Thurles Clothes Pods packed to capacity today on the eve of a long holiday weekend. Pic: G. Willoughby.
Sewing or Sowing?
People arriving to deposit their unwanted textiles in the ‘Clothes Pods’ (latter Textile Recycling units), situated at the Thurles Parnell Street car park, have found same once again packed to capacity on the eve of a long bank holiday weekend.
Having attempted to push items further in and failing in their efforts, full plastic bags are now being dumped on the ground in this provided area by new depositor.
The photograph above, taken today Friday May 3rd 2024, shows that Tipperary Co. Council have failed yet again in their claim of quote; “Sewing the seeds of sustainability”, with articles of clothing strewn on the ground. [And we wonder why people are dumping on our roadsides!]
The ‘Clothes Pods’ previously provided at Aldi on Kickham Street and close to Thurles Swimming pool have both been removed for some reason, over the past few months, thus adding to the lack of recycling space being provided. In the meanwhile, with regard to the stickers on these ‘Clothes Pods’, stating that Tipperary is “Sewing the seeds of sustainability”, perhaps that should read “Sowing the seeds of sustainability”, but what would I know?
To mark ‘Biodiversity Week 2024‘, Tipperary Green Business Network invite you to join them on a guided walk of ‘The Apple Farm’ at Cahir, Co. Tipperary, which will be led jointly by your host Mr Con Trass and Mr Alan Moore, latter of ‘Hedgerows Ireland’.
The Apple Farm, Moorstown, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
Date and time:Saturday, May 18th, 2024, commencing at 2:30pm until 5:00am. (2 hours 30 minutes).
Location: The Apple Farm, Moorstown, Cahir, Co. Tipperary. [Eircode: E21 YX33]
Please do wear suitable weather gear and footwear. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult.
Light refreshments will be available. This is a FREE event, but booking is essential. Contact info@tgbn.ie
The Apple Farm Shop will be open for those of you may wish to stock up on juices, apple cider vinegar, jams etc.
Note: National Biodiversity Week 2024 will run over a 10 day period, from Friday 17th to Sunday 26th of May.
EPA report shows low uptake of Green Public Procurement in government department contracts.
Of €922 million spend by government departments on contracts in 2022, 34% included green criteria.
The increase in the use of green criteria (10% in 2021, 34% in 2022) is encouraging, but still at a low level.
All government departments must improve their implementation of Green Public Procurement and purchase more resource-efficient and less polluting goods, services and works.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published its third report on Green Public Procurement(GPP) activity in government departments. GPP is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their life-cycle.
The report details that out of the reported €922 million spend on contracts greater than €25,000 and signed in 2022, just 34% of the spend included green criteria. While it is encouraging to see an improvement compared to the previous year (10% in 2021, 34% in 2022), overall the use of green criteria is inconsistent across government departments and at a low level, relative to total spend.
Launching the report Ms Laura Burke, Director General, said: “Our latest report shows an encouraging increase in the implementation of Green Public Procurement by government departments. But the use of Green Public Procurement is still low, with only a quarter of in scope ICT Product contracts incorporating green criteria, and less than half in some other sectors such as transport and cleaning services. This is a missed opportunity by the Government sector to show leadership in purchasing more resource efficient and less polluting goods, services and works. For example, introduction of green criteria can deliver carbon reductions, conserve water, improve air and water quality and prevent waste.”
Summary Data.
Department.
No. of contracts over €25,000 signed in 2022 incorporating GPP.
Percentage of total spend reported on contracts over €25,000 signed in 2022 incorporating GPP.
Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science.
0
0%
Health.
4
9%
Housing, Local Government & Heritage.
5
12%
Justice.
2
not known*[*value of contracts not given]
Public Expenditure & Reform.
19
64%
Rural & Community Development.
8
96%
Social Protection.
25
17%
The Taoiseach.
10
88%
Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media.
3
45%
Transport.
3
100%
The EPA report sets out the following five recommendations:
Assign senior level responsibility within government departments to prioritise the incorporation of GPP into procurement processes, including the Corporate Procurement Plan.
Include GPP data in Government Department Annual Reports.
The report ‘Green Public Procurement: Monitoring and Reporting by Government Departments, 2022 Reference Year’ is now available on the EPA website, HERE.
The next lecture in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Change lecture series will be delivered by Professor Ms Lea Berrang Ford, Deputy Director at the UK Health Security Agency.
Professor Ms Lea Berrang Ford is Head of the UKHSA Centre for Climate and Health Security and a Research Chair in Climate and Health at the Priestley International Centre for Climate. She is an expert in climate change impacts on health, adaptation to the health effects of climate change, and the health implications of decarbonisation.
Prof. Berrang Ford was a Lead Author on the 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report, is a co-author on the 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, and led the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative, an international collaboration of 125 scientists to assess evidence on progress on global adaptation to climate change.
She has led international, interdisciplinary projects on climate and health for over a decade, working with a range of global research and policy partners, in particular in Uganda, Peru, and the Canadian Arctic. Ms Berrang Ford is a former Research Chair in Climate and Health with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and former a Royal Society Wolfson Research Fellow.
This lecture, entitled ‘Climate change and health: from paralysis to pragmatism’, will provide an overview of the landscape of climate change and health including risks, intervention opportunities and state of the evidence. It will address the challenge of coordinating research and governance and move from ‘paralysis to pragmatism’ in the face of daunting and uncertain climate change and health risks.
Welcoming Professor Berrang Ford, Ms Laura Burke, Director General, EPA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Berrang Ford to give the first EPA Climate Lecture of 2024 on the topic of climate change and health. Climate change will have wide ranging global consequences for human health, arising from extreme weather events such as heatwaves, storms and flooding, increasing suitability of regions for invasive species, implications for mental health, and impacts on antimicrobial resistance.
Ms Burke further added: “Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment highlights the climate-related health impacts and the opportunities that face Ireland. Effective climate action in response to this challenge will make us more resilient to the coming changes and bring benefits for individuals, public health, and society.”
Professor Berrang Ford will draw on the experience of the new Centre for Climate and Health Security within the UK Health Security Agency and will lay out an optimistic vision for how public health and environmental agencies begin to respond and prepare for the grand challenge of climate change threats to health.
The public lecture will take place tomorrow Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30pm at The Banking Hall in the College Green Hotel, Dublin and will also be streamed online. This free event requires registration through the following link HERE. The event will also be recorded and uploaded to the EPA YouTube channel, located HERE.
This lecture forms part of the National Dialogue on Climate Action, and people can also follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #ClimateLecture2024, See HERE.
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them”. [Matthew Chapter 6 – Verse 26.]
It was a beautiful day today here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary; after weeks of rain which confined most of us, during off duty hours, to our livingroom armchairs.
Today, in bright sunshine, local residents got their first opportunity, in months, to catch up on work required in neglected gardens. From all directions, today, came the drone of petrol lawn mowers and the scraping of stone against spade heads.
‘Roly’ the Robin with at least one member of his family hidden in overgrown wall ivy. Pic: G. Willoughby[600mm Lensusedto ensure no disturbance of nest site].
‘Roly’my friendly Robin, joined me, much to the anger of numerous wiggly worms, latter who sadly met their “Waterloo”; having been disturbed with the help of my spade and fork; to be quickly consumed by ‘Roly’s’ wife and family.
It is estimated that there are over 2 million breeding pairs of Robins within the Republic of Ireland any one year. Nest are usually well-concealed, in ivy or a cavity in a tree; in a wall, or an open-fronted nest-box and often close to ground level. Some species find the most unusual locations, such as a discarded teapot; a hat, or in the torn pocket of an overcoat, latter long since abandoned in a garden shed.
Despite appearing to be friendly and inhibited, Robins are in fact very territorial birds and will viciously attack other Robins that appear in their territory. Males will verbally abuse each other, before their high pitched debate escalates into a physical fight, which can result in serious injury or even death.
Robins eat a wide variety of foodstuff, including worms, invertebrates, ripe fruit, mealworms, seeds and suet and are a regular visitor to any furnished bird table.
Today, I am reminded again that in my home, as a boy and to my families delight, two Robins regularly joined us at the dinner table. Believe it or not, one bird often ate mashed potato from my uncles outstretched tongue, while sitting perched on his nose, so great was the trust.
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