Environmental Concerns

Ireland's environment is forgiving. There is a tremendous litter problem, but the rains break down much of the roadside crap, and tall grasses hide more. Most of the countryside is green and growing, and the threats to the environment are mostly not as obvious as elsewhere. They're there, all right, but the sense of urgency that pervades the environmental movement in other places is just not so strong.

There are plenty of local battles and sometimes national battles, though. Some of the current issues are a dangerously leaky nuclear facility in England, the loss of access to open spaces, dump site placement, song bird and salmon declines, loss of bog lands and wild lands, animal rights, water pollution, proper oversight of chemical plants, proliferation of masts, inappropriate and destructive grants to farmers, and inappropriate forest plantings.

Local Fights

Fights are mostly local, and it is possible to rouse a community when some particular evil threatens. I was involved in one battle against a very inappropriate mast. The group fighting this issue held 8 public meetings attended by over 2,000 people, ran a fund raising concert, produced a television show, gathered thousands of individually signed letters, and garnered near total local support. We won our fight - a triumph of local democracy in action.

The leading Irish environmental organisation is An Taisce, a voluntary association with some 6,000 members. Even paradise requires guards.

The Bad News

Every year the Environment Protection Agency releases a report on the state of the Irish environment. It generally makes for depressing reading.

Successive Governments, the report always complains, have dragged their feet, skimped on spending, bowed to vested interests and failed to implement the rigorous remedial programmes now being implemented in other EU countries. Even when useful legislation has been passed, the Government has left the implementation of it up to local councils without providing any money or support.

At the same time, the report's authors say that the Irish people have a lot answer for. Everyone knows they shouldn't litter, pollute the air and water or damage the environment. Many of them do so anyway, either from financial greed or, more damning, simply because they couldn't care less.

Far more radical measures are required from the Goverment if Ireland is to halt the decline in water quality, growing air pollution and poor waste management. Unfortunately, these are measures that, let's face it, we're unlikely to get.

Specifically, the reports usually advocate the restriction of intensive farming near sensitive lakes and rivers; the imposition of a tax on fertiliser sales; phosphorous removal facilities in all waste water treatment plants; a coastline management strategy and restriction of tourist numbers in highly sensitive environmental areas. Several years after these recommendations first were made public, none of these recommendations has been acted upon.

Some Good, Some Bad News

85 percent of lakes and 70 percent of all river miles are in good quality, according to a recent survey. Groundwater pollution has increased with 38 percent of samples showing "faecal coliform contamination." Don't like that word "faecal", I don't. It means that farmers are spreading slurry at an unacceptable level. To put it delicately, we're drinking a lot of cow poo.

All counties and corporations have instituted recycling programmes. A dent is beginning to be made in this one area. However, many people are not bothering with the recycling effort. In fact, the amount of trash being strewn around the countryside has gone up as waste fees have risen to pay for better waste management.

The Good News

However, lest you feel overly down, I see the following good things happening. First, prior to 2001 local and national government was totally unwilling to start any kind of recycling programme. The fact that they're now operating is a major plus.

Second, there are farm programmes which address the environmental issues. These are voluntary until an area's waterways are designated as dangerously polluted. Then stringent conservation measures are instituted - too late! But, more farmers are taking up the new programmes designed to promote sustainable farming and reduce runoff of nitrates and the like from farms.

Third, the public is very aware of environmental issues and there is bound to be a local lobby group fighting for its piece of the planet when something damaging is proposed.

Fourth, change is coming to public bodies like Coillte, the Forestry Service. They are now planting some appropriate native trees amidst their vast plantations of foreign spruce. In fact, having dealt with the local Coillte representatives to save an archaeologically important site, I find the company responsive and very aware of its responsibilities to the environment and heritage of Ireland.

Finally, I spend part of every week wandering the hillsides and wild places of Ireland. Yes, they're under pressure, but it's amazing how much is unspoiled.