Before rushing out to buy your electric car or vehicle fitted with self-driving car technology, first take note that a flying car has at last completed over 70 hours of meticulous testing to receive an official certificate of airworthiness.
The vehicle, which received the certificate from the Transport Authority of Slovakia, in central Europe, has completed more than 200 take-offs and landings, deeming it fit to fly.
Questions Being Asked LocallyHere In Thurles.
Is this the reason Mr Jackie Cahill TD and Mr Michael Lowry TD, never bothered, over the last 25 year period, to ask the governments to support and implement the Thurles Ring-Road?
Will this address the issue of local elected councillors failing to fill potholes in our streets?
Will we have to pay Air Tax as well as Road Tax?
Will Ryan Air and Aer Lingus now become redundant?
Will fuel tanks be big enough to get us to Lanzarote for the weekend?
Are passports, Covid certificates and Passenger locator forms now obsolete?
How will public private partnerships collect [through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII], their motorway tolls?
What new carbon taxes will the Green Party introduce to halt diesel engine exhaust contaminants/emissions?
Will Gardaí now be given fighter planes instead of squad cars, to intercept drunken and drug addicted drivers?
It took some 8 specialists over 100,000 hours to metamorphose the final mathematical specs into a fully functioning prototype.
The AirCar’s recent accreditation means it is now one step closer to becoming mass produced across Europe.
In development since 2017 and boasting a 1.6L BMW engine, the certified model is now officially in line with the standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Sure as my Granny, Eliza Jane, used to say; “You don’t need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute if you intend to skydive twice.”
The EPA carried out 1,295 inspections at EPA licensed sites during the year, a 19% increase, compared with 2020.
The EPA carried out a number of targeted enforcement campaigns in 2021.
48 inspections at unauthorised peat extraction sites.
41 inspections at waste licensed sites, with a focus on improving fire risk management.
The removal of 14 sites from the EPA’s Water Framework Directive Significant Pressure list.
Eleven sites were identified as National Priority Sites in 2021, a decrease from the twelve sites in 2020. Eight of these 11 National Priority Sites were from the Food & Drink and Intensive Agriculture sectors.
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its annual summary report on the enforcement activities carried out in 2021, along with the list of sites which were designated a National Priority Site during the year.
The full list of National Priority Sites for 2021.
This report shows that, despite the ongoing significant challenges and impact of Covid-19, the EPA increased their enforcement activities at industrial and waste licences at the 840 licenced installations throughout Ireland.
The report published today highlights the main issues at licensed activities during 2021 and outlines what actions the EPA took to enforce environmental conditions at these activities.
Individuals or companies who operate either without an EPA licence or breach that licence, were targeted by the EPA for enforcement. The role of the public in reporting non-compliant or illegal operations to the EPA is a vital tool in helping us to address the environmental issues that may result and we encourage the public to report any concerns to the EPA.
Commenting on the publication of the annual summary report, Dr. Tom Ryan, Director, EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “The EPA focused its enforcement efforts in 2021 on tackling unauthorised extraction of peat, improving water quality downstream of licenced sites and the safe and appropriate management of waste. Our enforcement activities are risk based and are targeted at sites that are not complying with their EPA licence requirements. We carried out almost 1,300 inspections of industrial and waste licensed activities and a further 55 inspections of unauthorised activities which require a licence or must cease operation.”
The EPA has also published the latest National Priority Sites List for 2021. The number of National Priority Sites in 2021 (11) was down slightly when compared with 2020 (12). The EPA will continue to focus its resources where they are most needed and to ensure compliance at all sites.
Commenting on the publication, Mr. Darragh Page, Programme Manager, EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “The eleven sites on the National Priority Sites List in 2021 were the subject of targeted enforcement action. This represents around one per cent of the total sites licensed by the EPA. Sites from the food and drink and intensive agriculture sector made up almost three quarters of the sites on the National Priority Sites List during 2021. These sectors must improve if Ireland is to support its green image of sustainable food and drink production. Our enforcement objective is to ensure these sites resolve the environmental issues and for the sites to return to compliance.”
The report ‘Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Summary 2021’ is now available on the EPA HERE.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) statement on the publication of the IPCC Working Group 2 report – Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
This IPCC Report highlights the interlinked threat posed by climate change for human health ecosystems and biodiversity.
The roles and benefits of planned adaptation in reducing climate exposure and vulnerability are highlighted in the report, as well as the need to avoid short term adaptation responses which could – in the longer term – amplify climate risks.
Globally, many pathways remain to achieve climate resilience and a sustainable future, and the report outlines the enabling factors and decision making needed.
The report emphasises the need for Ireland and the EU to achieve its policy objectives of climate neutrality and climate resilience by 2050.
The timeframe for action is getting shorter and there are limits to what we can do through adaptation alone.
The EPA welcomes the publication of the Working Group II report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, as part of its 6th Assessment Report.
The report shows the unequivocal evidence of climate change impacts around the world. These impacts are evident in human and natural systems. It recognises that delaying action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. Ms Laura Burke, (EPA Director General), said: “This report shows us what we have to do in adapting to the current and future impacts of climate change and ensuring that we are resilient to its impacts. Ireland is also facing the impacts of a changing climate as detailed in The Status of Ireland’s Climate report which was published in 2021 by the Environmental Protection Agency, Met Eireann and Marine Institute. The EPA has, with other funding bodies, supported the development of climate projections so that we can enable planned adaptation. This information is available to support the sustainable and planned adaptation measures that are highlighted as necessary in the IPCC report.”
Commenting on the report Mr Frank McGovern, (EPA Chief Climate Scientist), said: “This report highlights the need for the integration of climate change adaptation into decision making on planning and development across all sectors of the economy and society and across all regions. This can be enabled under the Climate Action Plan 2021 and National Adaptation Framework.”
The EPA leads in the development and co-ordination of national climate change research in Ireland. It works with other agencies and research bodies in the development of key climate related observations, including observations of greenhouse gases, aerosols, river flows and freshwater levels.
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.
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.
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