Nature and Biodiversity

The Wonder of Peatlands

As part of the Nature's Way series, this booklet is composed of slightly more abstract illustrations which nonetheless give a clear and engaging message to the reader. The following topic are covered:

What are bogs? The origins and history of peat bogs. The plants, animals and birds found in boglands. Peat extraction and threats. Climate Change Protecting our bogs And what the public can do to help protect them.

[UPDATED] An Taisce Welcomes Heritage Minister Announcement not to Allow August 2019 Hedge Cutting to Proceed

16th July 2019

An Taisce welcomes the decision by Heritage Minister Josepha Madigan not to proceed with Regulations which would allow hedge cutting in August this year. The Heritage Act 2018 allowed the Minister the discretion of permitting hedge cutting on a trial basis in 2019 and 2020. The passing of this Act through the Oireachtas in 2018 was a major blow to nature conservation in Ireland, and was opposed by numerous Irish environmental organisations, in addition to over 30,000 people who signed a petition against it.

An Taisce calls for Irish Leadership on Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in EU/MERCOSUR Trade Negotiations

15th July 2019

An Taisce has written to the Irish Government urging that Ireland should take a leadership role in the EU negotiations with the MERCOSUR South American Trade bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, to ensure that any final deal be conditional on effective, shared, Climate Action and reversal of biodiversity loss.

Submission to Draft Phoenix Park Visitor Experience Strategic Review

An Taisce welcomes this initiative specifically addressing the Visitor Experience of the Phoenix Park, however there are a number of areas of concern, in particular the impacts of introduction of modern pavilions into the Park’s historic central avenue, and concerning the overriding problem of motor-traffic impact in the Park. In general the Strategic Review seems too focused on architecture-led visitor centres and needs to instead place the sensitive historic designed landscape at the centre of the initiative.

Department of Agriculture not doing enough to reduce ammonia emissions says An Taisce

21st June 2019

The DAFM have just completed a public consultation on their Code of Good Agricultural Practice for reducing ammonia emissions from agriculture, a requirement under the National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) [1]. This Directive sets emission reduction commitments for EU Member States for five important air pollutants, including ammonia. In Ireland, ammonia emissions are steadily increasing, breaching the NECD limits for both 2016 and 2017, and set to continue increasing beyond 2030. [2]

Hedge cutting in August does not come into effect until 2019

9th August 2018

An Taisce have today written to Minister Josepha Madigan asking her to inform the public and specifically Mattie McGrath TD that the provision of the 2018 Heritage Bill allowing for cutting of vegetation for road safety does not come into effect until 2019.

Charles Stanley-Smith, An Taisce’s Communication Officer stated “It has come to our attention that in an article in today’s Nenagh Guardian that Mattie McGrath TD is quoted as saying that the cutting of vegetation, which may pose a danger to pedestrians or vehicle users, is now permissible under the Heritage Act 2018.”

Help with Heritage Bill - June 19th

12th June 2018

We really need your help in this final push to influence TDs in their vote on the Heritage Bill. We understand that the bill is coming back into the Dáil next week, June 19th - no time to spare on this one.

We are asking you to write to your TDs to ask them to remove Sections 7 and 8 of the Heritage Bill.

We attach some key points below (Heritage Bill Key Points.pdf) but we implore you to please tailor your own letter to your TDs. When the Bill was in the Seanad, the Senators applauded the quality of the tailor-made letters.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Nature and Biodiversity