Sean McDonagh notes the end of an era with the decision by Bórd na Móna to "move away from harvesting peat because carbon emissions is having an adverse impact on climate change."
While noting that turf is "one of the least climate-friendly way of producing heat and electricity" Sean acknowledges that the decision "will cost jobs, particularly in the Irish Midlands region where jobs are scarce now, and no other industry is being targeted for the area. Bórd Na Móna believes that 500 jobs will be lost, beginning early in 2019."

An Autumn Day in Dalgan

Life in the Fifth Kingdom
Exploring the World of Fungi
With Dr John Feehan
Saturday 10th November 2018

John Feehan spoke at our AGM about "The New View of Creation in Laudato si"
"I am not sure how many of us appreciate how radical it is: how radical for our thinking, for our behaviour; how radical for our understanding of the meaning of creation and of our role in the making of the world.
Twice in Laudato si’ Pope Francis refers to the created world as the ‘other’ book of revelation. Creation itself, the ‘other book’, the ‘magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness; ... God has written a precious book, ‘whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe."

Sean McDonagh draws our attention to a statement from the European Christian Environmental Network calling for 'A future with hope'.

Sean McDonagh, Columban priest and president of An Taisce, reminds us that in his 'On Care for Our Common Home' Pope Francis asserted that “Christians realise that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith.”
Sean says that "If our care of the environment is judged by our commitment to vision outlined in Laudato Si’ Ireland is not doing well at all. "

Sean McDonagh draws our attention to important findings of research carried out by marine scientists of the National University of Ireland Galway on the amount of plastic in fish in the northwest Atlantic.
Sean asks 'Should the Churches be involved in protecting our oceans? Has a Justice and Peace group in any parish or diocese challenged the fact that our retail stores still force us to use single-use plastics?'. 

Seán McDonagh reminds us of the ongoing problems we are creating for our environment. In the words of Pope Francis we should not "fall into four perverse attitudes regarding the future of the planet: "denial, indifference, resignation and trust in inadequate solutions."

Seán McDonagh draws our attention to the disaster that has befallen the village of Dalama, Philippines on December 22nd , 2017.
"The tragedy of what did happen in barrio  Dalama during Typhoon ‘Vinta’ in 2017 was a direct result of logging on the mountains in previous decades."

Sean McDonagh writes of an alarming rise in the number of those being murdered for defending their community’s lands, natural resources and wildlife. One of those murdered was Fr. Marcelito Paez. Fr. Paez’s murder took place during a two-day period which saw ten activists shot dead in Luzon and in the southern Philippines on the island of Mindanao.

Seán McDonagh in the wake of recent hurricanes in the Caribbean reminds us of what Pope Francis has said about climate change; "the scientific community has been “clear and precise” in linking human activities to the ongoing climate crisis…..,, Climate change is a “serious matter over which we cannot make jokes.”