The dereliction of estates in Moyross is shocking. The segregation of the community from adjoining estates and the Limerick Institute of Technology by high, razor tipped walls is striking. But there is a buzz to the place, an active community and people are optimistic about regeneration.
Following discussions with residents in Moyross, Southill and Ballinacurra-Weston - the areas that are the focus of the regeneration effort in Limerick - Village put to Brendan Kenny the concerns voiced by residents about regeneration. Many had not received in writing assurances on housing in the regenerated 'villages'; hopeowners were unsure if they would be accomodated as tenants or as home-owners in the new villages. These are the assurances that were given by Mr Kenny, Chief Executive of the Regeneration Agencies:
A story on the regeneration of Limerick in the January 2008 issue of Village (printed edition) incorrectly states that Mary McAleese was a reporter with Today Tonight when it recorded a programme on social exclusion in Southill in 1982. Mary McAleese was a lecturer in the Law Department at Trinity College Dublin at the time and appeared on Today Tonight as a panelist, not a reporter. Mary McAleese had previously been an reporter with RTE but Hilary Orpen undertook this particular report from Southill.
Past attempts to introduce a carbon tax in Ireland were contentious and ultimately failed. With the Green Party now in government, Ireland should look to other countries for best practice in carbon policy. By Sheila Killen
1 Walk or cycle instead of driving for short journeys – it costs nothing and is good for you.
2 Turn your heating down to a comfortable 20ºC – lowering your thermostat by 1ºC will knock 10 per cent off your heating bill.
3Buy ‘A' rated kitchen appliances(energy efficient) - they cost less to run and over time will give you considerable savings on your electricity bill.
4 Don't overfill your kettle - boil only as much water as you need.
All buildings being constructed, sold or rented in Ireland will soon require a Bulding Energy Rating, but the measurement system used in Ireland is not accurate.
A booming trade in ‘carbon credits' has emerged from the greenhouse gas emission targets set by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.
The Village guide to sustainability in the home assesses different types of sustainable energy and the government grants available for them, gives guidelines on how to calculate your energy costs and investigates a model for an Irish eco-village.
George Monbiot is a journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist in the UK and author of Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning. He writes a weekly column for the Guardian newspaper. Here he advises Britain on how to reduce their carbon emissions, as well as issues such as climate change censorship, and climate change solutions.
We are nowhere near accepting the kind of radical policies required to halt the degradation of our planet. Almost certainly much further damage will be caused before there is a public realisation of what is required.