Episode 07

(Eco Eye s2/e1)

Waste Prevention and Packaging Levies
Each person living in Ireland generates an average of 375kg of household waste each year, an increase of 13.6% since 1998. Because most of this waste ends up in landfills, which are now full to overflowing, the government has had to spend time and money trying to find new ways of destroying or burying the problem. Product packaging is one of the worst examples of gratuitous waste. Most of it can’t be recycled and will never be re-used. It’s all about sales, with little thought for its environmental impact. Being able to remove the packaging on products before you leave the supermarket is something other EU countries actually encourage and provide facilities for. Ireland has yet to follow suit. The levy on plastic bags proved very effective but why can’t we take it one step further and do the same for unnecessary packaging? EcoEye went along with one mother on her weekly family shopping trip to estimate the total cost of this excessive packaging.

Light Pollution
In Ireland today, the unassisted human eye has little or no chance of seeing the Milky Way and it’s all down to one thing – light pollution. Most people are unaware, but due to badly designed streetlights, spot-lit buildings, service stations, domestic home lights and countless other sources, we are slowly eroding the night sky. Not only does light pollution effect astronomy it also has a strong impact on wildlife, when night and day can’t be easily differentiated. But beyond this, inappropriate, skyward-pointing light isn’t just detrimental to visibility; it is also a terrible waste of energy. EcoEye speaks to Professor Mark Bailey, Director of the Armagh Observatory, about the effects of this inefficient use of energy and asked him what can be done to tackle this growing problem.

Integrating Landscaping for Roads
As the National Roads Authority pumps up to €22 billion into the construction of new roads throughout Ireland, the demand for plants and trees to be laid out on their verges increases. Irish drivers have become accustomed to seeing regimented strips of quasi-parkland on roads for decades. But although neatly manicured rows may look good, ecologists are now asking us to look beyond their visual appeal and consider these motorway verges as habitats in their own right. EcoEye speaks to Thomas Burns, Landscape Architect, and Kevin Collins, Forestry Inspector with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources who explain the benefits of indigenous landscaping.

Biogas
Biogas is a dual technology; this means it generates renewable energy and recycles biological waste. In programme 3, EcoEye visited the Camphill Community in Co. Kilkenny to view the extraordinary ecological lifestyles that the people who live within the community lead. In this week’s programme we return to Camphill to see how renewable biogas has delivered heat and power to the community. Biogas turns waste into fuel and generates no pollution; once established it is cheap to run and the raw materials it consumes are free; there are no CO2 emissions and it also benefits farmers as it treats slurry and produces fertiliser. EcoEye speaks to Mark Dwan who explains the considerable benefits of biogas to the Camphill community and to the environment in general.