Page 43 - Ciaran Cuffe News Today

10.23 11 May 2021 Domestic water charges, increase waste fees and congestion charges are just some of the measures Ireland will need to introduce if we are to meet our climate targets according to the OECD. Meanwhile in France, President Emmanuel Macron is promising to enshrine the fight against climate change in the constitution via a referendum in a bid to reinforce his green credentials one year ahead of national elections.  Could a similar move be needed her to ensure we take the steps n...

Energy efficient building renovation is not enough to lessen the climate impact of residential buildings, according to one sustainability expert who is calling for a limit on the living space allocated per person in residential homes. EURACTIV France reports. Individuals should be allocated living space of between 14-20 square metres for a single person and 40-80 square metres for a four-person household, according to Pia Mamut, a research fellow at the Chair of International Relations and Sust...

Any suggestion that the “airbrushing” of the 1916 Padraig Pearse surrender photograph was done to exclude Elizabeth O’Farrell from the image, because she was a woman, is not true. (‘Painting of woman airbrushed from GPO Rising surrender unveiled in Seanad to mark International Women’s Day”, Independent.ie, March 8). Elizabeth O’Farrell stated in a later interview that she decided to step back when she became aware that a British Army officer was taking a photograph. She was obscur...

A large mural of Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg has been vandalised in Dublin.

Fingal County Council has sought further detail on Dublin airport’s new €320m runway.

The local authority is seeking additional information from airport operator DAA on its planning application. The runway is due to become operational next year and DAA is seeking amendments to the original 2007 planning permission that will be allow the 3.1km runway be used between 6am and midnight with a noise quota system used to dictate the number of night-time flights at the airport. At the end of a 70-page report into the planning application, Fingal County Council has asked DAA to examine ...

In a letter, MEPs urged Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and his French counterpart to consider a joint bailout of the rail firm. They wrote: “The future of rail travel across the Channel is at stake if no solution is found. “This would not only negatively impact economies on both sides of the Channel and lead to significant job losses, it would also seriously undermine efforts to make transport more sustainable in Europe. “Rail travel is much more sustainable than air travel, and it is c...

11 ways to reinvigorate Dublin city centre Amy OConnor 13 min read From outdoor swimming and personal transport, to red light cameras and rethinking market spaces, there is much that could be done to reinvigorate Dublin city centre. 1. Repurposing car parks Dublin city centre is home to dozens of multi-storey car parks. But with retail on the decline and the city making mov...

Deep retrofit and stimulus With governments across Europe looking for ways to jump start their economies following the early impact of Covid-19, attention is increasingly turning to deep retrofit. But while there is strong evidence that deep retrofit could play a major role, the devil will be in the detail – and the challenge of dramatically upscaling a nascent industry shouldn’t be underestimated. This article was originally published in issue 34 of Passive House Plus magazine. Wa...