An Taisce produces a bi-annual magazine, which contains articles on An Taisce and the work that it is undertaking as well as articles of environmental importance.
Download the Spring 2009 edition here ...
Download the Summer 2008 edition here ...
Download the Summer 2007 edition here ...
Download the Spring 2007 edition here ...
Download the Summer 2006 edition here ...
Spring 2009 Editorial by Judy OsborneFollowing the theme of the last magazine (summer 2008) which focused on the failure of an unregulated economic system and the lack of environmental consideration, this magazine focuses entirely on energy and how its supply and demand impacts on every aspect of An Taisce’s work.
A number of articles feature the experience of our heritage officer regarding proper planning and development, a dispersed spatial pattern and unsustainable transport policies. In the area of the natural environment we see the impact of wind farms in bogland and the need to consider environmental assessment to ensure there are no unintended consequences. An Taisce’s Property Department have been walking the talk and ensuring our own property develops good energy conservation and a number of pieces from the education Unit illustrate the success of our projects in bringing our message to people through schools and the wider community.
If, as a nation, we don’t get energy policy right – if we don’t bring environmental awareness into every aspect of economic and social planning we will not emerge from the current shakeout in a fit state to enjoy any quality of life in the 21st century. It is this understanding that An Taisce, as part of the Irish Environmental Network, hope to bring to a renewed Social Partnership…and it is to support others who share this view that we have recently appointed a Local Association Officer Abby McSherry, who will be visiting every area of the country offering professional support and training to members. But more of this and all the Local Association news in the upcoming Annual report that comes with the AGM in June.
Download the Spring 2009 edition here ...
Summer 2008 Editorial by Judy Osborne
Since the last magazine in the summer of 2007 life has been pretty hectic. There is now a growing acceptance of the need to come up with ideas on how to adapt to climate change and, with a new Green Party Minister John Gormely at the Department of the Environment, the sense of urgency to get the policies right only intensifies. An Taisce want to be there, contributing from 60 years of experience and local knowledge from all parts of the country, offering suggestion in response to draft government policies, helping kids in school to find new ways of reducing their carbon footprint, asking An Bord Pleanala to review applications for development that seem to be contrary to national policy particularly regarding car dependency and loss of bio diversity.
In order to do all this more effectively we have been focusing on streamlining our administrative processes in line with a new strategic policy, which members read about in the last newsletter. Hopefully the fruits of our labour will soon become evident and we will begin to see real change.
Sometimes its hard to keep the faith and a couple of articles in this magazine discuss the difficulties in meeting environmental imperatives in society led by economic systems that take no account of the finite nature of resources or the earth’s capacity to absorb waste and carbon. Will European laws help us resolve the tensions? Notes from a recent conference from the Faculty of law in UCC shed some light
on this subject.
Climate change will of course affect the built heritage but so too will society’s values and there are some interesting photomontages of Dublin to set you thinking.
Download the Summer 2008 edition here ...
Summer 2007 Editorial by Judy Osborne
Whichever government is now in power, and whoever is now Minister for the Environment, we can be sure that the next decade will be quite different from the last. The pace of development has been frantic. The housing and commercial stock has doubled and unfortunately little of it is appropriate for the 21st century with inevitable global warming and high energy and resource costs. Leisure facilities have also multiplied. Hotels, Spas and golf courses have sought to take advantage of new found wealth and the beautiful settings provided by the Irish landscape – and ofcourse all requiring enormous supplies of sand, stone and cement. These are the issues covered in this magazine, together with interesting contributions on these topics from experts in Northern Ireland.
All this building activity has put great strain on An Taisce, who, like national and local government, has had to gear up to meet the challenge set out in our constitution to promote the conservation, renewal and permanent preservation for the benefit of the nation, of land and buildings and other artefacts of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social, technical or other relevant interest and, as far as practical, of nature and biodiversity.
As Lloyd Praeger, our founder, said nearly 60 years ago, “these things of beauty or of human interest need protection against dilapidation, against injury, whether caused by carelessness, ignorance or ruthlessness, against sequestration for private ends, and in recent times often against the action of public bodies”.
Whatever the government the problems seem to stay the same so we must be ready to respond. Hopefully many readers will make the trip to Galway on Saturday 23rd June for the AGM where everyone will have the chance to participate in preparing for the next big push towards more sustainable development.
Download the Summer 2007 edition here ...
Spring 2007 Editorial by Judy Osborne
Finally another magazine is ready. (sorry for the delay!) I notice that there is nothing much in this edition apparently about global warming whilst all around the national press are, at last, full of it. Yet in fact all of An Taisce’s work is about climate change and sustainable devlopment too. The planning issues involved in the building of new roads and uncontrolled urban sprawl, cleary outlined in Ian Lumley’s notes on pages 20 — 24. are closely related to issues ofglobal warming. Sprawling communities are extremely wasteful of limited resources and this pattern of development has led to Ireland being the most car dependent society, which will surely become a major issue as we struggle to cut emissions.
Another main feature in this edition is the importance of biodiversity. Why does it matter? What are we doing about it in Ireland and what are we doing about it in An Taisce? Hopefully the contributions in the magazine will help to link the global and local aspects for you.
Finally I would like to draw to your attention the book reviews - particularly the sequence around the theme of Rural Ireland and the Environmental Movement. Here is a description of half a dozen these that pick up on different areas. What I pick up from them all is a need to do better! Hopefully An Taisce will continue to rise to the challengeDown load the Spring 2007 edition here ...
Summer 2006 Editorial by Judy Osborne
As I put this magazine together I was constantly aware of the main premise in the book ‘Collapse’ that I had recently read. Studies of ancient societies that no longer flourish show a number of common characteristics – the depletion of natural resources including forests, environmental damage, climate change and, in particular, the ways in which people chose to respond. The author, Jared Diamond, seeks to show how some communities overcame their problems by long term planning and a willingness to reconsider core values.Diamond “looks for examples to inspire first world citizens to make the most fundamental reappraisal now facing us –how much of our traditional consumer values and first world living standards can we afford to retain?”
Writing this as I do, just after the death of John Galbraith the economist, I am also reminded of his thesis in Affluent Society published nearly 50 years ago wherein he comments on the difference between consumerism which was driven by demand for decent living standards, and the later consumerism driven by producers’ interest in the supply of goods that we are then persuaded to need! This is surely relevant in the debate on nuclear energy and declining resources.
Diamond also writes of the valuable part played by bottom-up solutions in the survival of societies. Readers may recognise this as a reflection of our current calls for better public participation in Ireland and issues arising from the Structural Infrastructure Bill. All these matters reoccur time and time again. Hopefully this magazine will contribute to informing readers of the current incarnation of the debates.
I hardly need say that we have a new designer for this issue. Pablo Lloréns, a young Spanish artist, living here for a couple of years, has put this magazine together for us. Cóilín MacLochlainn, who resurrected the An Taisce magazine in 2002 and co-edited and designed for several years, is now busy with other projects although I am glad to say that he has still been contributing to this issue. You will also notice that there is less members’ news in this issue. The extended annual report contains the detail of what An Taisce has been up to over the past year. You will have to join to receive a copy of this!
Download the Summer 2006 edition here ...