Tomorrow is European Car Free Day with over 1,300 cities throughout Europe expected to participate.
In Ireland, only 10 cities and towns are participating with free bus services (mainly from 1p.m. - 6 p.m.), street entertainment and information on alternatives to using the car the main focus of the day. Participating places are Cork, Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Limerick, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Apart from some street closures to pedestrianised areas, there are no genuine restrictions being placed on cars throughout the day. In Dublin, the excuse is that the day coincides with the All-Ireland Football Finals and although local GAA clubs have said they will encourage their members to car-pool and consider hiring buses to Croke Park stadium, you can bet the entire Northside of Dublin will be as crowded as ever with cars tomorrow. "We decided to take the middle road and not inconvenience people coming up for the match by keeping events away from the north city," explains Brian McManus, senior executive environmental health officer at Dublin City Council. "The idea is to create a festive atmosphere in the city. There will be information stands on noise and air pollution, road safety, cycleways, electric bicycles and mopeds in the Parliament St area."
It sounds to me like Dublin Bus and Dublin City Council have missed a wonderful opportunity to show everyone how free buses operating from say, all points of entry on the M50, could bring GAA supporters to Croke Park tomorrow and give the residents of that part of the city an idea of how alternative transport arrangements to and from Croke Park would make a difference.
See also www.irish-energy.ie and www.22September.org for background information on European Car Free Day.
About 80 architects, town planners, academics and students attended the Natura 2000 and Biodiversity in the City conference in Dublin last week.
Speakers from Ireland, Finland, Austria, Italy and Estonia emphasised the importance of green spaces in cities for aesthetic, health, recreation and quality of life reasons. And, while Dublin was deemed to have a good "interface with nature" - delegates were told how three-quarters of all Ireland's species (flora and fauna) can be found within a few miles of O'Connell St Bridge - the quality of some of the city's green spaces were seen to be inferior. The unfortunate fact that in many ways, we turn our back to our best amenity, Dublin Bay, was also highlighted. Proceedings from the conference, which was organised by the Urban Institute Ireland and the European Network of Urban Forums for Sustainable Development, will be available next month. Contact Louise Dunne on e-mail louise.dunne@ucd.ie for details.
This autumn, the Native Woodland Trust is continuing its Phenology Project and is seeking volunteers to fill out recording forms to track how our native animals and plants are coping with climate change. To become a volunteer, contact the Native Woodland Trust, Stoneybrook, Kilteel, Co. Kildare. Tel: 087 9020038 or e-mail phenologynativewoodtrust.ie. See also www.nativewoodtrust.ie.
New Zealand conservationists have warned that their national bird and symbol of the country, the kiwi, will be extinct in 15 years. Eighty years ago, there were five million kiwi in New Zealand. Now, there are just 50,000. According to Wild Ireland magazine, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society say the kiwi population is in trouble because many young birds get eaten by non-native stoats and ferrets. Over 95 per cent of kiwi chicks outside heavily managed areas die within a year of birth.