the national trust for ireland · how can the old ways work and sustain us into a radically...

AnTaisceThe National Trust for Ireland

Spring 2011 !3.00

Articles include

Urban DerelictionRural Suicide

Do we need a Property TaxSustainable Tourism

Losing our Bog lands

Economicprogress that

won’t cost the earth

Economicprogress that

won’t cost the earth

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EVENT REGISTRATIONNOW OPEN!

20.08.2011 – 28.08.2011

Connect with your local communityLearn new skills

Take part in NATIONAL HERITAGE WEEK by organising or attending an event. For full info go to www.heritageweek.ie

With thousands of free family friendly events taking place there’s something for all ages and interests in every county of Ireland

EVENTS ARE DIVERSE, CREATIVE, ENTERTAINING, EDUCATIONAL & FUNTo find out more about National Heritage Week and for details about our National Photography and Storytelling Competitions see:

Visit www.heritageweek.ieCallsave 1850 200 878Email [email protected]

National Heritage Week is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council with support from Fáilte Ireland and is part of European Heritage Days, which is celebrated in over 40 countries across Europe.

Food fairsClassical music StorytellingWildlife walksTreasure trailsHistoric gardensCraft workshops

Seminars and lecturesTraditional music & dance sessions Photography and art exhibitionsTours of historical buildingsArchaeological digsHistorical re-enactments

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CONTENT4 Urban Dereliction, by Kevin Duff and Judy Osborne.

Can we stop our streets getting run down in the recession?

7 Denial, reform or transformation, by James Nix. Our fixation on growth is perverting our response to current economic problems.

10 Growth and Progress, by Hans Diefenbacher. How a National Well Being Index could change our choices

12 Do we need a property tax?, by Dara McHugh. Taxes aren’t all bad. Site Value Tax has much to commend it.

13 Arklow Rock in Wicklow is saved by An Taisce’s appeal

14 Isolation in rural Ireland, by Gavin Daly. Suicide is now ‘rampant’ in rural Ireland. Why would that be?

16 Health or Heat?, by Ian Lumley What future for tourism in an age of peak oil and climate change

19 The economic importance of Ireland’s natural heritage, by Lorcan O’Toole of the Golden Eagle Trust.

20 Greening communities, by Michael John O’Mahoney. Practical solutions from An Taisce’s Education Unit.

22 Why do we care so much about the bogs, by Anya Murray. Can we afford to destroy rare habitats?

25 Wetland environments and the past, by Dr. Mark Clinton. Archeological sites in wet environmnets offer unique insights into our heritage.

26 Music room Reflections, by Aine Nic an Riogh. A study of music rooms in country houses

28 Fleeing Vesuvius, by Andy Wilson. What could we do – before it’s too late! A review of a collection of essays from Feasta.

30 Other book reviews

An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland

MAIN OFFICEThe Tailors’ Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8

Phone: 01 454 1786 - Fax: 01 453 3255Website: www.antaisce.org

ADMINISTRATIONCarol O’Connor (Office Manager)

Ph: 01 454 1786 - E: [email protected]

HERITAGE & PLANNING OFFICEIan Lumley (Heritage Officer)


Bina Shah (Planning Administrator)Ph: 01 4541786 - E: [email protected]

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OFFICEAnja Murray (Natural Environment Officer)


Camilla KeaneResearch OfficerPh: 01 707 7063

E: [email protected]

PROPERTIES & CONSERVATION OFFICERJohn Ducie


ENERGY OFFICERElizabeth Muldowney


AN TAISCE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION UNIT

Unit 5a/b, Swift’s Alley, off Francis St., Dublin 8Phone: 01 400 2202 - Fax 01 400 2285

Patricia Oliver (EEU Director)Ph: 01 4002202 - E: [email protected]

Michael John O’Mahony (EEU Assistant Director)Ph: 087 942380

E: [email protected]

IBAL Anti-litter LeaguePatricia Oliver (Manager)

Ph: 01 4002202 - E: [email protected]

Green SchoolsCathy Baxter (Manager)


Green Schools TravelJane Hackett (National Manager)

Ph: 01 400 2215 E: [email protected]

Green HomeDorothy Stewart (Manager)


National Spring CleanIan Diamond

Ph: 01 400 2219 E: [email protected]

Coastal Programmes Manager(Blue Flag & Clean Coasts)

Annabel FitzGerald Ph: 01 400 2210 - E: [email protected]

Green Communities OfficerEmlyn Cullen

Ph: 01 400 2212E: [email protected]

Greening Communities ManagerBridin Mulhall


President of An Taisce The National Trustfor Ireland

Prof. John Sweeney - c/o [email protected]

Magazine design by Nick van Vliet Design

From the Editor...........Judy Osborne

So a new government has taken over the reigns of the country andso far is confident and energetic. But are their efforts directedtowards doing what we have always done, even if better?

How can the old ways work and sustain us into a radically differ-ent future dominated by climate change and resource depletion?

And not forgetting the economy stupid! Talk of debt and austerity fill our airwaves with little talk of what sort of societywe want our economy to provide, and no talk of whether pro-posals for growth will undermine the long term productivity of our supporting eco-systems or damage our built and natural heritage.

An Taisce has a different view of the future, recognizing that some radical reformsare needed. The magazine has touched on environmental economics before andthis issue keeps this as an underlying theme. Articles by James Nix and HansDiefenbacher question whether growth deserves the attention we give it and IanLumley’s experience of planning for tourism gives cause for concern. Smart Taxes’Dara McHugh’s piece on the relevance of Site Value Tax is a counterpoint to an articleby Kevin Duff and myself on urban dereliction that is still a problem despite 20years of development. Thank goodness for An Taisce’s Greening Communitiesscheme described by Michael John O’Mahoney.

Do stay in touch. The website is updated regularly and includes many of the submissions that clearly elucidate our vision. Face-book too is there to share the experience of membersand non members. See you there.

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In the last 20 years Ireland has becomecleaner, tidier and more colourful than before. With concerns that incomes andprofits will decline over the next period,dereliction is likely to increase - particularlyin main streets with many shops closing,but can anything be done about this?

One critical aspect in how weperceive our urban environmentis the condition of shop fronts.

Good design and presentation improvesbusiness for traders in towns and citiesand thus contributes to overall economic health.

As shops close down, they are frequentlyleft in an appalling state bringing a terrible air of desolation to a town.Would it be so difficult for the window

at least to be left in some sort of attractivefinish? Do we really need huge dirty ‘forsale’ signs to tell us that the shop is available. Couldn’t retail trade organisationswork to encourage their members?

But even the shops that are open couldoften be so much better. A submission

made to Dublin City Council in Februarythis year by An Taisce describes some ofthe worst examples in the city. This well-illustrated submission bringsthe problems into sharp focus. It can beseen on the An Taisce website www.antaisce.org

The current level of planning enforcement action is not achieving results, culminating inmajor deterioration

in the quality of key streets

The core finding of the submission wasthat the current level of planning enforcement action was not achievingresults, and that this was resulting inmajor deterioration in the quality of keystreets in Dublin 2 which directly adjointhe tourist areas of Temple Bar, TrinityCollege and Dublin Castle.

It was recommended that the CityCouncil needed to appropriately staffand resource its planning enforcement section in order to tackle the seriousproblems of unauthorised and non-compliant development in the area.

OK, so the councils are all very busy.However, following an EU case against Ireland (Infringement no. 2000/4384,Case C-215/06 ) the Department of theEnvironment has been drafting newguidelines for local authorities on howenforcement departments must be restructured to achieve better results.There’s no point having a shiny newRPlanning Act if we cannot enforce.

In the last 20 years Ireland has become cleaner, tidier andmore colourful than before but what about the future?

A street-level view illustrates the chronic signage clutter on Westmoreland Street, Dublin, which iswithin an Architectural Conservation Area

Removed redundant poles clutter the pavementin Dublin city centre

by Kevin Duff and Judy Osborne

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Street Clutter

An Taisce's Dublin City Association alsomade an interesting study of street clutterand in particular the number of unusedpoles in the streets.At the end of a lengthyeconomic boom, the study found thatthe public realm of Dublin city centrewas in poor condition. An excess ofutilitarian and poorly- tailored signs andfixtures blight almost every street, evenin areas of renowned civic and historiccharacter such as the Georgian squares,College Green and Dublin Castle environs.The new Dublin City DevelopmentPlan 2011-17 contained a variety of objectives to uphold the quality of thecity core as the premier cultural, socialand business district, but this is not thereality on the ground. Aside from thedegradation of the visual character of thestreet, these poles create an obstaclecourse for the visually or physically im-paired.A new tourist wayfinder signage schemeinstalled by Dublin City Council is ofsmart design. However this scheme isbeing introduced against a backdrop ofyears of uncontrolled clutter and non-removal of redundant items from thecity's streets. A massive cull of poles andother fixtures from the streets in Dublinneeds to be made. Other towns havesimilar experience.Look at the picture of one of WicklowTown’s iconic views of the Norman archin front of the 11th century Black Castle.The parking restriction sign, the dog litterbin, the ‘keep your dog on a lead’ sign,the parking ticket machine and the

general litter bin could all have beensited a few meters away in the car park.Why weren’t they? Who would acceptresponsibility for this?

The problem of vacant anddeteriorating protected

structures even extends tomajor historic landmarks

A letter has been sent to the town clerkabout this. Wish us luck! Poor managementof the public realm will have real impact:Dublin recently missed out on a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site designation forGeorgian Dublin. It is hard to imaginethat the cluttered state of the streets, andother factors (such as butchery of listedantique stone paving and setts duringthe introduction of a bus gate in CollegeGreen in 2009), were not contributingfactors. Such scenarios are costing townsand cities in terms of lost revenue andstatus.

The poor quality of pavements

A general lack of concern for the publicrealm is a cause of some of the currentproblems. For example the importanceof the treatment of pavements is rarelyconsidered, yet this has a remarkable impacton the pedestrians' experience of an area.With this in mind I would personallyexpress my disappointment that proposalsfor taxing chewing gum to pay for cleaningthe streets were dismissed by the

government in exchange for accepting acharitable donation towards An Taisce’sEducational Programme. We have stillseen new paving ruined within weeks ofit being laid. An article in the Spring2007 edition of the An Taisce magazinedealt with the treatment of historicstone pavement in Dublin. This can alsobe seen on the An Taisce website.

Poor maintenance of protected structures

There is also a problem with the maintenanceof protected structures which are commonly left to rot - often with the intention of going for the easy option ofdemolition and redevelopment thus increase profit from speculation.It is interesting to note that, at an inquiryin an Oireachtas Committee in September2009, the Department of the Environmentofficials were unable to say how manyprotected structures were in or near to astate of dilapidation.The website abandonedireland.com hassome impressive photography of derelictmanor houses.In Dublin the problem of vacant anddeteriorating protected structures evenextends to major historic landmarksJohnson-designed former Richmond Lunatic Asylum at Grangegorman. Elsewhere in the city, a large section ofthe historic streetscape of Thomas Street,once to be regenerated by the DigitalHub initiative, lies vacant and semi-derelict,another victim of the property crash. However, we should be thinking abouthow such historic buildings might be

Did all this street clutter need to be clustered around this iconic view of the Norman arch to Wicklow’s Black Castle?

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used, rather than simply left to rot. In Amsterdam, if a building was abandonedfor more than a year and the landlorddid nothing with it, it could be used byanyone as a squat or studio space.Thispolicy operated until very recently andbreathed life back into many decrepit buildings.

The local authorities have powers, underthe provisions of the Derelict Sites Act1990, to intervene in these circumstances,but rarely do so, maybe because nobodymonitors the situation. However, localcouncillors could put pressure on theirofficials to take action. Another goodexample, or should that be a bad example,is the La Touche Hotel in Greystones.Planning permission was granted for amixed development in 2005, but it neverhappened, and the developer went bust.The beautiful old hotel is now in a terriblestate but nothing has been done about it.

Litter

Litter is a general problem that thecountry still hasn’t quite got its headaround. Despite valiant efforts by An Taisce’s own National Spring Clean,

some Litter Wardens and Tidy TownsCommittees etc. there is still a long wayto go. Litter is still strewn along theroads around the countryside. Whose job is it to clear this I wonder?Perhaps this is another example of poormanagement practice in local authoritiesbut property owners can be obliged tofulfil their duty to pick up along theboundaries of their land. This is coveredin the Litter Acts.

Local authorities havepowers to enforce compliance with existinglegislation that regulatesdereliction and littering

Some of the mess left around not-quite-finished developments could be a planning compliance issue. In this caseanyone can report unauthorised development under section 152 of thePlanning Act. The local authority areobliged to issue a warning notice and,since the new Planning and DevelopmentAct 2010, shall issue an enforcement notice if planning permission cannot beestablished. An unfortunate gap in theAct is that no time lines have been included for this! And of course what ifthe developer has gone? Well, again, anew manual is being prepared – Unfin-ished Housing Developments Manual.It is designed to help with the resolutionof unfinished housing estates, but gives ahelpful outline of measures that could betaken with other developments too, including how to trace a run-away devel-oper. A draft of these can be seenon housing.ie.The draft highlights a number of actionsthat are currently available includingthose already mentioned, namely development controls under the Planningand Development Act 2000, theDerelict Sites Act and Litter Acts.All in all it seems that something CANbe done about all these issues if only wecan be bothered!

Aldborough House, the last of the great 18th century mansions to be built in Dublin, lies vacantand semi-derelict

The La Touche Hotel. This beautiful building in the heart of historic Greystones was allowed tofall into disrepair during the most prosperous years of the last decade.

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Denial, Reform or Transformation

If you’re following climate scienceyou know we’re hurtling toward catastrophe. That doesn’t come from

a scientist but from an economist. Back in 2009 Paul Krugman observedthat in a more rational world the loomingclimate disaster would be our dominantpolitical and policy concern.

But it isn’t. Our world structures pushus away from rational choices. But beforeturning to our choices we might recapbriefly on where we are.

Climate change impacts inIreland and across theglobe

The build-up of carbon dioxide andother greenhouse gases is creating a‘blanket effect’ on the globe. It’s a blanketthat grows thicker each year, causingtemperatures to rise slowly, and exacerbating drought, heavy rainfall andthe severity of other weather-relatedevents. The UN has become more definitive with each assessment report.In 2007 it said “warming is unequivocal,and most of the warming of the past 50years is very likely (90%) due to increases in greenhouse gases”.

In Ireland rainfall will increase 20 percent in the northwest but decrease 40per cent in the south and east, leading towater shortages, and occasionally, severedroughts. This will happen inside 45years according to the Icarus researchunit at NUI Maynooth, which has published rainfall projections to 2055.

Rising temperatures will reduce therange of places capable of sustaininghuman life. For many developing coun-tries a 2° rise in temperature is

“a suicidepact, an incinerationpact”-described by thechief negotiator for 77 developing countries at theCopenhagen summit.

Ocean sea levels have risen byaround one third of a metre overthe last 100 years, a rate expected to increase over the next century. Twenty two of the world’s largest fiftycities are at risk of flooding as coastalsurges become more vociferous, including Hong Kong, London,Miami, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai, St Petersberg and Tokyo.

We’re set to run out of atmosphere before we

run out of oil, gas or coal.

Average global temperatures have already risen .8 degree since the pre-industrial era, with higher increases recorded at the poles of 1.5to 3 degrees. Because of the inertiawithin the earth’s system - energy retained in the oceans for example - we have already stored up additionalwarming about which there is nothingwe can do, even if westopped emitting any further greenhousegases tomorrow.

Can the economykeep growing without undermining thelong term productivity of theunderlying eco-system?

Is economic growth possible? Many environmentalists believe we must reverse economic growth. James Nix writes that we should instead focus on practical measures for sustainability.

James Nix

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How much fuel can we burn?

Without radical intervention the use offossil fuels will continue at a pace thatcauses dangerous climate change. Put itanother way, we’re set to run out of atmosphere before we run out of oil, gasor coal. We can only afford to burn 22per cent of current fossil fuel reserves before 2050 if we are to avoid a two-degreerise. That’s according to a study byMeinshausen published in the journalNature in April2009. Even studiesthat say we couldburn a higher proportion of existing reservesagree with Meinshausen that aradical reduction infossil fuel consumption is required, a reduction that needsto happen ever before resource constraints makethese fuels prohibitively expensive.

Denial, reform ortransformation

The response to thischallenge can becatergorised intothree very broad categories. There is Denial, which is selfexplanatory. Then there is the Reformist view, which argues that thecurrent system can be fixed by makingchanges. The third view is described as Transformist – that we need to changethe system, namely capitalism, in orderto achieve sustainability.

Denialism goes hand in hand with laissez faire – the idea that ‘self-regulating’markets will deliver the optimum outcome, in spite of the evidence to thecontrary. Reformism is essentially acommitment to alter our current economic system by placing values oninputs and outputs, and implementingproper pricing accordingly. Evo Moralesput the Transformist view very

succinctly when he said “either capitalismdies or mother earth dies”, but what exactly replaces capitalism is not articulated, or there are a number of perspectives. The literature rejects theDenialist view; it doesn’t come downone way other or the other as betweenReformists and Transformists.

Transformists have tended to argue thatit’s impossible to have annual growth inthe value of goods and services (GDPgrowth) while reducing emissions andmeeting other sustainability goals at the

same time. Some transformists go further,arguing that it’s necessary to decreaseGDP in order to protect our environment,and use the term Degrowth to describe this.

Some environmentalistsback reformism over

transformism because it isthe “only viable approachwithin the current political

and economic space”

Some – but not all - reformists havetended to argue that it is possible to persist with increases in GDP so longemissions and other pollution decrease.

The reasons many environmentalistsback Reformism over Transformism isthat it is the “only viable approachwithin the current political and economic space”, according to DonCurtain in an article in a recent editionof the Journal of Sustainable Development.“Reformism's dominance is grounded inits support within political and economic power centres”, and here Curtain cites the UN’s Brundtland report and national governments, to

which we could add theOECD, EU and Japan.

Does the use ofGDP to measuregrowth affect decisions wetake?

GDP (Gross DomesticProduct) is racked byshortcomings as a measure of wealth andgrowth but it is difficultto say how widespreadthe awareness is here. To illustrate these shortcomings, greatersales of obesity drugs forchildren, more car accidents, and higherfuel consumption allraise GDP – registeringas ‘growth’ – even if allthese things are blatantlynegative in their ownright.

Van den Bergh draws a clear distinctionbetween highlighting the obvious flawsin GDP on the one hand, and pressingfor degrowth on the other. He points tothe existence of different types of degrowth. Reduction in output may notdeliver benefits because the dirty industrywe want to shrink might remain strong;in other words a commitment to degrowth doesn’t rule out dirty degrowth.Similarly, degrowth in consumption issubject to the rebound effect, for examplewhere a family with a warmer homenow leave the heating on much more, ormoney saved can be spent on somethingeven more polluting (e.g. aviation). The concept of degrowth is more of a

The current political debate focusses on how to get economic growth moving again and rarelyquestions what sort of society will evolve from the models we adopt. Shouldn’t we considerwhat sort of society we want and determine what sort of economy will provide that? An Taisce supports the view that the consideration of heritage, both natural and the built environment, must play an important part in that debate.

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re-labelling he argues and doesn’t provide a prescription for action,namely, it doesn’t guide us within safelimits in terms of “relevant substancesand materials, inputs/resources, and outputs/waste/emissions”.

GDP is a distorting, debilitating measure- “the largest information failure in theworld” according to Van den Bergh, andhe leaves us in no doubt about theamount of work we need to do here: “GDP affects decisions in many partsand at many levels of the economy andthus acts as a systemic barrier to goodpolicies - in the realm of the environment,social security, labor markets, income inequality and poverty, and health andleisure. If we manage to get GDP information out of the centre of politicalattention we will have removed an enormous hurdle to good environmentalpolicies.

GDP is a distorting, debilitating measure –

“the largest information failure in the world”

GDP represents the largest information failure in the world. It hasmore impact than many economists andenvironmental scientists realize. Witnessthe intense media attention for negativeand positive changes in GDP during thecrisis, both when it started and now thatthings are getting better in some countries.It reflects the ultimate priority assignedto GDP in politics and society at large.”He points out that economists that emphasise GDP are typically guilty ofcontradiction, saying it is not really thatimportant as a measure on the onehand, and also admitting its weakness asa social welfare indicator, but then onthe other hand, contending that it stillserves a useful purpose.

Growth is irrelevant.

Van den Bergh argues that we should becritical of those relying on growth as anindicator simply on the basis of its

inherent weaknesses - but he urges us toleave it at that. If GDP was a poor measureas it rose, it will also be a poor measurein declining. And so we should be agnostic about growth itself, a stance heterms Agrowth.

We must focus on policy and regulationto achieve real goals. “Policies should beset such that we keep within safe environmental limits. Whether suchpolicies will then give rise to GDPgrowth or degrowth should be irrelevant,as GDP or GDP per capita is not a goodproxy of social welfare.”He notes that “effective environmentalregulation is likely to result in GDP degrowth, or at least during an initialperiod of transition, simply because alarge part of economic growth is realizedin sectors which generate much pollution”.

Drawing attention to the role of fashionand our propensity to imitate others,Van den Bergh sees the need to significantly upscale practical grassrootsinitiatives.

So what can we do?

To me our focus must be two-pronged -pressing government to act, and alsoguiding our own personal behaviour.Looked at in isolation, the changes willseem small. Engaging with governmentfuture measures range from expandingthe Green Schools programme, to theintroduction of a packaging levy, to agreater shift away from burning turf,coal and other fuels in favour of savingenergy and renewables.

We need to significantly upscale practical

grassroots initiatives.

On a personal level, we have to look atwhat, where and from whom we purchase,as well as engaging and supporting practical initiatives. On both fronts a bigdebate is being distilled into practicalendeavour. Will it be enough to preventcatastrophe? Arguably yes, but only iflarge-scale socio-cultural change sweepsquickly in behind a strong initial movement.

James Nix co-ordinates transport and planning policy for the IrishEnvironmental Network (www.ien.ie), where he works on behalf of its 33mem-ber organisations, but most particularly for four - An Taisce, Friends of the Earth, Friends of the Irish Environment, and FEASTA,inputting topolicy-making in a joint coalition known as PlanBetter (www.planbetter.ie).

What can WE do? For one thing, we have to look at what, whereand from whom we purchase. What are the social and

environmental costs of the products we buy and the choices we make?

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Q. Why should we invent new ways of measure growth andwelfare? Couldn’t we just use Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?Don’t we know enough about our economy and quality of lifejust by regularly consulting this central index, supplementedmaybe by the unemployment rate, the foreign trade balanceand the inflation rate?

A. There are some reasons why this might not be sufficient,at least not at the beginning of the 21st century.

During the last decades, politicians, the broader public andthe mass media gave GDP ever greater attention. GDP forecasts, calculated by expert groups and institutes for economicresearch, are presented to the general public as if this woulddetermine the propsperity or hardship of the country: as if thelives of every single citizen would be dependent solely on this figure.

Following these lines, the perception of the economy has beenincreasingly narrowed down to Gross Domestic Product. Neither economists nor statisticians ever claimed that GDP figures express the quality of life or the welfare in a given country.But on the other side, this scientific establishment did not seriously contradict the increasing use of GDP as an indirectmeasure of welfare.

In the meantime it is well known why it can be dangerous toequate GDP and welfare. GDP is nothing more than a measureof the economic value exchanged in markets. Household andvoluntary labour in not considered in the calculation of GDP,neither is income distribution, though these are significant factorsfor the welfare of a nation. GDP is also blind in respect to thequestion whether production exploits the natural wealth of acountry or whether it follows the patterns of a circular floweconomy.

Most importantly, there is no distinction within GDP betweenproducts that directly increase the welfare of its consumers andthe production of negative external effects that have to be repaired by other economic activities: for example noise protectionwalls or medical treatment to cure illnesses from air pollution etc.

How economic measurement systemslook at these external effects is critical.When chosing which indicators to use to measure progrress wemust question whether external effects all treated positively, asdoes GDP , or are they subtracted to enable a much better understanding of the welfare aspects of the economy?

In addition we have to consider that a substantial part of coststhat result from current economic decisions will emerge onlyfar in the future, for example most of the costs of climate change.

In cooperation with Roland Zieschank, Free University ofBerlin, the author of this text has developed a new “nationalwelfare index“ (NWI) as an alternative welfare measure to supplement GDP.

A National Welfare Index offers alternativesWithin a National Welfare Index, private consumption isweighted by a measure for income distribution. Household and voluntary labour is added and a number of social factors are considered, such as public expenditures forhealth and education. A number of ecological factors are alsoincluded: the compensation of environmental damages, costsof air pollution, costs of climate change, costs for the use ofnon renewable resources.

If we compare the development of Gross Domestic Productand the National Welfare Index for Germany, there is causefor concern. Whereas the GDP is more or less continuouslygrowing over the last twenty years, the NWI reaches its maximumaround the turn of the century. Since then, it is steadily goingbackwards. Important reasons are a significant worsening ofincome distribution and negative environmental external effects.

Calculation exercises of this kind are far more than unworldlyacademic experiments. Because GDP has become so dominant,its increase is one of the most important criteria for success.Politicians focus their instruments on GDP growth. But thepolicial system will encounter problems to keep its legitimacyif it concentrates on indicators like GDP that do not reflect correctly the reality of the life of the people.

If GDP is growing steadily but these increases do not translateinto welfare gains for the majority of the people because of theincreasing inequality of income distribution the system willlose its credibility. Sustainable development cannot be measured by GDP growth or de-growth.

A second argument for supplementing GDP is even more important. Restructuring the economy so that it would meetthe requirements of sustainable development cannot be measured by GDP growth or de-growth. There will inevitablybe something like „green growth“. Certain parts of the economywill have to expand, for example, to make old buildings moreenergy efficient or to handle the expansion of renewable energy production.

But other parts of the economy will shrink; and they willshrink even more if an increasiung number of people wouldexplore how an „economy of enough“ could positively effecttheir lives.

Growth andProgressHans Diefenbacher also questions if GDP is the best way to measure progress or if it mayeven lead us along the wrong developmentpath.

Prof. Hans Diefenbacherphotograph by Anne Jessen

An Taisce 11

The net effect is very uncertain – green growth on the oneside, on the other side the reduction of production harmful tothe environment and living up to sustainable consumptuionpatterns. A slow decrease of GDP would be the most likely result.But how should a politician „sell“ such a strategy if his successis measured by GDP growth rates?

A political strategy whose purpose would be to increase Wellbeing has to be completely different from a Gross Domestic Product growth strategy.

Where should a NWI growth strategy focus? The Well Beingwill increase if the income distribution develops towards a moreeven distribution,

In Germany, the income situation of the poor had to be improved.Volunteer labour had to be promoted by the enhancement ofits infrastructure. Above all, the reduction of pollution and acutback of the use of natural resources would directly increasethe NWI.

Utopia? For the time being: maybe. But that GDP could lead us in the wrong direction is a disquieting thought that entered not only politics but also thetraditional economics and maybe even the official statistics. It remains to hope that all the commissions and boards currently working on these topics do not need too long beforethey produce results that can be put into practice.

Hans Diefenbacher, born 1954 in Mannheim/Germany, professor (extraordinariate) for economics at the University of Heidelberg, deputy director of the Protestant Institute for Interdisciplinary Research.

A fairy tree (rowan: Sorbus aucuparia), growing on top of a pileof stones in a bog in theBlue Stack Mountains,Co Donegal, as seen inProgramme 5 of Spirit ofTrees TV series (presentedby Dick Warner, producedand directed by EdwardMilner). This and otherexamples of our naturalheritage can be seen inEdward Milner's bookTrees of Britain and Ireland,which is to be publishedby the Natural HistoryMuseum, London in September 2011.

An Taisce members mayavail of 20% discount andfree p&p to the UK andIreland, so readers willpay only £16 per copy.Quote the code NTI/TreesThis offer is only availablefrom our distributor,Bookpoint Ltd. To pre-order the book atthe special price pleasecall 00 44 1235 827702or email: [email protected]

AnTaisce 12

Site Value Tax was included as anaspect of the Four Year Plan brokered with the ECB and the

IMF and it is clear that some form ofproperty tax is necessary to resolve the unsustainable reliance on stamp duty revenues. Of any property tax, SiteValue Tax is the best from a planningperspective; it addresses the perverse incentives embedded in Irish land useand provides a rational and fair basis forplanning and development.

In many ways, the Celtic Crash was exacerbated by the parlous state of propertytaxation. Local authorities depended financially on development as they gainmuch-needed income through development charges and special contributions. This dependence (development levies and commercialrates made up over 30% of some councils’budgets) lead to an powerful and problematic pressure to over-zone.

Incentives are similarly skewed for landownership. Speculators could hold vastswathes of zoned land, waiting for theprice to rise to their liking. Those withland, but without the means or the inclination to develop have no need tosell, meaning that urban sites and properties go unoccupied or underused.

The result of all this? The Irish landscapeis blighted with hundreds of thousandsof excess houses, many in disrepair ordrastically poorly-located. At the sametime, cities have plenty of idle land andunoccupied buildings. Ireland hasenough zoned land to build over a millionnew homes, but attempts to de-zonehave been resisted by councillors and developers. Despite this glut of overzoning,local authorities desperately require newincome sources to maintain and developinfrastructure, with water taxes leadingthe list of proposed new charges.

Poor taxation measures contributed tothe mess, and smarter taxes can help sortit out. Site Value Tax would apply to allzoned land, whether developed or not.While zoning fees and developmentlevies were not connected to service provision, the value of land definitely is.

In many ways, the CelticCrash was exacerbated by

the parlous state of property taxation.

This means that local authorities willwant to develop where the services are,so that existing infrastructure will beused to capacity, and authorities will desire to increase revenue through enhancing services. In this case, SiteValue Tax will offer a clear cost-benefitanalysis for development, as new infrastructure can, if it is well-planned,repay its costs through increased site values.Local authorities will have a powerfultool for planning and development andsuitable rewards for doing it well.

For landowners and developers, the incentives are also improved. If idlezoned land is not likely to turn a profitquickly, the annual charge will push theowner towards dezoning. If the ownercan’t develop, but the land is in demand(in an urban area, for example), they’llhave a strong inclination to put it on themarket. Development will occur where

it is needed, without contributing tofurther urban sprawl.

A buildings-based property tax wouldlack these advantages. Although it couldmake money, it would do little to encourage the more rational use of land.Instead of drawing its revenue from thevalue added to property by wider investment, a buildings-based taxcharges owners for developing their landand improving their buildings. Taxationshould penalise the behaviours we wishto avoid, not those we should encourage.

The existing property taxation regimecontributed to a land market that washighly lucrative for a small number butruinous for the bulk of the country.With SVT in place, land would cease tobe purely a means for private enrichmentbut would be a resource to be used forthe benefit of society at large. With arevenue stream based on enhancing landvalues, local authorities will be freed tofocus on providing services and amenitiesto improve their constituents’ quality oflife. Developers would have access to an

invigorated land market and improvedservices for their developments. SiteValue Tax isn’t a panacea, but it will en-sure that a revitalised land market wouldnot be the foundation of another disastrous bubble. Instead, land could beone aspect of a better Ireland; sustainable, equitable and innovative.

Do we need a property tax?

Dara McHugh is a freelance journalist and the Coordinator of Smart Taxes Network, the research group that develops policy options for financialand taxation measures to improve sustainability.

Poor taxation measures contributed to the mess of excess houses and ghost estates. Smarter taxes canhelp sort it out www.thehelpfulengineer.com

Some taxes are better than others. Site Value Tax does more than raise money. It can also play an important role in incentivising sustainable development. by Dara McHugh

An Taisce 13

Arklow Rock in WicklowAn Taisce appealed the County Council decision to permit the existing quarry to extend into this important coastal landmark.An Bord Pleanala accepted the arguments made by An Taisce and requested amendment of the proposal to protect the summitand surrounding area. The Board’s reasons were stated as "in the interest of visual amenity and recreational amenity in in thisdesignated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to protect the proposed National Heritage Area ..."

Phtograh by Helen Pullen, a Wicklow artist who loves to paint local scenes in watercolour and also produces her own range of cards which can befound in Kilmantin Art Gallery in Bridge Street, Wicklow. See helenpullen.blogspot.com.”

AnTaisce 14

Much as in the recent scandalsin the Catholic Church, thebanks or in politics, the

human tragedy of Irish society’s uncannyability to consistently and wilfully denythe truth until it is too late, was typifiedin the recent comments of the OffalyCounty Coroner, who warned recentlythat suicide was now ‘rampant’ in ruralIreland. The comments echoed those ofthe Clare County Coroner and sepa-rately by the Kerry County Coroner,who also highlighted a worrying trendin the growth in the number of ruralsuicides in both counties. The latestpublished figures for suicide in Irelandproduced by the Central Statistics Officeshow that there were 527 cases, up from424 in 2009.

Why is the trend in rates of suicideamongst the elderly rising?

Pointing to newly released figures fromSouth Kerry, Terence Casey, the KerryCounty Coroner, was particularly concerned of the rising trend in suicidesin elderly people.

Most of the suicidesrecorded in 2009 were inrural parts of the country

In the past five years older age groupsmade up the highest numbers of suicides.In 2009, four of the 13 suicides wereaged 60 and over; three in the 40-50 agegroup and two aged over 30. Provisionalfigures for 2010 showed eight verdicts ofsuicide were returned. Three of the deadwere people aged 50 to 60. Mr Caseysaid it was critically important that societyasked why the trend was changing. Most of the recorded suicides were in

isolated rural parts of the county wheremeeting places like the local pub and thecreamery no longer existed and the mailwas left at collection points rather than thepost office. Loneliness and isolation seemsto be at the heart of the problem.“There is a gap in social life in rural Ireland.We have to question the suicide trend inthe older age groups” Mr Casey said. Of course it is easy to call for people toquestion, but will anyone respond? Historic evidence suggests not. Irish society is extremely adept at avoidingsuch issues which are briskly brushedunder the carpet to ensure the status quois maintained until a report in twenty orthirty years hence finds that in hindsightsociety should perhaps have been morequestioning.

Some, including organisations such asAn Taisce, have in the past attempted toanswer questions and draw the link,

Isolation in rural IrelandAre we storing up trouble for the future? by Gavin Daly

www.macmonagle.com

An Taisce 15

Gavin Daly is a Chartered Town Planner and former Special Advisor to the Government on Planning & Climate Change. He is currently managing'This Place Matters' community capacity building project for An Taisce to encourage greater community participation in the planning process..

quite logically, between isolated one-offhousing and social isolation.

In the context of an aging population ithas been suggested that the current laissez-faire approach to isolated one-offhousing is storing up major social costsfor the future. Regardless of your pre-programmed view on this matter, atleast they are asking questions.Yet the slightest attempt to challengesuch a sacred cow of Irish rural life ispromptly denounced with cries of Elitism!Big-Brotherism! Despotism! Fascism!and the like. Ironically this sentiment isno more keenly felt than in the SouthKerry region, the home of the Healy-Raedynasty, who have been vocal opponentsof those who dare to question the wisdom of unfettered rights of local people to build on their own familyland. Like many rural regions, one-offrural housing has long been a key sourceof political capital in South Kerry. The political value of this fiercelyguarded right-to-build is self-evident.Securing planning permission essentiallyamounts to a massive windfall gain forthe fortunate landowner while the inflated costs – in infrastructure and service provision – are transferred toeveryone else. For a politician at local ornational level, this rich source of localpolitical capital fits neatly with shortelection cycles, wider conservatism andthe large land owning class in Ireland.Since 2001, 170,000 planning permissionshave been granted planning permissionin Ireland. One-off houses are definedby the CSO as detached houses in ruralareas with an individual septic tank orother individual sewerage treatment system.While many rural politicians rebuff theCSO statistics on the basis that theymay include individual houses built inurban areas, the empirical evidenceavailable to all but the most biased observer would indicate that we are continuing to build a significant proportion of our housing stock in isolated and sparsely populated ruralareas. For many, halting population lossand ensuring the continuance and regeneration of rural communities hasalways been the overriding imperativeand justifies all new development inrural areas.

This understandable rationale has become even more acute with the returnof emigration and mass unemploymentwhich has disproportionately affectedrural areas.But at what cost? The National Councilon Aging and Older People has estimatedthat by 2021 the number of males agedover 65 will have increased by over 70%.The corresponding figure for females isover 50%.

The current laissez-faire approach to

isolated one-off housing isstoring up major social costs

for the future

The counties with the highest projectedincreases are predominantly in the westernhalf of the country – the region wherethe proliferation of existing and new isolated rural dwellings is at its greatest.It is clear therefore that more and moreolder people will be living in isolatedrural areas. The customary repost fromrural politicians is to call for greater investment in rural social services,expand rural public transport and maintain rural postal services.But who pays? These services are notoriously expensive to provide andhave always been on the edge in terms ofviability. In an age of fiscal austerity

maintaining investment in such services,which are a lifeline for many rural communities, will be increasingly difficultif not impossible. But the public exchequer and social costs are not theonly concern. A recent report bythe Vincentian Partnership for SocialJusticefound that a large number ofrural-dwellers cannot afford a minimumessential standard of living if they are onsocial welfare or the minimum wage.The report found that rural householdsneed between !70 and !109 more thantheir urban counterparts, depending onthe type of family, to reach an essentialminimum standard of living.The report found that when housingcosts were excluded, the two biggest factors adding to costs of living in ruralareas were transport and food. The inflated transport costs were duethe necessity of many rural householdsto have two cars making them highlysusceptible to rising oil prices. With energy prices anticipated to inflatesignificantly over the coming decades, itis clear that the collective blind spot ofthe body politic to the long-term issuesassociated with one-off housing willmean that rural families will be forced toface many additional challenges evenlong before they reach old age. However, a steadily fed diet of exaggerated self pity and paranoia about‘them up in Dublin’ will mean that theymay never stop to question.

The setting is idyllic and the new houses for sale. Will new occupiers think of the future or betempted by the beauty of the location?

AnTaisce 16

Since its foundation in 1948,An Taisce has promoted outdoor

recreation which remains a coreconcern of National Trusts across theworld. In his 1948 Radio Eireann addressAn Taisce founder Robert Lloyd Praegerreferred to ‘the provision of open spaceslarge and small for the health and enjoyment of the people’. The earlycampaign work of An Taisce focused onthe protection of Bray and Howth Heads,the Wicklow Uplands and the Killarne area.

An Taisce can play a lead role, both athome and abroad in the promotion oftourism and outdoor recreation. The imagery used by Failte Ireland in itscurrent campaigns is based on the qualityof landscapes and attractive towns andvillages.

The focus of An Taisce’s involvement in planning during the boom years wasto protect this legacy, for which we wereoften attacked by vested developmentinterests.

Outdoor recreation is a key part ofhealth and well being in a society wheresedentary suburbanised lifestyles prevail.It brings understanding of the wealth ofthe natural world, the changes in seasonand our and dependence on a healthyenvironment and stable climate.

Future tourist developmentand visitor promotionmust now focus on climateand resource protection.

The high level of energy consumed byaviation, cruise liners and recreationaltravel is no longer tenable.

In his 1948 Radio Eireannaddress An Taisce founder

Robert Lloyd Praeger referred to ‘the provision ofopen spaces large and small

for the health and enjoyment of the people’

In common with environmental NGO’sacross the world An Taisce has taken astrong stand against air travel growth.We opposed both the Dublin Airportnorthern runway and Terminal 2 projects.An Taisce has also made legal complainton the EU approved subsidy of 6 regional Irish airports including Knockand Sligo for flights to Dublin, somethingwhich has been partially addressed incuts to date.

The proposal to extend Sligo airport toaccommodate longer distance jets bypushing the runway out to the sea, wasknocked out by a legal challenge, andhopefully will not now proceed.

The climate pollution emissions from asingle transatlantic flight are greater on aper capita basis than the yearly impact ofa native of sub Saharan Africa. The Kyoto Protocol failed to address oreven quantify shipping and aviationemissions nor is there any political willto confront this in future agreements.The emissions from a longer cruise linertrip are as problematic as a plane trip andare usually linked to air travel to andfrom the cruise start and return port.

Health or HeatOutdoor recreation is a key part of health and well being in a society, and tourism hasa role to play in our economy - but can we continue to rely on air travel?by Ian Lumley. An Taisce’s Heritage Officer

An Taisce 17

Can we market walkingtrips as eco-tourism if itdepends on travellers whoare multi-annual flyers?

The widespread marketing of everythingfrom African safaris to Irish walkingtrips as ‘eco tourism’ is a paradox if it isdependant on long distance aviation, orif it is targeting travellers who are multiannual flyers.

A concern for emissions is not the onlyreason to reverse Ireland’s current touristdependence on aviation. The future costof fossil fuel is unpredictable and therange of subsidies for aviation includingfuel tax evasion, are no longer tenable.The 2010 Icelandic volcano eruptionalso showed the vulnerability of jet aviationto natural events. For a range of reasonsthere is a particular urgency for Irelandto develop a more carbon and time efficientlink between Ireland and the UK.

This requires the development of newlow emission cross channel ferries toBritain and the continent and the continuation of the electrification of theLondon to Holyhead line from Crewethrough Wales. This should be a national transport priority with supportsought from the UK Government.

Over the last decadetourism in Ireland hasbeen fuelled by buildingtax relief rather than anyreal strategy.

Schemes for the upper and middleShannon counties and seaside holidayresorts were accompanied by poor planning control and a uncritical localattitude to development.

An Taisce took a major role in successfullyappealing some of the most inappropriately located developmentsnotably around Lough Allen and theShannon to An Bord Pleanala.

There is an urgency to develop a more carbon andtime efficient link between

Ireland and the UK.All too often An Taisce is portrayed inpolitical or media comment in negativeterms but the vision is simply to protectthe natural and culteral environmentthat has served the country so well.

The tax relief given to hotel developmentwas a contributing part to the unsustainable

Irish construction boom and propertycollapse. The Irish Hotels Federation commissioned a report establishing thatthe country now has a surplus of hotelbedroom capacity of 15,000 spreadwidely across the country. Many of theseare in poorly designed 4 or 5 storeyblocks located on surface car parks nearroad interchanges outside urban areasand have undermined the viability oftraditional town centre hotels.

Golf courses and casinosare popular projects for development.

The tax schemes also fuelled the development of golf resorts which damagethe character of major country house estates. In the last few years An BordPleanala has shown a more progressive attitude towards the protection historiclandscapes such as in its overturn of thescheme for Palmerstown demesne,County Kildare. Most recently An BordPleanala refused permission for a largescale hotel north of Omeath in CountyLouth on the basis of its adverse landscape impact on a wide area of Carlingford Lough and views fromCounty Down.

AnTaisce 18

The most controversial proposal of thelast year has been the ‘Tipperary Venue’for a Las Vegas type casino, a full scalereplica of the White House, 15,000 seatingcapacity event venue and a new racecourse which would lead to the closureof 3 existing venues in Munster.

The scheme could not possibly be amore inappropriate model for tourismin Ireland. An Taisce was the leadingappellant against the scheme, arguingthat tourism and recreational develop-ment should focus on the existing naturaland cultural endowment. A decisionfrom An Bord Pleanala is awaited.

Another problematic proposal alsolinked to a likely casino application isfor a Dubai type indoor ski slope besideDundalk Racecourse. This application isstill with Louth County Council.

The challenge for the future is to better promoteIreland for tourism andoutdoor recreation bothwithin the country and toour nearest neighbours.

A proposal for a national cycle networkhave now been put forward by the National Roads Authority and needs tobe given priority over further over scaledroad investment. A good example hasbeen set by the cycling/walking routecreated on the abandoned Achill railway

line between Newport and Mulranny inCounty Mayo, which is now being

extended. The leadership for rural recreational tourism is best achieved byfostering local co-operative and community initiatives, such as the examplelead in the Ballyhoura Hills area inCounty Limerick.

A proposal for a nationalcycle network has now

been put forward by the National Roads Authority

and needs to be given priority over further overscaled road investment.

Future tourism development will bedetrimental unless a progressive reduction in current levels of transportgreenhouse gases are achieved. This means less short trips particularlycity breaks, more longer trips, morehome tourism and more travel betweencountries nearer each other than further.

There are many areas of economic development and resource consumptionthat have to be curtailed if we are tomaintain a living planet. Outdoor recreation tourism based onlow fossil fuel consumption and emis-sions in both travel and accommodationdoes is one of the areas where growth isdesirable.

Walking, trekking, cycling and canoeing and other outdoor activities for differentages and abilities can be managed withlow environmental impacts and achievemultiple benefits in health, well being,environmental protection and mainte-nance of local economies. An Taisce canplay a positive role in promoting this.

The Tipperary Venue with race coursecasino, and concert venue is based on theconcept of encouraging what one of the promoters called ‘high flying’ visitors fromacross the globe. The site is deliberately carbased, located off the M8, in the middle ofCounty Tipperary with over 8,000 parkingspaces. An extensive facility for helicopters isalso provided.

Dundalk race course casino and ski slope. Despite an appeal by An Taisce An Bord Pleanalahas recently permitted this development. Apart from the specific issue of site impact and sitesuitability An Taisce do not consider that this proposal is strategically appropriate or sustain-able. The material resource consumption and level of greenhouse gas emissions generated bytransport to the venue indicate that the proposal is based on a failed international developmentmodel which does not address the needs of the next generation. The current period of develop-ment slowdown provides an opportunity ensure that planning and investment priorities in Ire-land for the future are appropriately directed.

An Taisce 19

The Economic Importance of Ireland’s Natural Heritage.What are the facts?The Annual Visitor Attraction List

The visitor attraction figures compiled by Fáilte Ireland for 2009 list Muckross House (95,773), Glendalough Visitor Centre(80,336) and Glenveagh Castle (50,871) among the important visitor attractions nationally.

Presumably, these figures are solely based on ticket sales at these locations within each National Park. The Annual Visitor Attraction list also include non fee paying attractions and the much larger visitor numbers to these National Parks are not listed,Hopefully the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be able to draw attention to the National Park Network, by name in the2010 list and highlight that the overall National Park figures, even if just estimates, which are at least 200,000 visitors morethan presented in the 2009 list. Indeed it would be helpful if the visitor figures from the other National Parks were added to the2010 list as well. it is likely that Killarney National Park and Wicklow National Park visitor numbers might be among the topten free attractions list in Ireland!

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Facts

Hiking and Cross Country Walking is the commonest activity noted amongst holidaymakers (830,000) and was over four timesmore important than the next commonest activity listed, Golfing (143,000). Indeed amongst oversees holidaymakers it was almost five times more important than the second commonest activity.

The importance of beautiful scenery, natural unspoilt environment and a good range of natural attractions are shown as three ofthe 8 most important issues for visitors. Thes results underpin the importance of the role of the National Parks and WildlifeService in both their National Park and general habitat management.

23% of domestic holiday makers visited National Parks – and that this was the third commonest activity amongst domestic holidaymakers.

Executive summary of the MillwardBrown Landsdowne survey for Fáilte Ireland.

The findings in this document have a slightly different emphasis but it again emphasises the importance of beautiful scenery,natural unspoilt environment and good range of natural attractions The importance of Nature, Wildlife and Flora are shown as having a particular resonance with German and French visitors.[German and French visitors are the 3rd and 4th commonest nationalities coming to Ireland (after British and USA citizens), totalling 798,000 visitors in 2009

An Bord Bia’s Performance and Prospects Report 2010-2011

An Bord Bia published the overall Agri-Food sector sales figures for 2010 in January 2011. The increase in the level of Agri-Food exports in 2010 was a significant positive economic news story, in light of current circumstances, and deservedly garnered widespread positive media coverage.

The only reference to its branding and marketing in the entire 40 page document states:

“Brand propositions and sets of values have been developed for consumer and trade testing in sixinternational markets. These propositions occupy different and distinctive territories, linked with theessence of Ireland’s reputation, and are credible tosupport a “we are natural and we can prove it” brand promise.”

Summary

It would seem reasonable to state that the two key drivers of any potential economic rural recovery use Ireland’s ‘Natural Image’as a key selling point. Crucially, it was the Agri-Food and Tourism sectors themselves that have identified this Natural Image ofIreland, among potential markets, as vital. Rural communities deserve and expect to maintain and enhance both their incomesand local job opportunities. Senior managers in Rural Development have previously outlined the distrust between the Agriculture and Environment pillars, both in Ireland and across Europe.

This new understanding of the importance of Ireland’s Natural Image abroad, may present an opportunity to establish better communications and synergies between the Tourism, Agri-Food and Environmental sectors, in order to advance mutually beneficial practices. Linking these vital rural economic drivers with our landscape and nature may allow the wider rural communities to find agreed solutions and shared benefits.

Lorcán O Toole / Golden Eagle Trust / www.goldeneagle.ie

Golden Eagle Trust

AnTaisce 20

Over the last three years the Environmental Education Unithas been developing the idea of

a “Green Community” in a number ofnew programmes.

Green Communities

The Green Communities Programme isfunded by a grant from the EuropeanRegional Development Fund Interreg4A Ireland Wales Programme and is operated jointly by the An Taisce Environmental Education Unit in Irelandand Keep Wales Tidy in Wales. Previously, the Education Unit hasworked very successfully with KeepWales Tidy on the initiation and development of the Clean Coasts Programme through Interreg funding.The Interreg funding of the GreenCommunities Programme will end inSeptember 2011. However, it is envisagedthat due to the success of the programmefurther funding can be secured to continue and develop the programme. The initial development of the programmewas based on the fact that many community and voluntary groups wereactually, through no fault of their own,undertaking environmental enhancementactivities that were high impact on bothbiodiversity and climate change. This was mainly due to the counter-intuitive nature of these subjects and alack of appropriate knowledge.

The aim of the programmeis to work with community

groups to enhance local biodiversity whilst

minimising the carbon footprint of group activities

Typical examples would include overuseof herbicides and pesticides, over-management (cutting) of green areas, selection of non-native plants for enhancement projects, using potable

mains water for watering of plants instead of collecting rainwater and notmaking full use of information & communication technology to minimisewaste and improve communication forthe group. The primary aim of the programme is to work with volunteercommunity groups in Ireland and Walesto actively enhance local biodiversitywhile also minimising the carbonfootprint of group activities. This is undertaken by training, facilitation, bestpractice exchange and small scale funding.Green-Communities could be probablybettered described as Green CommunityGroups. Currently there are 85 groups

Greening &GreenCommunities in Ireland:starting to join up the dots

The Environmental EducationUnit of An Taisce has been involved in environmental education and management programmes since the 1990’s.These include internationaland national programmes suchas the Blue Flag, Green-Schools,National Spring Clean, Green Home, Clean Coastsand Green Campus. When these programmes andothers such as Tidy Towns arecombined at a community levelit gives the initial foundationof a “Green Community”.

by Michael John O’Mahoney

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO PATRICIA OLIVERPatricia Oliver receiving a mirror set in bog oak from members of the Donegal Association of An Taisce “In recognition of her achievement in founding the Education Unit of An Taisce and in particular for bringing the Green Schools programme to Ireland.” Pictured are from left: Patricia Oliver, Eithne Diver, Niall Foley, May McClintock, Una Cronin,Mary Gallanagh-McBride, P.J.Corry and Mary Monaghan.

An Taisce 21

working on the programme in SE Ireland.These include Tidy Towns Groups, Residents Associations, Youth Groups,Sports Groups, Local DevelopmentGroups, Community Gardens, Allotments,Community Councils, AddictionGroups, Lone Parent Groups and AsylumSeekers Groups. These are undertakingactions such as dealing with invasivespecies, biodiversity enhancement, training, community gardening andCoastcare. Overall one of the largestareas of interest for Green-CommunitiesGroups is the area of community gardening and allotments.

Greening Communities

A national conference ‘Greening IrishCommunities’ was held on the 27thApril 2009 at Farmleigh, Dublin. The conference was co-hosted by theEnvironmental Protection Agency, theDepartment of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and AnTaisce. This conference provided a valuableplatform to showcase some existing initiatives that could form the foundationfor a Green Communities Programme inIreland. After this conference the Environmental Education Unit of AnTaisce was funded by the EPA to co-ordinate and develop a GreeningCommunities Programme. In October2010 a co-ordinator was appointed toundertake this role.

In essence the Irish Greening Communities programme aims to betwo fold; firstly enhance coordinationand collaboration between the public,private, non-governmental and voluntarysector organisations in the area of environmental sustainability in Ireland; and secondly provide support and helpto empower individuals, communities,businesses and institutions to adoptmore environmentally sustainable habitsand behaviours, in the most economicallyefficient manner possible. In short a synchronous top-down, bottom-up costeffective approach.

The Greening Communitiesprogramme aims to

enhance coordination between the public, private,

and voluntary sector and to empower individuals,

communities, businessesand institutions to adoptmore environmentally

sustainable habits The programme will also form an overarching environmental managementand accreditation framework for applicableexisting and future environmental and

community programmes and structuresin Ireland. The accreditation will providea structure and framework for the programme to be implemented. It would also provide a valuable baselinefor Local Authorities and communitygroups to develop the programme.Since the appointment of the co-ordinatorthe baseline mapping and evaluation ofall applicable projects has taken placeand the certification and accreditationprocess is well on the way to being developed. The programme will also undertake a number of pilots to demonstrate how to green a community. The pilots are (1) Wexford Opera Festival– looking at ways to green such an eventand engage the wider community in theprocess (2) Docklands, Dublin – lookingat ways to green a large scale businessadministration hub (3) Frenchpark, Co.Roscommon – getting best practice andlessons learnt from an already greencommunity (4) Communo-Gardening inCo. Wicklow – developing a model forbetter systems of community gardening.Overall the Green-Communities programme will form a large componentof the overall Greening CommunitiesProgramme. The baseline mapping hasindicated that Education Unit Programmes such as National SpringClean, Green-Schools and Coastcareprovide a very strong and fundamentalframework to a Green Community.

Pictured at the Green Communities website (www.greencommunitiesproject.org) launch at South Circular Road Community Garden; L-R Deirdre McGovern (Green Communities Officer, An Taisce), Seoidín O'Sullivan (South Circular Road Community Garden), Trevor SargentTD, William Brennan (South Circular Road Community Garden), Emlyn Cullen (Green Communities Officer, An Taisce).

AnTaisce 22

The government has establishedan independent non-statutoryPeatlands Council “to respond to

commitments set out in the Programmefor Government and to assist Ireland inresponding in a strategic way to the requirements of the EU Habitat’s Directivewhich requires Ireland to protect andconserve important peatland habitats”.Ian Lumley of An Taisce has beenelected as the representative of the IrishEnvironmental Network to this council.

Habitats we must protect

The Habitats Directive sets out howeach member state selects and safeguardhabitats and species to ensure the long

term survival of Europe’s most valuableand threatened species and habitats.

A legal warning letter was issued to Ireland

earlier this year.

Since it came in to being in 1992 the implementation of the Habitats Directivehas been hugely problematic in Ireland.The obligation to implement democraticallyagreed European Law has been hampered by conflict and a high degreeof politicisation, exacerbated by poorcommunications, widespread misunderstanding and misrepresentation

of the facts surrounding many conservation issues and opposition frominfluential sectors of the electorate.

Ireland’s response to international criticism

Ireland’s response during almost 20 yearsof the Habitats Directive has been characterised by delayed implementation;resistance from various authorities to setup proper procedures to protect speciesand habitats that are listed in the annexes of the Directive; and emaciationof nature conservation authorities of theresources needed to address the issuesface on. As a result, Ireland ranks last ofthe EU 15 for State of progress by

Why do we care so much about the bogs? by Anja Murray. An Taisce’s Natiral Heritage Officer

The obligation to implement democratically agreed European Law has been hampered by conflict and a high degree of politicisation, exacerbated bypoor communications, widespread misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the facts surrounding many conservation issues and opposition from influential sectors of the electorate.

An Taisce 23

Member States in reaching sufficiencyfor implementation of the Habitat Directive. There are 35 cases currentlyopen against Ireland for failure to transposeor implement EU environmental law,including numerous cases for our failureto protect species and habitats underboth the Birds and Habitats Directives.

Another chapter in thislong running saga is thesetting up of this ‘Peatlands Council’

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and theGaeltacht, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, T.D.,who now has charge of the NationalParks and Wildlife Service (NPWS hasbeen moved from its former home in theDepartment of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government), recognises the need for Government “tobring an effective end to turf-cutting on31 raised bog SACs from 2010”. Concurrent with this is the initiation offurther legal proceedings from the EuropeanCommission, with a legal warning letterissued to Ireland earlier this year.

So why do we care somuch?

Previous editions of this magazine havehighlighted the various ecosystem valuesof bogs. Irish Bogs are a huge long termstore of carbon and play an importantrole in combating climate change by actively removing carbon from the atmosphere (irish bogs sequester 57,402tonnes of carbon per year). When damaged, for example by turfcutting, this role is reversed and bogs release greenhouse gasses, contributingto climate change. Domestic peat extraction, turf cutting, is one of thegreatest threats to protected peat bogs. Because of the very nutrient poor statusof waterlogged peat, raised bogs containwonderful flora and fauna that have hadto adapt to the extreme conditions tosurvive there. Many are found nowhereelse. Sundew, for example, has sticky littletentacles that catch little insects whichthe plant then eats by secreting an enzymeto digest the insect. Three differenttypes of sundew live among the brightly

coloured Sphagnum mosses that typifybogs. Bog rosemary, cranberries, bogmyrtle and bog cotton, all characteristic

of raised bogs, also have amazing adaptivestrategies. It is the remarkable characteristics of bog ecosystems and therate of their loss throughout Europefrom over exploitation that gives rise totheir inclusion in Annexes of the Habitats Directive.

What’s the situation today

Raised bogs are a priority habitat, requiring particular protection becausetheir global distribution largely fallswithin the EU and they are in danger ofdisappearance. Intact active raised bogis extremely rare in Ireland having decreased in area by over 35% in the last10 years. Their conservation status inIreland is officially ‘bad’. There are 55raised Bog SACs in Ireland and 75raised bog NHAs which are among thebest examples of the tiny portion ofraised bog habitats left in Europe.

Peat bogs and flood attenuation

Recent research commissioned byAn Taisce about the role of varioustypes of wetlands in flood attenuation points to the vegetationcover on peat bogs affecting the extent to which peat bogs potentially attenuate flooding byslowing down overland water flowfrom hillslope into channels. Drain blocking has also been foundto reduce the flood peak of sometypes of flood event. However thisis a complex process with many variables affecting the extent towhich bogs do or no not contributeto flood attenuation thus considerationof the role of bogs and other wetlands in flood attenuation requires careful consideration.

‘The Use of Wetlands for Flood Attenuation’ DRAFT Report, February, 2011 produced by Aquatic Services Unit, UCC for An Taisce

Because of the very nutrient poor status of waterlogged peat, raised bogs contain wonderful floraand fauna that have had to adapt to the extreme conditions to survive there. Many are foundnowhere else. Three different types of sundew live among the brightly coloured Sphagnum mossesthat typify bogs.

© Margaret Oomen ~ resurrectionfern.typepad.com

AnTaisce 24

The major cause of the loss and degradationof this priority habitat type is domestic peatcutting. Continued turf cutting is notcompatible with the conservation ofthese sites.

Hand and mechanised turfcutting

Successive governments have postponedaction on ceasing turf cutting on protected bogs despite turf cutting beingdirectly contrary to legal and ethical obligations to protect the remainder ofthis habitat type. Unofficial ‘derogations’ were permittedby successive governments to allow continued turf cutting and in 2010 thegovernment was to bring an effectiveend to turf cutting on 31 of the raised bogSACs and on a further 24 SACs fromthe end of 2011. Again turf cutting hascontinued throughout this time. The decline in hand cutting of turf overthe last few decades has been offset by anincrease in mechanised turf cutting.Mechanised cutting involves intensificationof drainage of both the cutover bog andthe high bog and is considerably moredestructive of the protective bog habitat.

Very little hand cutting continues any more.As contactors are used to carry out themechanised cutting it is difficult to distinguish this practice from outright commercial (as opposed to domestic) exploitation.

A voluntary purchase scheme was put inplace in 1999 until January 2004, and thena second scheme was put in place in 2004offering !3,500 per acre for the first acreof raised bog and !3000 per acre thereafterfor purchase of freehold, or purchase ofturbary rights only at a rate of 85% of this.

Alternative options include acomprehensive programme

to insulate the affectedhomes and comprehensivesupport to manage woodlots for ongoing supply

of alternative carbon neutral fuel

Many of the plots being purchased underthis latter scheme were not being activelycut, while cutting and associated habitat

damage continued even in the most sensitive areas of designated bogs. Another commitment was made by government to allow continued cuttingon their plots for ‘up to ten years’ (i.e.2013). Alternative options put forwardby An Taisce in 2009 include that in addition to the basic compensationpackage a comprehensive programme ofhigh quality insulation of the affectedhomes be undertaken in addition to comprehensive support for the establishmentof sustainably managed wood lots forongoing supply of alternative carbonneutral fuel. A range of options to ceaseturf cutting have been examined by government, and the scientific advice isthat “immediate cessation of turf cuttingon all SAC’s and NHAs is recommendedas the most appropriate from a natureconservation perspective. The phasingout approach…will involve further lossesof priority habitat in the medium termand a permanent significant decrease ofthe potential to restore such habitats”.The report goes on to state that “althoughthis option will result in the highestshort-term economic cost, all the otheroptions have similar or larger economiccosts in the medium term”.

It is the remarkable characteristics of bog ecosystems and the rate of their loss throughout Europe from over exploitation that gives rise to their inclusionin Annexes of the Habitats Directive.

An Taisce 25

The Bog Bodies exhibition currently on show in the National Museum in Kildare

Street reawakens us to the vast wealth ofarchaeological material that lies in ourwetland environments. The level ofpreservation afforded by these environments is wonderfully illustratedin the facial expressions, hairstyles andeven fingernails of Old Croghan andClonycavan Man. Ranking in importancewith these two recent discoveries was thePsalter also found in a bog and currentlyundergoing the preservation process.Major discoveries from our wetlands isnothing new. The 19th and early 20thcenturies provided a steady stream of archaeological finds from the bogs.These ranged from votive offerings toobjects casually lost.

In 2007 Aidan O’Sullivan of the De-partment of Archaeology in UCD published ‘Exploring past people’s interactions with wetland environmentsin Ireland’ in the Journal of the RoyalIrish Academy (Vol. 107c, pp. 147-203).In this comprehensive study many observations of concern to us weremade. As he noted: ‘People have engagedwith Ireland’s wetland environmentssince the earliest times, leaving a unique,fragile and valuable archaeological andenvironmental legacy’.

Many people are probably unaware ofthe range of discoveries that have beenmade in our wetlands. These range indiversity from perfectly preservedwooden carriageways to Early Historicperiod crannógs , slabs of ‘bog butter’,fish traps, basketry, and a wide range oftools and weapons. As O’Sullivan puts it:‘Archaeological sites in wet environmentsin Ireland and elsewhere are also empirically valuable and arguably moreinformative than other archaeologicalsites due to the much wider range of

evidence that they produce’. The crucialdifference between ‘dryland’ archaeologicalsites and their wetland counterparts is inthe range of additional aspects of lifethat they can produce. Thus there is thepotential for clothing, footwear, and allthe wooden and leather goods that wouldnever survive under ‘dry’ conditions.

Then, of course, there is the bigger picture, the landscape and conditionsunder which people lived. To quote O’Sullivan: ‘Environmental archaeologicalinvestigations can enable reconstructionof past ecological habitats and economicpractices; an understanding of pastwoodland histories, species selection andwoodland management; the faunal evidence for past mammal, bird, fishand insect life and an investigation ofpast people’s cultural and economicchoices and use of plant resources’.

Beyond percentages, bogs and wetlandsare so much a part of Ireland, both interms of identity and perception. Theirloss would go a lot deeper than the meredisappearance of an element of the Irishlandscape. At some point in time inpost-Medieval Ireland the hunger forland overcame the quasi-religious andmystical associations that the people ofthis island had attached to the bogs and

wetlands since their arrival here thousandsof years ago. It is only when one pausesand considers for a few moments thesheer amount and scale of the damage thathas been caused to these environmentsby draining, ditching, reclamation, machine-cutting and conifer planting. It has been nothing short of disastrous.And this trajectory is sadly to continue.Again, in the words of O’Sullivan: ‘Undoubtedly, these transformationscontinue. The large-scale industrial exploitation of boglands will undoubtedlyreveal more and ultimately destroy allthe types of archaeological and environmental information. Industrial,pipeline, infrastructural and housing developments will continue to impingeon buried wetland sites. Climate changemay desiccate wetlands or cause floodconditions that will erode them. Sea-level rise will cause the scouring ofthe mudflats and salt-marshes of estuaries

and erode archaeology, or threaten thehidden deposits in alluvial wetlands.’

Having read this paper by Aidan O’Sullivan the reader will appreciatethat never before has there been such anurgent need to ensure the protection ofthese rapidly disappearing cultural assetsof the Nation.

Wetland Environmentsand the PastBogs and wetlands are so much a part of Ireland, both in terms of identity and perception.Their loss would go a lot deeper than the mere disappearance of an element of theIrish landscape. by Dr. Mark Clinton Chairman of An Taisce’s National Monuments and Antiquities Committee

The level of preservationafforded by these environments is wonderfully illustrated in the facial expressions, hairstyles andeven fingernails of Old Croghan and Clonycavan Man.

AnTaisce 26

The ‘classic’ English and Irish countryhouses of the 18th century have long beensynonymous with Jane Austen’s books, period films and romance, a far cry fromthe often harsh realities facing these statelyproperties in the 21st century.

The golden age of the countrymansion is long gone. Our current economic climate, as

well as high inheritance taxes, expensiverepairs and upkeep costs prove a challenge to owners. The estates of thesemansions, now often much smaller thanin their heyday, can no longer supportthe houses and house owners have beenlooking at new and inventive ways tosupport their properties.

Music and musical entertainments in 18th

century Irish country houseshas remained a constantthroughout the centuries

Houses are open to the public for tours,some are converted into schools and hotels,while others have now been restored andopened to the public by the Office ofPublic Works, and by other trust funds.However, it is interesting to note thatmusic and musical entertainments inthese houses has remained a constantthroughout the centuries.

In 1984 the drawing room in Slane Castlewas used as a recording studio by U2 torecord The Unforgettable Fire and thevideo for Pride was filmed in the ballroom.Such modern musical uses for the reception rooms of the 18th centurycountry house are not unique.

The great hall in Beaulieu House hasalso been used as a recording venue andis regularly used as a concert venue. The Music in Great Irish Houses seriesis one of the more popular events whichtakes place annually in a number ofthese great Irish homes. The acoustics ofthese spaces, whether accidental or premeditated, are still valued by musiciansand audiences alike. Music has returnedto the country house.

The Music Room Reflections researchproject in the School of ArchitectureUCD is currently investigating the architecture and social context of music

rooms in 18th century Irish countryhouses and analysing the acoustics in fiveof these music rooms. By using theserooms as investigative tools, the projectwill analyse the effect of architecturalforms and decorations on room acoustics.

The architect’s inputTo what extent did the architects themselves deliberately seek particularacoustic effects in the rooms they designed? Did they know about the scientific principles of acoustics fromtreatises or from practical experience?These are questions which the projectwill address in an effort to understand18th century music room design principles.The project will also question the degreeof active involvement of architects in theconfiguration of spaces for musical performance: were the rooms specificallydesigned for music or perhaps naturallyoccurring acoustics were exploited bythe room users?

Isaac Ware in his 1756 treatise on architecture suggested that ceilings inmusic rooms should not be highly decorated or ornamented as the plasterdetails captured the sound and distorted it.

“...sounds should be echoed back, not swallowed up in the surface of a ceiling; andthat a plain superficies would return thesound, while one thus enriched absorbed it.”

Music room ReflectionsCan Irish country houses survive the current economic climate?by Áine Nic an Ríogh

Áine Nic an Ríogh and Catherine McHale at initial acoustic testing Castletown House, Co. Kildare. By Dr. John Olley with kind permission from OPW.

Beaulieu House, Drogheda, Co. Louth. There is to be a concert here on 26th August.Contact Aine on [email protected]

An Taisce 27

Concerts in country housestodayThe public’s awareness of architectureand acoustics in Irish country houseswill be developed through a series ofconcerts in some of the country’s finestGeorgian country houses. An audiencewill be invited into each of the selectedhouses, and encouraged to interact andengage with the performances, and withthe architecture of each venue. This is acollaboration of classical and traditionalmusic, and architecture.

The public’s awareness ofarchitecture and acoustics inIrish country houses will bedeveloped through a seriesof concerts in some of thecountry’s finest Georgian

country houses.

Through these concerts the acousticswill be tested and an acoustic characterisation of the spaces will be carried out. These concerts and the investigative test results will create moreawareness of sound and acoustic manipulation of spaces among the architectural and academic community.

To date three concerts have been held,in Castletown House, Celbridge, Co.Kildare (17th October 2010), in HeadfortHouse, Kells, Co. Meath (9th October2010) and more recently in Birr Castle(19th June 2011). An architectural surveyof these spaces is complete. Acousticcharacterisation of Castletown has beencompleted in conjunction with TrinityCollege Dublin engineers. These concertswere highly successful. Desmond Earley,Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, the Nic anRíogh Quartet and Eoin Dillon and hisband The Third Twin performed atCastletown House and Headfort House.The concert in Birr Castle, held as afundraiser for An Taisce, was a wonderful event. The evening openedwith a short introductory lecture by Dr. John Olley, UCD on the history of

music in country houses followed by traditional Irish music including authentic18th century tunes performed by EoinDillon (Kíla’s uillean piper), Des Cahalan(guitar), Steve Larkin and Daire Bracken(fiddles), the Martello Trio performedBeethoven’s Archduke Piano Trio andthe concert concluded with a cello andpiano duet by Edward Holly (piano)and Margaret Doris (cello). Each of theperformers was recorded directly and anumber of microphones recorded theambiance sound in the room. These recordings will now be used toanalyse the acoustics in the room.

The project’s investigative work willcontinue with a further concert thissummer 7pm Friday 26th August 2011at Beaulieu House, Drogheda, Co.Louth, with performances fromDesmond Earley (harpsichord), EoinDillon (uillean pipes) and the ThirdTwin and award winning choir theTreadagh Singers.

More information on the project andconcerts available from www.musicroomreflections.com [email protected]

Desmond Cahalan, Eoin Dillon, Steve Larkin,Daire Bracken prepare for concert at HeadfortHouse, Co. Meath. By Dr. John Olley withkind permission from the Headmaster and governors of Headfort School

Salon Birr Castle. Venue for concert and testing on June 19th. By Áine Nic an Ríogh with kindpermission from Lord Rosse

Binaural Head microphone at CastletownHouse, Co. Kildare. By Dr. John Olley withkind permission from OPW.

Áine Nic an Ríogh received a scholarship tostudy Architecture at

University College Dublin where she is now researching acoustics and architecture in

Irish country houses. She enjoys music, architecture and writing.

Áine is an accomplished violinist and pianist.

AnTaisce 28

In the last few years, there was beensomething of a deluge of books ofan apocalyptic nature, warning of

impending catastrophes for humanity asfossil fuel supplies dry up, the global(credit-based) monetary system collapses, and supply-chains cease tofunction.

A wider debate has also examined theconsequences of irreversible climatechange (caused by humanity's unsustainable practices of energy andland use), not just in terms of the implications for our own species, but forthe wider web of life we call the biosphere.

The more pessimistic forecasts predictthat up to one third of all species willperish, while gaia theorist and formerNASA scientist James Lovelock, nownearing the end of his own life, warns ofhumanity being reduced to a "fewbreeding pairs" at the Arctic.

There is a growing sensethat these proponents of

minor modifications of themanner in which humanityconducts its business are

missing the point

The responses from the business-as-usual world, has generally been to arguethat either there is no problem, or ifthere is, that technological innovationand human ingenuity can easily dealwith it. Many intellectuals and environmentalists, perhaps the most notable being the writer and climate-change campaigner George Monbiot,but also several international environmental NGOs (includingFriends of the Earth and Greenpeace),have also adopted this latter argument

to varying degrees, though they may disagree on the actual details. However, there is a growing sense thatthese proponents of minor modificationsof the manner in which humanity conductsits business are missing the point, so wellarticulated almost 40 years ago in theseminal work

Among the realists, the debate is now focussing

on what can humanity do,in the short time

left available

Limits to Growth and by many otherssince. Humanity is facing an imminent

Fleeing VesuviusIdeas for a post crash communityby Andy Wilson

An Taisce 29

and unavoidable conjunction of multiple-system collapse.

Moreover, it is unlikely that the transitionto a world of limited energy, raw materials,and food availability will be accomplished in any sort of smooth,managed fashion - and especially sincethe global credit-based monetary system,that otherwise might underwrite someof the necessary infrastructural changes,is no longer tenable.

Instead, the future is far more likely tobe heralded by a cascade of unwelcomecrises and discontinuities, each as individually unpredictable as the cracksin the inner cores of the Fukushima no.2 and no. 3 nuclear reactors, but utterlyconsequential on what has gone before.As Richard Heinberg might put it, theparty's well and truly over.

Among the realists, (those who formpart of the emerging post-crash community), the debate is now focussing on what can humanity do, inthe very short time left available, thatmight influence the outcome and whichoutcomes, of those still viable, are mostdesirable.

The book pulls no punches

‘Fleeing Vesuvius’, edited by RichardsDouthwaite and Gillian Fallon, andpublished by Feasta, is one of those rareattempts to portray the end of the civilisation of oil as it really is, with nopunches pulled. This wide-ranging collection of 28 individual essays, plusa short summing up, treads wherevery few publications have the courageto go, and in doing so, faces downthose worst-case scenarios - massivesocietal change (imposed or voluntary),social disintegration and resourcescarcity. But whilst the economymight falter, social capital can notonly be saved but could be brought toa state of well-being not experiencedfor many years.

The need for a change in attitudeIn a different analogy, we might compare the journey to one made bysurvivors on a lifeboat, who eventuallyland on a strange shore, with little buttheir wits to fall back on. While actualsurvival relies on hard skills, the muchharder to pin down purposefulness

and meaningfulness require a sea-changein attitude. It is this articulation of theneed for change in attitude, expressedfrom various perspectives by individual authors, that gives Fleeing Vesuvius itsedge. However, it would do the book anenormous injustice to say that is all it isabout. The piercingly sharp earlierpieces on energy and its relationship tomoney provide the base tones andcolours for the more subtler shades thatfollow. From Richard Douthwaite'sbrief introductory piece 'Where it AllWent Wrong', through David Korovicz's'Energy Availability' and Richard againon 'The Supply of Money in an EnergyScarce World', the context is set.

Dmitri Orlov at his wittiest, darkest bestreminds us that humanity is not a specialcase in terms of its vulnerability to dieoff, but he lightens the tone with his hilarious list of the 'Five fastest ways tolose all your money and have nothing toshow for it'.

Perhaps it’s unfair to single out particularauthors and essays, but these ones stoodout for me: Bruce Darrell’s 'NutritionalResilience approach to Food Security'Brian Davey’s 'Danger Ahead - PrioritisingRisk Avoidance in Political and Eco-nomic Decision Making', Nate Hagens’'The Psychological Roots of ResourceOver-Consumption' , Mark Rutledgeand Brian Davey’s 'Seven Reasons forHumanity's Inertia in the Face of Criti-cal Threats', John Sharry’s 'CultivatingHope and Managing

Despair' and Anne B. Ryan’s 'Enough:A Worldview for Positive Futures'. I also enjoyed David Phillips’ 'TransitionThinking', and found Lucy McAndrew'spiece 'We Need Respect to Survive'thought-provoking. Other readers will find different piecesof interest. While the titles may appearsomewhat couched in academic-speak orjargon, the content is highly accessible.

Q. Who should read this book? A. Basically anyone with an interest inhow the project of civilisation may becontinued, post fossil-fuel, post supply-chain and economic collapse.

Because of the clear emphasis on socialcapital, community building, networking,psychological and emotional responsesto change, ‘Fleeing Vesuvius’ will be ofparticular interest to those who alreadyinteract with other people, whether in asocial, voluntarily, vocational or professional capacity. The point hammered home repeatedly is that soloruns are futile, while collaboration andworking together offers communitiestheir best chance.

Who should read this book?Basically anyone

with an interest in how the project of civilisation

may be continued, post fossil-fuel,

post supply-chain and economic collapse.

If I have one criticism, it is that in its attempt to offer the broadest range ofanalysis and opinion, the overall message loses its clarity at times. Does the debate on long-term internationally-brokered, greenhouse gas emission-reduction have any place in abook which is really saying the industrialera is all but over? Possibly it is far, fartoo late for that. But the readers can decide for themselves. Wonderful book.Buy it.

BOOKS

‘Fleeing Vesuvius. Overcoming the risks of economic and environmental collapse, edited by Richard Douthwaite and Gillian Fallon.Feasta, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9540510-1-3

AnTaisce 30

43 Principles of Home, by Kevin McCloud. 2010 Harper Collins ISBN: 978-0-00-726548-0

This is the best book I have read in adecade. The publishers bill it as a bookon interior design but for me it talksabout the heart of sustainable development.

The book should be required readingfor all planners. It is an inspiration. It starts with a history of fire and its rolein cultural development and ends with atreatise on sharing. In between there are'interviews' with Benjamin Franklin,Christopher Wren and the Duke of Edinburgh. Town planning (though thisword is never mentioned) comes intostories of Michelangelo's designs forRome, a tour of a French suburb and anamazingly detailed account of the morphology of a modern Indian settlement (usually called a slum) with 1million people per square mile. There's asection on shopping and all the ‘stuff ’that we accumulate describing our passion for shopping centres, and another on design principles, another onour sense of privacy and inequitable resource use. And that’s only a sample!

It looks like a coffee table book but deserves to be read line by line with attention. Seemingly disparate ideas aredrawn together effortlessly in this treatise on sustainability.

Reviewed by Judy Osborne

The Song at Your Backdoor,by Joseph Horgan. 2010 The Collins Press ISBN 978-1848890336

This is a book that brings you back toan older era in Irish life, before the excesses of the Celtic Tiger.

Horgan certainly does not like cars andthe extensive road structure to facilitatethem. It is a paean to Ireland’s wonderfulnatural environment that is outside yourbackdoor, but is being forgotten aboutand being degraded as we live a morematerialistic lifestyle.

In a poetic way, he explores the byways,boreens and coastline of his backdoorsomewhere in rural Ireland near thecoast. He quotes regularly from poets,botanists and other commentators alongthe way. From an An Taisce viewpoint,he quotes extensively from Robert LloydPreager, our first president. In the Intro-duction, he has Preager talking of “the mind jaded with the meaninglessnoise and hurry of modern life”. I canfully understand that, having just had afew journeys on a motorway recently.

Horgan takes in the seasonal cycle of nature by framing his book around thedeparture of the swallow in the autumnand its arrival back in Ireland. Some passages are more lyrical than others– there are patches in the book that are alittle flat and uninteresting. In general itis a very enjoyable read for those who loveour beautiful natural environment and aretrying to preserve it for future generations.

Reviewed by Eric Conroy

COF Priorities Booklet

Claiming our Future has published ashort report of its founding assemblywhich gave particular priority to equalityand environmental sustainability. COFPriorities sets out the values that thismovement is based on and the prioritythemes it is working to. It is available onwww.claimingourfuture.ie.

The Local SustainabilityNewsletter, Compiled by Comhar, The Sustainability Development Council, http://www.comharsdc.ie/_files/2011-04_Newsletter_pamp.pdf

This newsletter aims to provide a platformfor information sharing for local authorities and communities on bestpractice on local sustainability. It featurescase studies from around the countrydemonstrating how projects have workedand how they have made an impact. Effective information sharing avoids duplication of work and provides a selection of tried and tested projects thatlocal authorities and communities canassess to meet their objectives.

If you have an innovative project happening in your local authority orcommunity, send the details in toComhar at [email protected]. If you have an innovative project Thenewsletter covers a wide variety ofthemes, including for example, climatechange, energy, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and production and local economic prosperity.

BOOK REVIEWS & REPORTS

An Taisce 31

World on the Edge,By Lester Brown.Earthscan, 2011. ISBN 9781849712743

Earthscan continues to present interestingand challenging books and blog-sites ontheir website www.earthscan.co.uk One of their titles published in 2011was World on the Edge by Lester Browna highly respected environmental thinker."It's the food, stupid." That's essentiallythe message of "World On The Edge," anew report by Lester Brown, head of theEarth Policy Institute. Feeding a growingglobal population on a finite planet is aproblem whose time has come.

Brown argues that pressures on the environment -- from climate change tosoil erosion to deforestation and decliningwater resources -- are rapidly combiningto create a "perfect storm" that could resultin massive disruptions in food supply, thecollapse of the current economic structure, widespread unrest, and worse.

And the clock is ticking. Brown rejectsthe idea that we have until, say, 2050 toget things on the right track. "World OnThe Edge" is a shrill call for action by 2020.

"We are handicapped by the difficulty ofgrasping the dynamics of exponentialgrowth in a finite environment - namely,the Earth," Brown writes. "For me,thinking about this is aided by a riddlethe French use to teach schoolchildrenexponential growth. A lily pond has oneleaf on it the first day, two the secondday, four the third, and the number ofleaves continues to double each day. If the pond fills on the 30th day, when isit half full? The 29th day. Unfortunatelyfor our overcrowded planet, we maynow be beyond the 30th day."

Trees of Britain and IrelandBy Edward Milner.To be published by the Natural HistoryMuseum, London September 2011ISBN 978 0 565 09295 5

Trees of Britain and Ireland is a celebrationof the trees of Britain and Ireland with ahistory of their development, man’s relationship with them, and portraits ofall the major native species.

Endorsed by the Tree Council and illustrated with over 200 stunningcolour photographs, it contains all the es-sential facts about native trees, includingwhere different trees grow naturally,what insects, fungi and animals youmight see on them, what traditional be-liefs are associated with them, how theyare managed and what products are

obtained from them. There are referencelists for each tree, and tables of data about the characteristics, associatedspecies, diseases and altitude records.Edward Milner brings together recentresearch on managing trees by scientistsand historians to help build an up-to-dateaccount of what we know and understandabout Britain’s native trees. All those interested and concerned about treeswill treasure this beautiful book.

www.smarttaxes.org

The dawning realization that conventionaleconomic thinking cannot help solvethe problems we now face, means that wemust be open to exploring new economicideas. It is time to move beyond criticizingthe clear shortcomings of our country’seconomists and politicians and consider -with open minds - economic ideas thatare being developed outside of the mainstream. Such a new macroeconomicmodel has been developed by a pioneeringcommunity of heterodox economistsbased in the University of Missouri, Kansas.Their Modern Money Theory (MMT)approach predicted the current crisis andso unsurprisingly, their analysis and economic solutions have attracted intense interest amongst economic commentators. A conference was held inDublin last May and reports of this canbe seen on the Smart Taxes website.

From the home page, Friends of the IrishEnvironment’s website provides links tothe the organisation’s campaigns and slideshows. These include the decline in Ireland’s birds like the hen harrier and thevast unregulated industrial peat extractionthat is devastating Ireland’s midland bogs.

Separate sections of the site host the best archive of environmental stories in Ireland in‘The Papers Today’ with more than 14,000 stories from national and rural papersspanning the last ten years - including those provided by a Northern Ireland correspondent. The extensive Library holds Reports like ‘Clearfell, The EnvironmentalConsequences’ (2,800 downloads) and ‘Toxic Island’ about Haulbowline IslandCork (878 downloads). The EU Law Section includes all the European Court of Justice Decisions against Ireland on the environment, some of them now downloaded more than 3,000 times. This section includes a table showing the inexorableprogression of the cases, including 14 heading towards daily fines. Updated daily.

For a 20% discount for An Taisce members please enter code ATWOTE20 in the voucher box when you order online from www.earthscan.co.uk/wote

The Great Hall

The Courtyard

15th century fireplace in Lower Hall

THE TAILORS’ HALL IS AVAILABLE to those who like stylish and elegant surroundings for their weddings or other functions like; film and photo shoots, music recitals , private parties, launches etc.

Hire of the Hall for your event includes the front courtyard an ideal place for assembly, photographs etc., The build-ing is equipped with dance and alcohol licences, modern catering kitchen, disabled access and bathroom.

The Great Hall has the elegance you expect from an early 18th century building. The Lower Hall, with its beamed ceiling and original stone walls, is ideal for entertainment of your choice.

Our dedicated in house caterers will supply the excellent food and drink that you need to make your day complete.

For a reception with a difference, The Tailors’ Hall in Dublin is both beautiful and historic.

WEDDINGS – RECEPTIONS – DINNER DANCES – CONFERENCES – EXHIBITIONS – PRODUCT LAUNCHES CIVILMARRIAGES- FILM & PHOTO SHOOTS

The Tailors’ Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8. Phone: +353.1.7077076 ~ Fax: 5+353.1.4533255 ~ Contact John Ducie

E-mail: [email protected] 475324 VAT no. IE9748006M

Tailors Hall t/a Tailors Hall Events Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland Reg. no 12469 ~ Charity No: 4741

The Tailors’ Hallat the heart of Dublin for over 300 years

The National Trustfor Ireland

the national trust for ireland · how can the old ways work and sustain us into a radically...

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