Environment « Thurles Information

Food Waste Is Robbing You Blind

Food waste is costing Irish households up to €700 per year, and 68% say that food, passing its use-by date, is the main reason we throw out food.

The latest Environmental Protection Agency survey reports that only 10% of people rate themselves as being good at keeping track of food stored in the fridge. An EPA campaign highlights that freezing is a simple, effective way to manage surplus food and to reduce waste.

The EPA has launched a new campaign to encourage people to take a simple action to reduce food waste, by freezing surplus food before its use-by date.

A recent EPA survey, conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes, found that 68% of people still say ‘passing use-by dates’ is the top reason they throw out food at home. It found that 75% of the population understand that use-by dates are a deadline, and over 80% check them to ensure food is still safe to eat.

The EPA suggest that freezing food is an easy way to stop wasting food and thus save money. Food waste currently costs the average Irish household up to €700 per year.

Freezing surplus food before it passes the use-by date can help both the environment and your budget, according to Mary Frances Rochford, (Programme Manager in the Office of Environmental Sustainability) who has stated: “We are calling on everyone to support and share our Eat It or Freeze It campaign on social media, and take a simple action to stop food waste.

Irish households produce over 250,000 tonnes of food waste per year, at a cost of €700 per household. In addition, wasted food is a significant contributor to climate change – responsible for about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting food waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides real savings for householders.”

Environmental Scientist at the EPA, Odile Le Bolloch, explains: “If you don’t get to eat it, freezing food is an action we can start straight away. Over half of people do not realise that you can freeze food right up to its use-by date, but many of us can reduce our food waste through freezing. It is a great way to make food last longer – it acts just like a pause button, allowing food to be eaten at another time.”

A lot of different types of foods can be frozen, whether it’s the extra loaf of bread you bought or the cooked pasta you want to use for lunch later in the week.

The survey showed that bread is one of the most wasted foods in Ireland, and when it comes to freezing it, same is the most versatile – the whole loaf can be frozen when you buy it, or just the last few slices at the end of the bag.

You can find out how to freeze all of your favourite foods, learn about food date marking, and access resources to help reduce food waste in the home by visiting the Stop Food Waste website online HERE.

Daffodils Emerging In Thurles Surely ‘Beats Banagher’.

The Daffodil or Jonquil (Narcissus) is usually among the first plants to emerge, normally in early spring.
Grown from bulbs planted between September and November, (Up until the ground starts to freeze), they emerge out of the soil as temperatures begin to rise in late February and early March to produce welcome bright trumpet-shaped blossoms on top of thin tubular stems.

However, this year we report that, here at least in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, daffodils are already emerging since late October, which, to use a now rarely used phrase, surely ‘Beats Banagher’.

[“Beats Banagher” – Primarily used here in Ireland to mean beyond the bounds of imagination; surprising; shocking, or an amazing occurrence.]

Note: These bulbs were first planted four years ago

What is the reason for this unusual phenomenon I hear you ask? I regret I have no answers, but maybe someone out there can explain this early premature birthing, same almost four months ahead of time.

Uncertainty & Delays Delivering Critical Wastewater Infrastructure

Raw sewage from 35 towns and villages flows into our environment every day, with 33 areas unlikely to receive treatment until after 2021.
Treatment at 19 of Ireland’s 172 large towns and cities, including Dublin and Cork, failed to meet standards set to prevent pollution. This is down from 28 over the past two years.
Irish Water has no clear plan to improve treatment at 23 areas where waste water is a significant threat to waters.
Overall there are 113 areas where priority action is needed to protect public health and the environment.

**River Suir, Thurles, photograph taken close to Barry’s Bridge in the centre of the town, in Co. Tipperary**

An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2019, released today, highlights that delays in upgrading treatment systems around the country are prolonging risks to the environment and public health.

Some improvements in performance were evident in the past year, with the removal of the raw sewage discharges from one town and improvements in treatment at nine towns and villages where waste water was the main issue.

Despite these improvements however, Irish Water has repeatedly revised its plans and extended the timeframe to provide treatment for towns and villages, including those that are discharging raw sewage.

Commenting on the report Dr Tom Ryan, (Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement) has stated: “Raw sewage discharges pose an unacceptable risk to the environment and public health. Two years ago, Irish Water advised it would provide necessary treatment infrastructure by the end of 2021 for 30 of the 35 areas discharging raw sewage. It has now revised this down to just two areas, resulting in significant delays in bringing projects to completion.
The growing uncertainty in Irish Water’s planning and delivery of these critical projects is undermining confidence in its capacity to reduce the risks to public health and the environment in a timely manner. Plans are only effective if implemented, and the inherent uncertainty of these plans is a serious cause of concern for the EPA. Irish Water must remedy the underlying causes for the delays in delivering this critical infrastructure to ensure that raw sewage discharges are eliminated”.

Irish Water is failing to treat waste water to national and European Union standards and is falling far short of its own targets to deliver essential improvements needed to comply with these standards. The continuing issues in Dublin, which is served by Ringsend treatment plant, is of concern because it produces almost half (44%) of Ireland’s waste water. The Ringsend plant repeatedly fails the treatment standards because it does not have the capacity to effectively treat all the sewage it receives. Irish Water is upgrading the plant and advises it will be completed by 2025.

Mr Andy Fanning, (Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement) has commented: “These works must be a priority for Irish Water and will be closely monitored by the EPA. There is, however, no clear plan to improve treatment at 23 areas where waste water is a significant threat to waters at risk of pollution. Irish Water must clearly identify when and how it will resolve the issues at these 23 areas and plan improvement works as early as possible.”

Conference on Environmental Law Enforcement – Emerging Challenges 2020

The Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Laura Burke; and the Chief Justice, the Hon Mr Justice Frank Clarke, will provide the opening addresses at this year’s virtual conference on Environmental Law Enforcement: Emerging Challenges 2020 which will take place on Wednesday on November 11th 2020, with the event timed for 9.00am until 1.15pm.

Note: Advance registration for this event is essential.
To view the full conference programme, please use the link shown HERE.
To register for this event, please use the link shown HERE.

The conference, which is co-hosted by the EPA and the Irish Centre for European Law (ICEL), will explore some of the challenges and potential opportunities that are emerging through experience with environmental enforcement; recent developments in the case law; as well as new policy initiatives.

Commenting on the conference, Ms Laura Burke (EPA Director General), stated: “This conference is an important opportunity for practicing legal professionals, leading academics and researchers, policy makers, concerned stakeholders as well as professional regulators to come together to explore emerging challenges in Ireland with regard to enforcement of environmental law. It also has an important role in supporting the development of competency and capacity in environmental law and its enforcement.”

The conference will explore experience, challenges and recent case law in relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive; the Environmental Liability Directive and the Habitats Directive; as well as the implications of the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in ‘Climate Case Ireland’ for climate and wider environmental protection.

There will also be contributions providing different perspectives and experience in the context of establishing a specialist court for planning and the environment.

Dr Áine Ryall, (ICEL and Centre for Law and the Environment UCC) stated: “The conference is very timely. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to establish a Planning and Environmental Law Court managed by specialist judges. There is also a commitment to reform the judicial review process. These proposals raise important issues concerning the right of access to justice and merit close attention. Furthermore, the pandemic has created challenges for the exercise of rights guaranteed under the Aarhus Convention, in particular the right to participate in environmental decision-making.
The conference provides a forum for informed debate. It will explore how to use the law to protect the environment and improve environmental quality.”

Tomorrow, November 7th, Is European Radon Day.

Radon is a radioactive, cancer-causing gas.
300 lung cancer cases in Ireland each year are linked to exposure to radon.
The risk of developing radon related lung cancer is particularly high for smokers. In fact, smokers are at about twenty-five times greater risk than non-smokers.
It is easy to test your home for this indoor air pollutant and to reduce high levels.
The highest level home tested in Ireland this year had over 22 times the acceptable level. This level could give a radiation dose equivalent to receiving 15 chest X-rays a day.

On European Radon Day, 7th November, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are calling on all householders to test their homes for this cancer-causing radioactive gas. Radon is the second biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking. In Ireland, it is estimated that about 300 lung cancer cases each year are linked to radon exposure.

What is Radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas formed in the ground from the radioactive decay of uranium which is present in all rocks and soils. It has no smell, colour or taste and can only be detected using radon detectors. Outdoors, radon quickly dilutes to harmless levels but when it enters an enclosed space, such as a house or other building, it can accumulate to unacceptably high levels. Radon is a lung carcinogen and is linked to some 300 lung cancer cases each year in Ireland making it a serious public health hazard.

About a third of Ireland is classified as a high radon area by the EPA. However, the EPA recommends that homeowners in all areas of Ireland test their homes for radon. You can check if you are living in a high radon area on the EPA’s interactive radon risk map on www.radon.ie. Ireland has relatively high indoor radon levels, with an average indoor level of 77 Bq/m3, compared to the worldwide average of 39 Bq/m3.

Radon gas can seep into your home through small cracks and gaps in the foundations of the building or openings around service pipes. It comes from the rocks and soil in the ground under your home. Radon has no colour, taste or smell, so the only way to know how much of this pollutant is in your home is to carry out a radon test.

The test costs about €50 and is all done by post using one of the services registered with the EPA. The test kit includes two radon detectors – one should be placed in the bedroom and one in the living room. After three months, the detectors are posted back to the provider and analysed to see how much radon they have been exposed to in your home. The results are posted back to you, with advice on how to deal with any high radon readings.

Stephanie Long, (Manager of the EPA’s Radon programme) has stated: “Exposure to high levels of radon can cause lung cancer and many families are unknowingly living with this indoor air pollutant. Earlier this year, one home was found to have over 22 times the acceptable level. Living with this level of radon gives a radiation dose equivalent to getting 15 chest x-rays a day.”

You can visit www.radon.ie to find out how to test your home and keep you and your family safe. Reducing radon levels is simple and inexpensive and will immediately reduce the risk of developing lung cancer.

For moderate levels of radon, improving indoor ventilation may reduce the level by up to half, the cost of which is low. For higher levels, a fan assisted ‘sump’ can be installed which can reduce radon levels by over 90 per cent. The sump can be installed in a day by a contractor with little disruption to the home.

Alison Dowdall (EPA) has stated, “Radon is everywhere but is only a problem if it is ignored. Testing for radon – where high levels are found – and fixing the problem are both relatively straightforward and easy to do. Now more than ever, as people spend more time at home, we would urge everyone to take action on radon, improve your indoor air quality and keep your home safe from this cancer-causing gas.”

Thurles is not regarded as a ‘High Radon Area’.