Turn the Tide on The Climate Crisis

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

What Impact will climate change have for Ireland?

The EPA’s Climate Change Research Programme carries out relevant and up to date studies on climate change in Ireland.  Analysis of the meteorological records shows that Ireland’s climate is changing in line with global patterns.

Temperature Trend

The clearest trend is evident in the temperature records which show a mean temperature increase of 0.7o C between 1890 and 2008, i.e. an increase of 0.06o C per decade. The increase was 0.4o C during the period 1980-2008, i.e. equivalent to 0.14o C per decade. 

Other Indicators

  • Six of the ten warmest years in Ireland have occurred since 1990
  • A reduction in the number of frost days and shortening of frost season length
  • An increase in annual rainfall in northern and western areas with decreases or small increases in the south and east.
  • These changes are reflected in Ireland’s natural environment with an increase in the growing season and with greater number of animals suited to warmer temperatures being evident in Ireland and its surrounding waters.

Ocean Acidification

In more recent years, another significant issue has emerged. Ocean Acidification will have harmful effects on marine organisms and has the potential to disrupt global marine ecosystems. For more information see the Marine Institute’s report External linkOcean Acidification: An Emerging Threat to our Marine Environment. 

Future Adverse Impacts

Climate change impacts are projected to increase in the coming decades and during the rest of this century. Uncertainties remain in relation to the scale and extent of these impacts, particularly during the second half of the century. The greatest uncertainly lies in how effective global actions will be in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Predicted adverse impacts include:

  • sea level rise,
  • more intense storms and rainfall events,
  • increased likelihood and magnitude of river and coastal flooding and
  • water shortages in summer in the east
  • adverse impacts on water quality
  • changes in distribution of plant and animal species
  • effects on fisheries sensitive to changes in temperature
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Warming at the Poles

Warming at the poles will soon be felt globally in rising seas, extreme weather.  Ice loss, permafrost thaw, fires. 

Trouble in the Arctic and Antarctic could cause shocks to the world’s weather and sea levels sooner than thought, says a new study.

 

Top 10 Things You Can Do Now to Help The Planet

The scale of the challenges facing our planet can seem daunting, but we can all do something. Here are 10 simple ways you can help reduce your impact, and help in the fight against climate change.

 

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Working for Rural Ireland: Minister Anne Rabbitte hosts public meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue

Minister of State and Galway East, Anne Rabbitte, was delighted to host a productive public meeting “Working for Rural Ireland" with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD on Tuesday May 23 in the Athenry Community Hall. The meeting...

Government announces huge uptake of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. announced there has been significant uptake in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) which opened on 20th March 2023. As of the closing date of midnight on 22nd May 2023, there were over...

Portumna shortlisted for two awards at the annual .IE Digital Town Awards

Congratulations to Portumna and the Galway Wild Geese team who are nominated as Finalists in the 2023 .IE Digital Town Awards. The .IE Digital Town Awards Gala event will take place at the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone on May 24,2024. Portumna are nominated this year...

Government approves Ireland’s first ever Clean Air Strategy

The Government has approved Ireland’s first Clean Air Strategy. It sets out the framework needed – across Government – to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner ambient air. This will ultimately save lives, make our towns and cities more liveable and improve our...

Minister Rabbitte opens new hub in Pfizer Ireland for people with intellectual disabilities

Minister Anne Rabbitte has opened a new hub in Pfizer Ireland, offering a paid internship for people with intellectual disabilities to learn about the world of work. The new hub has been created by WALK Ireland, in in partnership with Pfizer Ireland and CPL Ireland...

A further €17.8m invested in innovative and novel technologies under Calls 4 & 5 of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund bringing total investment from the fund to €306m

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney TD, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD,...

New Measures to tackle pollution, biodiversity loss and climate impacts on Ireland’s Seas 

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD and the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD, have today announced a programme of measures designed to target the pressures on Ireland’s marine environment....

The Zero Project – Innovating for a more inclusive world

The Zero Project is a unique initiative that aims to promote the rights of persons with disabilities around the world. The project was started in 2008 by the Essl Foundation in Austria, with the goal of identifying innovative policies and practices that can help...

Government announces biggest ever St Patrick’s Day Programme, marking “100 years of Ireland in the World”

The Government today announced the 2023 St Patrick's Day programme, which will see the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Government Ministers take part in an extensive international programme to promote Ireland and Irish interests around the world. This year’s programme will...

Approval for 11 biodiversity officers to bring national total to 25

11 local authorities have been awarded funding to appoint biodiversity officers to drive local action for biodiversity conservation. This will bring to 25 the total number of biodiversity officers in local authorities across Ireland, following last year’s approval for...

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