Environment « Thurles Information

Climate Change Most Pressing Environmental Issue Facing Ireland.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) survey shows climate change remains the most pressing environmental issue facing Ireland.

For the 4th year in a row, climate change is seen as the most pressing environmental issue facing Ireland.
86% of adults agree that the environment is a valuable asset to the people of Ireland.
Four in five adults found that having a clean, unpolluted environment and access to nature or the environment was important for exercise and their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic.
73% of adults say they have made changes or taken steps personally to help the environment.

The EPA today published its Year in Review highlighting achievements during 2021. Published with the report are the results of an EPA/Red C survey gauging public attitudes toward the environment. For the fourth year running climate change was identified by the public as the top environmental issue facing Ireland.

The survey finding that 86% of people agree that the environment is a valuable asset underscores the work of the EPA in protecting Ireland’s environment. Four in five adults surveyed found that having a clean, unpolluted environment and access to nature or the environment was important for exercise and their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the report, Ms Laura Burke, (Director General of the EPA) said, “One lesson from the past two years is that well-communicated science can successfully inform policy, perception, and behaviour, even when the challenges are daunting. There is the opportunity now to build the foundation for a green recovery to protect and restore Irelands environment. The EPA supports actions at every level – government, business, and individual –to be informed by science, which is targeted and focussed on changing our current unsustainable consumption and production patterns.”

During 2021, the EPA published research detailing how global climate changes are reflected in Ireland’s atmosphere, oceans and landscape. In preparing and analysing Ireland’s data on greenhouse gas emissions the EPA identified only a small reduction due to Covid-19 restrictions. This highlights the scale of action required to reach the 51 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030. However, in the first report from the EPA’s Climate Change in the Irish Mind project, the public were found to have very high levels of awareness, are informed and understand the implications of a changing climate and they see that opportunities exist for jobs, innovation and wellbeing in taking climate action.

Ms Burke continued by saying: “Throughout the pandemic the essential work of the EPA continued to ensure that the protection of human health and the environment was not diminished. As an environmental regulator we adapted to circumstances, responding to complaints, incidents and emergencies, carrying out site inspections and engaging with licensees in a risk-based and proportionate manner.”

Licensing and permitting decisions undertaken by the EPA in 2021 included high profile facility expansions and greenfield investment activities in the pharmachem, food & drink, waste, information technology and power sectors.

The EPA invested almost €2 million in 2021 in driving the national circular economy and launched the Circular Economy Programme which will help businesses, citizens and the public sector reduce resource use, prevent waste and achieve sustainable economic growth.

During 2021, the EPA expanded its air quality network which provides information linked to public health advice. Furthermore, the radiation monitoring network, which provides an alert in the event radioactivity reaches Ireland through the atmosphere, is currently being upgraded.
Analysis of water quality in rivers, lakes, groundwaters, estuaries and coastal waters continued in 2021 and identified high nutrient levels from agriculture, and waste water discharges, as the main threats. While the quality of drinking water in public supplies remains high, delays in delivering public water improvements continues to put water quality and the public’s health at risk. Similarly, the pace of delivery of essential improvements in waste water treatment is too slow to bring all deficient systems up to standard.

Ms Burke concluded by saying: “The environmental problems Ireland faces can only be addressed if citizens and stakeholders are engaged and empowered. We place a high value and sense of urgency on this engagement to foster a greater understanding, a genuine sense of ownership and hope for the future. Indeed, we were encouraged by the survey findings that 73 per cent of people have made changes or taken steps to help the environment.”

The EPA 2021 Year in Review report and the Red C survey are both now available on the EPA website. You can follow the EPA on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram through @EPAIreland where you can find up to date information on the Irish Environment.

Mother Nature Please Help.

No, most definitely, storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin had absolutely nothing to do with this dumping spectacle, which today sits, welcoming tourists into the town of Thurles.

This spectacle which has been clearly in view for well over one year on the main thoroughfare into Thurles Town, at Wrensborough; to any weary traveller, latter burning rubber westward, in an effort to locate the Wild Atlantic Way.

Meanwhile, when tourists and other discerning strangers flee the area in disgust, they will do so in the sound knowledge that our local Thurles Municipal District Officials/Councillors, despite their creative curricula vitarum (CVs), at election and other times have little or no idea, or indeed ability to administrate.

Please God, the mild Winter/Spring seasons, which we have all enjoyed here in Thurles over previous months; will see Mother Nature bursting forth with the energy and drive that it takes to push new life skyward, thus covering up our wanton discretions.

E. Coli Found In 1 in 20 Private Water Supplies.

The quality of drinking water in private supplies is not as good as it should be – according to the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA’s) “Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies”, 2020 report.
95% of private group water schemes and 96% of small private supplies complied with E.coli standards.
93% of Private Group Schemes complied with the Trihalomethanes standard.
Over one quarter of Small Private Supplies were NOT monitored by Local Authorities.

The EPA today released the “Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies” 2020 report. Drinking water is provided by over 380 group water schemes to approx. 200,000 people across rural communities. Over 1,700 small private supplies (premises like hotels, pubs and restaurants, crèches, nursing homes and national schools) also provide water to staff, customers and service users on a daily basis.

Meeting E.coli standards is a basic requirement of safe drinking water. In 2020, twenty of the 380 private group schemes (serving more than 2,900 people), and 49 of the 1,225 small private supplies monitored, were found to have E.coli contamination. These failures, at 1 in 20 private water supplies, are of significant concern and put the health of the consumer at risk.

Commenting on the findings of the report, Dr Tom Ryan, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said:
“Consumers should expect, as a minimum, that their water is safe to drink. However, compliance with the E.coli standard is not as good as it should be for water from private group water schemes and small private supplies. It is essential that works to improve water quality are carried out as soon as possible to eliminate the serious risks to people’s health. Water suppliers are obliged to make sure drinking water is clean and wholesome for consumers.”

Trihalomethanes (THM) are a by-product of the chlorine disinfection process and are formed where there is an excess of organic matter in the water source. Water suppliers should keep THM levels within the drinking water standards to avoid any possible health impacts from long term exposure. Twenty-two private group schemes (7%) failed to meet the standard for THM, including seven schemes that the European Commission has identified as being of particular concern.

480 (28%) of the 1,715 small private supplies registered were not monitored.
The report also shows that over one quarter of small private supplies, serving food businesses, nursing homes, crèches and B&Bs, were not monitored in 2020.

Mr Noel Byrne, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said:
“We recognise that, in many cases, the failure to monitor these premises was due to difficulties in accessing premises during Covid-19 restrictions. However, it is vitally important that Local Authorities ensure all water supplies are monitored annually to provide assurance to consumers that their drinking water is safe”.

To address failures in drinking water quality due to deficiencies in infrastructure, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage makes funding available through the Multi Annual Rural Water Programme. Upgrade works should be progressed without delay at those Private Group Water Schemes, which have identified as a priority in order to improve the drinking water quality of these supplies.

The report is available on the EPA website. View Here

Further information: Ms Emily Williamson, (EPA Media Relations Office) Tel: 053-9170770 (24 hours) or media@epa.ie.

Irish Government Planning 33 High Level Visits Abroad For St. Patrick’s Day.

While the St. Patrick’s Day annual parade here in Thurles has been called off, due to a lack of interest by the controlling organisers; the Irish Government are planning at least 33 high level visits next month, on March 17th, in an attempt to bring Christianity to those heathens abroad.

Those Ministers travelling abroad will be carrying three leaved Shamrock, to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit), to the pagans and warmongers, they expect to run into; their travel expences paid in full at the Irish taxpayers expense.

As a taxpayer continuously over a period of some 60 years, to be totally honest, I don’t mind contributing to the vast sums of money spent by Irish TD’s, as they make plans to go flying, with their entourage of loyal courtiers, to all over the world, for St. Patrick’s Day, 2022.

What I do strongly object to, however, in some cases, is paying for their return tickets, if you get my meaning.

We learn from press reports, over the past week, that An Taoiseach, Mr Micheál Martin will visit London the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, before visiting Washington on St. Patrick’s Day; as the annual excuse for ‘Patron Saint visits’ takes off fully, for the first time, since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Last year, 2021, US President, Mr Joe Biden and An Taoiseach, Mr Micheál Martin met virtually on St. Patrick’s Day. This St. Patrick’s day same can now touch elbows, as sanitised crystal bowls change hands and both men declare their undying love for liberty, democracy, free speech and each other.

An Tánaiste, Mr Leo Varadkar will be heading supposedly to South America, visiting Columbia and Chile. [Note to Customs, check all diplomatic bags and other luggage on arrival back in Dublin, just to be sure.]
Green Party Leader, Mr Eamon Ryan will for a couple of days, be ignoring a considerable chunk of his carbon footprint, as he visits in New York.
Minister for Finance, Mr Paschal Donohoe is set to travel to London and the Netherlands.
Minister for Public Expenditure, Mr Michael McGrath will go to San Francisco, the cultural, commercial and financial centre in the U.S. state of California; before moving on to the bustling west coast seaport of Vancouver, in lower British Columbia, latter on the westmost coast of Canada.
Minister for Children, Mr Roderic O’Gorman will travel to Philadelphia and New York.
‘Teacher’s Pet’, Minister for Education, Ms Norma Foley will be visiting “A place you all know well”, as the ballad states, namely Boston, populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States.
Minister for Higher Education, Mr Simon Harris will visit France.
Minister for Children, Mr Roderic O’Gorman will travel to Philadelphia and New York.
Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee will visit Savannah, in the state of Georgia; the county seat of Chatham County.
Minister for Health, Mr Stephen Donnelly will travel to Austin, the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas.
Chief whip, Mr Jack Chambers will head to Los Angeles.
Attorney General, Mr Paul Gallagher is set to travel to Washington.
Minister for Arts, Ms Catherine Martin will travel to Argentina.
Minister of State, Mr Colm Brophy will visit Mexico.
Minister of State, Ms Pippa Hackett will visit Greece.
Minister of State, Mr Thomas Byrne will head for Italy.
Minister of State, Mr Patrick O’Donovan will go to the “Windy City”, Chicago on Lake Michigan, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois.

Despite an open invitation, there were no Ministers willing to take on the greening of Wuhan, that sprawling capital of Central China’s Hubei province; for some unknown reason to this author, but sure all is not lost yet, for it is believed that there will also be a number of other Ministerial visits not yet decided.

No, I’m not jealous. Me, I’m just wondering will there be anyone left to mind the shop.

Last Opportunity To Clean Out & Maintain Bird Nesting Box.

Firstly, I should state if you do not have a bird nesting box in your garden, there are some handmade, beautiful designed, boxes with required correct dimensions, currently available at O’Driscolls Garden Centre on the Mill Road here in Thurles, all at very affordable prices.

**Rear opening entrance to Blue Tit nesting box**

For those of you who already possess a nesting box, it’s time again, to clean out and maintained same, to ensure tenants for this coming Spring and Summer.

Old nests should be removed in the autumn or winter, preferably from October onwards, once parents and their brood have moved out of their home.

Birds, particularly Blue Tits, start early in their hunt for social housing. The site appears most often to be chosen by the wife, with the interior and entrance having been measured by the husband, using his wings as a tape measure. Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) love artificial nest-boxes and are probably the most common occupiers of same here in the Irish Republic.

The female of the Blue Tit species will build her nest alone, with her mate following her around to make sure that no other males make contact with her. This stated, it is estimated that over 40% of Blue Tit nests will contain at least one hatched chick that is possibly being reared by a male that is not its father.

Later, the male will feed the female, while she remains nesting and youngsters will leave the nest around three weeks after hatching occurs.

The old nests built by most birds can harbour nasty parasites, so once last year’s nest has been removed from the box, use boiling water to rid same of parasites. Let the box dry out thoroughly, before replacing the lid or back portion.

Remember parasites that remain can infest young birds that hatch the following year, so do scald the box out well and avoid, totally, the use of any form of disinfectant, soap solution, insecticide or parasite powder.

Try to avoid cleaning out your nest box in September, thus ensuring the nest is no longer active, as some species can nest right through until the end of September, each year.

The box shown here possibly because of its positioning; remaining clear of animals or destructive humans, has raised, over a 3 year period, 4 families of blue tits numbering in all 42; from a total of 42 eggs.

Where To Erect A Bird Nesting Box.

Correctly built nesting boxes are best constructed from untreated timber.
Boxes for tits should be fixed at least two metres high (6ft) on a tree or a wall. Remember, if attached to a tree use soft cable ties rather than nails to secure your nesting box.

The success of the box, shown herewith, is the fact that it is partly hidden by overhanging vegetation, thus allowing the bird to vanish into overhanging ivy branches before accessing the box itself.
While experts state that nesting boxes should face between north and east in direction, thus avoiding strong sunlight, driving summer rain and wind; this box faces south protected and shaded by the overhanging ivy, with no complaints from Blue Tit tenants.