Longest running organic food market ‘on the move’

To coincide with the launch of National Organic Week, Dublin Food Co-operative will officially open its new organic food market at 12 Newmarket, Dublin 8 (just off Cork Street) on Saturday 20th October. 

The new market is being opened by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD.

By Komene Famaa

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which was proclaimed on December 10th, 1948. The rights and freedoms crucial to human dignity were stated as being the common benchmark for achievement of all people and nations.

A Sustainable Living Showcase in Leitrim and the North Western Region

Sunday 26 October & Monday 27 October (bank holiday) | The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon  |  See website for more information | thefutureislocal@gmail.com

Food Producers - Organic Foods - Slow Food - Local farmers – Ecopreneurs - DIY Alternative Energies - Therapeutic Healing - Entertainment & Crafts for Children - Environmental Conservation - Community Garden Schemes – Recycling - Local Allotment Initiative promoting 'Food not Lawns' - Natural Beauty Products – Permaculture - Resilient Natural Eco-systems - Green Books - Green Architecture – Hip Green Living!

Adian Gillan (Tattie Hoaker Health Food Store) wrote about last year’s event:  “This occasion was formed in gardens of Leitrim by people with vision and integrity. By gathering together we can see where we’ve come from and where we’re going to.”

Cloughjordan, N Tipperary | 0505 - 42833 | www.thevillage.ie

The Village project is an innovative sustainable community project which  will demonstrate best practice in green building, renewable energy and eco  design as well as in land use, agriculture and woodlands. It is located on  an 69 acre estate adjacent to the village of Cloughjordan in North Tipperary and site works have begun with contractors putting in the services for the  132 houses and the 4 community buildings. It aims to connect and help  regenerate the existing Village, which like most rural towns and villages  has been in decline with the trend of urbanisation.

The Village is development with a difference. Unlike most housing  developments The Village is being created by a community of people who are  committed to ecological, social and economic sustainability. It is a timely project as it gives a local response to global issues like climate change  and oil depletion and will act as a model for other communities around  Ireland to develop in a sustainable way. Interested?

There are still sites available in this exciting project. If you would like  to start the process of becoming a member then contact unsoldsites@thevillage.ie or call 0505-42833.

Saturday 15th May 2010 | from Dublin to Arklow | To sign up call 01 8684721 or email 'cycle at womensaid dot ie' | www.womensaid.ie

Cyclists of all abilities are being encouraged to polish their spokes and take part in this 70K fun cycle from Dublin to Arklow.  While riding, take in some of the most beautiful scenery the East Coast of Ireland has to offer.  All funds raised go to the Women's Aid National Freephone Helpline (1800 341 900) which supports women and their children experiencing domestic violence.

Dynamo Effect is a radio campaign of 210 radio shows that broadcasts in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Spain by 300 radio stations on the following topics: climate change, food and agriculture, green home, heating and cooling, green electricity, electricity end-use, recycle and re-use, smart mobility, smart vehicles and green company.

The aim of Dynamo Effect is to reduce the gap between European countries in intelligent energy use and sustainable mobility and exchange best practices among countries.

The latest shows for download or live streaming can be found on the website.

August 22-24 | Dunderry Park, Co Meath  | springintolife@yoga-healing.com | 086-8242033 | www.yoga-healing.com

Step out of your daily routine and give yourself time out to stretch, unwind, breathe, dance, relax, meditate, connect with your spirit guides and free the beautiful, joyful and creative spirit within.

Set in a beautifully restored period house amidst 25 acres of woodlands, The Irish Centre of Shamanic Studies is the ideal setting for this nurturing and deeply healing weekend. 

Gentle yet powerful yoga stretches, body awareness, free flowing to world music, time in nature, journeying to meet your power animals and spirit guides, deep relaxation, healing meditation and guided visualisation will blend beautifully to give you a deep feeling of renewal, inner peace and a lightness of spirit.

Marie Angeline Lascaux has been practicing yoga for 20 years and teaching for 10 years. She trained in Chelation, Spiritual Healing, Reiki, Shamanism, Aura Soma and Holistic Massage. Her productions include a Healing Meditation CD, 2 yoga DVDs and a Holistic Radio Programme weekly for the last 4 years.

Friday 5th September  | Tourism & Leisure Building, WIT, Waterford | www.terramadreireland.com

An important conference for all those involved in the Irish food chain including state bodies, retailers, growers, food producers and consumers.

The centre piece of the Food Festival is a one-day Terra Madre (Mother Earth) conference of workshops, where the concerns of various food communities and their vision for the future will be debated. This is the first time so many stakeholders in the Irish food industry, from primary producers to consumers, will all be under one roof and it promises to be a truly historic occasion. A Policy Statement from each Workshop will be produced with key recommendations presented in the afternoon feedback session to Ministers for Agriculture (North and South). President Mary McAleese will address delegates on Friday afternoon as will Carlo Petrini, President & founder of the Slow Food movement.  This forum will provide a unique and decisive opportunity for food industry to debate and play an active role in shaping the future policies impacting their specific sector of the Irish Food Industry.

Explore the Magic of Dunderry Park & the Hill of Tara

Friday July 27 to Sunday July 29 |  www.yoga-healing.com

Relaxing weekend in a beautifully restored period house set amidst 25 acres of woodlands.

Time in nature in Dunderry Park and at the Hill of Tara.

Indoors and outdoors yoga.

Hazardous substances are an inherent part of modern consumerist society. They are used in industrial manufacturing, agriculture and commerce and hence are to be found in everyday household goods. The bleach and oven cleaner in your kitchen cupboards, the batteries in your car and remote control and your old cans of paint are all hazardous. Even harmless looking personal computers contain many hazardous substances.

Direct Democracy Ireland (DDI) | Thurs 10th SEPT |  | 20.00 - 21.30 | Dublin Food Co-op

This is a talk by the new initiative Direct Democracy Ireland.  DDI's goal is to set up a new political party to give the power to initiate referendum back to the people of Ireland (this power incorporated in Articles 47 & 48 of the 1923 constitution was removed by the then presiding Oireachtas from the second 1937 amended constitution). This power needs to be returned to the Irish people so they can have more say in the future political outcome of this country. The returning of this power would give the people the final say on Lisbon and NAMA and eliminate the need for second referendums.  Come early for dinner and networking in the Co-op Cafe. 

For more information see

Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Era of Peak Oil

Tuesday 3 August 2010 | 7pm | The Greenhouse, St. Andrew St., Dublin (map) |  Entry €10 (Buy online) / €5 Feasta members/ unwaged

Nicole Foss, Energy Consultant and Financial Blogger, will present the Feasta Annual Lecture.

Peak Oil and the collapse of global Ponzi finance are a “perfect storm” of converging phenomena that threaten to sink our age of prosperity through wealth destruction, social discontent, and global conflict. Foss, who blogs under the name “Stoneleigh” at the website The Automatic Earth, will discuss the many converging factors that are contributing to the multi-faceted predicament we face today, and how individuals can build a “lifeboat” to cope with the difficult years ahead.

Friday 2nd July, 2010 | 09.00 - 13.00 | Renehan Hall, South Campus, NUI Maynooth | Info: John Harrington | Please see pdf for more information or visit www.realeyes.ie/maynooth

On July 2nd, planners, councillors, businesses and community stakeholders will meet to hear the stories of two international award winning communities with bold, innovative development plans for their futures.

Both inspired planning models that are now used at national level in their home countries, created significant economic development and jobs while reducing carbon emissions and waste and both had widespread participation from all stakeholders, including business, in the making and implementation of their plans.

Perhaps, not coincidentally, both communities also represent international best practice on planning for sustainable development.

SOUND THE ALARM! For action on climate change! | 1pm Saturday, 8th December 2007 | Public Parade for the Planet | From the Civic Offices Amphitheatre to the Custom House, Dublin

www.stopclimatechaos.ie | info@stopclimatechaos.ie

Come on your bikes, rollerskates, with buggies or march on foot.

Bring bells, whistles, drums! 

Raise your voice with citizens around the world on this global day of action.   

Are you passionate about taking action on climate change?
Do you have a business idea that could help us reduce our carbon footprint?
Would you like to work with others on what probably is the most important issue of our times?  Are you between 18 to 35 years old?
Would you like support to be a Climate Advocate?

The Challenge Europe project is a three year project that aspires to make a definite and lasting impact on the climate change debate, and is ambitious in its aim to accelerate change to a low carbon future.

In the summer of 2009 we are starting the second year of the project, with activity in 15 countries across Europe: Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, UK and Ukraine.

In each of the participating countries we will select 15-20 young people from all walks of life to become ‘Climate Advocates’. In exchange for the chance to participate in the project, Climate Advocates are asked to commit approximately 150 hours of their time. Over the period of one year each country team will work collaboratively to identify the key areas where they think they can make a real difference and to develop three concrete ideas to reduce carbon use through changes in policy,

By Gerry Boland

Consumer food co-operatives are trying to provide more than a place to shop. Their primary desire is not to keep improving profit, but to offer a better service to their customers and to reduce the impact of their practices on the world as a whole. These ends are achieved through member participation, education and a more holistic view of management practices.

 National Spring Clean 2008

An Taisce’s National Spring Clean is Ireland’s largest and most widely recognised anti-litter initiative. Every year thousands of volunteer groups from every sector of society get together in April to tidy up their local areas.

Taking part could not be easier – simply arrange a date in April when you will have a clean up and then register your event with An Taisce. Once you are registered and have a date, inform your local authority and they will arrange for the disposal of the litter you have collected.

For more info, to register and receive a free information pack and clean-up kit visit www.nationalspringclean.org or call 01 4002219

 By Jacinta French

Forests are amongst the earth's most complex ecological systems, whose dynamic processes and functions we do not yet fully understand. Not only do forests produce timber for our shelter and fuel needs, they also support the largest proportion of the world's biodiversity and are an important source of food and medicines. They provide environmental services such as flood control, soil protection, carbon fixing and landscape enhancement as well as recreation and amenity facilities and socio- economic benefits. Globally, both natural and plantation forests are under threat, primarily from inappropriate management practices.

The EU Commission Representation in Ireland and the Celsius research Group, DCU, are hosting this special one day conference

Saturday 4th September 2010 | 10.00 am | European Union House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 | Entry is €Free but places are limited | Please register at: www.euireland.ie/socialmedia_conference.php

Keynote address by Fred Pearce, climate change commentator in the Guardian and New Scientist.

10-12 June, 2009 | All Hallow's College, Dublin | www.thenewemergency.org

Almost 70 years ago, the outbreak of World War II forced the Irish Government to declare a state of national emergency. The Emergency Powers Act of September 1939 gave it the authority "to make provisions for the maintenance of public order and for the provision and control of supplies and services essential to the life of the community." Today a similar attitude is needed to address an emergency of a different and even more compelling kind: global economic collapse, combined with crises in climate change, water and energy supply, soil erosion, and the massive over-exploitation of natural resources. The extraordinary growth in population, wealth, urbanisation and societal complexity witnessed since the Industrial Revolution cannot continue. Nature's life-support systems are failing fast. Humanity is facing what might be called "The New Emergency." If ours is to be a stable world, the restoration of resilience at a local and global level must become a priority. And this resilience has to be achieved with the commitment and pace that countries adopt when, as in 1939, there is an immediate and very real threat to people's security and well-being.

Exhibition from 17 July to 12 August  

Doors 7.00pm | The Bernard Shaw, Portobello, Dublin

In aid of Saplings School for Autistic Kids

Featuring over 40 Irish and International Illustrators, Street/Graffiti and Contemporary Artists including

MASER, ASBESTOS , DANLEO, SNUB23, SUMS + many more...
Launch Party featuring Scribble DJs

Silent Auction
Complimentary drinks

Cultivate's interns come from the globe over to contribute their time and ideas, discover, learn and share.  They are capturing some of their stories and insights on a blog .... feel free to visit and learn more about who they are and what their experiences have been. 

By Peter Doran

Local Agenda 21 is about bringing the United Nations "Earth Summits" (Rio de Janeiro 1992, and New York 1997) home to our communities. In Agenda 21, the global action plan agreed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, one of the shortest chapters is dedicated to the enabling role of local authorities. The brevity should not deflect from the importance of local community participation in transforming the dominant unsustainable patterns of development. The era of globalisation is unfolding side by side with an urgent need to empower local communities.

By Martin Khor

The world at the end of the 20th century is not as peaceful or just or nice as we may have thought it would be when the Cold War ended. Indeed, the past few years have witnessed increasing economic turbulence, widening social inequalities and widespread feelings of insecurity and helplessness.

The latest sign of the times is the outbreak of the East Asian financial crisis. Nations that had only a short while ago been hailed as economic miracles have had their currencies depreciated, millions thrown out of jobs as their economies sink as fast as the Titanic, and their poverty rates exploding together with social and political upheaval.

by Ben Whelan 

When everything we create is far in spirit from the festive, in the midst of our turbulent days let us think of what festivals were.   - Rilke

In general we enjoy more leisure time today than we did in the past. The future holds even more promise for extending the time we can spend creatively. With excellent resource-saving technology and ideas, such as alternative energy and permaculture, becoming available we can look to a future where intelligent design can free up much of the time previously spent on making a living. This means that in the long run there is practically no good reason why we should spend most of our time making money. We would expect, then, that people would feel more creatively fulfilled. Unfortunately, as with most things, leisure has become just another commodity.

by Helen Scully 

The popular image is of slightly backward farming systems with low output and an appreciably reduced standard of living for the organic farmer! Nothing could be further from the truth! Organic farmers and producers are forward-looking, progressive business people who employ the very latest technical developments to produce quality food. They do this while avoiding the use of soluble mineral fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides - ensuring that the systems for animal production, for example, reflect the very highest ethical and welfare standards.

by John Seymour

The 'owner' of a piece of land has an enormous responsibility, whether the piece is large or small. The very word 'owner' is a misnomer when applied to land. The robin that hops about your garden, and the worms that he hunts, are, in their own terms, just as much 'owners' of the land they occupy as you are. 'Trustee' would be a better word. Anyone who comes into possession, in human terms, of a piece of land, should look upon himself or herself as the trustee of that piece of land - the 'caretaker' - responsible for increasing the sum of living things on that land, holding the land just as much for the benefit of the robin, the wren and the earthworm, even the bacteria in the soil, as for himself.

Saturday 13th June | 12pm |  Sandymount Strand