Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

Name that park. Baldoyle high amenity park needs a name

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

[update] the Park in Baldoyle has been named – Baldoyle Racecourse Park 15:50 05/11/09

The high amenity park due to open in Baldoyle in January 2010 needs a name. Can you suggest one. The land was once owned by Frank Dunlop (who claimed he bribed six county councillors to rezone it for him) what was once the world famous Baldoyle Racecourse. The land was rezoned in the 90’s as local councillors gave way to allow development on this green belt that now has stages of the Coast development built upon it.

It has had a working title of ‘Millennium Park’ for about 13 years but due to its extreme late delivery it is deemed inappropriate to call it Millennium Park TEN YEARS into the new millennium. Baldoyle badly needs amenity lands for its expanding young and old population (Baldoyle is the only area of the old Howth Ward with and expanding population). Comments & suggestions welcome. With a few suggestions I may run a poll.


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Posted in Baldoyle, Environment | 4 Comments »

Swimming ban Monday to Friday hits Fingal residents in July

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Lifeguards are not being deployed on the beaches of Fingal Monday to Friday during June & July unlike Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown due to cut backs in Fingal County Council spending.

Despite the fact that the hiring of lifeguards has a derogation from the recruitment ban, Fingal County Council has yet to employ any lifeguards for June or July from 11am to 7pm Monday to Friday for any of its beaches.

“With children now off school at secondary & primary level it is a very dangerous situation to find the beaches of Fingal to have NO weekday lifeguards on duty. Fingal has not one beach with a blue flag, now the yellow & red flags wont fly for July as Lifeguards are only retained for weekend duties” according to Brian Greene public representative for the Socialist Party in Dublin North East

The Fingal County Council website says “The public are advised not to swim when the beach is not guarded. Due to staffing restrictions some beaches may not be guarded during the season.” and “week day cover may commence from the 3rd of August 2009 until the last week of August. This will depend on staff levels and weather.” So there is no guarantee that August will have lifeguard cover either.

The cuts in staff levels has already angered beach goers as the litter problems of May mounted up. “Now life saving duties on our beaches are being scaled back because of the savage cuts from central government. It is high time the Minister for the Environment and green party leader John Gormley reinstated the funds the council requires to provide essential services to the public” Mr. Greene said.

In previous years Fingal County Council has staffed the beaches with life guards Monday to Sunday in July. “Having lifeguards stationed on beaches in one on the criteria in getting a blue flag for a beach. Stationing lifeguards in July 2009 can only assist in the regaining of blue flags for Fingal where we now have none.” according to Mr. Greene

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ABANDONED COUNCIL DEPOT: Seagrange Park

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

PUBLIC MEETING

APRIL 30th 8pm
Boys National School, Brookstone Road.

DERELICTION: DUMPING : DRUGS
ABANDONED COUNCIL DEPOT
A SERIOUS PROBLEM

over the past 10 months the abandoned council depot at Seagrange Park has become more derelict, has experience increasing fly tipping and has now been raided by Gardaí with dogs looking for drugs. The perimeter wall has been broken and security compromised. What is surprising is that this is a Fingal County Council facility that has been left unattended and unlocked for the majority of the time.

We are seeing serious planned dereliction by the council, creating a security risk and a health hazard and an eye sore. Use of depot compound was promised to local GAA club Dubh Ghall as far back as last summer but provision of the site to the club has not materialised. The depot is on land which I am told is leased by the council and sits on an area of land that is zoned open space / recreational adjoining the Brickfield land and Seagrange Park that is prone to flooding and forms part of the flood plain.

Previous plans by the council and developers to rezone the land for development of high rise have be set back by the action of the community, local residents associations and the assistance of the Socialist Party Councillors and local rep. Brian Greene.

Their running down of this facility and the failure to date to see it put to better community use (which would help secure it) asks serious question for the councils intent for this area.

The Socialist Party is continuing to working with local sports associations and residents to put maximum pressure on Council and local Councillors to see that this depot is properly maintained cleaned & secured and put to better community use in keeping with its zoning.

From malahide howth

(more…)

Posted in Baldoyle, Bayside, Environment | No Comments »

Cumbria’s “Energy Coast”

Friday, March 20th, 2009

69-69859Reminder: From Malahide & Howth, 128 miles away lies Sellafield. At Sellafield (or 2 miles up the coast) the SPIN DOCTORS have called the plan Cumbria’s “Energy Coast”. I prefer Cumbria’s Toxic Coast. They plan to build more new nuke reactors up the road from Sellafield. 

Back in January 2007 before John Gormley & the Greens were in a position to prop up Fianna Fail I asked him for a comment on Sellafield 

Congratulations on your web site (www.shutsellafield.com). The Green Party was the first political party to call for the closure of Sellafield. This demand will be a key one in our forthcoming election manifesto. Keep up the good work.

Regards john g

Green Party Chairman

I’m waiting for action…….. 

What happened between the Mansion House and Kildare Street? Our Green Minister for the Environment said of a leak in Sellafied this time last year “it was a relatively minor incident and had no safety implications for Ireland” The fact that accidents continue to happen is the problem, not the extent of the current accident, shall we wait for the big one? Wanting  a safer Sellafield is not the same as wanting it shut. 

How far away is it?  How many NEW reactors are they building? How many statements has Mr. Gormley made on the new build? see here. The industry has been sold out from under the NDA, the plan is to build new nuke plants, where is the action? where is the “call for the closure of Sellafield“? Is Dick Roche & Joe Jacob still running policy in the Dept.? I can’t tell the difference.

here is one reply to the “Energy Coast” idea from Marianne Birkby of Radiation Free Lakeland 

Jamie Reed would like nothing better than the nuclear energy coast to be “beyond meaningful debate” – as would the proponents of the slave trade and the asbestos industry have liked to see business as usual without those irritating voices of dissent.

The nuclear industry itself is trying to disempower people through bribery – ( Slush funds for example to Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Primary Care Trust ) and by persuading Government to ’speed’ up the planning consents for large infrastructure – which means that citizens and NGOs will not have the rights to influence planning. This doesn’t seem to have sunk in with councillors who are still saying that the nuclear planning restrictions will be rigorous.

The industry has lobbied hard and long to ensure ‘fast tracking’ ie health and safety will not be first priority. For decades renewables have been suppressed to make room for nuclear – now the nuclear industry is saying that too many wind turbines + nuclear will mean TOO much electricity for the national grid to cope with. The nuclear project must be stopped now – Please contact Radiation Free Lakeland on 015395 63671 if your group or village would like help – more info here

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CáCa Milis for Green School St. Mary’s Baldoyle

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Last Friday I went down to St. Mary’s Secondary School for the raising of their 4th flag. I was deputising for Cllr. Clare Daly. I was able to sneak Charlotte & Sophie in and we met their big sister Vanessa and all the teachers & dignitories . The School are the first secondary school in Ireland to get 4 green flags. There is only the 5th flag left to collect. 

 

let them eat cake - green school's 4th flag

let them eat cake - green school's 4th flag

after a quick ICT investigation down at Baldoyle Library (where internet access is free) I shot the newest flag to fly in Baldoyle.

4 green flags

full mast - 4th green flag for St. Mary

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Posted in Baldoyle, Environment | No Comments »

Congrats to St Mary’s Secondary School, Baldoyle

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

 
Big congrats to St. Mary’s Secondary School, Baldoyle who have done it again,  Green Flag number 4. We had C.O.W. in our house as my Daughter Vanessa cycled to St. Mary’s on Wednesdays (and every other day too!) so well done Vanessa (Green) Greene.

Baldoyle a wash with Green Flags

Baldoyle a wash with Green Flags

Press Release -
St Mary’s Secondary School, Baldoyle has done it again!
St Mary’s The Green Machine Winners

 

Having won the 2006 Fingal Environmental Group of The Year Award and the very prestigious 2008 Green Award for the Greenest School in Ireland at the national Green Awards in the Burlington Hotel in December and then being short listed for the 2008 Living Dublin Environmental Award, the school was awarded their fourth green flag for sustainable travel on the 4th March 2009 at the An Taisce Green Flag Ceremony in Croke Park.

This green school was commended by also receiving a certificate for their outstanding achievement in improving the environmental quality of the school and community over the past two years. This was achieved by the hard work of the green school committee under the supervision of Pauline Griffin, Green School Co-ordinator, who organised the implementation of travel schemes which encouraged students to cycle or walk to school instead of travelling by car. Over 50% of the students now walk to school on Wednesdays and the number of days students who cycled to school every month increased from zero to thirty one days from October to February this year.

There were many varied initiatives including

WOW – Walk on Wednesdays

Car Pooling

Park and Stride

COW – Cycle on Wednesdays

Walking Bus

The Golden Boot Award

Travel Action Days

Golden Helmet Award

Bicycle Shed Built

COW Poster Competition

Raffle for a Bicycle

St Mary’s has been involved in the Green School Programme for the past ten years and were the first secondary school in Fingal to receive a green flag for waste management in 2002. Since then, St. Mary’s has been awarded two further Green Flags in the areas of Energy Conservation and Water Conservation. This fourth Green Flag for Sustainable Travel makes the school unique in its number of Green Flags.

–

I hope to get some photos of the flag raising on Friday.

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Posted in Baldoyle, Environment | No Comments »

Bayside Square Antennas [update]

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

 

facebook video update recorded 08/02/2009

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Posted in Bayside, Environment | No Comments »

Battery take back scheme begins September 26th

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

From 26 September 2008 onwards all battery retailers will be required to take back, free of charge, waste batteries including rechargeable batteries including those incorporated into electrical and electronic equipment and/or battery packs. Any person depositing waste batteries at the premises of any battery retailer will not be obligated to purchase any product or products from the retailer concerned. more.

a years supply

a years supply

Brian Greene asks
why no wind up remote controls? no wind up! a shake of the trolls and there is enough power to beam a tiny IR signal 12feet!
will shops take back mobile phone batteries? no. but phone shops should.
what batteries are safe to dispose of for land fill? none
why not operate a money back scheme? like the soft drinks glass in the 1970’s
will new ipods have removable batteries according to this directive?

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128 miles from Sutton lies Sellafield

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

One of our nearest Nuclear Plants Sellafield which lies 128 miles from Malahide – Howth will take 112 years to clean up at a cost of €92 billion euros according to a Westminster report released this week. As the site is still accepting orders of waste nuclear fuel from around the world the true cost and date may never be known.

Anti Nuclear campaigner Brian Greene who runs the ShutSellafield.com website says “The myth that Sellafield is a power plant is the biggest deception of all. The plant was first used in the race for the A-Bomb and now it is the world’s nuclear dumping ground taking shipments from all over the world via the Irish Sea.”

Brian Greene who is the Socialist Party candidate in next years local election for the Malahide – Howth area says “Having the worlds most used nuclear dump on our doorstep has always been worrying but the safety record at the plant has been getting worse. Last year was the 50th anniversary of the nuclear fire at Windscale, and now the plant & its decommissioning are being sold to for profit businesses in a privatisation programme. Safety is threatened by a squeeze on wages and a race to the bottom that sees the plants bosses attacking the workforce’s pay & conditions on an ongoing basis.”

“Nuclear power is being cited as a solution to peak oil & the speculated over priced oil situation. Nuclear power will not power a car. Until a satisfactory waste solution for radioactive material is found Nuclear Power is not the answer.” said Mr. Greene

128 miles away

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