Episode 07

(Eco Eye s4/e7)

Waste Electrical Goods: It’s astonishing, the growing amount of electrical goods we purchase and consume each year. We take for granted their convenience and benefits to our lifestyles. They range from household white goods like, washing machines, fridges, vacuum cleaners, electronic equipment for entertainment like stereos and tv’s, to computers, mobile phones and small electronic gadgets and toys. Unfortunately we are constantly upgrading to newer, more stylish models and discarding the old with no responsible way of disposing. Up until now most ended up in landfill or was dumped illegally. The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive known as the WEEE was implemented by Ireland last August. We talk to Enterprise Ireland, the Consumers’ Association of Ireland and the EPA about how it operates and the benefits to householders and the environment. We visit Electronic Recycling in Finglas and see how they can give a new life to old computers. We also call to Micropro in Rathfarnham who design and make innovative computers that are modular, upgradeable, recyclable and who will soon be awarded the Eco label.

Transport: Ireland is now the highest emitter of CO2 from transport in Europe, increased 2½ times since 1990. The reason is our over-reliance on cars and lack of public transport. We drive the longest distances in Europe – the average Irish car travels 24,000km per year, usually with a single occupant. Our biggest problem for transport is sprawl and in the last 10 years our developments have spread out and commuter distance has nearly doubled with 3 hours commuting every day. This lifestyle is very unsustainable and if petrol and diesel costs rise rapidly many people may not be able to afford to travel to work. We also have a major challenge to reduce our nitrogen oxide emissions to half our present levels. In recent years we have invested hugely in motorways but neglected rail and public transport. Practically all of our goods travel by road instead of rail and CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles is much higher than from rail, trucks are also a source pollution, congestion and accidents. However, there are solutions, such as car-pooling, using public transport, cycling and walking. Living much closer to work and to public transport is the ultimate solution.

Windfarms in Ireland: We’re consuming more and more electricity in our everyday lives. 95% of this is from fossil fuels and we import 90% in gas, oil and coal, creating huge increases in our CO2 emissions. We are now facing huge fines for non-compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. Fuel costs are rising rapidly and will continue to do so and electricity will rise in proportion to this. We have a solution – it’s blowing over us – it’s wind! Ireland has the greatest potential in Europe to develop this technology – the same wind turbine located here will produce twice as much energy as in Germany. Ireland has been very slow to encourage wind energy and we are way behind countries like Denmark, Germany, Spain etc. We visit some good examples, like Airtricity’s recent windfarm development at Ballybofey, 72 megawatts, the largest so far in Ireland. We also visit their off-shore windfarm at Arklow Bank, the seven biggest wind turbines in the world (at 3.6 megawatts each). We talk to farmers in West Cork who have developed a small windfarm and discuss the benefits. With an energy crisis looming in Ireland, wind energy is the solution for our electricity needs – totally clean, an infinite supply and Irish produced. The technology is well-proven and cost effective but we desperately need more Government incentives and access to an effective grid!