The Irish landscape has been moulded
over the centuries by human activity,
from a country mainly covered with trees
to one now dominated by grassland
with only about 10% of forest cover.
In Ireland we still have areas remaining
of unspoilt natural landscape
and a rich cultural and natural heritage.
The geology of our coastline is quite varied
and our positioning in the strong Atlantic currents
keeps our beaches and coastal waters relatively clean.
The mild and humid climate has created rich peatlands
consisting of raised bogs and upland blanket bogs
which are of both national and European importance.
Frequent rainfall carried by clouds from the Atlantic irrigates our farmland
and means our rivers and lakes
supply fresh, clean water across the country.
After the last Ice Age Ireland's land bridges
were cut off from mainland Europe
and as an island nation our range of plant and animal species is quite limited.
However our temperate climate provides all year round growing conditions
and is very suitable for agriculture.
Strong winds provide Ireland with fresh clean air
and very favourable wind conditions to harness electricity
which is a clean, renewable resource.
Ireland's potential to generate power from other renewable energy sources
like wave power and biomass is also strong.
Ireland's first settlers came as hunters and gatherers over 10,000 years ago
and at various stages of tree felling and cultivation
they built their tombs, settlements and ritual sites
and made a footprint on the landscape that still exists today.
Since the great famine of the 1840's,
Ireland saw its population decrease from 8 million people
to less than 3 million by the 1950's.
Electrical power was almost non-existent in Ireland
until the Ardnacrusha Hydro power station opened in 1930,
giving birth to Ireland's first electricity grid
which at the time was able to supply cities and towns
with 100% of their electricity from this renewable resource.
As electricity demand grew, peat and coal-fired power plants were built,
later oil, and now more efficient gas fired power plants.
Ireland remained a mainly agricultural economy for most of the 20th Century.
By the early 1990's Ireland's economy began to grow
with the help of a highly educated work force, low corporation tax,
investment by international industry and support from the EU.
Ireland's economy grew very quickly over ten years.
New export-led industry brought new jobs and wealth
and demand for houses and commercial buildings.
During this time many Irish people came home from abroad
and thousands of foreign workers came to Ireland.
The population grew from just over three and a half
to over four million people and with very little unemployment.
The country changed dramatically, becoming wealthier,
created large carbon emissions
and put huge pressures on the environment.
New motorways and roads were built throughout Ireland
facilitating large sprawling developments
but public transport remained limited,
leaving Ireland as one of the most car dependent countries in Europe.
In Ireland we rely on burning fossil fuels like coal,
peat and gas in our power stations to generate electricity.
This emits large quantities of carbon dioxide.
Our emissions of these gases are among the highest in Europe.
New affluence brought increased consumption that produced more waste.
While Ireland's recycling rates have improved,
the country still sends most of its waste to landfill.
Most of the waste that we separate for recycling is sent to other countries.
We need better water treatment plants to treat sewage
and to provide clean drinking water.
More intensive farming has also put pressure on water quality
and the provision of a safe supply of drinking water.
In a European context though,
Ireland's rivers and lakes are relatively unpolluted
but there still needs to be improvements to meet EU standards.
In recent years, a lot has been done to protect our environment.
Less waste is going to landfill
because we now separate waste that can be recycled.
Enforcement of environmental laws has also been strengthened.
New grants have been introduced
to help householders reduce the huge amount
of energy they use in their homes.
New regulations mean that all new houses
will have a low energy demand.
Wind speeds along Ireland's West coast
are among the best in Europe
and the amount of electricity we get
from renewable energy sources is increasing.
The Government has set targets to increase
the amount of electricity from renewable sources
from about 12% in 2008 to 40% in 2020.
Improvements in public transport
should reduce the effects our travel habits have on the environment
and the new road tax bands should encourage people
to use cleaner, more efficient cars.
Our greenhouse gas emissions have fallen slightly recently,
but our CO² emissions are very high
and we still need to reduce them a lot more.
At the moment Ireland, like most other countries,
is facing both a recession and a climate change crisis
with more rain deluges, flooding and extreme weather events coming.
We need to find ways to improve our economy,
meet our energy needs and create new jobs
while at the same time protecting our environment and reducing waste.
We need to change our ways and become sustainable.
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