Ardmore village named as Ireland’s Greenest Place
The judges recognised the Co Waterford community’s broad and innovative range of green initiatives, working together for a more sustainable future
carbon emissions
Are we building offshore wind farms to save our planet or to power data centres?
Costs of renewable energy justified when it cuts emissions, less so if main beneficiary is industrial growth
Does Ireland have the will to undo the disaster of plantation forestry?
Plans to remove commercial plantation around native forest have stalled for years
Benefits to us and the State are underestimated when counting public transport costs
Buses, trains and trams contribute greatly to the common good, so we should tax flying instead
Ireland and Tuvalu to co-host international climate conference next July
Second conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels will take place on a Pacific island nation
Nature is our most critical infrastructure but it is being positioned as a hindrance
Government should not only reserve legal designation for fast-tracking built projects but should extend it to nature too
Instead of counting farmers, try adding up all the work they do for the economy
This small proportion of the workforce manages the land behind our largest indigenous exporting sector
Welfare of farm animals must be part of climate debate
Unsustainable nature of the Irish agriculture model
Dublin Airport carbon emissions set to surge after passenger cap removed
Report from environmental group highlights impact of more flights at Dublin hub
Do data centres pay their own way? The answer is not straightforward
Data centres impose massive costs on the power system, of that there is no doubt – but do they pay enough to cover their costs?
Car registrations – what’s another year?
Imagine if your washing machine or shoes had to carry a tag displaying the year of their purchase
Temporary excise tax cuts undermine the greening of Ireland’s transport
Fossil fuel price rises on the back of Iran war have delivered surge in EV sales, so why blunt the message?
The Response: Former BBC editor brings home reality of climate change
Polemic shows UK is unprepared for environmental emergencies. Irish readers should feel nervous, too
Figuring out the airport cap
Government should be transparent about economic benefits and environmental concerns
Fleet safety tech firm CameraMatics raises €49m with ISIF and AIB backing
Tech focuses on accident prevention including by providing alerts of a cyclist in a blind spot or drivers showing signs of getting tired
Scrappage scheme got Irish drivers buying diesel 20 years ago. Can new scheme do same for EVs?
Ireland has set itself the lofty target of having 845,000 electric vehicles on the roads within four years
EU agricultural policy needs to make clear link between subsidies and emissions reductions
There’s been a virtual standstill on tackling greenhouse gas emissions from farming - despite progress generally across society
Greenvolt Next creates 90 jobs in big expansion across Ireland and Britain
Company anticipates renewable energy projects will cut 150,000 tonnes of emissions over next three years
More than 700,000 carbon credits purchased by State cancelled last year
EU framework restricted types of carbon credits that could be applied, Department of Climate tells PAC
GDP is meaningless. We need new ways of measuring the economy
In Ireland, the CSO and ESRI are thankfully free of political interference, but data collection is beset by other challenges
With range anxiety and cost concerns, what will it take to get electric HGVs trucking?
The Government claims to be making them affordable, but electric HGVs make up just 1% of Ireland’s fleet
Ryanair emissions rise again as other large Irish carbon polluters show reductions
Airline’s rapid growth outstrips emission reductions per passenger
Why are we talking about building nuclear reactors?
Reactor construction was outlawed in 1999, but changing technology, and circumstances, have reopened the debate
Irish cement industry is convinced fossil fuel usage can be cut by 90% over next 15 years
Ibec group calls for greater investment in alternative fuel made from residual waste
Some fuel alternatives
Bowing to pressure and abandoning oil and gas exploration will cost us dearly in terms of future energy security
Farmers push for suspension of carbon charges on fertiliser as prices soar due to Iran war
Minister says supply of fertiliser may only be enough to last country’s farmers until mid to late April
Inconvenient truths about Ireland’s carbon budget compliance
An expectation that current policies are sufficient to halve emissions this decade appears absurd
An Post well down the road on its journey to delivering its carbon reduction targets
Semi-state company cites electric fleet and HVO switch as key drivers, but critics warn of supply and sustainability risks
‘Getting things done’ is good, but not at the expense of the planet
We do not have to choose between keeping the lights on and protecting the planet
Climeaction launches app to track farm emissions
Consultancy expands into software with system aimed at global food business
GKinetic to install first commercial hydroelectric systems
Firm has developed technology to tap rivers for energy
Thirty obstacles to meeting climate targets identified by all-party committee
Most are ascribed to shortfalls in Government planning, policies, action and communications
Denmark’s plan for a greener country offers ideas worth Ireland’s attention
Carbon tax on farming and taking land out of agricultural production among bold moves by the Danes
Carbon neutral fuels: When will we see them and why are some so staunchly opposed?
The idea of carbon-free ‘petrol’ sounds tempting, but barriers remain to its adoption
Ireland needs to get serious on EV charging infrastructure
The national broadband roll-out provides a template: it was a nationwide, mission-level infrastructure project, not a series of pilot projects
Why we keep ignoring the physics of climate change
At a time of climate crisis, carbon budgets are a physical reality – not political slogans
Ireland has second highest emissions per head in EU and must do more to reach net zero by 2050
We have made good progress on decarbonising electricity and in retrofitting buildings but are moving too slowly on transport
Switching to EVs can reduce emissions for Irish businesses without breaking the bank
Electric vehicle sales account for 18.4 per cent of new cars this year - Irish businesses need to catch up
Nephin Energy’s Tom O’Brien on gas, biomethane and whether energy bills will fall
Inside Business podcast with Ciarán Hancock
Plug-in hybrids just as polluting as petrol cars, claims eco group
Transport & Environment says PHEVs are no better for the environment, as car makers prepare for tougher emissions standards
Poor air quality has serious health implications – how clean is your area?
A citizen science project aims to measure the level of nitrogen dioxide in Waterford city following the success of similar projects elsewhere
Surplus Co Cork land owned by transport body could be converted into native woodland
Bank of 36 acres would be managed ‘into perpetuity’ by the Nature Trust under move to help address TII’s carbon footprint
Carbon credits: The dark heart of the climate ‘solution’ that simply does not work
Amid the climate crisis, no amount of wishing for an imaginary carbon unicorn will make it true
CRH to buy US group Eco Material for $2.1bn
US company uses materials like fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, to partly replace cement in the construction sector
Mapping the hidden black gold that is peat soil
The maps we use have profound implications for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from our land sector
We are banking on costly, speculative ‘negative emissions technologies’ to make climate strategies add up
Thinking in a Climate Emergency: Renewables, energy efficiency and ending fossil-fuel reliance do help cut CO2
State can avoid need for costly gas terminal if it phases out fossil fuels, says climate council chair
Marie Donnelly warns of even more costly fines and increased energy costs if reliance on polluting fuels persists
IATA Director General Willie Walsh on airline profits, air fares and why the Dublin Airport passenger cap makes Ireland a laughing stock
Inside Business podcast with Ciarán Hancock
‘We’ve dropped the ball’: Ireland’s housing targets will be missed because the water, electricity and roads required can’t be delivered
Badly needed scaling up of house-building is threatened by transport and utilities projects stuck in the planning pipeline. What is to be done?
Why is it costing me more to use green fuel in my car than fossil fuels?
Government is desperate for people to adopt greener solutions to help it reach climate change goals but are the incentives adequate?
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices