secured UNESCO Geopark status for the Burren & Cliffs of Moher region. The Geopark went on to lead a pilot European LIFE demonstration programme in the

field of Tourism for Conservation between 2013 and 2018. In fact, this programme won the National Geographic World Legacy Award in 2016!

No less than three Clare destinations - Loop Head, the Burren Food Trail and Scattery Island were awarded the distinction of European Destination of Excellence for various aspects of sustainable tourism.

It must be noted that it is unparalleled that three destinations in one county or region would be honoured with this accolade.

These projects and awards mean that Co. Clare is now distinguished nationally and

DID YOU KNOW IT IS ILLEGAL TO BURN WASTE OR USE UNAUTHORISED WASTE COLLECTORS? A complete list of authorised waste collectors may be found at www.nwcpo.ie or visit www.clarecoco.ie for details of Clare County Council recycling centres.

It is the responsibility of every individual to ensure their waste is managed correctly.

For any other queries or to report illegal waste activities, please contact 065 6846331 or the Anti-Litter Hotline on 1800 606 706 or email enviroff@clarecoco.ie

LET’S KEEp CLARE CLEAN.

internationally as a leader in sustainable tourism practice.

THE BURREN ECOTOURISM NETWORK AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS

The Burren Ecotourism Network is one group that has been to the fore of this development. Since its inception in 2011, the Burren Ecotourism Network has been a leading light in conservation. It has a tangible commitment to a code of sustainable tourism practices. The model has been copied and upheld throughout Ireland as an example for collaboration and destination development.

The Burren Eco Tourism Network is comprised of up to 60 businesses right around North Clare.

THE BURREN ECOTOURISM NETWORK MAKES A STEP CHANGE AND APPOINTS NEW BOARD AND CEO

Now Burren Ecotourism Network is once again leading the charge in embracing tourism and tackling climate change, facing the challenges head on and coming up with innovative solutions. To enable it to do this, it has taken the bold step of appointing a CEO, the first network of its kind to do so. It has also incorporated as a company and set up a board of directors. “We are the first independent tourism network in Ireland to make this step-change” commented Brid Fahy, chair of the Burren Ecotourism Network. “We are excited about it as it will enable us to roll out ambitious plans for the further enhancement of our destination and the development of high impact environmental programmes.

Our next phase will prioritize expanding the membership base and embedding our sustainable tourism standards further in the destination.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BURREN ECOTOURISM NETWORK?

Jarlath O’Dwyer, the newly appointed CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network commented ‘I am delighted to be part of the next phase of this story. There is a new Board of Directors in place. Many members of the Board and the Network are themselves leading lights

in tourism terms, not only in Clare but around the country. I see the members of the Burren Ecotourism Network as ambassadors for County Clare, and role models for other destinations.”

O’Dwyer continued “What the new structure enables is expansion of network membership, greater adoption of sustainable tourism practices and further innovation in visitor experiences. It is envisaged that visitors will continue to enjoy world class experiences here in the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark, that are enhanced by the knowledge that they too are travelling in an area where green, responsible tourism is the policy of the local community.”

While climate change is a very much a live topic right now, the Burren Ecotourism Network has been dedicated to this issue since they were first established, when the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark Office facilitated them coming together to develop a model for sustainable tourism in the Burren region.

What is truly unique is that all businesses in the network have adopted the Geopark Code of Practice for Sustainable Tourism. “They’ve really walked the talk and do so much more than just pay lip service to sustainable principles. I am amazed by the commitment of time and resources that the businesses make to honouring the Geopark Code of Practice for Sustainable Tourism. I’m equally astounded by the demonstrated benefit in terms of marketing, networking and landscape conservation” O’Dwyer observes.

Brid Fahy adds “As businesses, we’ve found that the Code is a comprehensive business management tool that enables us not only to reduce waste, save energy and water but at the same time to enhance the visitor experience and benefit from collaboration between businesses and communities in the area.”

ABOUT THE CEO AND THE BOARD

Jarlath O’Dwyer of The Tourism Space is a native of Kilshanny, a graduate from the University of Limerick and has had a long career in Hospitality, FMCG, Sales & Marketing. The Board of the Burren Eco Tourism Network includes Birgitta Hedin Curtin - Burren Smokehouse, Lisdoonvarna, Victor McSweeney - Hazelwood Lodge, Ballyvaughan, George - Hylands Burren Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Simon Haden - Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Joan Hamilton - Garrihy’s Doolin2Aran Ferries, Doolin, Karen Courtney - Stonecutters Kitchen, Doolin, Katherine Webster - Kittiwake Solutions, Lahinch, Brid Fahy - Café Linnalla Ice-Cream, New Quay and Orla Vaughan - Vaughan’s Guest House Kilfenora.

‘We could be the green beacon’ CIAN O’BROIN cianobroin@clareecho.ie

A

N exemplary environmentalist, the Green Party’s Roisin Garvey’s politics exudes an unrivalled sense of urgency where climate change is concerned.

Recently elected in May 2019, Garvey’s appointment to the council proves vital in a time in our history that the whole world has come to understand as a state of ‘Climate Change Emergency.’

Roisin’s environmental resume is decorated in community engagement initiatives and schemes, but she traces the origins of her interest in politics and climate change to her time spent abroad. “30 years ago, I went to Germany as a fifteen-year-old. I saw that they had no litter, they had cycle lanes, pedestrian crossings and they had five bins. I came back to Ireland and I saw how filthy and misappropriated our space was.” A subsequent nosedive into third level education accommodated these environmental concerns held by Roisin, where she became involved in the literary and debating society before qualifying as a teacher of CSPE. In 2002, she ran Ecotopia, a workshop-oriented festival dealing with several climate change issues which have only been brought to light in recent years.

Over eleven years in environmental education have led Roisin to strong conclusions concerning climate change in Ireland, “We’ve known these issues for so long. We don’t need to reinvent anything. Just go to other countries like Denmark, Holland or Sweden. They have clean water; they have clean streets and they don’t have major plastic issues. What are we waiting for? Are we waiting for over 7 million climate refugees, which they are promising by 2030?”

“It doesn’t matter about India and China, if we do it right in the west they will follow.

Ireland can be such a beacon; we could be the green beacon for the whole world.

That’s what is needed now. Not just hope, but actual solutions.”

Roisin is adamant about a collective conscience within the political framework in Ireland, stemming from a wide range of Party’s and not just the Greens. Consistent neglect of climate change issues from other parties was the driving force behind her own election, “It’s why I felt like I had no choice but to run. It wasn’t like I wanted to get elected it was more like that it just had to be done. We had to have a green voice.” Roisin feels that Fianna Fail and Fianna Gael don’t need to figure anything out, just simply listen to the Greens. “There is no point in having big exclamations about climate emergency if it doesn’t follow up immediately with a clear action and a timeline.

Whether that’s from a local council chamber or on a national level.”

Failure to incorporate strategies like micro-generation, causes Roisin to question the powers that govern us. Restructuring land use by allowing farmers to use their surplus space to sell energy back to the grid could solve a lot of the governments problems and save money too. “The government aren’t supporting initiatives like getting farmers to grow biofuel, access their land for greenways or giving them money for solar power. I feel the obvious thing to do is to think global and act local.

The state are letting us down, so it’s up to us to do what we can on a local level. It’s going to be about resilience in the future.”

It all boils down to the perseverance of local communities. In Roisin’s eyes, climate change action is not some effervescent grandiose project but something that starts within small groups and at a local level. Our relationship with food is no exception. Supporting local growers reduces plastic packaging and allows for a sustainable community to flourish. “In Ireland we eat only 50% of all our food. We don’t value food enough.

We spend less per capita on food than any country in Europe. Organic food is four or five times more nutritious for you. I think the farmers market is where people have to go back to. We really need to redevelop our relationship with food. We are living the American way of life, buying tonnes of processed food. I would rather see people getting their protein from local meat and paying a farmer well, rather than buying

Quinoa from South America.”

On whether these proposed changes outlined in the Climate Action Plan will really take effect, Roisin feels that people have to be incentivised to cross over to the renewable side. Roisin emphasises the importance of financial support, such as low interest green loans which would allow customers to be in control of their own spending.

“Having been a Green party member for a number of years, I have seen them come up with amazing proposals. Which I know are right because they have worked in other countries and they just get shot down. It’s time for action now, less talk.

At local council meetings, I am not the only one bringing up climate i s s u e s , which is great. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Clare could be the greenest county in Ireland.”

Clare lighting with LED

T

HE new climate action plan asks us to restructure our approach to energy use. This prolonged mismanagement of energy is a practice which must be weeded out in order to maintain a sustainable future. The crux of the issue falls at the feet of local authorities and their ability to deliver on respective promises. Councillor Cathal Crowe has felt this dismay on several occasions, as his push for energy efficient and eco-friendly public lighting throughout County Clare has been met with little sympathy.

Statistically speaking, LED lights vastly outshine their frighteningly less competent antecedents. Out of 489,000 public lights in Ireland, only 9% are LED. Traditional streetlights, whether fluorescent or incandescent only convert 5% of their energy into light. The remainder is squandered as heat. On the contrary, LED lights convert 95% of their energy into light. Astonishingly, LED lighting has a lifetime of 100,000 hours or twenty years, which significantly reduces maintenance costs.

With regards to the environment, LED lights contain no toxic elements. Making them extremely environmentally friendly as opposed to fluorescent lights which emit noxious chemicals like Mercury. These chemicals are harmful in that they must be disposed of properly when transported to landfill. On the inadequacy of the council to properly address this issue in Clare, Cathal admits that “it’s unheard of that a council would have no budget whatsoever for new lighting.”

Fighting tirelessly for a long overdue upgrade to eco-friendly and energy efficient LED lighting, Councillor Crowe demands to see a county wide rollout. In response to the motion the council have recently affirmed that “at present 2,563 LED bulb replacements have already taken place in County Clare and this equates to 18.2% of overall lighting stock.”

“Clare County Council have a contract with Airtricity Solutions. They are contracted by the council to replace all outages and new bulb fit-outs. At the moment they are just replacing bulbs that go. There are huge savings that are going to be made from the switchover. It’s alarming that we have no budget whatsoever for any new streetlights. Our budget for new streetlights is nil. Most villages in Clare need one or two lights. It seems to be a county wide issue at this stage.”

Energy savings are incremental in this motion, with the council admitting that the switchover to LED lights will save energy by up to 60%, a substantial figure. The earth’s climate is changing rapidly and our efforts to reconfigure our attitudes towards the environment must mirror the same tempo. The transitional period must resemble a relentless sprint as opposed to an amicable walk in the park.

In response to Councillor Crowe’s displeasure, the Council acknowledged that “It was announced in late 2018 that the Road Management Office have been successful in securing 17.5 million in funding for the LA Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project nationally. This will form part of

the funding necessary for the delivery of the project. Clare has confirmed its participation. The current programme indicates that the project will commence in 2020.”

The question begs, is the timeline set out by the council lacking in urgency? How long until County Clare is up to date with the most basic form of eco-friendly lighting?

The responsible supervision of this project is vital to both Ireland and Clare’s ability to take positive action in terms of rethinking energy use. Although miniscule when placed beside a wider range of climatic issues, eco-friendly LED lighting can lead the way into more serious changes, a gateway one could say.

Plastic free flash mob hits Ennis PÁRAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

E

NNIS witnessed it’s first plastic-free flash mob this week as operation de-plastification hit the aisles of the town’s shopping centre on Tuesday morn-

ing.

Dressed in white, the quartet armed with wicker baskets, jute bags, tupperware, glass jars, glass bottles and cookie tins aimed to encourage plastic-free shopping in an effort to help the environment.

Cornelia Wahli explained to The Clare Echo, “The idea behind plastic

free shopping is that if an item needs a container then you bring that container with you. If you do not have the container, then that is bad luck and the item cannot be taken out of the shop.

In other words, no bottle for the milk means no milk is being bought because the shop-supplied milk container more than likely contains plastic unless the milk is sold in a glass bottle”.

“It is correct that the packaging in the shops, the packaging in transit, the packaging at the food suppliers and the packaging in the packaging factories are all already in existence. For the food in the shops, the food in transit and the food already packaged at the farms and factories, for all that food it is already too late. However, we, that is you and I, we are aiming to keep the

food that is currently not yet packaged out of plastic. While it is too late for the batches in the shops, in transit, and awaiting transportation, we want the batch that is next in line to be packaged to be saved from packaging. We, that is you and I, want to send a message to the shop owners, the suppliers, the growers and the factories, that enough is enough. We, that is you and I, no longer want to be part of the conversation of what to do with packaging,” she added.

Operation de-plastification plan to hold two more flash mobs this month, both of which will take place at the Metal Bike on Francis St in Ennis on August 17th and 21st.

1 million Irish E-cars by 2030 CIAN O’BROIN cianobroin@clareecho.ie

T

HE newly proposed Climate Action Plan hopes to have one million electric vehicles on the road in Ireland by the year 2030. Such an optimistic figure begs the question of realism. Undoubtedly, a cognitive shift must take place within the public sphere to meet such demands.

Speaking to an individual staying above the curve, John Casey of the Electric Vehicle Owners Clare talks getting started, range anxiety, financial incentives and the necessity of leading by example…

The Clare Electric Vehicle Owners group was espoused by John i n order to connect with other green minded individuals in the county. “I set it up on the basis that we could have opinions on local issues. It’s information for peop l e .

Local chargers and things of interest in terms of what we are doing.

There is a strong community out there.” An information evening organised by the Green Party on electric vehicles sparked interest in the group as well as a Nissan Leaf information night at Dulick Motors.

Collaboration & co-operation key to bringing world-class Greenway to Clare PÁRAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

Elected representative and officials in the West Clare Municipal District will hold a presentation in September to gain a better understanding of the work required in bringing a world class Greenway to the county.

North Clare councillors, Roisin Garvey, Shane Talty, Joe Killeen and Joe Garrihy proposed at a recent meeting of the West

On making the switch over to electric vehicles, John feels that their evolution has come a long way in recent years. “I was driving some of the first ones that came out. On the older models, the range was very poor. There were also reliability issues too. What people don’t realise now is that there is significantly less servicing. There are very few things that can go wrong. In addition, battery size has increased enormously so that it’s within most people’s comfortable range of 200-300 kilometres.”

The current bestsellers in the E.V market today are the Hyundai Kona, Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Model Three Tesla and the Volkswagen E-Golf. Within the county boundaries, Dulick are proprietors of the affordable Nissan Leaf and Cleary’s have made the new Kia E-Soul available to customers.

Councillor Mary Howard’s significant contribution in establishing a network of charging stations throughout Ennis has done wonders for local electric vehicle owners. In 2019, Mary asserts that “charging points were provided at Tim Smyth Park (Fair Green), John O’Sullivan Park (Lee’s Rd), Clare County Council HQ and at Active E n nis Leisure Centre.” A keen advocate of electric vehicles, Councillor Howard acknowledges that, “the amount of people that have searched for electric vehicles on Done Deal has gone up by 250% in comparison to last year.” Economically, electric

Clare MD that a presentation be organised by both the Director of Physical and Rural Development in Clare County Council on Greenways. They asked that this would include contributions from “an expert on best practice for the infrastructure used”, “an engineer from one of the engineering companies that have successfully liaised with landowners in developing greenways” and Waterford farmer, Tom Fennell who was initially opposed to greenways but is now an advocate.

“This presentation is being proposed to begin the process of getting the best Greenway in Ireland for North and West Clare at a time where the West Clare Municipal District faces job losses due to Moneypoint’s proposed closure and the need for the regeneration of struggling towns like Miltown Malbay and Corofin,” the quartet stated.

Senior engineer, Sean Lenihan said, “The delivery of a world class Greenway is a key priority for the Council” and is acknowledged in the County Development Plan 2017-2023. “Funding will be sought from all suitable sources to advance the design

vehicles owners will accrue significant savings on transport costs. “The reality is that E-Car’s have zero exhaust emissions. The motor tax is 120 euros. It has been found there is a 74% reduction cost in comparison to a diesel vehicle. A journey of 200 kilometres costs approximately 2.54 euros, where as a petrol journey would run you 21.60 euros.”

Additional incentives come in the form of government subsidies. A grant of 600 euros is available for the installation of home charging units. A VRT Rebate of up to 5,000 euros is available to those interested in purchasing an electric vehicle.

These financial incentives were put in place t o encourage individuals.

Shedding some light on the upkeep of electric vehicle, John Casey remarks “A lot of people don’t know that the chargers are free of charge. The tolls are half price for electric v e hicles and parking in town is free of charge in Abbey Street and Glor car park if you are working in Ennis.” A government scrappage scheme has also been put in place for those that fear their current petrol or diesel vehicle will hold little financial value in years to come.

The increase of electric vehicles on the road in County Clare is not without its drawbacks, however. An inconsistent network of charging stations county-wide has caused distress amongst owners who ac-

cording to John Casey, has led to a great deal of ‘range anxiety’. “The ESB has put in chargers in Kilrush and there have been obsolescence issues. They’ve essentially abandoned Kilrush. A 90-kilometre return journey to Kilrush could end up in range anxiety for owners of the old Nissan Leaf.

The same thing has happened now in Lisdoonvarna and Newmarket on Fergus. The ESB really have no interest in putting in the flow chargers, unfortunately. We need the council to do something like they did in Ennis town. We need something like that to happen for the extremities of the county.”

Finally, John felt that the only way to truly incentivise people to swap over to electric vehicles lay in the example of national leadership. “There needs to be more education. They need to practice what they preach. Government vehicles need t o make the switch over.

The traffic wardens are supp o s - edly getting electric vehicles. All that needs to

and delivery of the overall proposal totalling approximately 85km. It is hoped that we may be able to deliver a smaller (23km) section between Kilrush and Kilkee as a pilot phase”.

He said that any such development requires co-operation and collaboration with affected landowners and local interest groups. “Some preliminary engagement has taken place already and at the appropriate time, we will consult widely with landowners and their representative groupings”.

Lenihan confirmed the Council would facilitate the requested presentation.

Cllr Garvey said Waterford has been boosted by one million annual bednights as a result of the Greenway. “This is going to happen, it should have happened 10 years ago, the Council has used different approaches. This is the time that we get this Greenway off the ground, it is paramount that we get the farmer from Waterford to come up to us and talk to the farmers”. Cllr Cillian Murphy suggested the presentations be open to the entire community but Garvey replied, “Step one is to get the Council

on board”.

Independent councillor, Ian Lynch commented. “We’re all convinced this needs to happen. Anytime this appears in the paper there’s hysteria. The reason nothing has gone out is there is no plan. There is great opposition to it because of the fear to it, there is a fierce sense of frustration to it.

This is an economically deprived area that needs money pumped into it. I would be a bit cautious about getting the message out too soon, there is not an issue with the farmers, there are concerns”.

Director of Service, Leonard Cleary confirmed a special briefing would be organised prior to the West Clare MD’s September meeting.

happen. They need to encourage the semi-state companies and the council to start using them. If people see council vehicles being electric or hop into electric vehicles, only then will it go some of the way. Even our own local TD’s need to lead by example. I know that none of the four TD’s drive electric even though they try to encourage it. They need to lead by example.”

3 GREEN CHOICES OF CARS NISSAN LEAF

THE all new 40kw 100 per cent Electric Nissan Leaf has charged ahead in the sales charts this July. 306 new Nissan Leaf’s were registered during the month which heretofore would have been close to the total number of Electric vehicles sold in a full year.

The July sales result brings the total number of Nissan Leaf driving on Irish roads to date to over 2,700 units cementing Nissan’s dominance and leadership in the fast emerging electric vehicle market.

Nissan said that the unprecedented demand for the new Leaf is being driven by the fact that its range on a single charge has increased by 50 per cent to 378 kilometres (NEDC) and by a growing awareness amongst Irish householders that switching to a new Nissan Leaf can help them to save significantly on the cost of running their car.

Government incentives including the SEAI purchase grant of €5,000, the additional €7,000 SEAI grant for taxi drivers, the introduction of 0 per cent BIK on company vehicles, half price tolls and the environmental benefits of switching to a 100 per cent electric car are also playing a big role in influencing consumers, according to Nissan.

“This result for July is a real benchmark and provides huge encouragement for the future of Electric Vehicles in Ireland” said James McCarthy, CEO, Nissan Ireland. “We have been advocates for electric driving over the last 8 years and it’s fantastic to see people starting to make the switch in numbers now.”

“Consumers are conscientiously weighing up whether the car can save them money. Our Leaf customers have shown us that they are at least €1,350 a year better off for driving the 100 per cent electric Nissan Leaf,” said Mr. McCarthy “and no other drivetrain – petrol, diesel or hybrid, can come close to delivering that level of running cost savings.

The all new Nissan Leaf offers a significant update over the previous model with a higher battery capacity, dynamic new styling and advanced technologies including ProPILOT and the Nissan e-Pedal function, which allows drivers to start from a standstill, accelerate and brake and even bring the car to a controlled stop by using the throttle pedal.

HYUNDAI KONA

The Hyundai Kona Electric has exceeded customer demand across Europe, thanks to its powerful electric drivetrain, long driving range and its stylish SUV looks. With demand for the original Kona Electric having surpassed all expectations, Hyundai is now already announcing the enhanced specification of the new model year Kona Electric. With newly offered features like an 11-kW three-phase on-board AC charger cable, Kona Electric increases its appeal to environmentally conscious drivers seeking no-compromise future mobility. Deliveries of the upgraded Kona Electric will begin in European markets from the end of 2019.

After its first full year of sales, Kona

has captured new customer groups and significantly contributed to Hyundai’s strong position in the trending segment of compact SUVs. The impressive worldwide demand for the popular Kona Electric version in particular has exceeded even Hyundai’s expectations. Hyundai is responding to this pent-up demand by announcing the latest enhancements planned for the emission-free SUV. Another useful feature for the latest Kona Electric is Blue Link® telematics: Hyundai’s Connected Car service in select markets* enables drivers to start their Kona Electric using the Blue Link smartphone app, as well as activate the climate control before setting off on a trip to heat or cool the interior of the car on cold or hot days. It is also possible to unlock the car doors remotely by entering the Blue Link User PIN. In addition, Blue Link serves as a convenient diagnostic tool, notifying customers of any service that requires attention or where the driver last parked the car. Standard eCall service – which in addition to the manual eCall button automatically contacts emergency services in the case of a more serious road incident resulting in the airbag sensors being triggered – is also there to assist passengers.

TOYOTA COROLLA

It’s funny to think that, twenty years ago, when Toyota first started making hybrid cars, most other car makers thought it was a colossal waste of time and investment cash, and promptly got on with shovelling cash into diesel power. Today, as Toyota brings the Corolla name back to its five-door family hatch (the Auris is no more) it seems like the most prescient thing ever to have sunk all that investment money into hybrids. Indeed, so big is Toyota’s lead in hybrid power, that most car makers aren’t even bothering to compete, and instead are holding on for the holy grail of battery electric power.

Which is not to say that Toyota isn’t investing in electric — it is, but is apparently waiting until faster-charging solid-state batteries mature into useable technology before it fully commits — but it has more or less perfected is hybrid engine building expertise, to the point where, now, there are no more diesel-engined Toyota passenger cars (bar the vast Land Cruiser, which is strictly speaking a commercial vehicle).

The new Corolla range — the successor to the most successful car badge of all time — is almost entirely hybrid powered now.

While it’s basically the same engine as before, with the same electric motor and the same stack of nickel batteries under the back seats, Toyota has tweaked its software and operating systems a little.

That means that the electric motor takes more of the strain, more of the time. In fact, on a typical urban commute, Toyota says that you should spend around 60 per cent of your journey running on just the battery and electric motor. That’s good for around-town fuel economy, but Toyota has worked too on making longhaul motorway miles more economical, and it’s worked.

MISSED THE BRING CENTRES? Farm yard collections now available in your county.

Simply phone IFFPG to arrange a collection

LoCall: 1890 300 444 www.farmplastics.ie

Meet the teenagers putting pressure on Clare politicians

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

F

OR the average Junior Certificate student once the exams are complete the summer holidays represents a time to relax and recuperate but Kate Harty is not your

atypical teenager.

At the age of sixteen, she was not afraid to call out elected members of Clare County Council when questioning them in April. “We’re here to talk about something called climate change. Have you heard of it? It doesn’t seem like it, because if you had heard of climate change, then surely you would be doing everything in your power to prevent it by now. If you

BURNING HOUSEHOLD WASTE IS ILLEGAL

have heard of climate change, then surely school children wouldn’t need to be here to remind you about the subject. We are secondary school students, not politicians, nor scientists”.

Eleanor Dagnell-Wise started the Fridays for Future Protest in Clare, standing afoot of The Height monument in Ennis on her own in February. Soon, others followed and Kate has become an ever-present part of their demonstrations.

“If you think about it, you can chat to your friends later or even on a Monday to Thursday, quite often my friends come and join me on the Height for the big strikes.

The environmental issue isn’t going away in a hurry and it won’t do unless we go to the Height and I’d like a future, yes I do miss out on some classes I enjoy and talking

her passion.

Over the summer months, she has studied Clare County Council’s Draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. She has worked with Clare PPN and 27 other environmental groups in the county on a submission to the strategy. “The original draft was basing on social and economic change which was good but it didn’t factor in the environment half as much as I wanted it to and as we expected it to because it is reaching crisis point. Our own submission was to try get the environment into that strategy”.

Since addressing councillors in April, the Colaiste Muire student admitted to being disappointed with their actions on climate change since but praised them for the first four motions of the new term being related to the matter. Kate spoke up during the Ennis MD local election hustings but revealed it is unlikely her name will appear on a ballot paper in the future.

“I’ve thought about it a lot, I find work

to my friends on Fridays but I get to talk to them from Monday to Thursday, it balances out and environmental protection is worth putting in that one day of striking for every week”.

Respecting the environment is nothing new to the Ennis teen, her family are trying to have zero waste in the household. Féidhlim her father, is the Director of FH Wetland Systems Ltd, her mother is a homeopath and indeed her grandmother, Natasha Harty of East Cork has been active on environment protection, “I get it from multiple generations” she told The Clare Echo of

best when I’m outside the whole arena of politics because I find it much easier to work that way. I’d probably work alongside politicians or decision makers but I don’t think I’d go for the elections myself ”.

“It’s not our generation who are going to go into politics and change it, the generation above say my parent’s generation have to make the changes within politics for us to have a future. The time frame is too small that it will be too late if it’s us going into politics and changing it”.

Scrolling through Snapchat and Instagram or binging on Netflix would have been an option in the final few weeks before Kate begins Transition Year, instead she made the most of her time in an attempt to create the best future for Co Clare.

Burning waste at your home or business is illegal and has a negative impact on the local environment, on your own health and the health of those around you.

DID yOU kNOW? It is illegal to burn household, garden or commercial waste; • Inside, outside or around any part of a house, garden or premises.

• In waste burners or other devices.

• In stoves or any device attached to a chimney or flue.

It is illegal to burn waste from gardens, parks and cemeteries.

The burning of any domestic or commercial waste may result in prosecution by Clare County Council.

For more information on what to do with your household waste visit www.mywaste.ie or email enviroff@clarecoco.Ie

@GREENERCLARE

Ensuring Sustainability in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands

S

INCE April of last year, when Fáilte Ireland launched Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, we’ve been fortunate to witness the positive reactions of tourists travelling to this new tourism offering. The international media who visited East Clare and Lough Derg earlier this year returned to their countries brimming with enthusiasm, and readers and listeners have been regaled with tales in the national media of the superb experiences already on offer. Ray D’Arcy and other Irish media have also immersed their audiences in all there is to see and do in the area.

It’s extremely rewarding to observe visitors to Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands enjoying the range of activities and attractions on offer, but the quality of the visitor experience will come as no surprise to those who have been living and working in East Clare; helping to provide a top-class visitor experience for years.

Key to ensuring the success of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands has been our approach.

While we are immensely proud of the assets that our country has, it’s crucial that when we are developing and promoting these as-

sets, we do so in a responsible and sustainable way.

If we continually weaken the character and distinctiveness of the natural and cultural resources that our tourism industry thrives on, they won’t be there to rely on in the future. Therefore, tourism development must be balanced and sensitive as well as economically successful.

To measure our success at achieving this balance, Fáilte Ireland maintains a balance for sustainable tourism by focusing on four key elements: the visitor; industry; community and the environment.

A form of tourism that impacts negatively on local communities or on our environment is not sustainable in the long-term.

As the landscape and community changes over time, we need to maintain the quality of the balance by reviewing and evaluating our approach. The Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands

team has embarked on a series of initiatives – including a recent workshop dedicated to developing a model of sustainable tourism i n t h e region.

Through such initiatives we are applying best practice to ensure the success of a very distinct offering. The core of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands is natural rural beauty where activity and relaxation are centred around rural communities and their lifestyles, allowing us a unique and timely opportunity to create a model of sustainable tourism.

Recently we hosted workshops with local industry in Killaloe – both for Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and for the new Fáilte Ireland celebration of food and drink, Taste the Island - to develop the best

possible platform to showcase the fantastic produce in the area, and the entire island.

Part of this celebration includes A Taste of Lough Derg, a series of events with local food producers and providers, which returns to various venues around Lough Derg next month, including Killaloe, Mountshannon and Tuamgraney.

In March, we invited international tour operators tailored to slower, more sustainable tourism to experience the beauty of East Clare and looked on as they thoroughly enjoyed the authentic, ‘off the beaten track’ experiences that are there for visitors to uncover at their own pace.

Leading the way for sustainable tourism in Ireland means that all of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands will benefit from the wealth of expertise internal to Fáilte Ireland as well as drawing on international best practice.

We will build on the already significant work undertaken in terms of attracting visitors to events and attractions that are both appealing and sustainable, while benefitting the local community.

Mark McGovern, Manager, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands

Top 5 Green Companies Co Clare 1

CLEAN IRELAND RECYCLING

2

HOTEL DOOLIN

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) waste collection vehicles were first introduced in Ireland at the same time they developed the country’s first fast-fill CNG refuelling station in Shannon. As a result, emission levels reduced drastically in comparison with traditional diesel engine trucks, Carbon dioxide -22%, nitrogen oxide -70%, sulphur dioxide -80%.

One of only eight hotels in Ireland to hold a Green Platinum Award. The North Clare resort adheres to a green programme which includes harvesting their own rain water, sending e-invoices to cut down on paper use, charging points for electric cars, segregated waste, do not disturb signs are made from wood, for every wedding at the hotel ten trees are planted.

3 MISSED THE BRING CENTRES? Farm yard collections now available in your county.

CLARE SPRING

Process lines at the family owned company are 100% automated and designed to run a wide range of both glass and plastic bottles. The bottling plant at Lissycasey is powered completely by wind energy to reduce carbon footprint and the spring water is naturally filtered through organic land and drawn from a protected underground source.

4

CUP PRINT Manufacturers of eco-friendly compostable cups, the Ballymaley Business Park based company does custom paper cup printing and design technology. Just last month, they have come on board as sponsor of a new category, ‘Best Green and Sustainable Practices’ at the Clare Business Excellence Awards.

Simply phone IFFPG to arrange a collection

LoCall: 1890 300 444 www.farmplastics.ie

5

THE PANTRY

A number of business in Kilkee are leading the way when it comes to the ‘Make Plastic Free’ campaign.

The restaurant and bakery is always busy during the summer season and also boasts having 100% compostable food packaging.

List HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING

CLEAN, DRY & LOOSE

Your New Rigid Plastics

PLASTIC CLEANING BOTTLES

PLASTIC DRINK BOTTLES

Paper & Cardboard

LETTERS & BROCHURES

Tins & Cans WASTE PREVENTION TIPS AVOID SINGLE USE DISPOSABLE ITEMS, E.G. RAZORS, BATTERIES, WIPES MAKE A SHOPPING LIST FOR YOUR GROCERIES, & STICK TO IT CHOOSE LESS PACKAGING BY BUYING LOOSE PRODUCE & BUYING IN BULK WHERE POSSIBLE SWITCH TO REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES SAY NO TO JUNK MAIL ~ PUT A ‘NO JUNK MAIL’ STICKER ON YOUR LETTERBOX

#MYWASTEirl mywaste.ie

SOUP CANS

CARDBOARD BOXES (FLAT)

PET FOOD CANS

BUTTER, YOGURT & SALAD TUBS

EGG BOXES

DRINK CANS

FRUIT & VEG TRAYS

TOILET & KITCHEN ROLL

FOOD CANS

PLASTIC MILK CARTONS

NEWSPAPERS

SOAP OR SHAMPOO BOTTLES

TETRA PAK JUICE OR MILK CARTONS

Clean Ireland Recycling – leading Co. Clare in protecting the environment

I

N a county with a landscape as pristine as Clare’s, it’s to be expected that environmental leaders would emerge.

In business, there’s none better or bigger than Clean Ireland Recycling.

And it’s fact; because last year this proud Clare company went where no other has gone before when it was named the outright Pakman Award winner at the annual Repak hosted ceremony.

Not alone does this mean that Clean Ireland Recycling is the leading environmentally friendly waste management service provider in the country but in 2018, it was deemed the top business of any kind in the country when it comes to its’ environmental contribution with the same award having been claimed 12 months earlier by RTE. But how much of a surprise could it be; when you’re a company that’s founded on the famous west coast of Clare, you’re

bound to care.

“It was a huge achievement for us. We’ve always had a focus on pursuing environmentally sustainable waste management solutions even before it was recognised a viable route from a business perspective.

Few, if any, when we started on this journey thought we could do this and be successful at the same time. The Pakman Award validated all the brave decisions we have taken over the years and showcases that the environment and business can go hand in hand.,” said Brian Lyons, General Manager of Clean Ireland Recycling.

“From our very foundation, we’ve always been about innovation, trying to come up with new ideas to enable our customers actually improve their contribution to the environment rather than just collect the waste they generate.

“We’ve worked hard, we’ve invested a lot, but everything we’ve done over the years

has been geared towards finding new and better ways to manage people’s waste and educate about recycling and reuse. It’s paid off.

“The Pakman awards are the height of it.

To win the outright award was incredible as it wasn’t just for our sector. It effectively held up Clean Ireland Recycling as the leading company in the country for dedication to the environment.”

The facts speak for themselves. Clean Ireland Recycling, through three decades of constant innovation, has now brought to 95% the amount of waste it collects that it now diverts away from landfill.

Even a sweeping look at some of the highlights in its history gives an understanding as to how much it has travelled, all the way from its origins in Cree, Co. Clare.

Clean Ireland Recycling was the first to introduce the 360ltr recycling bin as standard to householders, allowing for in-

Winner: Overall Pakman Award category at the Pakman Awards 2018

creased recycling levels.

It was the first company in Europe to introduce trucks with four compartments for all the different types of waste material, meaning fewer trips and lower carbon emissions.

Clean Ireland Recycling Doing it Right

Ireland’s most innovative waste management service helping you fight climate change

CALL 1890 361 800 www.cleanireland.ie

Pakman Awards 2018 Overall Winner Find us on Facebook

for service information, news & offers.

Top 5 Green Minded Clare Politicians

1

CLLR ROISIN GARVEY (GREEN PARTY)

Still a relatively newbie to life as a councillor, it hasn’t deterred the Inagh woman from already making an impact. She rarely comes to the Council Chamber empty-handed, Roisin brought a planted tree for each of her colleagues to her first Council meeting and would bring bee seed bombs before the summer was out for fellow elected representatives. Her contributions and motions are all influenced by the Green way of thinking and Garvey’s work in primary schools across the county has left an impact on hundreds of students.

2

CLLR CILLIAN MURPHY (FIANNA FÁIL) Though only elected in May, Cillian has also hit the ground running when it comes to factoring in the environment to policy-making. In their two monthly meetings held since the local elections, the Kilkee man has called on the local authority to declare an immediate biodiversity and climate change emergency, to stop using roundup pesticide and for details on the cost incurred for illegal dumped household waste. A former Green candidate, some of the ways of thinking are still linked to his old party, he feels sustainable tourism needs to be implemented in the county.

3

CLLR IAN LYNCH (INDEPENDENT)

To the fore with Kilrush Tidy Towns, Ian attempts to set the example by being an example in the local community. Recently within the Council Chamber, he questioned the lack of charging points provided by ESB for electric vehicles in Co Clare and his motion for Clare County Council to purchase electric vehicles as opposed to the existing diesel outdoor machinery lorries is being considered, the call revealed that traffic wardens may soon be driving electric cars.

Honourable mentions: As the criteria was for current politicians in the county, ex Green Party councillors Brian Meaney and Donal O’Bearra are ruled out but would have been in the reckoning otherwise. Cllr Mary Howard (FG) is most unlucky to miss out on the top five, she has continued the tree throwing championships which were first brought in on Meaney’s suggestion and is a very active member of Ennis Tidy Towns.

Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) admitted to having her eyes opened to the need for climate change in recent months, largely thanks to Eleanor Dagnell-Wise, she may have featured were it a top 10 list.

TIMMY DOOLEY TD (FIANNA FÁIL)

Timmy is the first Clare TD to serve as a Spokesperson on the Environment and Climate Change in the Dáil, a sign of the times that the position is viewed with even more importance. As Fianna Fáil are the party ‘in opposition’, his job is mainly focused on questioning and criticising Minister Richard Bruton. The ex Senator has said the Government’s Climate Plan will hit people in the pocket and has expressed his dismay with how Ireland is off track to meet climate change targets for 2020 and 2030.

4

5

ALL LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE ADOPTING SIMILAR BYE-LAWS ENSURING A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO MANAGING WASTE ACROSS IRELAND. In order to comply with the new Bye-Laws: • You need to demonstrate that you are disposing of your waste in a responsible and legal manner; • You must segregate your waste correctly.

CLLR JOHNNY FLYNN (FINE GAEL) One of the most vocal advocates for public transport, Johnny played a significant role in Dublin Coach’s service expanding to include Ennis. As a result, hundreds of students travelling to UL do not need to go via car and less vehicles are on the roads. The former Chief Fire Officer has also requested a town bus service be set up within Ennis to cater for an ageing population but also to reduce the amount of emissions within the county town.

Flynn along with Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy invited a delegation of protesters from Fridays for Future to address the Council back in April.

YOU MUST USE ONE OF THESE OPTIONS

OR KERBSIDE COLLECTION

Find out more at www.mywaste.ie

AUTHORISED WASTE FACILITY

Make Kilkee Plastic Free setting the path for others to follow PÁRAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

N

OT alone does Make Kilkee Plastic Free do what it says on the tin but also reminds the people of Ireland that it’s residents are proud of their environment and what the area represents.

Now a year since the initiative was im-

plemented with the vision to measurably reduce the quantity of single use plastic products by businesses in coastal communities, others have taken inspiration from the Kilkee way.

On Friday last at the launch of the Cruinniú na mBád Festival in Kinvara their alliance of young people, artists and committed locals produced a series of billboards as part of a public awareness campaign called “Our Town, Our World: Standing Together for Land & Sea” which is inspired by the example set in West Clare.

Keith McDonogh, ex manager of The

Resource Efficiency and the Circular Economy

Greyhound Bar on O’Curry St in Kilkee was heavily involved in the establishment of Make Kilkee Plastic Free alongside the local Chamber of Commerce and Cillian Murphy who in the interval has become Cllr Cillian Murphy. “It was overwhelming, far more than you could manage on a voluntary basis but it still achieved goals that we set out with at the start,” he said of the initial reaction to the project.

“I thought there would be a lot more reluctance at the start because what it involved going to businesses struggling to survive that even have to turn off their heavy duty electrical refrigeration in the winter and you’re saying look at that coffee cup you have that costs 18c would you not consider spending 30c on it and reducing your profits in order to save the environment even when the Government aren’t helping you,” Keith explained to The Clare Echo.

“The cost was a big reluctance and I was bowled over by how good they were and how they were willing to make a

change even though our Government isn’t, the Government is making half-hearted suggestions and their results are that the poor citizen pays more tax when there are lots of tax neutral options that can be done to make a huge change, it’s not just about plastic. The cost involved of sourcing green compostable equipment. I need to half contradict myself to say that local Government, Clare County Council were so supportive from the start, they could see that if the products were changed to biodegradable and compostable that it would reduce landfill costs, they provided us with segregated bins from the very start and they have been very useful”.

From the outset, it aspired to be a model that could be replicated across the country.

As Kilkee asks visitors to leave only their footprints in the sand it has successfully carved the path for other towns to follow.

“It’s great to be able to say to ourselves that it’s snowballing around the country, it’s a fantastic thing and something to be very proud of ”.

‘The real efficiencies are in the public transport systems’ CIAN O’BROIN cianobroin@clareecho.ie

A Find out more at www.mywaste.ie

recent shift in the collective subconscious has placed our public leaders between a rock and a hard place. Wriggling free from decades of denial has led us to talks of mass extinction and they are very real. Environmental science has declared that time is running out, with only eleven years to reconfigure our behaviour and amend irreparable damage inflicted upon our beloved homestead. Ireland’s stake in the face of this climate change emergency has led us to the 2019 Climate Action Plan which looks to completely redefine our relationship with energy, transitioning from sacrilege to sustainable. Former Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney sees the fragility of such contingencies and wags a sceptical finger over the governments so called promises. Welcome to the dark side of the Irish Climate Change Emergency.

Brian expressed his strong feelings concerning the legitimacy of so-called emergencies announced by the Irish gov-

ernment, “Taking past experience into account, Ireland’s Government declaring a Climate Emergency does not bode well for the future. In April of 2006, Mary Harney the then Minister for Health stated that the crisis in the A & E departments in Irish Hospitals was a “national emergency”. Brian feels this suspect approach by the Irish government doesn’t bode well for our future, “from past experience if the Irish government declares something an emergency it is really bad. Second thing this means that nothing will be done about it in the hope it will go away and someone else will deal with it. The second outcome of the declaration of an emergency is the situation is likely to get a whole lot worse such as the A&E emergency declared in 2006. Now in May of this year the Irish government declared a climate emergency. I wrote a small note on the Calendar just one word. Bugger...”

With ambitious targets like one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, Mr. Meaney feels that the government are overlooking the simpler issues, “There is somewhat of a blinkered approach. The real efficiencies are in the public transport systems. Due to the largely dispersed population in Ireland, it is very difficult to deliver a proper public transport system.

The answer isn’t in everybody having access to their own electric car.”

Eco-Tourism bringing a new way of life to farming in The Burren PÁRAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

C

ATHAL O’Rourke is a fifth generation farmer in Tubber but he and his wife, Bronagh are bringing a whole new dimension to the almost 500 acres of land.

Born in Cavan, Bronagh completed a Sport and Health Rehabilitation degree at Wolverhampton University twenty years ago before going on to work in pharmaceutical sales. Since then, she has married Cathal and together they have three daughters, Annabelle (8), Isla (5) and Alice (2), it was from being at home that she could really visualise what they had beneath their feet on the land.

“It’s a very different career choice, it wasn’t a choice but more of a life progression, I married a farmer and I’ve gone from sales to minding the kids at home all the time. I’m a stay at home mother but I wanted to diversify in a way where I can still fulfil my role as a mother at home with the kids but also utilise what we have here on the farm.

I did a tourism course last year and I decided to use what we have, the farm is very vast it’s nearly 500 acres so I saw potential with all the tourism in the area”.

On her reasons for undertaking the tourism course in Gort Community Centre, Bronagh outlined, “I had an interest in diversifying in some way, I had seen the campervans and the potential of the area, on a given day you could see up to twenty campervans driving by, cyclists and everything. There was nobody else in the area doing it so we had a meeting recently, we’re members of the Burren Programme which is farming with conservation in mind, keeping the area as true to what it should be and the limestone pavements there. Brendan Dunford had a meeting about people opening up their farms and letting people see because he knew that it was tourists wanted to see, real farms, what people do, how they sustainably live in the area”.

This led to the creation of Burren Farm Experience where the couple give guided tours of the working farm and historic area to educate tourists on the distinct farming practices in the Burren and biodiversity. Guests are brought on their tractor trailer with comfy straw bales for seating through the almost 500 acre farm of mixed species-rich grassland, deciduous woodland, hazel scrub and glaciocarst limestone

pavement internationally famous for arctic-alpine and Mediterranean plants living side by side, passing livestock and historical remains. This is followed by a 5km/8km hike through the National Park to Lough Bunny Lake. Three national monuments are on the land, the former Boston Church which was burnt down in the 1820s, a pre-famine settlement and a round field.

Since starting the tours in July, over 100 people have enjoyed the service.

They plan to expand in the winter with the refurbishment of an old farmhouse into a tearoom for visitors. The couple realise the value of conservation and it is why they have such praise for the Burren Programme which emphasises farming in this way. “If the Burren Programme wasn’t in existence as it is, it would be very hard to sustain the way we farm at the moment and the landscape, it’s based on the animals grazing to extend the season that the cattle can be out because the limestone ground doesn’t go below six degrees even in the winter time, it’s a very different area to farm in than other areas of the country,” Bronagh told The Clare Echo.

“If the cattle didn’t graze the land, the flowers wouldn’t come up in summer time so you wouldn’t have the biodiversity that we’ve had here, we’ve orchids that you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the world, it’s a very unique landscape”.

Eco-Tourism is directed towards exotic, often threatened, natural environments, intended to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife which is what the O’Rourke’s are aspiring towards as part of the Burren Eco-Tourism Network.

“I think it is the way forward, people are more conscious of their footprint. Even if it’s the domestic market, we run zero waste so we go out and don’t want to leave a footprint so we bring everything back with us. We’re here for conservation and we want to show people what we do and the animals but we have to bear in mind that this is their environment and where they live, it’s very important for us to leave no trace”.

Over the weekend, they will hold a ‘Five Generations of Farming Series’ on their land. Though new to farming, Bronagh has already been named as one of the top three finalists of the Corrib Oil Women in Farming Awards, something she is proud of and highlights how new methods of thinking in agriculture must be embraced. “You don’t have to be able to milk a cow or have a

huge background knowledge, you have to be able to bring what you have as an individual to make it more diverse and get the interest up from other women and children. What I feel is important is getting it from where it is now to something that is more attainable to other people. I don’t want to go in and milk 200 cattle but that’s not what my niche is, it’s bringing a new breath of life and dimension to what Cathal has been doing and his dad John for generations, the farm is here for five generations but nobody has seen it, it has never been explored before.

“It’s a hugely historic

place and I just want that to be explored and for people to see more of that. Farming is an industry where we were seeing people that were part-time and now that’s no longer sustainable, we need to think of other ideas”.

RENAULT SHOWS OFF NEW ZOE ELECTRIC CAR

T

HE launch of the third generation of Renault’s flagship vehicle in its 100% electric range is a major milestone in the group’s strategy for large-scale electric vehicle development.

Seven years after the release of what has become Europe’s best-selling urban electric car, New Zoe evolves in versatility, quality and technology offering superior features, right from entry level, all while remaining affordable.

This evolution is immediately obvious.

On the outside, New Zoe shows its personality without losing its distinctive fresh design. The interior has been revolutionised, with a fully redesigned instrument panel and dashboard for improved comfort.

On a technical level, New Zoe is both more autonomous, with a battery of 52kWh lasting up to 390km (on the WLTP test) and has more recharging options thanks to the introduction of an optional direct current (DC) charge. With its more powerful 100 kW motor on GT Line spec, New Zoe offers even more driving pleasure.

With nearly 150,000 registrations by

the end of May 2019, Zoe sales have been growing steadily since its launch. Its cumulative sales make it the most common electric vehicle on European roads.

At the front, the completely redesigned contours of the sculpted bonnet converge into a large aligned diamond which opens onto the charging hatch. The new shape of the bumper incorporates chrome inserts in the grill and around the fog lights, enhancing the lower section.

With the famous bright C-shape belonging to all new Renault vehicles, the new 100% LED lights create an expressive look.

While the dimensions of New Zoe haven’t changed, it gains in presence. It is confident and wears its electric nature with pride, the blue border around the Renault diamond logos acting as a reminder.

New Zoe introduces a 10-inch driver’s display, available right from entry-level specifications, with definition and functions that are unparalleled in the segment.

The display contains the main driving aids and all settings specific to electric driving, starting with the eco-meter that encourages eco-friendly driving habits. On

versions equipped with navigation, it also displays GPS indications. The driver can customise the lighting and the layout of the different information on-screen. The display’s horizon and varying perspective-effects create a sense of depth and help the driver to focus.

New Zoe has a Z.E.50 battery which takes its range up to 390km (WLTP). It now also offers fast direct current charging, an addition to the alternating current charging options already available at home or on the street.

Renault’s work to continue at the forefront of increasingly high-performing battery development did not end with the introduction of the previous generation’s Z.E. 40 battery. The result: with 52 kWh, the battery Z.E.50 for the New Zoe now offers a range of up to 390km, an increase of 20%.

This growth in energy capacity uses the same sized-battery, maintaining the vehicle’s comfortable habitability. The new battery Z.E.50 even has another advantage: its ability to deliver a higher current intensity contributes to the performance of the new R135 engine.

New Zoe also is the most versatile affordable electric vehicle when it comes to charging.

All versions include 22kW AC charging as standard and this remains unique to Zoe. This is an ace up Zoe’s sleeve when it comes to the Irish public charging infrastructure.

As ESB eCars offer 1,000 ESB public 22kW AC charging points in Ireland, and EasyGo plan to add several hundred more. When you drive a Zoe, you’re never far from a quick top-up, adding up to 82km in just half an hour.

“New Zoe makes you want to go further.

We’ve designed a new generation of Zoe: at the forefront of electric performance and more useable than ever. New Zoe highlights Groupe Renault’s commitment to 100% electric mobility for all” said Gilles Normand, Director of the Electric Vehicle Division of Renault.

Renault ZOE

Ireland’s most affordable Electric Car

Renault – No.1 for Electric Vehicles in Europe 0% APR Book a 24-hour test drive Model shown: ZOE Dynamique Nav R110 Z.E. 40, starting RRP €27,790. Renault ZOE WLTP range up to 317km depending on version. Model shown WLTP range 300km. Finance example: ZOE EXPRESSION R90 ZE40, RRP €24,990. Deposit €8,859. Term 60 monthly payments of €269. APR 0%. Total cost of credit €0. Optional final payment €0. Offer exclusive to Renault Bank. Offer is made under a hire purchase agreement. Subject to lending criteria. Terms and conditions apply. See Renault.ie [Warning: You will not own these goods until the final payment is made].

HOGAN MOTORS ENNIS Gort Road, Ennis, Co. Clare Tel 065 6821704 www.hoganmotorsennis.ie

Book a test drive