www.earthhour.org | 27th March 2010 at 8.30pm

In Dublin, public buildings including Government buildings, Leinster House, the Custom House, and the Four Courts will be turning off their lights for Earth Hour.

 17th & 18th June 2008 | Kenmare Bay Hotel | Kenmare, Co Kerry

The huge amount of interest in Hemp Building from around the world, has prompted Steve Allin, author of the book "Building with Hemp' to organise the first International Hemp Building Seminar, in Ireland this June. This timely event will feature on the first day a variety of presentations given by leading Hemp Builders and experts from all over the globe. It will also include machinery demonstrations of spraying hempcrete and specialist plastering of the hemp building system on day two.

To book a place & get more info go to: www.hempbuilding.com or email:  hempbuilding[at]eircom.net

Education: Join the Revolution!

A part-time vocational programme in holistic, transformative education

• Are you a facilitator, educator or change agent?
• Are you looking for a radical, practical and supportive learning experience to support a new project or a shift in practice?
• Are you keen to explore the big questions and create innovative responses with a diverse community of experts and peers?
• Or do you know someone who is...?

This action-learning programme is recruiting for students for 2009. The first module starts 16th February and we're open for applications and interviews now.

See the website | Contact:  Toni

Register and find out more at www.euireland.ie/darklight

When was the last time you saw a movie or TV programme that really inspired you to look at the environment in a different way? Did you become more aware of nature? Did you think more about a problem facing our surroundings? Or maybe you felt there was something you could do in your daily life to bring about change?

Well the EU Commission in Ireland, Cultivate and Darklight are inviting you to make a short movie on "Your Environment". The theme could be anything from climate change to positive steps that we can take to protect our local environment. The choice is yours.

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 | 9.00 am- 4.30 pm | Rusheens, Kenmare, Co. Kerry

This course with hemp expert Steve Allin includes a presentation on hemp building techniques and tuition and hands on experience of the mixing, application and finishing of hemp plaster.

Price €90. Tea/coffee breaks and lunch included. To book email hempbuilding@eircom.net

Tel 064 41747 | www.hempbuilding.com

By The Vegetarian Society of Ireland

A vegetarian is someone who does not consume meat, fish or fowl and who aims to avoid the use and consumption of battery hen eggs and slaughterhouse by-products in food, clothing, cosmetic and household products.

A vegan is one who adopts a way of living which seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. In dietary terms veganism refers to the practice of dispensing with all animal produce - including eggs, animal milks, honey and their derivatives.

Launch of Youth and Community Maps:  Galway City Museum on Friday the 23rd of November at 10 am.  Followed up with a half day workshop from 11am to 2pm exploring Practical Tools for Sustainability for use in Local Authorities. Both events are free and open to all.

November 2007: Over 100 primary and post-primary students from all over Galway city have been involved in creating a Youth Green Map for the City. This map highlights the places in Galway city that are most important to these students. These include best walks around the city, youth friendly places and popular recreation and sports areas.

The Youth Green Map for Galway is part of a larger project being undertaken by the Department of Geography, NUI, Galway in association with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Galway City Council.

Another wider Community Map has also been produced, which represents a holistic representation of the city of Galway, and of the places and things that people value in the community. Many groups from around the city have been involved in creating this map of the city they live in.

For many centuries, human societies have been breeding wild plants in order to confer traits that make them easier to grow or to eat. Unlike traditional breeding, genetic engineering allows scientists to cross plants in a manner that would never happen in nature. A rose would never naturally cross with the potato for example, since there are natural limits which prevent genes mixing between unrelated species.

Friday 1st February 2008 | 7.30pm – 9.30pm

• Honouring Brigid, Spring and our Intentions for the new year
• Celtic wheel and music with Sound Meditation
• Join Celtic Meditation Group and guest Gabriella Kapfer “Songbird”

At: Clarendon St  Conference Centre, Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 (Parallel to Grafton st. entrance opposite Brown Thomas carpark)

For more information call Hannah on   031 219 6352 or email: hannahchew@hotmail.com

Gabriella, “Songbird”, Peace Troubadour & Sound Healer, allows the sounds and songs from nature to flow through her to create frequencies of healing and wholeness for Nature, the Earth and all living beings with Cello, Voice, Gongs & Singing Bowls

www.yescarefirst.com/songbird.htm

Presented by Cork Environmental Forum and Cork City Council

Saturday 20th September 2008 

Expect to see a splash of colour on the streets of Cork on Saturday 20th September when cycling enthusiasts of all ages descend on Cork City for Cork Environmental Forum's Rebel Pedal Parade!

Members of the public are invited to choose pedal power on the day and join a leisurely circuit of the city starting in Alfred St. at 11.30am. Registration can be completed online or on the morning, and the first 500 riders to register will receive a free, stylish gift on their arrival.

The Rebel Pedal! Parade will conclude at the Atlantic Pond where there will be a lively and entertaining picnic party from 1.00pm to 5.00pm. You can bring your picnic or buy food on site (Doubledecker Bus).

Education is a central concern for each community. A community becomes sustainable only so long as it can articulate its values and allow these values to underpin the education of its children. When a community allows values that do not take account of its own particular ethos it relinquishes responsibility for its own survival as a distinctive community, allowing outside forces to impose their agenda.

Wednesday 23 March 2011 TONIGHT·| Door 7.30pm, Screening 8.00pm | €10 | Sugar Club - Dublin

There is a Charity Screening of the Pipe in the Sugar Club tonight for An Taisce.  See:

• www.thepipethefilm.com
• The Pipe Event on Facebook
• aboutdocumentaries.com gives 'The Pipe' 4.5/5 in its review 
• More info on Shell to Sea website 

By Brian O'Brien

Conventional building materials are very problematic, being predominantly made from synthetic compounds(up to 75% of a typical building's make-up)they mean our homes and workplaces are unhealthy and increasingly lethal to the environment. Some (including the dioxins associated with PVC, asbestos etc) are defined as known carcinogens.

These materials are almost all oil based and as such require massive amounts of energy (and create massive amounts of pollution) in construction. The most important choice from an environmental point of view is the question of: how much energy (embodied energy) goes in to the mining, processing, transporting and use of the material. Next we have to consider the durability of the building and what will happen to the material after its reaches the end of its life.

Friday evening 14th until Sunday 16th November | Drumalis Retreat Centre, Larne

"There is time for everything under the sun." 

Explore the ideas of "slow" - slow places, slow cities, slow design. Further details and booking form available here or phone  048 28272196 / 28276455. Cost is £70 stg residential / £50 stg non-residential /attendance only for the main day - Saturday - is possible, at a reduced charge of £25 stg

For journey planner go to www.translink.co.uk

Thursday 9th September 2010 (2nd in series) | Pertaining to all nights in series: 7.30pm | €10 entry to cover costs / ISKA members €5 (you can join on the night) | Contact: Orfhlaith@saoirsewaldorf.com or 087 614 8979 | The Greenhouse, St Andrew St, D2 (map)

Freedom, Equality, Solidarity
What does it mean to be free and equal at the same time?
How can I experience myself as a brother/sister to others?
We will look at how we can begin to re-balance relationships in our communities and in society?

Thursday 21st October 2010 (3rd in series) 

Re-Imagining the Future
Can we begin to discern elements of the emerging future?
Contemplative Enquiry as a tool for this.

By Joan Casey

Organic wines come from grapes like "normal" wines, they look and smell like "normal" wines and contain alcohol like "normal " wines. The difference is that organic wines are produced without man-made pesticides, fertilisers or flavour enhancers. This leads to fewer allergic reactions, less toxic hangovers and truer regional characters and tastes. No wonder so many organic wines win awards. They are simply wines made the age old way, without recourse to modern chemicals.

For a wine to be deemed organic, a recognised organic certification body must approve it. In France, the top three bodies are Ecocert, Nature en Progres and Terre et Vie. Individual country organic associations in most cases recognised by IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements, carry out certification of organic wines. IFOAM is an umbrella body that co-ordinates and stringently regulates the very best organic practices.

A fund established by the Mount Street Club Trust at The Community Foundation for Ireland

Do you have a green space lying idle? No money to do anything with it? Why not turn it into a community garden? A new fund entitled ‘The Community Growers Fund’ established at The Community Foundation for Ireland is set to assist unemployed people by getting them involved in the development of community allotments or gardens in Dublin city and county. The fund which is being created by The Mount Street Club Trust (MSCT) will provide grants to groups in Dublin who have the capacity to work with the unemployed and can provide space for the development of a garden. The Community Foundation which is an experienced philanthropic and grant making organisation is assisting in this part of the fund.

The first round closes for applications on Friday 29th October 2010. Projects must be located in Dublin city or county.

Click here for the Community Growers Fund Criteria
Click here for the Community Growers Fund Application Form

Comhlámh , in alliance with the Africa Centre, Debt and Development Coalition and Latin America Solidarity Centre, host a conference on movement building and global solidarity. We will have a series of exciting events taking place over the weekend including workshops, panel discussions with activist speakers from the Global South and Ireland, music and much more!  Mark the date down in your diary now!

People Acting Together for Radical Change and a Just World

Launch of Bloom: Friday 7th November 2008
7- 10pm | Cultivate Centre | 15-19 Essex Street West, Temple Bar, Dublin 8

Celebrate the launch of Bloom with us! And hear words of inspiration on movement building from internationally renowned activists Oscar Olivera from Bolivia, Njoki Njehu from Kenya and Eyad Burnat from Palestine.

Bloom's First Activist Forum- Movement Building for Global Justice: Saturday 8th November 2008
10am- 6pm | The Teachers Club | 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1
Followed by a Dance!  | 8pm - till late

To register for this event, email anna@comhlamh.org  |  Registration: Employed: €5, Unwaged: Free (Registration covers tea/coffee, light refreshments and entertainment)

The Dublin Buddhist Centre is delighted to announce that we have purchased a new premises in the very heart of Dublin, at No. 5 James Joyce Street, Dublin 1!

Check our website www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org for more details.

To celebrate our new home, and to continue with our fundraising campaign to refurbish the new centre, we are holding an art exhibition and silent auction, showcasing original work donated by some of our very talented artists.

Date: Wednesday November 7th

Time: Exhibition available for viewing all day. Auction begins at 7pm.

Venue: Filmbase, Curve Street, Dublin 2

Please do come to this exciting group exhibition and take the opportunity to treat yourself to an investment, or to a great Christmas gift for yourself or a friend!   Your support will make a real difference, indirectly affecting thousands of people who benefit from attending our centre, learning meditation and yoga, and exploring meaning and value in their lives. 

"Sustainable Autonomy for Everyone" S.A.F.E.

19 May 2012 | 2-4pm | Sugar Club | €15 per person | Limited seating available | More info and tickets at earthship.com/ireland

Earth & Rowan Natural Fine Art Materials

Cultivate is pleased to announce our new range of natural fine art materials free of petro-chemical ingredients. 

Products include Liquid Watercolour, Egg-Oil paint, Pastels and Raw Drawing materials including Willow Charcoal, Red Sanguine Chalk, Raw Sienna and Chunks of Graphite.

These special colours have been formulated to give maximum colour expression, using pigments derived from natural compounds. The earth pigments are derived from original mines within the European Union and plant colours are naturally expressed from 100% vegetable compounds. The animal based products are farmed Cochineal, for Carmine Lake and ink-sac of the Cuttlefish for Sepia ink (fishing industry bi-product).The binding systems are derived from 100% natural ingredients without injury in the case of the animal products (milk, egg).

By Barney Walsh

Whatever the answers turn out to be in our current debates over the major issues of today, such as climate change, genetically modified foods, agribusiness, or our continuing predilection for making war upon each other, it will be seen, if time allows, that Energy usage is at the heart of all these matters. For better or worse we are now, right across our Planet, an Energy-dependent species. When we say Energy, we mean Fossil Fuel derived Energy, or more ominously, nuclear Energy. We know, quite without question, that although this Energy is apparently end-of-pipe cheap like never before, it has inherently high costs with respect to our health, climate and social sustainability.

By Graham Lightfoot

We've become dependent on the car - or so we're told. That's amazing really when the majority of us don't drive; we walk, cycle, use public transport and travel in a car as a passenger or don't travel at all. In Dublin, only one in three owns a car and in the rural areas it's an even higher percentage. Even so, access to places of employment, education, training, shopping and recreation has become increasingly difficult without use of a car. It seems that planning for the car has taken precedence over planning for other modes.

Our level of car ownership is still much lower than most other EU countries, but car owners in Ireland make far more journeys by car than in many other EU countries. Public transport is considered to be for losers and poor people. The hullabaloo about the introduction of the Stillorgan Quality Bus Corridor concentrated on the problems it will cause for car users (the people who cause traffic congestion) not on the benefits to the bus user, the cyclist and the pedestrian (the people who suffer from traffic congestion).

By Rob Hopkins

It is a beautiful summers' evening in Mallow, and a group of people are relaxing after a hard day's work, building the first straw bale house in Co. Cork.

As the rays of the evening sun stream into the house, the straw is turned a beautiful golden orange. The house is circular in shape, and on this first day the walls have been half built, by 15 people, largely with no previous experience of building. All the excess straw generated by the day's activities has been tidied away into the inside of the house, which now holds about 3 feet of loose straw, a perfect mattress to recline upon. While the tired builders lie back in the evening sun, Gionata, one of the crew, serenades them on the Italian pipes, while standing on top of the walls.

A straw bale building project offers many moments such as these. Straw bale construction is accessible, safe and fun. Anyone can do it, as a result of which, building teams tend to comprise men and women in equal measure, as well as children and older people. It demystifies and revitalises the art of creating shelter, something that 100 years ago we could all do instinctively but which now, like so many other things, we feel we need experts to do for us.

Wines by sail, back to the future!

25th, 26th and 27th July @ IFSC, Custom House Quay - €5

French Wines carried by Saling Ship to Ireland

First “Green” shipment of wine to arrive in Ireland.  Fair Wind Wine Ltd, sustainable transport Dublin based company sails exclusive French wines on traditional wine routes from Languedoc to Ireland.

Tickets €5 -  includes 30 tastings. If you buy a case of 6 bottles, your €5 is refunded.

Website

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

There are still sites available!  Here is a nice description of the project published in the Vancouver Sun:

Irish eco-village offers a way forward

Green project has revived a dying town, but hard work remains

People the world over are suddenly paying attention to how we live in our communities, focusing on issues like energy conservation, greenhouse-gas emissions, sustainable development and local food security.

This is all because, almost overnight, modern communications technology has allowed a perfect storm of awareness to erupt about the twin looming realities of climate change and oil depletion.

But amid this flurry of information bombardment and superficial panic is the central question few are asking, let alone answering: Collectively, do we possess the will to change, to the extent necessary, to save the planet for future generations?

Full article  

Thursday 18th August 2011 | 20.00 until 22.00 | Christchurch Hall, 9 Sandymount Green | Everyone is welcome

Join us for Grow It Yourself - Sandymount's Launch Night.  This Ireland-wide organisation aims to establish local food growers' groups in every town in Ireland. Hundreds of people are already involved in existing GIY groups where activities include monthly meetings, talks and demos, garden visits, seed and plant swaps, produce bartering, mentor panels and grower’s meitheals.

A speaker from GIY Ireland will be there on the evening to tell us more. The Launch will be followed by regular, monthly meetings. These meetings are free and open to people interested in food growing at all levels, i.e. from growing a few herbs on the balcony to complete self-sufficiency, from beginners to old hands.
To find out more: you can find us on our website or join us on facebook.

This Christmas Oxfam Ireland invites you to spread some festive cheer to those who really need it, by purchasing a gift from its funky Christmas catalogue Unwrapped.

Instead of buying Dad another pair of socks or getting Mum a boring box of choccies, why not give a Christmas present that will really make a difference, such as clean drinking water, a vegetable garden or a cooking stove for people working hard to overcome poverty?

This year Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped has launched nine new gifts including Piglets (€35), Chicks (€26), Plant Potatoes (€31), Plant trees (€46), a Farm pack (€199), a Palliative Care present (€49), a Protect Women gift (€62) and a Give Girls a Head Start pack (€30).

In total there are 30 gifts to choose from with prices ranging from a €9 Dignity Kit to a €3,120 Water for a Whole Community gift. There really is something for everyone, regardless of your budget.

Tuesday 28 June 2011 | RIAI 8 Merrion Square | 18:30 – 21:45 | €35 | Contact: Clare Finglas 01 669 1462 / cfinglas@riai.ie

The RIAI with William Scott, architect and sustainable design & building expert, are holding this seminar for home owners looking to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The seminar is for those planning to renovate or upgrade their homes and those planning to build a new home and wanting to understand the vast range of information out there.

• What are the best solutions for heating, insulation and appliance choices for your home? 
• What are the regulations that must be considered?
• Most importantly, what problems can be avoided by making the right choices?

The seminar will give you the information necessary to make the right choices for your home and your lifestyle.  This evening seminar and question & answer session will provide people with all the necessary tips to make informed decisions. Each attendee will receive a pack of information with useful hints, tips and sources of additional information.

25 September - 26 September | Dtalk - Development Training & Learning @ Kimmage

Website |  Kimmage Development Studies Centre | Kimmage Manor | Whitehall Road | Dublin 12 | Tel 01 406 4386

Open Space is an incredibly versatile meeting facilitation technique that gets people and organisations moving on the most important business of the moment.  

Course Aim and Objectives

To familiarise participants with “Open Space” and prepare them to facilitate such workshops themselves.

By the end of the course participants will have:

• Experienced Open Space Technology twice
• Had an opportunity to open or lead another aspect of an Open Space meeting
• Practiced methods for preparing themselves to facilitate
• Worked on

Wednesday 2 June | 11.00 - 19.00 | Buswells Hotel, 26 Molesworth Street, D2

Climate change hasn't gone away and this year the Irish Government will make crucial decisions about how it will tackle climate change, now and into the future. Our Government has committed to passing a Climate Change Bill by the end of 2010, including binding targets for reducing our carbon emissions. The Stop Climate Chaos mass lobby is our big chance to shape the future of climate change policy in Ireland. Once the climate change bill is passed it won't be easy to change.

Stop Climate Chaos is organising an event which will allow you to meet your TDs, giving you the opportunity to tell them directly that you expect them to support a strong Irish Climate Bill.

Viisit www.stopclimatechaos.ie/takeaction, select your constituency and invite your TD to come and meet you.

By Penny Lange

The biodynamic approach to organic farming practice has as its roots a series of lectures given by the Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, at Koberwitz, the estate of Count and Countess Keyzerlink, in 1924.The impulse that led to the lectures was twofold and is well worth a mention, as these same issues concern us just as much today. Firstly, the farmers of central Europe found their yields diminishing alarmingly over time, and realised that their traditional farming methods were no longer effective. Secondly, based on his great interest in the health and future of the human being on earth, Steiner claimed that it was of utmost importance that human nutrition be based on food produced from a living soil, in harmony with the greater influence of the cosmos.

By Margret McGuigan of the LaLeche League.

Breastmilk is the superior infant food. It protects children from illness and ensures their healthy physical and psychological development. For mothers, breastfeeding provides health benefits such as reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding also empowers women by increasing their self-confidence in their capacity to nourish and protect as well as nurture their babies and by decreasing their dependence on commercial products.

Thursday - Saturday 7th - 9th October | 12pm - 7pm |  RDS, Simmonscourt |  €Free tickets available at the Cultivate Shop | sustainablebuildingshow.com

Join Cultivate at the Irish Sustainable Building Show.  Packed with informative seminars, exciting features and valuable business opportunites, the Irish Sustainable Building Show is Ireland's leading sustainable construction trade show. Cultivate have partnered once again with the Irish Sustainable Building Show to deliver a fantastic range of compelling and up-to-date seminars on everything from Biodiversity to Energy Positive Houses. Drop into the Cultivate Shop to pick up your free ticket to the show.

Dublin Castle | Tuesday 10 March | 9am – 5pm | €95 | To book call 01-6767053

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in partnership with the Irish Georgian Society will hold a one-day conference in Dublin Castle to examine the technical and practical issues of improving the energy efficiency of traditionally-built buildings. The conference will address current research on the contribution of existing buildings to sustainability, the assessment of the energy performance of traditionally built buildings and will explore the options that exist for making a building more energy efficient while avoiding damage to its fabric or to its character.

Thursday 20th September 2007 | Time: 10.00 am – 4.15 pm | The Park Inn Hotel, Smithfield Square, Dublin 7 | www.ideaonline.ie | ideaonline@eircom.net |  Tel: 087-9747579 |   Cost:  IDEA Members €20 | Non Members €30 | Concessions €10

A conference organised by IDEA - Irish Development Education Assocation

Conference Aims:

• To critically explore Linking and Immersion programmes which link Ireland to the Global South
• To identify Good Practice in relation to Linking and Immersion programmes, exploring how the development education sector can contribute to good practice
• To showcase a range of Linking and Immersion programmes from a variety of sectors

What if... we knew where all our stuff came from?

Wednesday 18th November | 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start | Science Gallery | Tickets are €13.50 for meetforeal members (membership is free) | Pre-Booking is essential  

By Ben Whelan

In the past festivals were created by the participants who were, by and large, a local community. People came together to ritualise important events in community life and to share in the common bonds that hold community together. The festivals were seen not as a leisure activity that one had to make time for, in fact, they marked the passing of time itself.

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and the Irish Green Building Council present...

Tuesday 21st September 2010 | 7 - 9pm | €Free | The Greenhouse, St Andrew St, D2 (map)

The EU are currently recasting the Environmental Performance of Buildings Directive which will require improvements in how the building regulations are implemented in Ireland. More financial incentives for renewable technology will be a key aspect of the change. The DCENR have recently announced the public consultation on the National Retrofitting Programme. The recent announcement of funding for skills and training for the Labour Market Activation Fund is also on the agenda. Case studies of REFIT projects with renewable technologies in the UK will be presented with a focus on solutions for fuel poverty and social inclusion. This event aims to encourage open discussion on the above topics and be an interactive networking event to meet professionals in the green building sector.

Thursday, 20th May 2010 | 7.30pm | €Free | Burke Theatre in the Arts Building in Trinity College

Renowned cycling academic Dr. Dave Horton., sociologist in Lancaster University, gives a lecture entitled "Building a Cycling Culture".  A poster can be found on: www.dublincycling.ie  

Our Annual Lecture is one of our most enjoyable events with 250+ attending over the last few years.  The Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey T.D., will open the evening so it is really important that we have a large audience on the night to demonstrate the strength of the cycling community.

By Feildham Hearty

Constructed wetlands are purpose-built wetlands that are specially designed for the treatment of wastewater. A carefully chosen selection of plants in a specially engineered site provides the right biological environment for cleansing and re-oxygenating the water. These wetlands are modelled on natural wetland systems, but are designed to achieve optimum treatment efficiencies. Natural wetlands and their plant communities have evolved to thrive on nutrient rich, silted waters. Such ecosystems are evidently suited to treating nutrient-rich wastewaters.

As part of the AONTAS Adult Learning Festival, Cultivate and ECO-UNESCO present..

Life Long Learning Opportunities for a Sustainable World

Tuesday 23 February | 18.00 | The Greenhouse, St Andrews Street, Dublin 2

ECO-UNESCO and Cultivate introduce the education and training opportunities on offer at the Greenhouse in 2010.  This free event will be of interest to anyone interested in understanding green issues, sustainable development and reskilling for life in a rapidly changing world.

The Greenhouse (– Powered by Cultivate and ECO-UNESCO), a new venue for green living and education for sustainability. has been opened in the former ENFO building.

A presentation by Albert Bates

Saturday September 15th  | St Kieran’s Hall, Main Street, Cloughjordan  |  7.00pm  | Donation

Cultivate in association with The Village present an evening with Albert Bates.  Bates is a permaculture instructor at the Ecovillage Training Center at The Farm community in Tennessee and author of eleven books, including, Climate in Crisis and The Post-Petroleum Survival Guide and Cookbook. Albert, who was also a former President of the Global Ecovillage Network, will explore the opportunities for communities in the face of oil depletion and climate change.