Irish Public Environmental Policy

            In Ireland I have seen this campaign firsthand, with television ads promoting “Change.ie" a site where citizens can log on and learn about what they can do to help, as well as what their government is doing. The site includes all the usual sections, including a carbon calculator, explanations on global warming and greenhouse gases, what different sectors of the economy are doing, as well as media and environmental impact reports.

            The site also covers the three main tiers of worldwide global climate change, on a national level, a continental level, and a global level, making the task to reduce one’s footprint more than just a personal quest.

            The sister site is PowerofOne.ie, which is really a place for gaining energy saving tips and reading up on both neighborhood and individual projects. There are energy quizzes and competitions for motivational purposes.

            While Ireland’s place on the worldwide Environmental Performance Index (EPI) slipped from 10th in 2006, to 34th in 2007, they have managed to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions by 0.8% between 2005 and 2006. Today Ireland is ranked number 35 on the EPI, as released by Yale, with a score of 82.7, beating the United States at number 39 with a score of 81.0.

            While Ireland is not at the top of the list, they are by no means at the bottom either. Their drive to achieve environmental sustainability is evident from the muddy, but clean banks of the southern Lee River to the various recycling repositories found lining the campus of various colleges. Like the US, they are moving to make the environment a key point of interest for younger generations as well as acting now to change the way in which its citizen see and use energy.