1. A Race to the Bottom A Context for the Madness
Michael Ewing

2. World Population
2018/8/1
Environmental Pillar

3. 2018/8/1
Environmental Pillar

4. We have past “Oil Peak”
The capacity to produce oil peaked in 2006 whilst demand for energy continues to grow. (International Energy Agency April 2011.)

5. 2018/8/1
Environmental Pillar

6. “ No subsystem can expand beyond the capacity of the total system of which it is a part”
- Jonathon Porritt

7. The Real Picture
26/01/2011
environmentalpillar.ie

8. What does the EU have to say?
Can European law protect us?

9. European Law 1
Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (SEA) 2001/42/EC
Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIA) 85/337/EEC as amended
Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/6/EC)
Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC)

10. European Law 2
Pollution Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Regulation (EC) No 166/2006
PRTR Protocol of the Aarhus Convention
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC) 2008/1/EC

11. Transposition of the Aarhus Convention
Directive 2003/4/EC
Transposed as S.I. 133 of 2007 The Access to Information on the Environment Regulations
Directive 2003/35/EC
Public Participation Directive
Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions )Act 2011 –implementing provisions of the Aarhus Convention.

12. Article Objective
In order to contribute to the protection of the right of every person of present and future generations to live in an environment adequate to his or her health and well-being, each Party shall guarantee the rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.

13. Article 7 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION CONCERNING PLANS, PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Each Party shall make appropriate practical and/or other provisions for the public to participate during the preparation of plans and programmes relating to the environment, within a transparent and fair framework, having provided the necessary information to the public. ……. The public which may participate shall be identified by the relevant public authority, taking into account the objectives of this Convention. To the extent appropriate, each Party shall endeavour to provide opportunities for public participation in the preparation of policies relating to the environment.

14. Go Raibh Maith Agat
Thank You