All Ireland Tickets!

Tickets for the All-Ireland final will be frantically sought by one and all after Tipp’s great semi-final victory on Sunday. Well, just between you and me, we have a pair available at Cabragh Wetlands. All you need to do is invest a couple of euro in a ticket for our Open Day (August 29th 1-5) Raffle (or a book of 6 for €10) and you have as much chance of two Stand tickets at Croke Park as the next person. What a cost-effective way of giving yourself a fair crack at seeing the long-awaited toppling of Kilkenny! There are other great prizes available in the raffle – thanks to those who donated the Fuji Digital Camera and Dinner for Two at the Horse and Jockey.



Open Day preparations are going ahead well, and we hope to see a good turnout on the day. With talks and guided walks, animals and pond life to look at, wonderful pictures and cards to buy, cakes, teas and so much more, this will be a great family day out. Don’t forget the Children’s Fancy Dress Show, with entries on a theme of nature, please. This is a chance for real creativity and memorable fun for parents as well as children. We are still looking for donations of good quality items for an auction, so if you have something, please get in touch (0504-43879). As always we are immensely grateful for the support and generosity of the local community.



There should be plenty of stands for you to see, which as a whole will give a clear message about the great things being done in the Thurles area to create a less damaging and more sustainable way of life. We cannot continue to burn fossil fuels indefinitely, we cannot continue to foul our waterways, desecrate the countryside and damage the eco-systems and habitats that sustain the balance and variety of life on Earth. Cabragh Wetlands Open Day will give you and your children important ideas to reflect on, awareness of new technology and the chance to connect with local groups and individuals who are doing their bit to move us towards a better way of living. Do you want your grandchildren to live in a world where success is measured in terms of material prosperity, financial wealth and conquest of nature, or in a world where the natural biological wealth of our flora and fauna are healthy and resilient, where man and other species can live alongside each other in mutually beneficial harmony? At the basis of this must be a network of communities living good lives.



Dale Treadwell invites you to join him at Cabragh Wetlands this Sunday 22nd August from 3-5. The Den’s resident Bug Man will be explaining the wetlands to children and families – Let’s Explore Cabragh Wetlands! Entry is free, and thanks to Thurles Library for their work in setting up this event.

Severe Weather and Global Warming

by Fr. Seán McDonagh, SSC
Last week I wrote about severe weather events in Pakistan, China, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland. I could have included Africa where a severe drought is causing hunger and malnutrition in the eastern Sahel in west Africa. It is estimated that 10 million people are affected in four different countries. In Niger, the worst affected area, it is estimated that 7.1 million people are hungry and facing a bleak future as livestock have been lost and food prices are soaring. This catastrophe has received very little coverage in western media.
In Latin America in April 2010 heavy rains in the state of Rio de Janeiro caused floods and mudslides leading to the death of at least 212 people. In June, Brazil experienced severe floods once again, this time in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco in the north eastern part of Brazil. At least 1,000 people died or were reported missing.
Another spectacular event happened on August 5, 2010, when a section of the Petermann Glacier on the north western coast of Greenland, measuring 97 square miles, broke off. While there is nothing new in icebergs ‘calving’ this is the largest break off since 1962. Robert Bindschadler, a Senior Research Science at MASA Goddard Space Flight Center, points out that changes in calving will happen as climate changes because the environment is changing.” Increases in temperature due to climate change are not uniform across the world. The increase in temperature in the Arctic region has been very significant and scientists are predicting that the Arctic Ocean could be free of summer ice within a decade or so.
Peter Scott who is head of climate monitoring and attribution at the Met Office has been sifting through the data on the extreme weather events during the past few months in Asia and Russia. He writes that, “ evidence, including in India and China, that periods of heavy rain are getting heavier, is absolutely consistent with our understanding of the physics of atmosphere in which warmer air hold more moisture. Our climate change predictions support the emerging trend in observation and show a clear intensification of extreme rainfall events in a warmer world.” Nevertheless, he concedes that it is problematic to state categorically that climate change is the cause of a particular climate event such as the hurricane Katrina. Extreme weather events happen once every 50 or 100 years. Peter Scott is now arguing that, as a result of global warming, these extreme events will happen much more frequently and “become considered the norm by the middle of this century.”
In the light of the deteriorating climate situation it was very disappointing that the recent climate change talks in Bonn ended so inconclusively. The 194 countries which attended the meeting failed to agree on a common target or method for reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. It appeared that many of the gains which had been made in the UN climate conference in Nairobi, Bali, Poznans and even Copenhagen were beginning to unravel. In Bonn many so-called “developing” countries were retreating to positions which they held some years ago. They are insisting that while their attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would be done on a voluntary basis, “developed” countries must agree to reduce their greenhouse emission through legally binding treaties. China, which as a country, is now the number one greenhouse gas emitter in the world, refused any suggestion for monitoring its emissions by an international agency. The Chinese point out that their per capita emissions are much lower than either North America or Europe.
The Copenhagen Accord agreed that action needs to be taken on a global level to keep the average increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius. This would give the world a “carbon budget” of 750 gigatons of emission by the year 2050. Poor countries suggest that this figure should be divided between countries on a basic of population and how much greenhouse gases that country has historically emitted. Rich countries have about 16% of the world’s population but they generate 74% of greenhouse gases. The bulk of the 750 gigatons should be allocated to poor countries with huge populations. In this way they would be able to develop their economies to meet the development needs of their people. Unless there is a credible solution soon, extreme weather events will increase dramatically.

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Article by Fr. Seán McDonagh
Extreme weather is one of the clearest signals that climate change is happening. During the first part of August 2010, news of extreme weather in various parts of the world was seldom off the headlines.
Pakistan suffered its worst monsoon-related floods in 80 years. More than 1,600 people were reported dead, though the real number is probably a multiple of that figure. Rivers burst their banks sweeping away houses, food crops, roads and bridges, leaving areas such as Gilgit Baltistan cut off from the rest of because the Karakurram road has been swept away. The extreme flooding in the Swat valley was partly due to the fact that since the Taliban took over that area forests had been chopped down at an alarming rate.
By the end of the first week of August it was estimated that around 12 million people have been affected by the flood waters in Pakistan. Because the rains had not stopped, rescue operations were difficult to mount. Some charities reported that the only way they could reach the victims was by loading the supplies on donkeys.
The tens of thousands of people, fleeing from the floods by whatever means they could, were often without food, potable water, medicines, dry clothes or rainproof tents. The Pakistani authorities are worried that the death toll will rise dramatically as people suffer from malnutrition and water borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and malaria. The elderly and the very young are most at risk.
Further east 127 people died and almost 2,000 were reported missing on August 8th after mudslides in north-western China. At least one village in Gansu province was buried entirely in mud forcing 45,000 people to evacuate. One half of Zhouque country was submerged by flood waters which forced 50,000 to flee their homes. The flood waters swept away cars, trucks and even houses. According to figures issued by the Chinese government the number of people who have died in flooding in the first seven months of 2010 stood at more than 2,000. The number of people forced out of their homes by the recent flooding has reached 12 million.
Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic have also been hit by extreme weather events. On August 7th 2010, torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks in south western Poland, submerging towns and causing at least 3 fatalities. In the town of Goerlitz close to the Germany Polish border, 1,400 were evacuated as flood waters cascaded through the main street. At one point the flood waters topped the seven metre mark. Three people were killed by flood waters in the northern part of the Czech Republic. The Mayor of Bogatynia in the Czech Republic said that the there was little warning. Within an hour the town was totally submerged. Many houses collapsed and the inhabitants were cut off from the rest of the country. Storms and high winds left many communities without electric power in eastern Slovakia.
Further east in Russia the problem is not excessive rain or floods, but the opposite, a prolonged heatwave with temperatures at record levels of 38 degrees Celsius. These have led to numerous forest and peat fires right across the country. A government minister, Sergei Shoigi told the media that there were more than 550 fires covering 17,000 hectares burning across Russia. As a consequence Moscow and its many landmarks such as the Kremlin have been shrouded in a toxic smog for weeks. Flights into Moscow’s southern airport were severely delayed and car drivers used fog lights. The air monitoring service reported that carbon dioxide levels were more than six times higher than they should be. Many people wore gas masks in an effort to protect themselves from the toxic fumes. Despite such initiatives, the mortality rate has doubled in recent weeks according to Andrei Seltsovsky, the head of the Moscow’s health department. Normally there are about 360 to 380 deaths per day in Moscow. In late July and early August 2010, it was double that number. ` Further south there are fears that the fires could release radioactive nuclides from the land contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
Yet, despite this extreme weather, global efforts to tackle climate change seem to be unravelling.

Heritage Week

Heritage Week (August 22nd – 29th) is fast approaching, and Cabragh Wetlands is planning a special Open Day on Sunday 29th August, when we hope to celebrate the many good things that are done in the Thurles area to support, cherish and sustain our natural and human heritage. We want to encourage awareness of and support for the many local enterprises and groups which play a part in raising awareness of environmental and heritage issues, be it hill walkers, green schools, sustainable energy businesses, farmers’ market stallholders, food producers, allotment groups, gardeners, chicken coop manufacturers, education and transport providers, and so on.



We face a difficult future in the light of so many environmental challenges, and as individuals and communities we will need to be resilient and innovative if we are to adapt more sustainable styles of living. For our Open Day we hope to have a range of stalls and displays set up by groups and enterprises which can contribute in this area, adding to our local vision of how a better future can be built from the grassroots. We hope that the cumulative effect of a number of such displays will make an informative and challenging statement to visitors about how we can cherish our heritage while adapting a new mindset to help us build a more sustainable future.



As an Open Day there will of course be the usual range of raffles, sales of cards, cakes and bird boxes, animals to see, children’s events, and guided tours of the Cabragh Wetlands, and plenty more. A great afternoon out for the family! Visiting stalls will be welcome to advertise their own events, sell their goods and seek new members. After all this is a community day, a chance for those of us with a common interest to network and build links.



If your group would like to take part, please get in touch in the next two weeks, via e-mail (cabraghwetlands@eircom.net), or call 0504 43879 (mornings), or 086-3179919. The event is supported by the Heritage Council, which will give it some national advertising.



There will be a second Heritage week event at the Cabragh Wetlands on Sunday 22nd August, run in conjunction with Thurles Library, when popular bug expert Dale Treadwell will join children and families in exploring the wetlands, and there will be a display about how the European Union is helping to protect our environment – a timely reminder that communities and government institutions from the local to the supranational, must work together. Competition for progress is a myth – it is cooperation that is needed.

Summer Course

For many months now Cabragh Wetlands have been ringing with the most important sound of all – that wonderful chorus of children delightfully absorbing this fascinating corner of the natural world. Michael Long and his team have brought the ooh-ah factor to hundreds of children throughout the early summer, while the recently held Summer Camp saw drawn-out, sunny dappled days go down a treat along the towering passages through the humongous reedbeds. While having fun, the children have also been learning ideas, values, skills and information that will help them adjust to living in a world facing great environmental changes and challenges.

On an adult level, this joy of limitless movement in the great outdoors turns to concern for the future of all “wildscapes”, and particularly their defining characteristic – their biodiversity. Maintaining the biodiversity of any natural habitat entails a good knowledge of those habitats, initially through personal experiences and hands-on approaches. When we come to understand how a natural habitat developed, its stunning variety and current threats to its viability, then we can work to ensure that this patchwork world of Irish nature survives and maybe flourishes for generations to come.

Increasing numbers of visitors are experiencing the magic of reedbed, wet meadow, hedgerow and pond at Cabragh. This year in the last week of July an introductory course about Tipperary’s varied habitats takes place at Cabragh Wetland Centre, Monday to Friday, 9am to 2pm July 26th to 30th. The course is entitled “A Handful of Habitats” and is targeted at adults who enjoy the varied world of Irish nature. It will also be enjoyed by Primary School teachers who want to develop their confidence and expertise to take children out of the classroom and into the real world, and also older teenagers who might wish to add to their store of knowledge of the natural world, perhaps in preparation for their science certificate examinations. Tourists will also be very welcome.

Wherever you are coming from, your time at Cabragh in the last week of July be of great benefit and is “probably the best staycation” around! The course costs €60 and will be led by local teacher, naturalist and heritage expert Jimmy Duggan. For details phone 0504-23831 or 087-7567273.

Nettles

Of course many people had a good moan, but hasn’t the rain been fantastic over the last week? Getting deep into the ground, it has revived the struggling roots of many plants, from hedges, trees and grass to flowers, fruit and vegetables. The spuds have really perked up. Rivers were running very low and it’s been a blessing to have several downpours. Sorry if your tan has lost its edge, but after months of sunshine, rain is unequivocally good weather – just ask those who live near the world’s expanding deserts.

Being confined indoors for most of July, I was taken aback to see how much the nettles have grown recently – in part due to the rain, of course. This is a much maligned plant, which most of us are only too keen to chop down and rip out of our gardens. It is as important a plant as you will find for the conservation of Ireland’s butterflies, and it is getting close to the time of year when most butterflies will emerge from their chrysalis stage to adorn our gardens and countryside. Their habitat needs protection, and that means looking after your nettles. Nettles are the solitary food plant for the larvae of three major butterfly species, the Small Tortoiseshell, the Red Admiral and the Peacock, and are a major food source for the Painted Lady, which you may remember arrived in Ireland in unusually great numbers last summer. Please allow a patch of nettles to grow somewhere on your land, and cut it back now so that new growth can come through for a second brood of butterflies.

So what if the hairs of nettle leaves secrete a liquid containing formic that causes a few tingles, if you are careless enough to brush your skin against it? Remember the old saying: “A little bit of pain never hurt anyone!” This is a seriously valuable plant. What we eat is largely a combination of fashion and food company policy – they select the vegetables and seed types that we use, giving us a choice from a mere handful of options, while Nature has tens of thousands of varieties that are mostly ignored. Fresh young nettles can be picked and cooked like spinach, chopped nettles make great liquid manures and organic pest deterrents, nettle seeds mixed with mash induce hens to lay more. Many homeopathic remedies pick up on age old folk-wisdom which used nettle to help cure eczema, cramps, anaemia, dropsy, diabetes, diarrhoea, urinary problems and rheumatism – and even dandruff and baldness. Throw young nettles (without roots and seeds) on your compost heap – they are nitrogen-rich and their long root systems draw in much goodness from deep in the ground – more green manure.

I heard a familiar yet out of place sound yesterday, a solitary buzzy-bellow that spread hauntingly across the fields on the edge of Holycross. Could this be a lone specimen of a southern African species that normally lives in huge flocks, enjoys human company and displays with memorably vibrant tones? Despite scanning the area with binoculars, there was no sign of its instantly recognizable long streamlined body and bulbous head, but one must have migrated from the southern hemisphere, perhaps smuggled in a tourist’s luggage. Yes, the first vuvuzela has arrived in Tipperary. No doubt many more will be in the pet shops in the coming months. Now there’s another use for a large patch of nettles – just chuck the vuvuzela into it.

June on the River Suir

Many thanks to George Willoughby for this beautiful video
http://www.thurles.info/2010/06/20/river-suir-water-lilies-and-mute-swans/

June On The River Suir, Thurles, Co Tipperary, Ireland. from George Willoughby on Vimeo.