Community Leadership in a Post-Carbon era

Facilitator: Marie Power
Community Leadership in a Post-Carbon era
This is a course for those who are or want to lead communities towards viable new ecologically sustainable urban and rural systems. The twin challenges of peak oil and global climate change require new skills and knowledge to build community resilience. This course aims to do that, using selected inputs - including film, current data, case studies and toolkits for action. It is based on the transition Town Model, which strives to empower people to deal with change in a positive way. Participants are invited to use a self-directed learning approach, and to strive towards using the skills learnt within their own communities and networks. The course is based to a high degree on the Transition Town model developed by Rob Hopkins (see The Transition Handbook "from oil dependency to local resilience." Green Books 2008).
Check out the website.
(Go to the Quicklink entitled Powerdown)

Course content
Peak Oil and Climate Change
“ What are they? Is there a safe limit?
Evaluating options for the way forward; Creativity in a time of climate change; Food production; Design for Change; Low carbon transport systems; Economic systems; Sustainable construction; Energy use; other related inputs such as Community Resilience “ What does that mean? Why small is inevitable." Local sources. Where does government fit in? Understanding the psychology of change; The politics of social analysis; Vision for the future “ the Transition Town concept" How to start a transition initiative in 12 steps.
Practical skills will include: Making the most of your public events; Writing a good press release; Designing productive meetings & teamwork skills; How to run an open space event; How to run a street party; How to run a fishbowl discussion.
Target audience
The course will facilitate:Community leaders (existing and potential); Professionals whose work is impacted by these issues; planners; environmental officers; organisational change managers and individuals who wish to learn more and to make relevant changes in their own lives.
Educators, particularly those involved in Jane GoodallInstitute's Roots & Shoots programme and the Green Schools programme.
Duration: 12 weeks, Thursday 7 to 9pm.
Qualification: Certificate of Completion.
Level 6 10 Credit Module Cost: €200
Closing Date for Receipt of Applications: 12 September 2008.

Climate Change Lecture Series

As advertised in The Examiner...the climate change lecture series available from the EPA website.

Climate Change Lecture Series Video Broadcast
The video broadcast of the first two lectures in the Climate Change Lecture Series are available to view.
Climate Change Lecture Series Programme
Climate Change Lecture Series Programme
Lecture 1 of EPA Climate Change Lecture Series 20th November 2007:
The Science of Climate Change - Facing the Facts - Dr. Martin Manning
Lecture 2 of EPA Climate Change Lecture Series 27th November 2007
Time for action? Options to address climate change - Dr Bert Metz
Lecture 3 of EPA Climate Change Lecture Series 22nd January 2008
Meltdown? - Evidence of Climate Change from Polar Science - Dr Eric Wolff
Lecture 4 of EPA Climate Change Lecture Series 5th February 2008
A World Transformed - The Consequences of Climate Change and Human Land Use - Professor Wolfgang Lucht
Lecture 5 of EPA Climate Lecture Series 26th February 2008
Technical Solutions: Grey Clouds or Silver Linings - Dr. Leonard Bernstein
Lecture 6 of Climate Change Lecture Series 11th March 2008
Gain v Pain - Political and Economic Consequences and Options - Mr Michael Zammit Cutajar
Lecture 7 of Climate Change Lecture Series 8th April 2008
Our Own Backyard - Ireland's Response to Climate Change Challenges and Opportunities - Minister John Gormley

Preserving Scenic Routes

Council bids to preserve rural character (p2, Munster Express)... the local authority is trying to preserve scenic routes, as laid out in the Waterford County Development Plan, when planning applications arise.

Taking the two-wheeled option to work (p6,ME)...Dermot Keyes leading the way. Lets have more of this.

Jobs, shops, restaurants, cinema, hotel proceed at Crystal West (p2, Waterford News and Star)...go ahead given by An Bord Pleannala on the old Crystal amenity site.

Help on the way for Tramore Flood road (p9, WNS)...at what cost to the bog?

Awaiting Planning Permission

The continued saga of planning issues fills the local newspapers.
Enironmentalists are set for a busy time in the next 12 months as they try to keep track of the mutiplicity of plans for the City and the County.
New City Quay has the best potential in Ireland , the development of the Ard Ri site on the North Qauys. (p2, Waterford News and Star); Bold €400 million Ard Ri hotel masterplan (p13, Munster Express, Waterford Today p1)
The Phoenix (p15, WNS) goes to town literally...City centre should be preserved for retail; Planning delays have led to decline (another dig at Bmac); and Speedy delivery is vital.
City developers still committed to project (p17 WNS); Work underway on Newgate Centre response to An Bord Pleanala (p17, WT); We were under no illusions (ME, B1)....the coverage of the KRM rethink.

Track destroyed as walkways controversy turns nasty (p4, WNS)...news that some landowners have been up to mischief, digging trenches on the Dungarvan to Waterford railway/ walkway. Hearing date set for railway line dispute (p1,7 ME)
Cliff subsidence closes access...this time its access to Councillors strand in Dunmore East not the perennial cliffwalk (p18,WNS; p20 ME) Mention also made of a new Tramore Race Course road which is currently in the design phase.
Green Route given Green Light (p12,WNS; p6 ME)...joining Maypark Lane to the Mall promoting walking, cycling and bus lanes.

Green Home improvements hailed by EPA and an Taisce (B4, ME)...launched recently by Minister Gormley.

Coast turns Blue and Green (p18,WNS)...well done to Clonea and Dunmore East who retained their Blue Flag status for the quality of their beaches. Also to Woodstown, Helvick Cove and Curragh beach, Ardmore which achieved Green Coast status.

Plan aims to make our natural heritage a priority (p27, WNS)...the County Waterford Biodiversity Plan has been formally adopted.

County Council Climate Change Strategy for 2008-12 launched (p13 ME)...also Sunny south east to get hotter and wetter.

Wasted Water

The Irish Examiner newspaper for June 9th carries a very full treatment on its front page of where our local authority water goes. 685 million litres lost daily over leaks. Down the Drain...slipping through our fingers, heading straight for troubled water...a double page spread inside the paper.
Time to protect Green Infrastructure....growth has blighted landscape. (p18 of the Irish Examiner). Look out for the latest edition of Heritage Outlook for more details.

If you can get a copy of the Guardian, there is an excellent freebie on British Butterflys today and Moths tomorrow.

Press Review, June 4th

Blue Flag for Tramore?
Bathing water quality improves with opening of new plant in Tramore. (p7, Waterford News and Star) The first steps to achieving the Blue Flag for a well managed clean beach were taken with the opening of the Tramore Wastewater Treatment Plant. Water quality figures for this year must achieve the minimum standards this summer during the Bathing season for the beach to have a possibility of the award for Summer 2009.
Shortage of lifeguards leaves swimmers at risk (p27,WNS)…this article would indicate the Council have a way to go yet.

City shopping complex will be scaled back (p6, WNS). Concerns submitted regarding the relationship between the proposed development and the surrounding cityscape were taken into consideration by An Bord Pleannala. Body blow for €280 million project (Munster Express, p2) is less optimistic. KRM developers called upon to amend planning designs (p1, Waterford Today)

Solar Power is the energy of the future (p21, WNS)…an interesting advert from Atlantic Plumbing about the benefits of solar and geothermal power.

People in Waterford to have their say on transport (p17, Waterford Today)…the future of travel links to the Greater Dublin area from 2010 to 2030. The opening of the new Carlow bypass will certainly extend the commuter belt ever closer to Waterford.

Opening of Crough Wood (WT, p7)…head along at 7.30 p.m. on 11th June to the Comeraghs for the opening of the environmental walk developed by Comeragh Development Group in partnership with Coillte, Leader, et al. I was very impressed by the river woodland scenery opened up by the walk.