Celebration at Ringaskiddy for Life and against incineration

cork | environment | news report

Tuesday September 14, 2004 22:22

by Pooka McFee - Nameless Faery Horde

Regrowth666 at hotmail dot com

Celebration at Ringaskiddy for Life and against incineration goes ahead despite lashing rain and All-Ireland Final clash

September 12th saw a gathering of about 30 people converge on the beach near Haulbowline at Ringaskiddy. Considering the weather, the match and a number of other factors, like the marquee we were going to use getting seized by the gards at a party the previous night, this was a brilliant turn out. Participants included the newly formed Cork Food not Bombs group who provided an ace spread. Hot soup deeply appreciated in the overall wetness. Thanks folks! Also a band of drummers and a Brazilian guitar band who risked wrecking their instruments in the wet to keep our spirits up. Other actions included a clean up of the beach and a guided walk across the proposed incinerator site to the Martello Tower on top of the hill. Afterwards we all went to the pub. Fair play to the organisers (whoever they were) and to everyone who turned up. Collective enthusiasm and spirit turned what could have been a depressing washout into a memorable occasion.
We’re going to need more of this to stop this monster. Remember Carnsore Point! This issue is every bit as important but we won that one and we can win this one too.

Ideas that have been floating around on this issue that deserve a wider airing:

It’s easier to fight for something than against something. That site that Indaver want to desecrate is actually really beautiful when you get to know it. How about turning it into a People’s Park? Make it into a symbol for the safe and beautiful environment that we are fighting for, whether in the courts like the brave CHASE people or in other ways like the organisers of this picnic and who knows who else, working away quietly in their own fashions.

How about a really BIG festival, down there, on the beach, on the site? Let’s bring 1000’s of people to Ringaskiddy so they can see and feel for themselves the reality of the situation. A beautiful landscape and harbour, overburdened with polluting industry. Let’s fall in love with the place again. Let’s imagine a harbour area where the economy works for the place and the people, where our social structures preserve and protect our landscape, water and air. Where we respect fire as a healer and transformer. The first step to making it happen is envisioning it. Could a festival be the place where we do this? Maybe we’re all doing it already. Let’s get together and do it more!

Yours For The Future! This world is Ours!

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Comments (3 of 3)

Landfill or Inceneration or Export

by Michael Hennigan - Finfacts.com

Wed Sep 15, 2004 00:03

Hazardous waste from Ringaskiddy chemical plants is currently exported to countries like India. So maybe it would be an idea to get foreigners to protest about us dumping our waste.

We are running out of suitable landfill sites and there and depositing hazardous waste in these, is a serious risks to the environment.

So not in my backyard is fine for those who do not work at the prime employers in the area.

Table on Ireland versus other countries in waste management here:

http://www.dubchamber.ie/Uploads/Dublin%20Waste%20Management%20Review.doc

No toxics, Anywhere!

Sat Sep 18, 2004 17:12

Thanks for your response Michael and thanks also for the pointers towards more information on these issues. Like you I don't like the fact that we are exporting our waste to the developing world but from experience gained here I don't think "getting" anyone else to protest is a viable option. Making the information available is about the best we can do.
My personal feelings on this issue are that we shouldn't be producing these substances at all. There is no safe way to deal with them. As for not in my back yard the bottom line is that the whole world is our back yard.
Toxic fumes, ash and other substances released from factories and incinerators in Ringaskiddy will and are being carried all over the world by air, water and human activity. The only way to be safe is to stop producing them, globally. Bit of a tall order given our cultural and economical addiction to plastic, pharmaceuticals and the rest but what other options do we have? Seems to me the way to start is by working to protect our own area, supporting those in other parts of the world doing the same thing and thinking about what an economy and society without these substances might look like.

Time to get tougher

by Raynard

Wed Sep 29, 2004 16:18

Picnics and walks, all very nice and fluffy but do these tactics really stand a chance of halting this development? The full weight of the Irish pharmachem industry and the state is behind this incinerator and the others that they are planning to build around the country. Take that with the reluctance of the public to give up any part of our reckless overconsumption and we have a big problem. Well done and all to those involved in these events but we're going to have to get a bit tougher if we really want to stop this steamroller. Indaver have offices in Cork and Dublin don't they? What about targetting them? What about the IDA and the EPA, these organisations are both part of the problem why not put a bit of heat on them too? All successful campaigns have incorporated a wide range of tactics from the legal route to militant direct action, if we're going to win, so must this one.

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Celebration at Ringaskiddy for Life and against incineration

Comments (3 of 3)