Turning Earth

In this episode we're talking about water! And gently freaking out about how we're going to access it in the near future. We had nobody to interview this time so it's just Tommy and Eric ranting at each other for an hour.

Contents: Ireland drought and water shortages, water charges, Bolivian water wars, neoliberalism, capitalism, the psychopathy of the super-rich, silly people doing silly things.

The title of this episode is an expression in the Tamasheq language, used by the Tuareg people of the Sahara (Libya, Algeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso). It is the title of an album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen. Listen to them!

The theme music as usual provided by the wonderful Wild Rocket - https://wildrocket.bandcamp.com/

The intro features a sample of water drumming by the Baka people in the Congo.

In our latest episode we focus on green space in Dublin City, as well as our usual rundown of the latest environmental news.

Tommy met with Tony O'Rourke, a community activist from Bridgefoot St and Tony Lowth, a guerilla composter who set up the NCAD community garden to discuss parks, community gardens and their impact.

Following this Eric and Tommy were joined by Michelle from Dublin Central Housing Action and Amanda McKnight to discuss who controls the city.

Theme music: Blowholes by Wild Rocket

The month's episode focuses on greenwashing:

greenwash

noun

The practice of promoting environmentally friendly programs to deflect attention from an organization's environmentally unfriendly or less savory activities:

Interview with Pauric Fogarty of the Irish Wildlife Trust, discussing Bord Bia's Origin Green campaign. We also discuss the citizens assembly, NGO and public pushback against foolish government policy, alternatives to mass dairy farming and much more.

This month we're yapping about climate change and flood resilience in the context of recent flooding in Donegal and Derry, we're wondering about the upcoming Citizen's Assembly on climate change and examining the events in Charlottesville, Virgina, and what the rise of white supremacy and organised racism means for us as environmentalists.

We also have an interview with Sinead Mercier, a researcher for the Green Party, and with her we discuss liquefied natural gas, oil licenses, speculation, exploration and clueless post-colonial government gambling with our future.

This episode covers: Shell Ireland, the continued oil and gas giveaway, fracking north of the border, Preston New Road anti-fracking protests, rural neglect, debunking the urban-rural divide, the Irish state and climate denial, and a new data centre in Anthenry.

Including an interview with Niall Bakewell from Friends of the Earth NI.

Featuring the track Rural Juror by Headless Kross, from the album Volumes.

Fifth episode of environmental podcast Turning Earth. This episode focuses on Shell Petroleum and the egregious abuses they've been responsible for in Ireland, Nigeria and globally.

Including an interview with Maura Harrington of Shell To Sea.

Two lads and a baby hanging out in the sitting room, talking about how scary and fucked up the world is. Recorded and edited in a rush of a January evening.

CONTENTS:


2016 carbon dioxide bonanza, 400 PPM, climate change denial and disinformation, Trump's cabinet, Fine Gael and climate inaction, government messing, Enda's platitudes, energy production, bogs and biomass, farms and forests, Ireland's wonderful carbon sinks, finance vs environment, Coillte, thoughts on state (in)action, fossil fuel divestment bill, migration and climate change, racist disinformation.

Including an interview with Leah Doherty of No Fracking Ireland.

Featuring A Poem for a Kurdish Baker by Christy Gaffney

We're talking about fracking, a dangerous method of unconventional gas extraction.

Including interviews with Aisling Cowan from Friends of the Earth NI and No Fracking Northern Ireland and Terrence Conway of Shell To Sea.

In this episode we discuss the gold mining industry in Ireland, with a specific focus on Inishowen, where exploration licenses have been issued for. This leads to a broader consideration of the industry across the island and its environmental impact.

Interviewees for this episode are: Toni Devine, an Inishowen resident and anti-mine campaigner; John Teeling, chair person of Connemara mining, who hold exploration licenses for Inishowen; and Ian Lumley, a member of conservation advocacy group An Taisce.

This episode discusses the controversial Poolbeg Incinerator, a massive municipal waste incinerator being built next to Dublin port. Residents of the nearby suburbs of Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown have been campaigning for 18 years against the construction on the basis of potential health and ecological effects, coming up against the undemocratic arrangement of Dublin City Council in regards to waste management.

We talk to local activist John Whipple, Green Party councilor Claire Byrne and Mindy O'Brien, coordinator of environmental charity Voice Ireland. This aired on the 10th July 2015.