Switch to renewable energy, conference is told

IRELAND NEEDS to stop relying on imported energy, switch to sustainable agriculture and urgently move into rail freight, environmentalist Duncan Stewart told a conference on climate change yesterday.

Maintaining that "the days of cheap energy are over" Mr Stewart said three key areas, agriculture, transport and electricity generation were building up "massive problems" for the future in terms of environmental damage and security of energy supplies.

He told the conference of local authority staff in Dublin yesterday that with global economic recovery the price of oil would rise up to as much as $300 a barrel.

Local authorities had a major responsibility to promote sustainable transport, he said, and "take ownership back of our roads from trucks and commuter traffic" as well as move freight onto railways.

He also said Government should encourage a shift from cattle farming to sustainable farming. He said that farming one kilogram of meat produced 16kg of CO2 while growing 1kg of carrots gave rise to just 50 grams of CO2.

He said Ireland needed to urgently switch to renewable sources. Europe depended on volatile or "suspect" outside states for 50 per cent of its energy, he said, and Ireland was the second-lowest consumer of renewable energy.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley also addressed the conference. He said local authority staff should have plans to promote walking, cycling and public transport. "I am relying on you to implement national plans at local level," he said. Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne said she and other European mayors would be signing a declaration on climate change next week. The declaration commits the cities to sustainable developments in terms of energy, building and transport.

A sustainability strategist with Malmo, Sweden told of Malmo's off-shore wind power plants which provides heating for 60,000 people. Dr Gerry Wardell of Dublin City Council's Energy Management Agency said a similar number of homes would be heated by the proposed Ringsend incinerator.