Ireland is preparing to host a major international Congress on Water, Climate and Energy over six days at the Dublin Convention Centre, from 13th -18th May. Several hundred delegates from over 60 countries will debate with world experts in various disciplines, the issues that impact on all facets of water, climate, energy and food – against the ever present backdrop of climate change.

The World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy is organised by the International Water Association (IWA) and will be opened by MEP Mairead McGuinness. Topics for discussion will include water treatment technologies; water resource management; waste-water and energy; the economics of water, planning and sustainable development.  Irish delegates are likely to be particularly interested in topical sessions on fracking and onsite wastewater treatment systems/septic tanks.

Speakers include:

* WCE Context –Paul Reiter (IWA); Mr PJ Rudden (President, EngineersIreland)

* Utility Efficiency – Dr Theo Schmidt (Vewin); Dr Martin Cullen (Intel Corporation)

* Climate Justice/Policy Coherence – Mary Robinson (Climate Justice Foundation); Kevin Parris (OECD)

* Smart Liveable Cities – Paul Brown (CDMSmith); Dr Colin Harrison (IBM)

* Infrastructure/Governance – Khoo Teng Chye (MEWR); Dr Genevieve Ferone (Veolia)

* ndustry Panel Debate – Moderator Dr Glen Daigger (Ch2MHill), IWA President

* Global Sustainability –  Einari Kisel (WEC); Dr Peter Heiland (SicAdapt);

* Technology and Innovation – Dr James Barnard (Black &Veatch); Dr Jonathan Clement (PWN).

Visit www.iwa-wcedublin.org to register for the IWA Congress.

NI Water has completed a major new reservoir at Ballylone. The new reservoir will increase the security and flexibility of the water supply for over 5,000 customers in the Ballynahinch, Crossgar and Killyleagh areas.

Almost £1 million was invested in this new reservoir, which has a capacity of approximately 5.6 mega litres. This is the equivalent to the amount of water needed to fill approximately 2 Olympic size swimming pools.

”This project is just one example of the level of investment required to improve water and wastewater services throughout Northern Ireland,” says project manager, Gary McFadden.

The contractor for the Ballylone Reservoir Project was Lagan Construction, with McAdam Design as designers and Capita Symonds as project managers.

The Environment Section of Clare County Council has announced details of its annual environmental inspection plan which sets out a planned work programme aimed at maintaining and enhancing County Clare’s natural environment. The Plan sets out the inspection criteria for environmental inspections across all of the environment work areas including water, waste, air quality, noise and agriculture. It also sets the targets for undertaking inspections of regulated facilities and the method for dealing with complaints, enforcement actions and prosecutions.

The Plan has been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency, which defines the schedule of inspections which will be undertaken during 2011.

In 2010, over 3,600 inspections were carried out by waste enforcement staff of Clare County Council covering, among other things, investigation of waste and litter complaints, inspections of permitted waste facilities, visits to tyre outlets and vehicle checkpoints to monitor movement of waste.

A similar level of activity is taking place under the 2011 environmental inspection plan with a particular focus on unauthorised sites used for disposal of end-of-life or scrap vehicles, proper recycling of organic waste by households and businesses and the appropriate management and collection of waste tyres.

NI Water has been fined £2,000 after pleading guilty to causing a pollution incident from Masserene Sewage Pumping Station (SPS) in the vicinity of Clotworthy Bridge, Antrim on May 3rd 2010. The incident was linked to a blockage caused by inappropriate items that resulted in a discharge into a nearby watercourse.

NI Water has asked for the publics’ assistance in reducing pollution incidents by not placing inappropriate items in the toilet, down a drain or into the sewers. “Inappropriate items include cotton buds, nappies, sanitary items, household wipes and condoms which regularly make their way through the sewerage system and block the pumps at our Pumping Stations. This can cause harm to property, wildlife and the environment,” explains a spokesperson for NI Water. “Whilst NI Water has a responsibility for the sewerage system, everyone in Northern Ireland can help reduce pollution incidents. The advice is simple, only toilet roll and human waste should be flushed down the toilet, for everything else – bag it and bin it, don’t flush it.”

Throughout the process, NI Water cooperated fully with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. NI Water is working to reduce these occurrences by investing in water and wastewater services to bring them up to an acceptable standard and is pleased to announce that a new, replacement SPS became operational in September 2010. With completion of investment programmes such as this, NI Water is confident that pollution incidents will become less common.

Businesses can cut energy, waste and water costs by up to 50% below the Irish average by implementing efficient environmental strategies, according to the Green Hospitality Programme (GHP). The GHP is calling on businesses to be more aware of the opportunities available to them if they ‘go green’.

The GHP, an Irish certification programme designed for the tourism and hospitality industry which awards businesses who meet prescribed environmental criteria, is highlighting the many benefits of good environmental practice to Irish businesses through a series of free workshops around the country in 2011. The next stage in the workshop series will take place in Dublin and Cork, and the GHP is inviting interested hospitality businesses to attend to find out how easy it is to become more environmentally friendly and reduce costs as a result.

The upcoming workshops in Dublin and Cork will include a special Energy Master Class on the following topics: ‘Buying Energy Smartly’, ‘Power Optimisation’ ‘21st Century Lighting for Hospitality Businesses’. There will also be two general workshops on in each location – one for certified GHP members and one for new members or interested parties who want to learn more about the certification process. All Green Hospitality members are encouraged to attend one of the workshops in order to keep informed of developments in environmental management and developments in the GHP.

“Our hotel and guesthouse members have made savings of up to €2,000 per bedroom annually by being environmentally proactive. This can make a significant difference to businesses looking to compete in these challenging times,” points out said James Hogan, director of GHP. “By adopting the green criteria, they are not only having a positive impact on their bottom line, but also they are also achieving an internationally recognised environmental certification, becoming legally compliant and tapping into a whole new market both in Ireland and abroad which is demanding environmentally friendly businesses”

Upcoming Green Hospitality Workshops:

* 20th April, International Airport Hotel, Cork.

* 4th May, Stillorgan Park Hotel, Dublin.

The workshops are free of charge and open to anyone who might be interested. For more information or to register your attendance for a workshop, email info@ghaward.ie or phone Mary Hilliard on 021-435 4688. Alternatively visit www.greenhospitality.ie.

Building on its successful relationship with Northern Ireland Water, WYG has won a contract to help improve water quality for residents of east Belfast. The Leeds-based consultancy will be designing, managing and co-ordinating construction design management on a new £750,000 project to reduce out-of-sewer spills to water courses. This project forms part of a larger eight year framework.

For over seven years, WYG has been managing Northern Ireland Water’s Integrated Wastewater Framework which is designed to reduce the risk of flooding and improve water quality for the eastern region of Northern Ireland.

“Since the project is located centrally in the Connswater Greenway scheme, the design and construction work will be undertaken considerately to its surroundings. The Greenway will create a 9km linear park through east Belfast, following the course of the Connswater, Knock and Loop Rivers, which makes the location environmentally sensitive,” comments Ernie Spence, associate of WYG. “Throughout the project we will be focused on alleviating disturbance to the surroundings, working in a sustainable manner through the design and construction phases. Our design involves converting concepts developed using hydraulic modelling into buildable solutions, whilst minimising environmental impact and providing value for money.”

Northern Ireland has inherited a legacy of acute underinvestment in water and sewerage systems, which has led to significant disparity when compared with the rest of the UK’s water industry, in particular in the areas of out of sewer flooding and water mains leakage. However, last year saw some £778m being invested in water and wastewater infrastructure – £174m in water treatment and storage facilities and mains improvement and £614m in wastewater collection and treatment systems.

WYG will be replacing a combined sewer overflow chamber, associated pipework and outfall structures. The project is anticipated to be completed in December 2011.

Wind power uses less water than almost any other power generation technology, the Global Wind Energy Council has emphasized. The wind industry is calling on policy makers to take this into account in the critical and urgent decisions which will determine the character of the world’s power generation infrastructure for decades to come.

Some 40% of the world’s population already live in water-stressed areas, and population growth and industrialisation will put further pressure on water availability. Given the high levels of water use in conventional power generation, increasing power demand will aggravate the situation. As a result, global water demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030 under a business-as-usual approach.

“Water scarcity is now a pressing issue in many parts of the world, and this will be exacerbated by climate change,” points out Steve Sawyer, general secretary of GWEC. “Wind power can make a considerable contribution to conserving the world’s valuable water resources. Unlike most other power sources, which consume huge amounts of water that could be used much more productively for human consumption and agriculture, wind power generation does not use any water.”

Wind power generation actively conserves water and can help alleviate water shortages, according to research carried out by leading wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems. While conventional fossil fuel and nuclear power plants, which make up 78% of global electricity production, use water for cooling and condensing the steam that drives the turbines, wind power generation requires practically no water. As a result, wind power can save more than 2,000 litres of water per MWh of produced electricity. The US Department of Energy estimates that 20% of wind power in the US power system by 2030 would save as much as 4 trillion gallons (15 trillion litres) of water, equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 9 million US citizens.

The research also shows that many parts of the world that are already or will be facing water scarcity are at the same time blessed with winds suitable for wind power production. Exploiting this rich resource would bring numerous economic and climate change benefits, and also help conserve scarce water resources.

“The global power sector is the largest industrial water user, and it has to start addressing the issue of water consumption, especially in the light of rising electricity demand, and increasing droughts created by the world’s changing climate,” concluded Steve Sawyer. “To mitigate climate change, the power sector not only needs to become CO2 free, but also dramatically reduce its water consumption. Wind energy provides a sustainable solution to both these challenges.”

The water and carbon footprint of wasted household food in the UK has been identified for the first time, highlighting the major environmental consequences of food waste, both domestically and globally.

The report, ‘The Water and Carbon Footprint of Household Food Waste in the UK’ – jointly published by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and WWF found that water used to produce food that householders in the UK then waste represents 6% of the UK’s water requirements, (6.2 billion cubic metres per year), a quarter of which originates in the UK.

The 6.2 billion cubic metres of water used to produce the 5.3 million tonnes of food that householders waste every year is nearly twice the annual household water usage of the UK.

The same wasted food also represents 3% of the UK’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions (14 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent) with further emissions arising abroad (6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent). In total, these greenhouse gas emissions are the same as those created by 7 million cars each year.

The work follows reports in 2008 and 2009 by WWF and WRAP which identified that UK households throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink waste every year, 60% of which (5.3 million tonnes) could have been eaten. By discarding that food, the water and energy that was used to grow and process those foods is not recovered, giving off greenhouse gas emissions that could have been avoided.

The report also goes on to identify the countries of origin for wasted food and looks at the context of water scarcity in those regions in the shape of case studies.

Liz Goodwin, chief executive of WRAP, says the new findings provide fresh context for the organisation’s work to prevent food waste: “These figures are quite staggering. The water footprint for wasted food – 280 litres per person, per day – is nearly twice the average daily household water use of the UK, 150 litres per person per day.”

She continues: “The greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste are greater than those already saved by the total amount of household recycling that takes place in the UK. Although greenhouse gas emissions have been widely discussed, the water used to produce food and drink has been overlooked until recently. However, growing concern over the availability of water in the UK and abroad, and security of supply of food, means that it is vital we understand the connections between food waste, water and climate change.”

Some progress has already been made. Through WRAP’s work with retailers, food and drink manufacturers and local authorities, 670,000 tonnes of food waste were prevented between 2005 and 2009. That means the waste of 670 billion litres of water has been avoided, but clearly still more needs to be done.

Dr David Tickner, head of Freshwater Programmes at WWF-UK, comments: “Responsibility for improving the way in which water is managed lies primarily with governments and other stakeholders in affected river basins. But companies, policy-makers and consumers in the UK can help.  Put simply, wasting less food can, in a small but very significant way, help dry rivers to flow again.”

Professor Frank Convery will step down as chairperson of Comhar Sustainable Development Council (SDC) on 31st December 2010. Comhar Sustainable Development Council was established in 1999 as the forum for national consultation and dialogue on all issues relating to sustainable development.

The Council has 25 members drawn from five pillars: the State sector, the economic sector, environmental NGOs, social / community NGOs, and the professional/academic sector. Comhar SDC is supported by a full-time executive and secretariat.

“I’ve been chairing Comhar SDC now for five years. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege, but it is time to move on. Most of us have only a few big ideas: mine included getting the prices right for greenhouse gases and water. For the past three years, I produced a bi-weekly commentary to stimulate discussion about sustainability. This regularly raised eyebrows and solicited reaction,” says Professor Convery. “I believe that it is now time to provide space for a fresh and different sort of leadership at Comhar SDC.”

December 21, 2010

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has launched its fourth Environment State and Outlook report (SOER 2010). This report provides an overview of the state of Europe’s environment, how and why it is changing, and what we are doing about it.

The Environmental Protection Agency provided Ireland’s input into the SOER 2010 analysis through the EPA’s Environment in Focus website. Environment in Focus provides accessible, up-to-date environmental indicators and analysis arranged under seven themes – climate change, air, water, waste, land, nature and socio-economics.

Dr Mary Kelly, EPA director general.

Dr Mary Kelly, EPA director general, comments: “The EPA welcomes the publication of the EEA SOER 2010 report. Many of the issues highlighted by the EEA as challenges for the European environment are also issues in Ireland, as demonstrated by the analysis provided to the EEA through Environment in Focus.”

The EEA report states that a fully integrated approach to transforming Europe to a resource-efficient green economy can result, not only in a healthy environment, but also in a boost to prosperity and social cohesion.

“We support the EEA findings that the transition to a genuinely green economy has substantial benefits, not only for the environment, but also for the economy and society as a whole,” agrees Dr Kelly. “It would give us an opportunity to ensure that economic growth, when it returns, is sustainable. This is an important consideration, particularly in these difficult economic times.”

The report confirms that environmental policy, and actions in related areas, in the European Union and neighbouring countries have delivered substantial environmental improvements. Yet many challenges remain. There are increasing demands on natural resources to feed, clothe, house and transport people. Increased understanding of the links between climate change, biodiversity, resource use and people’s health all point to growing pressures on land, rivers and seas.

The EEA calls for increased resource efficiency and environmental protection, a better understanding of the value of the environment in monetary terms and a reflection of this in market prices – for example through environmental taxes. The Environment State and Outlook report 2010 encourages a greater understanding of the state of the environment and its future outlook and calls for an increased engagement of the public in developing environmental policy.

The Environment State and Outlook report – SOER2010 is available on the EEA website at www.eea.europa.eu/soer/synthesis/synthesis.

The second European Week for Waste Reduction runs from 20th to 28th November 2010. The idea of the European Week for Waste Reduction is to raise awareness about the waste reduction strategies of EU and Member States, and to encourage behaviour changes to promote more sustainable consumption and production.

Thirty organising authorities across 16 different EU Member States are taking part. In Ireland, over 46 different events are planned all around the country aimed at the general public as well as business and other organisations. These events are designed to highlight the ongoing work being done on waste prevention and resource efficiency in the areas of waste, water and energy.

The following prevention partner organisations have been involved in developing the events: Repak/EPA Packaging Prevention Programme, Green Hospitality Programme, Clean Technology Centre, An Taisce Green Home/Schools, NUI Galway and Green Business along with local authorities in Kilkenny, Carlow, Monaghan, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Clare and Kerry.

Over 46 different events are planned throughout the week at different locations around the country many of which are open to the general public. These range from the release of the 6th Report of the National Waste Prevention Programme by the EPA, to business seminars and public information events in a wide variety of locations. National and local radio advertising is being used to raise awareness in conjunction with regional newspapers. A website at www.ewwr.ie has been set up to provide details of the different events around the country.

In Ireland, the European Week for Waste Reduction is co-ordinated by the EPA-led National Waste Prevention Programme. The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is part of a three year project supported by the Life+ Programme of the European Commission.

Members of the public are being invited to attend the first Royal Society lecture at Queen’s University in 20 years. Professor Charles Godfray, Fellow of the Royal Society, will speak on ‘Feeding Sustainably 9 Billion People’, at the University next Monday evening (22nd November). In his talk he will address the challenges presented by continuing population and consumption growth and an increasing global demand for food.

“Queen’s University and the people of Northern Ireland have a proud reputation for making a positive difference around the world and addressing the needs of the world’s poorest. I look forward to discussing with people what we can do to ensure sustainable and equitable food security, against the challenges of climate change and growing competition for land, water and energy,” says Professor Godfray.

Professor Tony Gallagher, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Planning, Staffing and External Relations remarks: “Through its Institute for a Sustainable World, Queen’s is actively working to tackle the areas raised by Profressor Godfray, and in doing so, is making a real difference to people’s lives around the world. The topic of the lecture is one that is relevant to all of us, and I would encourage people to come along on Monday evening and attend what will no doubt be a stimulating and thought-provoking evening.”

Those interested in attending The Royal Society Lecture should contact Paul Cochrane via email at p.cochrane@qub.ac.uk or by telephone on 028 9097 5323. Admission is free but places should be reserved. The lecture takes place at 6.30pm in G024 in the Peter Froggatt Centre on the main campus at Queen’s.