EU, Always Check References
Especially if The Future Depends On Your Choice
I have spent many weeks now, exploring public tender opportunities. So many supplies and services needed that could really bring the economy and people's lives back to life. Of course, each RFT says responses must include a case study and 3 references. Seems fair! Except, I can't imagine how Paschal Donohoe was elected to lead the Euro Zone Group 'the most powerful economic group in Europe' without these arbitrary levels of compliance adhered to. If a case study (such as Ireland) was considered they would have seen how Mr Donohoe has not seen fit to put even 50cent aside to do anything for the environment since 1992, when Europe told us to.
The twelve years went by that was given for implementation of the EU directive in '92, then 6 more years past the deadline. Currently, Ireland is being fined thousands of euro every day for his decision to neglect biodiversity or rather flout the European law.
On his watch, any services with a public interest have been starved of supports - the health service, education and housing for example. The whole structure of his Fine Gael economic policy is based on the population also dying of neglect, as they are sold food laced with pesticides and any attempts to supply something different or educate on healthy choices are undermined.
It is a repeat, I suppose, of when Phil Hogan was minister for the Environment here (God bless us and save us) and then was made EU commissioner for Agriculture, another terrible choice that has clearly led to an increase in our carbon footprint and overlooking tax or regulations for damaging agricultural industries. I don't know if anyone else has noticed but that CAP payment also includes rural broadband now?! So no farmer gets support to do anything positive, he just gets the payments to pass on to big technology, big veterinary pharmaceuticals and big agrichemical companies....while the meat industry are still allowed to import meat if a farmer doesn't stoop low enough on his animal prices at slaughter. That is where the farmers' payments go: Monsanto/Bayer, big pharma for antibiotics for all the calves separated from their milked mothers and all the chickens and pigs in intensive housing.
I feel so sad for all those European States now with good practice who care about the people socially or health-wise, or the environment or anything. They are now within Paschal Donohoe's austerity lead too. Worse again, the Fine Gael ex-Central Bank manager has taken up a lead economist post in Europe too. No wonder we're having such difficulty bringing public banking into Ireland. Can i just say, Everyone else, hold on to your public banks! They are your only hope in this recession. Ireland has been shafted and all our public money is being directed to big business - Our government are literally funding marketing exercises for Supermarkets!! Yes, they ask the tenderer to explain how we can get low welfare, processed ready meals into post-Brexit Britain and dairy into Japan. But they stipulate they only want submissions from multi-nationals...can't they do their own marketing, one might ask. Oh yes and he is dishing out farm recovery payments to Larry Goodman's intensive feedlots and millions for his private hospital/s as well.
I swear there is not one euro Green Deal money being requested for farmers to trying less damaging land use. And if there is, it will be too late as all the money is being frittered through apalling public projects and misspending in the meantime.
I don't know if anyone else has seen the film 'When The Wind Blows'. It is an animation about a couple after a nuclear bomb. They are so innocent. They try and patch up the windows and have some supplies in place....that to me is how the following Green submission reads.
It is educational, it states what Ireland grows and can grow. It states what we need to do for a secure food supply. It talks about people's diet and the environmental affects. Lord, it would be really good if Europe had Stiofan Nutty or someone else who was involved in this DAFM report in that European group. It is too much to ask for someone compus mentus, capable of evaluating a nuanced economy of environmental, social and economic dynamics. But please read on and skip the link.
These are the green economic plans we could deliver if we have our wits about us, while Mr Donohoe is hopefully away, busy planning how to ruin the rest of Europe. I really would apologise but the EU should know to always check references.
C. Food Security – Scientists expect that Climate Change and soil degradation will cause world food production to become increasingly volatile. Ireland needs to implement an effective national policy on Food Security to meet the threats posed by Brexit and Climate Change to our food supply;
➢ Ireland grew enough Carrots in 2014 to feed its population for 268 days, Tomatoes for 48 days, Onions for 32 days and Strawberries for 306 days7
➢ The increasing impact of Climate Change will make the growing of fruit and vegetables ever more challenging in Ireland and the UK
➢ As an island nation imported food must be flown or shipped into the country, which makes Ireland even more vulnerable in the event of food “shocks” and points to the need for Ireland to maintain and develop its capacity to produce food
2025 Deliverables
• A significant increase in supply of Irish fresh produce to the domestic market to support a drive to make Ireland more Food Secure in an increasingly volatile world
• Improved cultivation practises to protect soil fertility and the sustainability of production
D. Climate Change – Horticulture production can reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions of the agriculture industry and support Ireland’s efforts to meet our international climate change obligations. A 2014 study of British people’s diets , conducted by University of Oxford scientists, found that meat-rich diets - defined as more than 100g per day - resulted in 7.2kg of carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast, both vegetarian and fish-eating diets caused about 3.8kg of CO2 per day, while vegan diets produced only 2.9kg.
2025 Deliverables
• An increase in the proportion of agriculture land devoted to horticulture production, which would deliver a reduction in national greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
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