Archive for the 'Climate Change/Flooding' Category

LAUNCH OF GREEN BUILD WEBSITE

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on August 19, 2010
in Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding, Employment/Economics, Newry & Mourne, Planning issues and illegal development and Renewable Energy
. 0 Comments

LAUNCH OF GREEN BUILD WEBSITE, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Cllr Cadogan Enright’s Down District Council was the lead council in the web-site launched by Green Party’s Mr. John Gormley T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Minister Gormley was attending at the invitation of the East Border Region Partnership of Councils from North and South of the Boarder.

Minister John Gormley officially launched the SustainAndBuild.com website at an event in the Ballymascanlon Hotel in Dundalk co. Louth. Sustainandbuild.com is a portal web facility offering open access to planning, building and environmental knowledge within the East Border Region of Ireland. It facilitates trade and investment and highlights prime development opportunities. Through the actions of participating enterprises, councils and experts, it explains in plain terms the legislation and policies applicable to development in both jurisdictions in the region.

Referring to the site as a model for joined-up government and cross border cooperation the Minister commented : “The way it has managed to link together the information and spokespersons from Planning, Building Control, Water treatment, Heritage, Health and Safety and Roads functions from both jurisdictions into a veritable one stop shop is an enviable achievement”

The website is easy to use with video, audio and interactive content all being deployed to communicate information with maximum impact. It has learning modules for schools, with interactive functionality to gauge the real level of understanding achieved.

The site also features up-to-date information on sustainability in design and construction, best practice approaches, renewable technologies and energy saving solutions. Recommending the site to anyone involved in or contemplating a construction project in this region, or further afield. Minister said:- “The new sustainability and energy efficiency agenda is where it’s at for the industry and the more we get to grips with this agenda now, the better prepared we will be for the much-anticipated upturn in economic activity when it comes and come it will”.

Photograph shows South Down Green Party Westminister Candidate Cllr Cadogan Enright and Green Party Senator Cllr. Mark Deary from Dundalk at official launch of SustainAndBuild.com website by the Minister.

LOCAL YOUNG GREEN PRESENTS ‘STUPID CERTIFICATE’ TO BELFAST AIRPORT CHIEF

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on May 27, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, 5. EVENTS, Climate Change/Flooding and Mark McCormick
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows the Young Greens with the Stupid Certificate. From left to right; Karly Greene, Adam McGibbon, Neil Halliday, Mark McCormick and Lois Taylor.

At the Green Party Northern Ireland AGM 2009 Downpatrick local Mark McCormick awarded the Belfast City Airport Chief with a ‘Stupid Certificate’ for proposing a runway extension that is unsustainable, inconsiderate of long-suffering residents and economically unbeneficial to Northern Ireland.

Last Year local Young Green Activist Mark McCormick presented Sammy Wilson the Environment Minister with a spoof Green Wash award because of his Pro-Nuclear aspirations for Northern Ireland. The Green Wash is awarded annually to the individual or body in Northern Ireland who the Young Greens feel most threatens the Environment.

This year the Young Greens decided to leave the Green Wash Award with Sammy Wilson for the second year running as no other individual could come close to outdoing Sammy during his term as Environment Minister in which he became infamous as the only Environment Minister in Europe who denies Climate Change is manmade.

To give others a chance the Young Greens decided instead to award a ‘Stupid Certificate’ to whoever has been acting the stupidest towards the environment in Northern Ireland.

Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport, Brian Ambrose, was the winner for proposing a runway extension that is unsustainable, inconsiderate of long-suffering residents and economically unbeneficial to Northern Ireland.

Runners up included:

Rose Energy, for their plans to build a waste incinerator plant near Northern Ireland’s beauty spot Lough Neagh, locking us in to a future of unsustainable waste disposal and also David Ford, the Alliance Party Leader, For abstaining on the Stormont Environment Committee’s Vote of No Confidence in Environment Minister Sammy Wilson and for his Party’s support of Incineration.

Mark McCormick said, “The Young Greens are a vibrant, active and sensibly radical group of young people who are passionate about their environmental, social and rights based principles. We have always found that the Green Wash awards and Stupid Certificates are the best way to create awareness of our values and highlights those individuals who we feel threaten the environmental and social rights of the communities we live in.”

“The strongest Young Green branch in Northern Ireland is at Queens University Belfast where I am a leading member. If any students from the local Down District area are making their way to Queens University in September please send the QUB Greens an email at qubgreens@hotmail.co.uk. Also please visit the QUB Greens Blog where you can have a look at what our members have been campaigning on this year, www.qubgreens.blogspot.com,” concluded Mark McCormick.

GREENS SEEK UNITED OPPOSITION TO OVERTURN SDLP POLICY CHANGE

Published
by
Mark McCormick
on April 15, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding and Council
. 0 Comments

Cllr Cadogan Enright, Down District Green PartyDOWN District Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright voiced alarm at the sudden policy change by the SDLP councillors in Down District Council at last weeks council meeting at the Council offices on the Strangford Road. The SDLP out-voted the other parties on the Down District Council and rejected the need to have a separate Sustainable Development Committee in Down District Council – which had previously been SDLP Policy.

Cllr Enright said, “The Green Party has been happy in the past, to support the SDLP in creating a sustainable development committee on the council covering the important aspects of council policy such as sustainable development of tourism, energy infrastructure development, improvement of biodiversity and how this can benefit the local economy and our commitments under Local Agenda 21 arising under the Rio Convention in 1992.”

Cadogan Enright said, “This sudden policy change was also rightly opposed by representatives of the DUP and Sinn Fein and although UUP Councillors were not present, I am aware that some UUP Councillors would also oppose this development.”

Cllr Enright said, “The lame excuse given was that the senior management in the council (SMT) would be to busy with the reorganisation of local government to resource a Sustainable Development Committee in the Down District area.”

“I will be calling on all Councillors to review the decision not to have a separate Sustainable Development Committee in our run-up to the merger with Newry and Mourne Council, as this will delay Down District Council in seriously addressing the vital interests of people in this district and allow Down District to play its part in the global effort to pass this piece of our planet on to our children in a sustainable manner. If we wait now it will be at the earliest 2011 before a sustainable development committee is set up.” concluded Cllr Enright.

Press Cuttings: Enright will seek united opposition to overturn SDLP policy change

GREEN PARTY WELCOMES NEWS THAT STRANGFORD SEALS UNAFFECTED BY TIDAL TURBINE

Published
by
Mark McCormick
on March 9, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding, Renewable Energy, Strangford Lough and town and Wildlife/Trees/Nature
. 0 Comments

The SeaGen Turbine at Strangford Lough.Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright has welcomed the reports which confirm that the new record breaking SeaGen Turbine in Strangford Lough has not significantly disturbed the Strangford Lough Environment or Wildlife.

A shore based marine mammal survey has found no evidence of an impact on the areas seal population with no evidence of seal behavioural change since the turbine became fully operational.

Cllr Enright said, “As a prominent campaigner for wildlife protection in the Down District area, and also the council’s representative on the Strangford Lough Management Committee I am delighted that we can have both renewable energy and an environment safe for wildlife”.

“This record-breaking undersea renewable energy turbine represents both the opportunity for local jobs, the opportunity to reduce imports as well as allowing Down District to play a role in combating Global Warming” said Councillor Enright.

Cllr Cadogan Enright has been an avid wildlife campaigner, most recently campaigning to have beach by-laws introduced on Minerstown Beach to protect Seals, birds and other forms of wildlife in that area.

Cllr Enright concluded, “I would commend SeaGen for their regard to the wildlife of Strangford Lough. These new reports, which monitor the Turbines effects on the vibrant wildlife, show SeaGen’s consideration for the concerns of local people and wildlife enthusiasts.”

Press Cuttings: Wildlife unaffected by Lough turbine

YOUNG GREEN COMMENTS ON SAMMY WILSON

Published
by
Mark McCormick
on February 26, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Climate Change/Flooding and Mark McCormick
. 0 Comments

Mark McCormick, Young Greens Northern Ireland, Down District Green Party Co-ordinator

Downpatrick Young Green Mark McCormick said, “Peter Robinson probably thought it would be a good laugh to put Sammy in as the Environment Minister just to wind up the environmentalists but I bet he is not laughing now.

The attempts by Sammy Wilson to censor an advertisement that aims to help Northern Irish households reduce their energy consumption and thus save money should not be tolerated.

What is more disgraceful was how Sammy tried to relate his decision to the decision of the Scottish parliament not to show the ad. What he failed to mention was that Scotland isn’t showing it because they are showing their own Climate Change adds! This shows how Sammy will pounce on anything, and blow it out of all proportions, in any attempt to justify his Neanderthal views.

Even after the Environment Committee at Stormont passed a vote of no confidence in him he still refuses to resign. One strange thing I noticed when this motion of no confidence passed was that David Ford, the Alliance Party leader, refused to support the motion and abstained. Shocking behaviour for one who was so quick to release a press statement condemning Sammy when this whole debacle started. Don’t do the talk if you can’t do the walk David

With all this going on I can only wonder what an average day in the office must be like for the Department of Environments Climate Change Unit under the Sammy Wilson mantra of Climate Change not existing. Not a dull moment there I am sure!”

Press Cuttings: The Alice in Wonderland climate hasn't changed around Stormont

GREEN CLLR CADOGAN ENRIGHT CRITICISES VAGUE ‘GREEN’ ASPIRATIONS OF THE SDLP

Published
by
John Hardy
on February 8, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding, Council and Renewable Energy
. 0 Comments

Cadogan EnrightAt Wednesday nights Down District Council meeting Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright dismissed a motion on “the carbon footprint” of the Council by Councillor Dermot Curren of the SDLP which he described as vague aspirational targets.

Downpatrick Green Cllr Cadogan Enright said, “Down District deserves more than vague platitudes and aspirational targets. We need concrete real world actions. This motion is nothing more than ‘motherhood and apple pie’. ”

The motion was extensively discussed and comprehensively redrafted by other councillors present. The redrafted motion put forward by Cllr Enright and Cllr Anne MacAleenan obliged the council to produce a plan for Sustainable Development under three broad headings.

Green Cllr Enright described the three areas as follows;

Firstly councillors agreed that we would take action on council owned property and achieve best practice in areas like converting methane gas into energy at our Drumnakelly Dump, erecting our own wind turbines to save ratepayers money by supplying the council with electricity or switching from oil to locally grown wood pellets for fuel, as done in Newry and Mourne Council.

Secondly we agreed action in Down District as a whole. We noted that councils in England and in the Republic of Ireland have forced developers to build new homes to reflect the needs of hard pressed homeowners for lower energy bills. We noted that Fingal County Council in the Republic had succeeded in getting 10,500 low energy homes built in its county area. Looking forward, Down District Councils merger with Newry and Mourne will give councillors the opportunity to control the planning process and ensure homes are built for the benefit of their occupants and the environment, rather than the benefit of developers as at present. This is very common in England where over 35% of county councils have adopted these measures known as the “Merton Rule”.

Finally the councillors agreed to make a list of issues that Stormont should action and on which the council has previously passed motions in support. For instance;

I supported a DUP motion last year seeking the extension of the hugely successful plastic bag tax from the Republic of Ireland into N. Ireland. Cllr Jim Wells of the DUP has presented research to the council to back this up.

I have supported Cllr Eamonn Mac Con Midhe of Sinn Fein on his suggestion that high cost traditional light bulbs should be banned in Northern Ireland and replaced with low cost, low energy efficient light bulbs as implemented by the Green Party Minister for the Environment John Gormley in the Republic.

I supported Cllr Eamonn O’Neill of the SDLP calling for the continuation of the re-connect grant scheme for hard pressed home owners wishing to install cheap renewable energy. There are a large number of concrete steps that we in council can take ourselves and can subsequently bring pressure on Stormont for change in other areas,” concluded Cllr Cadogan Enright.

Press Cuttings: Enright slams SDLP's 'vague' green aspirations, Councillors to seek ways to reduce carbon footprint

GREEN PARTY LAUNCHES EUROPEAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 26, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, 5. EVENTS, Brian Wilson, Cadogan Enright, Ciaran Mussen, Climate Change/Flooding, EURO CAMPAIGN, Employment/Economics and Renewable Energy
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows right to left Down Cllr Cadogan Enright, EU electioncandidate Steven Agnew, Green MLA Brian Wilson and Green Councillor CiaranMussen At the massive wind-turbine assembly plan in East Belfast

DOWN Green Party councillor Cadogan Enright was at Harland and Wolff in East Belfast to launch the Green Party’s European election candidate Steven Agnew.

Steven Agnew joined the Green Party in 2003 and stood in the 2007 Assembly elections in East Belfast when Cllr Enright acted as his election agent. Steven currently works as a research officer for Green Party MLA Brian Wilson.

Downpatrick Councillor Enright said, “There are currently 43 green deputies in the European Parliament from 14 different countries. We have played a major role in the creation of legislation that has helped to protect our environment, boosted the farming community, set ambitious targets for renewable energy, increased social protection and biodiversity.

With Steven Agnew now standing it means we have a candidate in every EU constituency in England, Scotland and Wales with only Connacht in Ireland not yet selectinga candidate.”

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Agnew said, “Everyone knows the problems; the ‘triple crunch’ of job losses, fuel poverty and climate change. I offer a solution that will tackle all three, a solution that has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs here in Northern Ireland. I offer asolution where new green technologies will bring energy security to Northern Ireland and ensure we play our part in the fight against climate change. I offer a Green industrial revolution.”

The campaign was launched in Harland and Wolff’s huge new wind turbine assembly facility, which also assembled the massive tidal turbine currently breaking all energy records in Strangford Lough.

Outlining how a Green Industrial Revolution might happen with the right political leadership Mr. Agnew said: “Energy efficiency measures such asthe insulation of homes can create much-needed jobs in the construction sector, as well as reducing energy bills and emissions. There are also thousands of jobs in sustainable waste solutions based on the principal of reduce, reuse, and recycle rather than incineration. A shift in expenditure to more sustainable forms of transport not only creates a public transport which people actually want to use but also creates jobs.”

Cllr Cadogan Enright pledged the full support of the Green Party in Strangford and Down District to Steve Agnew’s campaign.”

Press Cuttings: Enright behind MEP candidate

GREENS CAMPAIGN ON DETERIORATING MILL DAM – DRUMANESS

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 9, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding, Council, Drumaness and Pat Ward
. 0 Comments

Councillor Enright at the rear of a house in Linnhurst Park overlooking the Mill Dam.

Local residents of the Linnhurst Park in Drumaness have brought to the attention of the Green Party the deterioration of the Mill Dam which recently contributed to the flooding of resident’s gardens next to the Dam.

For the past few years the Mill Dam has slowly deteriorated and green foliage has taken over half the dam. During the heavy rainfall in August 2008 the Dam could not cope with the pressure of water and a crack appeared in the wall. This led to flooding of the gardens adjacent to the Mill Dam in the Linnhurst Park.

The Green Party has called on the Rivers Agency and Down District Council to consider the risks of flooding to residents of the Lyndhurst Estate who have had to put sandbags at the rear of their houses as a result of the flooding and constant threat of flooding from the Mill Dam.

DOWN Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright said, “It is completely unacceptable that local residents have to live with the constant threat of flooding. Having visited the site and the home of local residents my main concern is that the next time we have heavy rain homes could also be at risk. I was shocked at the slow pace of reaction forthcoming from the relevant authorities.”

“I expressed my concerns to the Down District Council and Rivers Agency calling on them to act last year and am doing so again.”

Green Party Co-ordinator Pat Ward recently collected signatures for a petition from local residents adjacent to the Mill Dam to support the call for the construction of a safer barrier to prevent flooding from happening. This has been forwarded to the Down District Council and Rivers Agency as well.

The Green Party also notified the Housing Executive about this problem due to their property also being at risk. The Housing Executive has since written to the Down District Council supporting the need for a resolution to the flooding problems and deterioration of the Dam. The Housing Executive has also received no reply on this matter.

Press Cuttings: Flooding risk from mill dam, Concern at condition of Drumaness Dam

MAKING LOCAL POLITICS WORK – ACT LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on October 28, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, 5. EVENTS, Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding, Downpatrick, Employment/Economics, John Hardy, Newcastle and Renewable Energy
. 0 Comments

Photo shows launch of Sustainable Energy Association in Dublin, (l-r) John Hardy, Eamonn Ryan Minister for Energy, Ruth McGuigan SEA Chairperson and Cllr Cadogan Enright.

Local Green Party members from Downpatrick and Newcastle have been instrumental in setting up a unique organisation to represent the renewable energy industry in Ireland.

On Friday 17th October, the Sustainable Energy Association was launched in Dublin by Eamonn Ryan, the Green Party Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. This is a major step for an organisation which began life in Downpatrick.

Back in January, Cllr Cadogan Enright organised a meeting for all businesses in County Down involved in the installation of renewable energy, to discuss their future. They were faced with economic crisis due to the ending by DUP’s Peter Robinson of the Reconnect grant scheme and the failure of DUP ministers to implement mandatory micro-generation in the building regulations introduced by Minister Hain.

This meeting was a great success, with over 40 local businesses in attendance. The skills and investment involved in the industry were obvious, and it was agreed at that meeting to establish an organisation to represent this sector and promote renewables with the Government and the public.

As a result, the Sustainable Energy Association was established and was later launched in Stormont by Green Party MLA Brian Wilson, with a large turnout from over 80 companies employing 3000 people across Northern Ireland and the Republic. Given the large number of companies from the Republic of Ireland who supported the organisation, it was decided to launch it in Dublin as an all-island body.

Green Party members continued to be involved with the organisation, as Newcastle local co-ordinator John Hardy has been helping to organise the events. He said, “I’m very proud to be working on such a necessary and rewarding project, as this industry is set to be crucial to energy and construction in the future”.

The Association was launched in Dublin by Minister Eamonn Ryan, who is a Green Party TD, and he welcomed the establishment of the organisation and praised those involved. There is also a link between Minister Ryan and Downpatrick, as local Cllr Cadogan Enright was a co-author of the energy policy currently being implemented by Mr Ryan in the all-Island energy market.

Cllr Enright said “It is encouraging to know that something which started locally has grown to this extent and will play an important role in influencing energy production and use in Ireland. It shows how acting locally can have a much greater effect. This is local politics in action as they were meant to be and Cllr Cadogan Enright congratulated Newcastle’s John Hardy for leading the association of Renewable Energy Businesses in such an effective way.”

Press Cuttings: Down Representatives to the Fore in Renewable Energy Promotion, Local greens are key to setting up of all-ireland body, Green Shades SEA Feature

JOHN HARDY ON PLANNING FOR RISING SEA LEVELS

Published
by
John Hardy
on October 19, 2008
in 7. GREEN VIDEOS, Climate Change/Flooding and John Hardy
. 0 Comments

The video above shows John Hardy’s speech at the Green Party in Northern Ireland Autumn Conference 2008.