Fóram Pobail agus Deonach an Chabháin
ENERGY MATTERS, October 2012
Energy Matters is a monthly email bulletin from
Cavan Community Forum which will provide information about sustainable energy
initiatives and ideas. It will promote local Cavan initiatives, whether they
are from local communities, the private or public sectors. If you have any
information relating to the sustainability of our communities and environment
that you think could be interesting or useful, please let me know at ddowney@cavancoco.ie
Copy deadline 12th of every month.
Contents
1 – 10,000 Green Jobs On The Horizon
2 – Community Food Initiative Comes To
Cavan
3 – EDAP For Cavan....Our Path To Energy
Descent!
4 – CAMCAS Warmer Homes Grants in Cavan.
5 – Book Review: The Moneyless Man, A Year of Freeconomic Living!
6 – A Monthly Stroll In......Dun na Ri Forest Park, Kingscourt.
7 – Our Wild Drug This Month.......Mistletoe!
8 – Better Energy Warmer Homes (BEWH) Scheme
9 – Community Gardens In Cavan: Fairgreen in Cavan Town
10 – The State of Oil Today: What Is Fracking?
Note:
Energy Matters will be moving to a website format and can be found at
1 - 10,000 Green Jobs On
The Horizon
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD recently published Delivering our Green Potential, the Government’s Policy Statement on Growth and Employment in the Green Economy. The Minister made the announcement on a visit to Solar Print, an Irish company developing new renewable energy technologies.
The document outlines the Government’s ambition for growth and job-creation in the various sectors which make up the Green Economy, as well as the range of actions committed to be delivered in order to deliver on this ambition.
This announcement is hoped to represent a key component under the Action Plan for Jobs 2012.
The Green Economy globally is worth more than $5trillion, employs more than 30 million people, and is projected to grow at 3.7% per year over the coming years. It has been estimated that up to an additional 10,000 jobs could be created in certain green economy activities in Ireland by 2015 – not including the potential that exists in green financial services, agriculture, marine or tourism.
Actions committed to be delivered by Government to realise this potential include:
-
Ensure
that, on average, at least 200MW of new renewable generation connected to the
grid each year
-
Introduce
legislation to provide for a new offshore licensing and permitting regime
-
Introduce
a Pay As You Save scheme to replace the Better Energy Homes scheme from 2014,
and a strand of the PAYS scheme to improve energy efficiency in the public and
commercial sectors in 2013
-
Through
Enterprise Ireland, work with indigenous companies to identify and develop
export opportunities for green goods and services
-
Through
IDA Ireland, seek to attract more green financial services companies to Ireland
-
Support
a sustainable approach to agriculture through Food Harvest 2020
-
Target
growth in Green Tourism
-
Prioritise
research and development in areas including Sustainable Food, Marine Renewable
Energy and Smart Grids/Cities as per Research Prioritisation Report
The document also sets out mechanisms to ensure delivery of the measures outlined and will establish an industry-focused Consultative Committee on the Green Economy which will be chaired by Minister Bruton to identify emerging opportunities for Ireland in the green economy, and will involve representatives of private industry as well as other stakeholders.
Making the announcement, Minister Bruton said:
“As many commentators have recognised over recent years, the green economy is a sector where Ireland has major potential for jobs growth, due to the rapid growth of the sector globally, our natural advantages in the sector as well as our business-friendly and open economy. We also have cutting-edge companies, both indigenous and multinational, already operating in this sector, and a world-class research and development system. It is estimated that well over 10,000 extra jobs could be created over the next number of years, and we are determined to act decisively across Government to ensure that the proper measures are put in place to realise this potential.
“Today, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, the Government has outlined our ambitions for jobs and growth in this sector, as well as the measures we will implement across all Departments in order to realise those ambitions. We are targeting growth across the range of activities in the green economy – renewable energy, energy efficiency, financial services, agriculture, tourism, waste and water management, green products and services and low carbon transport. We are putting in place the proper supports through our research and development systems to ensure that we can create not only the companies that will create jobs in this decade but also the businesses that will create the jobs we need in the 2020s. And we are putting in place the structures, through the Action Plan for Jobs and the Cabinet Committee system, to ensure that these measures are monitored and delivered.
“Individual Departments, including the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, will retain lead policy responsibility for delivery of individual measures in their areas. However there is a need for a whole-of-Government approach to this issue if we are to deliver on the potential that exists. The Green Economy has a major part to play in creating the jobs and growth we need. Today’s announcement lays out the roadmap to ensure we deliver the vast potential in this sector”.
A copy of the report can be found here:
www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/Delivering_Our_Green_Potential.pdf
2 – Community Food Initiative Comes To
Cavan
Virginia
Ladies Society
Community
Food Initiative
An
Information evening is being held to discuss
a
Community Food Initiative on
Wednesday
28th November 2012 at 7.30 p.m.
The
Judges Box, Virginia Show Grounds.
This is open to anyone young or old who is
interested in Food or Food Initiatives.
Georgina Buffini from
Community Food Initiative will attend.
Have you ever thought of
growing Lavender to make soap?
Just a
few of the ideas which could be developed with the help of the
CFI
3 – EDAP For Cavan....Our Path To Energy
Descent!
It is an ever increasing reality that the transition to a carbon neutral
civilization must happen from the grass roots up, encouraged by top down
policies and supports. Societies and communities will prove the vehicles of
ultimate transformation for our move to a sustainable future. At first, this
move was envisioned as one that would replace the present consumption of energy
with clean alternatives. Today, the reality is slowly dawning that this will
not be possible and more and more people are identifying the need that we may
need to ‘de-grow’ our societies in order to fit with the potential energy
supply that will be available in a post-carbon future.
From this arises the Transition Movement’s proposal that every active
area writes an EDAP, or Energy Descent Action Plan. These plans are seen as
pathways to a balanced society living sustainably, generated over a short,
medium and long term set of phases. Community Resilience Cavan, as Cavan’s
Transition Group, will be undertaking this EDAP in 2013. This will involve
gathering data and formats from other EDAPs in other areas and engaging in
public consultation in our own area to gain a practical vision of Cavan in
2015, 2020, 2025 and 2030 and how to take the achievable steps to make the
sustainable dream for our locality a reality.
For more information or to feed into your local EDAP contact the
chairman of Community Resilience Cavan on finianmcnamara@gmail.com
We will be following this
story in future Energy Matters.
4 – CAMCAS Warmer Homes Grants in Cavan.
CAMCAS LTD is a group of four Companies that were
established in September 2002 by representatives of Cavan & Monaghan
Partnerships, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, The Health Service Executive
and community activists in response to an identified need and which would
operate under the Social Economy Programme.
It’s aims include:
- To improve the quality of living conditions of
vulnerable groups thus maintaining their ability to remain living in their own
homes, among their own families, friends and communities freeing up pressure
for beds in nursing homes and general hospitals.
- To install insulation in fuel poverty homes to a national standard, as set by Sustaining Energy Ireland throughout the two counties.
- To employ a staff from a pool of disadvantaged / marginalised individuals, up skill and train them to a high standard to complete the work required which will create self esteem and a sense of achievement.
- Address the isolation factor many of the vulnerable target group suffer due to rural living
- To install insulation in fuel poverty homes to a national standard, as set by Sustaining Energy Ireland throughout the two counties.
- To employ a staff from a pool of disadvantaged / marginalised individuals, up skill and train them to a high standard to complete the work required which will create self esteem and a sense of achievement.
- Address the isolation factor many of the vulnerable target group suffer due to rural living
Below is a list of parishes covered by Camcas East
Cavan
Residents in this region should contact
East Cavan Area Manager Seamus Smith with queries
Telephone 0868863171
Residents in this region should contact
East Cavan Area Manager Seamus Smith with queries
Telephone 0868863171
Arvagh Bailieborough Ballyhaise Ballyjamesduff
Butlersbridge Canningstown Carrickaboy Cavan
Crosskeys Kilcogy Kilnaleck Loch Gowna
Mountnugent Mullagh New Inns Poles
Redhills Stradone Tunnyduff Virginia
Shercock Kingscourt
Butlersbridge Canningstown Carrickaboy Cavan
Crosskeys Kilcogy Kilnaleck Loch Gowna
Mountnugent Mullagh New Inns Poles
Redhills Stradone Tunnyduff Virginia
Shercock Kingscourt
Below is a list of parishes covered by Camcas West
Cavan
Residents in this region should contact
West Cavan Area Manager Frankie McMorrow with queries
Telephone 0872300114
Residents in this region should contact
West Cavan Area Manager Frankie McMorrow with queries
Telephone 0872300114
Ballyconnel Bawnboy Belturbet Blacklion
Crossdoney Curlough Dowra Glangevlin
Killeshandra Swanlinbar
Crossdoney Curlough Dowra Glangevlin
Killeshandra Swanlinbar
5 – Book Review: The Moneyless Man, A Year of Freeconomic Living!
Imagine living for an entire year without money.
Former businessman Mark Boyle did just that and this is his extraordinary and
compelling story. How do friends and family react? What do you eat? How do you
wash? Mark Boyle finds out the hard way and explores the troubling consequences
of our obsession with money. Encountering cuttlefish toothpaste, seasonal
foods, paper made out of mushrooms, and compost toilets, Boyle puts the fun
into frugality and reveals some indispensable tips for economical and
environmentally friendly living. Heart-warming and witty, The Moneyless Man
will inspire you to question what really matters in life.
'Essential
and enjoyable reading. The fascinating story of an important social experiment,
told with humility, insight, and great humour.'
--Chris Cleave, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Other Hand and Guardian
columnist
'Living with less need not be austere and miserable; rather it left Mark Boyle leaner, more skilled, and, ultimately, wiser. This is the greatest lesson of this inspirational book.' --Rob Hopkins, Author of The Transition Handbook and founder of the Transition Movement
It's difficult not to admire the philosophy and the infectious home-spun and passionate tone of this book.' --Benedict Allen, TV survivalist and author of the Faber Book of Exploration
'Living with less need not be austere and miserable; rather it left Mark Boyle leaner, more skilled, and, ultimately, wiser. This is the greatest lesson of this inspirational book.' --Rob Hopkins, Author of The Transition Handbook and founder of the Transition Movement
It's difficult not to admire the philosophy and the infectious home-spun and passionate tone of this book.' --Benedict Allen, TV survivalist and author of the Faber Book of Exploration
6 – A Monthly Stroll In......Dun na Ri, Kingscourt.
Dun na Ri Forest Park is just outside
Kingscourt along the banks of the River Cabra and featuring a dramatic gorge
embracing part of the Cabra Estate, formerly owned by the Pratt family. The
Romantic Glen of the Cabra River, stretching the full length of the 565 acre Park
is an area steeped in history and legend. It is said that Cuchulain camped
there at night, while by day conducting his single handed defence of Ulster
against the armies of Maeve. The Normans were here also and in later years the
glen echoed to the sounds of Cromwells armies.
There are four walks of approximately 1.5-2km in length all with points of interest and plentiful varied wildlife. Some more unusual highlights of a visit to Dun na Ri are the Ice House, Toba na Splinne Holy Well and Cromwell’s Bridge. The ruins of Fleming's Castle can still be seen as well as Sarah's Well. Sarah's Bridge, built in 1801, is the starting point of many of the walks in the park. A new addition to the park is the excellent collection of statues, carved by local artist Joey Burnes. These set out to highlight the natural and historical richness of the park and can be followed on the various trails.
There are four walks of approximately 1.5-2km in length all with points of interest and plentiful varied wildlife. Some more unusual highlights of a visit to Dun na Ri are the Ice House, Toba na Splinne Holy Well and Cromwell’s Bridge. The ruins of Fleming's Castle can still be seen as well as Sarah's Well. Sarah's Bridge, built in 1801, is the starting point of many of the walks in the park. A new addition to the park is the excellent collection of statues, carved by local artist Joey Burnes. These set out to highlight the natural and historical richness of the park and can be followed on the various trails.
7 – Our Wild Drug This Month.......Mistletoe!
Herbalism has been an ongoing practice for the human
race for a long time. The earliest indication of plants being used for
medicinal purposes come from the grave of a Neanderthal man in Iraq from 60,000
years ago. The first written records of this date from 2800 BCE in China which
were a guide to 366 local plants for ailments.
The journey of herbalism leads to the development of
modern medicine and in modern times using your garden herbs and plants for
health concerns is as normal as picking flowers for your kitchen vase. And yet,
a mystery pervades this practice that does not need to be there. In our Wild
Drug section each month Energy Matters will focus on sustainable health through
the plants we see every day. Each month’s tips will be easy and practical. So
this month we are getting geared up for Christmas with a little Mistletoe!
Mistletoe was a plant that was sacred to the ancient
Druids for curing all ills and tradition holds that it was cut with a golden
sickle in an annual ceremony and a sprig distributed to all the community
members watching. The Christmas tradition of kissing under the mistletoe
persists today.
Mistletoe berries are highly poisonous to humans but
the leaves are a powerful medicine for the central nervous system. It was used
for high blood pressure, and palpatations, to relax the blood vessel walls and
strengthen and steady the heartbeat. It relaxes deep nervous tensions in the
body and useful against headaches brought on by tight neck muscles and migraines.
It also has a reputation for relieving pain from pinched and trapped nerves.
Some recent research has shown Mistletoe to possess some anti-tumour effects
and it may indeed have a role to play in oncology treatments. It contains high
levels of zinc, which may contribute to its positive immune-boosting
properties.
Mistletoe grows in deciduous trees as a parasite
from November to April in a ball of green growth, particularly in old apple
orchards but also in ash, oak, larch, lime and larch trees.
Note:
What is called mistletoe in America is NO relation to traditional Irish
mistletoe and not used as this (Phoradendron Serotinum) is highly poisonous!!!
The stems and leaves are what is used. These can be
dried and crushed and drank as a tea or with cold water against headaches and
high blood pressure. It can also be taken as a tincture or soaked as a pulp on
tense neck muscles and joints.
Warning:
Not to be taken while pregnant. Treatments of high blood pressure should never
be taken by pregnant persons without the consultation of a medical expert.
8 – Better Energy Warmer Homes (BEWH) Scheme
With the end of the warm rainy months of summer and
the fast approach of the frosty tipped nights of winter, we need to start
considering keeping warm. Many people consider keeping warm as a method of
increasing the heating of their home without considering the sealing of your
home from the loss of that heat. In many cases we need to think differently
about home heating and bring about a change in how we fit our houses for the
cooler months of the year.
One scheme that sets to aid in this is the Better
Energy Warmer Homes (BEWH) scheme, rolled out by the Sustainable Energy
Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and before you think we’re going to cover the whole
alphabet in organisational abbreviations, that’s all we’re saying. The aim of
the scheme is to create more energy efficient homes for those most at risk to
colder weather, making a more comfortable, warmer and cost effective home.
The scheme is for:
§
Owners of
occupied non-Local Authority homes
§
That were
constructed before 2002
§
Owners in receipt of one of the following:
-Fuel Allowance as part of the
National Fuel Scheme
-Job Seekers Allowance for over six months and with children under 7 years of age
-Family Income support
-Job Seekers Allowance for over six months and with children under 7 years of age
-Family Income support
Landlords can avail of grants from the Better
Energy Homes scheme if they have tenants in, or at risk of, energy poverty. See
www.seai.ie/betterenergyhomes
for more information.
But what
does it cover? The service involves putting in standard energy efficiency
measures which are appropriate to the individual house under consideration.
These considerations are subject to SEAI survey, budget allocation and
available capacity. It is at no cost to the householder if you are successful
in your application and some examples of benefits include:
- Attic insulation.
- Attic insulation.
§
Draught
proofing.
§
Lagging
jackets.
§
Low
energy light bulbs.
§
Cavity
wall insulation.
§
Energy
advice.
If you are interested and keen for further information on this, then check out the SEAI website’s section on it at www.seai.ie/betterenergyhomes
9 – Community Gardens In Cavan: Fairgreen in Cavan Town
Community Gardens are growing in Cavan and in this
month’s Community Exchange we bring a brief review of The Fairgreen Community
Garden in the heart of Cavan Town. Fairgreen Community Garden was established
two years ago by Community Resilience Cavan, a group working for sustainable
development and awareness in the locality. It was chosen to be developed on a
plot of land that was generously given over by the local council and identified
and negotiated by Cavan Community Forum. The plot is located under the highest
hill of Cavan, the location of a park area which can be seen from most of the
town when looking southwest (toward Argos/Aldi).
The Fairgreen area is rich with history. It is the
area below what was once the castle of the ruling families of Cavan and the
exact spot upon which a large siege took place during the Williamite Wars. In
fact a large number of bodies were buried under the rubble of the devastation
of those times and only unearthed in recent times. Although the castle went,
the green remained as a place of trade and commerce under the shadow of the
ruin until the hill above was cleared as a gallows hill, atop which was hung
many criminals in days of harsher punishments. At times speeches were made on
wooden platforms at the green and on one such occasion a particularly large man
was on the old platform when it came loose from the hill, dragging a section
with it and exposing the skeletal remains of warriors of the wars that brought
down the old castle.
Up until the latter half of the 20th
century it remained a place of trade and many farmers still recall as young
lads, herding cattle into where the garden now stands and going down the town
after for ice cream or soda pop. Before the 1980’s the area became abandoned
with some few projects trying to make use of the land but it always fell into
lack of use until 2010 when Community Resilience Cavan surveyed it as a
potential site for a new garden.
The garden there has grown from strength to strength
with a dedicated core team of members working every week of the year on
improving, maintaining and sharing the space that is now a gem of the
community. Younger members join in the BBQs that middle aged members throw
while older members tell stories of the neighbourhood ‘back in the day’. The
atmosphere growing on this space is valuable for the community and is growing
weekly with every minute of time spent there.
Future plans include the raising of a Cob
(mud+sand+straw) hut for the covering of members from the elements and raising
awareness of natural building techniques. Fairgreen Community Garden is a space
for all, with visiting schools learning about growing and history and local
peoples from different communities in the same community learning abut one
another’s backgrounds. It is open for all with more space for development if
anyone wants to join in. Learn more about the Fairgreen by checking their
facebook page on
or contacting Daniel Downey, Cavan Community Forum ddowney@cavancoco.ie
10 – The State of Oil Today: What Is Fracking?
Each month on Energy Matters we discuss a topic
around or on the subject of that essential fluid of controversy in the world
today; oil. The world runs on it and needs to get off it, either smoothly
through the development of alternatives or suddenly through the collapse of
supply at some future stage. This month we are looking at the highly
controversial alternative to traditional oil supplying; Fracking.
Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer, as a result of the action of a pressurized fluid. Some hydraulic fractures form naturally—certain veins or dikes are examples—and can create conduits along which gas and petroleum from source rocks may migrate to reservoir rocks. Induced hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracking, commonly known as fracking, is a technique used to release petroleum, natural gas (including shale gas, tight gas, and coal seam gas), or other substances for extraction. This type of fracturing creates fractures from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations.
The first use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947 but the modern fracking technique, called horizontal slickwater fracking, that made the extraction of shale gas economical, was first used in 1998 in the Barnett Shale in Texas. The energy from the injection of a highly pressurized fracking fluid creates new channels in the rock, which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons.
Proponents of fracking point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, including contamination of ground water, risks to air quality, the migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface, surface contamination from spills and flowback and the health effects of these. For these reasons hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny internationally, with some countries suspending or even banning it.
That is essentially as brief and neutral a description as we can give on fracking. As the region of Fermanagh, Leitrim and Cavan was identified recently as a potential source of shale gas, this topic is hot for our area and one which the people of those regions need to educate themselves on in a balanced and informed manner. We are living in an age of ever declining carbon fuels with an ever increasing need for them as society’s growth in this need to feed industry from carbon far outstrips society’s development of the non-carbon alternatives. Fracking is an example of a sourcing and extraction of carbon-based fuels using a new and previously unknown method. It is up to us to make the decision on whether to embrace this or not and to weigh up the potential consequences. Two choices are at hand; first is whether to turn our economy green and sustainable using alternative and renewable energy supplies, in which case we need not tap into a fracking alternative. The second choice at hand is that if we don’t say yes to the first choice then do we run desperately into a new carbon fuel supply that has potentially disastrous consequences. The material for both choices’ pros and cons are out there in abundance. Now in our generation is the time to decide but it’s a decision that we make for future generations so choose very carefully.
