Environment

Enniscorthy Tidy Towns Awards

The annual awards night was held on 29th November in the IFA Centre, Enniscorthy

PUBLIC BUILDINGS St. Patrick's Special School, Drumgoold SHOP FRONTS Put a Bow On It, Aoife Foran BUSINESS PREMISES Dusty Boy Café/Arts/Prints Kate Rose Crane & Justin Campbell MOST IMPROVED PREMISESKehoe's Hardware, Hempfield NEW DEVELOPMENT The Railway Square HOUSING ESTATES Slaney View Park Residents' Association COMMUNITY AREA Enniscorthy Community Allotments, Michael Devereux LANDSCAPE AWARD The Grotto, Templeshannon ROSE GARDEN Theresa Larkin, 17 Daphne View LARGE GARDENS: 1ST. John Somers, 4 Kilagoley Terrace HIGHLY COMMENDED Lily Lacey, 97 Slaney View Park MEDIUM GARDENS: 1ST. Margaret Stamp, 15 Moran Park HIGHLY COMMENDED Bernie Hutchinson, 27 Cluain Charman SMALL GARDENS: 1ST. Jack Doyle, 92 Bellefield Road HIGHLY COMMENDED Jim & Maria Roche, 23 Moran Park OVERALL GARDEN WINNERBernie Colgan, 29 Cherryorchard Heights CONTAINER GARDEN. 1ST. Marie Carroll, 24 Slaney View Park HIGHLY COMMENDED John & Mary Carroll, 11 Droim Catha H. BASKETS/W. BOXES 1ST.Nicola Farrell, St. Moling's Terrace HIGHLY COMMENDED Edward Murphy, 16 Vinegar Hill Villas COMMERCIAL PREMISES Mary Cummins H. BASKETS/W. BOXES The Abbey Café, Abbey Sq. Shopping Centre AJUDICATOR'S AWARD Paul Nolan, Kenny for Bikes (Joint Winner) Matt Mernagh, 1 Slaney Street (Joint Winner)

Above: Enniscorthy Tidy Town’s Billy Murphy with Paul and Ger of Kenny For Bikes, winners of the Adjudicator’s Award. Below: Award winners, local Councillors, and Enniscorthy Tidy Town’s Billy Murphy at the annual Enniscorthy Tidy Towns Awards night held on 29th November 2022.

Above: Enniscorthy Community Allotments, winner of the Community Area award at the recent Enniscorthy Tidy Towns awards, was represented by L-R: Michael Devereux, Cllr Aidan Browne (Cathaoirleach Enniscorthy Municipal District), and Michelle Doyle.

Phil Miller and Aidan O’Brien at the awards night.

Wexford Environmental Network

Local Environmental Networks (LENs) are being set up all around the country as a place for people to meet, share knowledge, advertise their green events and volunteer opportunities, ask each other questions and share information on everything environmental.

Wexford Environmental Network is a platform to connect all the environmental groups and individuals interested in protecting the environment in County Wexford. Individuals can:  Post local environmental events and volunteer opportunities  Share knowledge and experience  Receive input and help for their own environmental projects Environmental organisations can:  Share upcoming environmental events and volunteer opportunities Through the Wexford Environmental Network you can connect with more people in our community and, together, work to make Co. Wexford a more sustainable county. To join, see “WEXFORD ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK” on Facebook. And if you don't live in Wexford you can find your Local Environmental Network here: https://environmentalpillar.ie/public-participation-networks/local-environmental-networks/ n

Radon monitoring

Radon Monitors are available to borrow in all Co. Wexford’s public libraries. All you need to borrow one is a library card! Please contact your local branch for details.

Wexford’s Climate Action Plan

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 requires each Local Authority to prepare their own Climate Action Plan (CAP). The plan must cover both mitigation and adaptation measures and must be updated once every five years. The plan will also include the development of a decarbonisation zone (DZ). The DZ will be the focus for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity measures. Enniscorthy is the proposed Decarbonisation Zone for Co. Wexford.

Preparatory work has commenced on the CAP and work will continue during 2023 to prepare and fully adopt the plan. Information webinars on the preparation and implementation of the CAP are scheduled for senior management in Wexford Co. Council and separately the Climate Action teams.

The Government of Ireland Climate Action Plan 2021 sets an ambitious target of 50% energy efficiency by 2030 and an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 51%. In terms of energy efficiency, there has been an improvement in Wexford Co. Council’s performance in 2021 with a 42% improvement in energy against 39% in 2020. WCC is ahead of the target glidepath to 2030. The increase of performance is mainly due to a reduction in the public lighting consumption. Carbon emissions in 2021 are 28% below baseline level.

Wexford County Council has registered for the Reduce Your Use campaign. This mandatory initiative through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Office of Public Works (OPW) aims to reduce the public sector’s energy consumption over the winter period by 15% to help combat rising energy costs and reduce emissions. Actions proposed to achieve energy savings include setting the temperatures at a guideline 19oC, turning off heating 1-2 hours before buildings close and no non security/safety lighting in use after 8pm. Awareness and behavioural change are a key element to the campaign and can lead to 10% reduction. This will be promoted through posters and promotional materials for activities, mentoring and advice and live webinars

The campaign plans to deliver 5-10% savings in the public sector, and 15% in buildings. Wexford is involved in two Creative Climate projects to raise awareness and promote behavioural change. The first project through the Wexford County Council Arts Office is on the theme of the pilot Decarbonisation Zone in Enniscorthy and has a biodiversity and rewilding focus. The second project is called Linte na Farraige and is through the Creative Climate Fund and is in collaboration with the Dublin Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) and third level institutions. Linte na Farraige is a series of light installations across Irish coastal sites. The lines of light represent future sea level rise, based on predictions from the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, and historic storm surge data. The installations, designed by artists Timo Aho and Pekka Niittyvirta, demonstrate the need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and adapt together to protect our coastlines, communities, and infrastructure from the effects of climate change. It aims to connect the public visually to the risks from future sea levels and was launched at the end of October 2022. n

Climate action podcast

180 Degrees – an SEAI Podcast About Climate Action features guests from various strands of society, who each have a story to tell about their own personal relationship to climate action.

Guests include: Liz Bonnin, Science, Wildlife and Natural History Broadcaster. Davie Philip, Community Catalyst. Eamon Ryan, Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, and Transport. Rachel Dempsey, Founder of Full Circle Change. Professor John Sweeney, Emeritus Professor of Geography at the NUI Maynooth. Lorna Gold, Author and Movement Builder. Sharon Finnegan, Director of the EPA with responsibility for the Office of Environmental Sustainability. All episodes are now available to download from the SEAI podcast page – if you like the podcast, please rate and review and share with friends and family.

Slaney environment New Year Resolution – Think Before You Pour!

Clean Coasts, in partnership with Irish Water, is appealing to all budding chefs, home cooks and most importantly the washer-uppers all around Co. Wexford to Think Before You Pour any Fats, Oils or Greases (FOGs) down the kitchen sink. Collaborating with well-known chefs Lilly Higgins and Kwanghi Chan, the campaign advises the public to allow FOGs to cool and then put in the bin to help prevent pipe blockages and protect the natural and built environment.

A recent survey revealed that over the past four years there has been a positive reduction in the number of people regularly pouring damaging items down the sink (50% in 2018 to 34% in 2022). However, this still means that approximately 3 out of 10 people are still pouring FOGs down the kitchen sink. Wexford is part of the Eastern & Midlands region of counties which when surveyed revealed that 41% of people in the region are uncertain as to how they should responsibly dispose of FOGs. Tom Cuddy, Head of Operations, Irish Water, said: “This Christmas let’s reduce the number of wastewater blockages backing up into our houses and gardens or spilling into the local environment. We want to remind the public not to use their kitchen sink as a bin. ‘Think before You Pour’: don’t pour those Fats, Oils and Greases (FOGs) down the sink, but use a heat proof container to collect them, and put them in the bin once they have cooled. This will help prevent pipe blockages and protect the natural and built environment.

“Every month Irish Water clears approximately 2,000 blockages from the wastewater network. Survey results this year show that approximately 3 out of 10 people admit to pouring FOGs down the kitchen sink which contributes to these blockages. Let’s work together and keep our pipes free flowing.” Fats, oils and greases may seem like liquid when poured, but they cool and harden as they travel along the pipes and can cause blockages in our homes, businesses, the public sewer network and wastewater treatment plants. They can even lead to overflows of sewage in our communities and pollution in rivers, on beaches and in the ocean. When FOGs combine with wipes and other sewage related litter such as hair and dental floss that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form. Irish Water clears hundreds of blockages including fatbergs from the wastewater network every week. Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, Clean Coasts said: “Clean Coasts is asking everyone to help protect our environment by remembering to Think Before You Pour. This allows us all to undertake a small action in the kitchen which will have a huge, positive impact on our wastewater network and environment. I encourage and remind everyone to Think Before You Pour.” n

The ‘Think Before You Pour’ campaign encourages the public to refrain from pouring any Fats, Oils or Greases (FOGs) down the kitchen sink in order to prevent serious pipe blockages and to protect the natural and built environment.

The result in pipes of Fats, Oils or Greases (FOGs) being poured down the kitchen sink.

Bridgetown flooding research

Wexford TD and Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne has confirmed that Government funding of €70,200 will be allocated towards the completion of research relating to the prevention of flooding in Bridgetown, Co. Wexford.

Welcoming the funding announcement, Minister Browne outlined the Government’s response which followed ‘unprecedented’ levels of rainfall in Bridgetown which was subject to flooding in Christmas 2021. In July 2022, Government funding amounting to €157,770 was directed towards the provision of demountable flood gates and barriers on affected properties in Bridgetown. ‘Today, I’m delighted to confirm that my Government colleagues and I have approved the allocation of €70,200 towards a feasibility study on the impact of last year’s flood while also examining mitigation and prevention options, including modelling of the options. The funding approval shows how my Government colleagues and I are keen to do whatever it takes to avoid a repeat of last year’s flash flooding in Bridgetown,’ Minister Browne said. n Environment Awards night

On Monday 14th November 2022, the Wexford County Council Annual Environment Awards night was held at the Ferrycarrig Hotel celebrating environmental and voluntary effort all over the county. Over 250 children, community groups, volunteers, resident groups and individuals turned up on the night to see their wonderful efforts acknowledged by Wexford County Council. There were presentations and awards to 15 schools, 57 community groups and 4 individuals. The overall winner of the Keep Wexford Beautiful Competition was Enniscorthy Community Allotments, with Master of Ceremonies for the night, Alan McGuire, stating as he announced this award that, “In February 2021 a group of keen gardening enthusiasts got together with the idea of setting up a community allotment. The aim of the group was to promote the practice of horticulture between members, especially children. In April 2022 the allotment opened to members and the transformation of the site has been truly remarkable. Amateur gardeners benefit from the advice of their more knowledgeable allotment neighbours. The project stimulates social interaction, encourages self-reliance, and promotes sustainable growing and healthy eating. Organic and chemical-free growing is promoted. The allotments are made up of 64 plots, 20 raised beds, and 60 polytunnels. But it’s not just individual gardeners who are availing of the chance to be involved in a sustainable growing project that also encourages biodiversity. Local organisations such as Hope Cancer Support Centre, Wexford Community Workshop, and Wexford Residential and Disability Support Services are also involved.” n

Green loans from Enniscorthy Credit Union

Need to retrofit your cold, 1970s house? Enniscorthy Credit Union’s Green Loan is designed to help you do just that – with one of its lowest rates for a loan 5.25% (5.4% APR) you can save money, save energy and save the environment with Enniscorthy Credit Union! Talk to them today at 053 9233835 or email: loans@enniscorthycu.ie n These six ‘R’s can save our planet!

Refuse single use plastics (bags, cups, etc) Rethink your choices Reuse as much as possible Repair before you replace Recycle all packaging and plastic bottles Rot all your organic stuff and put it back into the soil n Did you know?

Did you know that people use a plastic bottle for an average of 11 minutes? Meanwhile it takes up to 450 years to decompose! Reusable bottles are becoming more and more popular and thankfully there are now a number of locations on the streets of Enniscorthy where you can fill them with water for free. So if you want to do one thing today for nature, avoid using disposable plastic bottles. n

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!

The end of the year is always the best time to start thinking about what we want to achieve in the next year and to write down our New Year’s resolutions. Despite our best intentions, these resolutions can sometimes be hard to stick to.

With climate change and climate action being hot topics at the moment, some people might choose for their New Year’s Resolution in 2023 to be greener and help our planet and marine environment. However, making a huge commitment or pledging to do too many things to be greener in the New Year can feel overwhelming and could end up discouraging people from achieving their goals. For this reason, with the “New Year, New You” video campaign, Clean Coasts are asking people in Wexford to choose a realistic and achievable New Year’s resolution, that people can stick to through the year: a #2minutebeachclean. The video – produced by Clean Coasts and Cube Media –shows Dave (played by Bryan Quinn) trying to go into 2023 being better and greener by being more conscious of the environment. However, after several failed attempts, he begins to lose hope until he comes across a #2minutebeachclean board on the beach and realises that being green can be just as simple. We have all seen marine litter along Ireland’s coastline and for all the beach lovers out there, the new year is an opportunity to do something about it in just 2 minutes! Taking part in the campaign entails taking two minutes when you are outdoors to remove litter that you see along the way. We ask for all participants to share images of what they collect on social media, adding the #2minutebeachclean hashtag to the photos to spread the word and inspire more people to take action. The campaign’s aim is to let people know that they don’t need to commit to a huge New Year’s resolution that they may not be able to sustain to the end of the year, but a #2minutebeachclean is an easy pledge to make that is flexible, doable and can be built on as your green year moves forward. To help people stick to their pledge, Clean Coasts is giving away #2minutebeachclean kits to the first 200 people to pledge to this New Year’s Resolution.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Community Manager, said: “The #2minutebeachclean is such a great initiative to get involved in. People may think 2 minutes is a very short time to make a difference, but small actions add up to make a big difference. Every piece of plastic removed from the marine environment is no longer a danger to our marine life and environment. Each #2minutebeachclean is estimated to weigh in at 1-2kg. If everybody in Ireland does a #2minutebeachclean per month in 2023, that’s over 100,000 tonnes of litter removed from our ocean.”

To sign up to receive your own #2minutebeachclean kit, visit the website at https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/2minutebeach and pledge to do a #2minutebeachclean. New Year's Resolution #2minutebeachclean video: https:/https://youtu.be/i3TTF n

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