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Leaf

Recession pushes Laois communities into action on sustainability

The Leaf project has been working for the last three years to get communities in the county working together on all aspects of sustainable development.

COMMUNITIES IN LAOIS have been coming together over the last three years to learn about the environment and work on building sustainable practices in the county through a project called ‘Leaf‘.

Leaf was established in 2010 and coordinator Theresa Carter told TheJournal.ie that at the time, there was a “big need for people who are interested in the environment and in sustainability to network”.

“A lot of people are isolated and concerned about this so it’s all about getting people together and having a united voice,” she said.

Carter said that the recession has “made people more aware of the fact that things are just going to turn themselves around.”

They don’t have enough belief in the old system so they’re willing to listen more to what we have to say about sustainability.

The project, which encourages communities to self-organise to address environmental issues, meets once a month and the agenda is left open for discussion on all aspects of sustainable development. “Last year the focus was on energy though in most places it would generally be food because that seems to grab people’s attention,” Carter explained.

Food is an area that Carter said all local communities can work on to contribute to sustainability and the economy. “If we have sustainable, local food production that can be kept in the local economy you’re keeping  people in business – you’re not making them millionaires – but it makes a difference,” she said.

Leaf supports a number of local initiatives like men’s sheds, community gardens, farmer’s markets and development groups.

The sale of Coillte was also high on the project’s priority list over the least year with the group raising awareness of how forestry can play an important role in sustainable energy and local economies.

“It was actually my one hope for the recession, that it would get people moving,” Carter said. “And now we have a bigger audience who are more willing to listen and take action.”

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11 Comments
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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:12 PM

    Not Only in America.

    148
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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:14 PM

    That’s because there are guns in countries other than USA.

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    Mute John Lennox
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:34 PM

    There are and in some countries Gun ownership per capita is as high.

    In Switzerland the country is awash with guns.

    What these countries do not have is a mindset where Guns are used to solve problems, especially when you are angry or feel slighted.

    The modern American attitude to guns, to society etc is the root of its problems.

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    Mute Alan White
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:42 PM

    Exactly John, Switzerland is awash with guns. There’s less gun crimes in Switzerland exactly because of this, good people all carry guns to defend themselves so criminals are scared. The best solution to a bad guy is good guys carrying guns

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    Mute William Boyd
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:09 PM

    Oh let me see now Alan if that guy hadn’t got a gun 3 people would still be alive, go figure?

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:54 PM

    And unlike US, Switzerland doesn’t have any of the world’s most notorious gangs who mainly consist of illegals from south and central America. More of a reason for good guys to have guns.

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Aug 30th 2015, 6:44 PM

    Of course, Switzerland, despite its cohesive social structure, still has the highest rate of gun related homicide in Western Europe, with a few incidences of mass massacres by disaffected individuals.

    Many factors influence the rate of gun related homicides. It is facile, obtuse and dishonest to deny prevalence to guns and ease of access to guns as an important factor in the rate of gun related himicides. Gunsa are not the only factor but ease of access and an attitude than guns are there to be used are a powerful factor in gun related homicides.

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    Mute TommyHaze
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:08 PM

    Noting worse than a barking dog.

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:10 PM

    Nothing worse than some with an utter lack of decorum .

    93
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    Mute TommyHaze
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:12 PM

    We live in stressful times.
    Nobody’s surprised at these events anymore.

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    Mute fuve
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:14 PM

    Yes there is. Houses with alarms that never turn off and set off by the wind. And the owners feck off and leave no one with a key to turn off said alarm. Poor people. Rest in peace. Its disgusting that some people can’t just sort stuff out without murdering someone else.

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:15 PM

    I live next door to someone with 12 dogs and access to a legally held gun and I haven’t shot anyone yet.
    My own dog only barks if he senses someone around the house and barks until one of us comes.
    But I’m pretty sure he couldn’t hear the dog anymore over the noise of the gunfire.

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    Mute TommyHaze
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:31 PM

    @fuve.
    Sometimes the people causing the disturbance can be uncooperative, abusive, threatening even.
    What happens then?
    Just shut up and suffer in silence because you’re unfortunate enough to live next door to a primitive.

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    Mute Alan White
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:45 PM

    My dog barks only when out in the back garden and not when in the house. I let him sleep in the house and then put him out during the day. The neighbors complained but I’ve told them where to go cos during the day dogs can bark, just like roadworks and builders can work. Get out of bed before 8am and you can stop moaning. I don’t give two big ones if you’ve the day off or work nights.

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    Mute Kugel Berg
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:12 PM

    @Alan; My dad works at home full time – our neighbours 2 doors down had a jack russell that barked non-stop all day long. When we calmly asked them to do something about it we were told to fcuk off, so we called the dog warden. He said that a barking dog constituted an offence under the tortious law of nuisance, as it prevented my father from “reasonably enjoying his property”. Unsurprisingly, the owners hadn’t a dog license, so they were given a court summons. Instead of going to court they just got rid of the dog, which was good enough for the selfish prciks…

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:13 PM

    Spanner

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    Mute John R
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:28 PM

    Kugel I thoroughly agree. Some people are thoughtless and ignorant.

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    Mute Emachine
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    Aug 30th 2015, 6:58 PM

    Don’t be surprised if you come home one day to an empty garden.

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    Mute Lynn Dougherty Quin
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    Sep 1st 2015, 1:37 PM

    How callous and inconsiderate you seem. It’s not surprising that you have a dog that barks all day. You seem to revel in the fact that the dog is tormenting your neighbors.

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    Mute Seamus McGonagle
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:58 PM

    Barking dogs have to be the most irritating thing about having neighbours. Ive had dark thoughts about our neighbours dog.

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    Mute Barney r
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:17 PM

    Im sure the neighbours have the same taughts about you,only your meant to be human.

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    Mute Seamus McGonagle
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:21 PM

    It is spelt “thoughts” my dim witted friend

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Aug 30th 2015, 6:46 PM

    Sea mus, as long as you don’t have access to guns in order to realise your dark thoughts, they can remain as dark thoughts.

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    Mute Seamus McGonagle
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    Aug 30th 2015, 7:50 PM

    I am beyond guns at this stage

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    Mute pongodhall
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    Aug 30th 2015, 8:09 PM

    I don’t have bad thoughts about the seemingly unloved, and incarcerated dogs but I do about the people that do this. Animals are not for them (nor neighbours).

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:34 PM

    barking dogs are a total menace. …I told my neighbour recently that her rat dog keeps everyone awake And she told me And another neighbour to get lost. …funny thing tho the ratdog seems to have gotten lost in the mean time

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    Mute Rebel Rebel
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:58 PM

    just accidently back over the little čüñţ

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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    Aug 30th 2015, 5:01 PM

    Nothing more irritating than a dog barking all night as you try to get a nights sleep.

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:13 PM

    It is the danger of having very easy access to guns that a person in a fugue state may resort to using that gun in a stressful situation.

    Fortunately, guns are rarely resorted to in Portugal, which has a very low rate of gun crime.

    What happened is tragic. Three human being short dead over something as mundane as a barking dog.

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    Mute TommyHaze
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:28 PM

    ‘Mundane?’
    What if you had to listen to a dog barking morning, noon and especially nighttime when trying to sleep.
    A form of aural torture.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:45 PM

    Dogs in Portugal seem to be encouraged to bark, after a while you dont even notice it. In more remote parts of rural Portugal lately, disputes seem to be settled with guns recently but generally speaking gun crime is low and gun laws very strict.

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    Mute Seamus McGonagle
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:01 PM

    totally agree Tommy. People have a right to live in their home without this maddening intrusion.

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Aug 30th 2015, 6:48 PM

    But there is no right to kill human beings because of a dog barking. It’s an overreaction to kill people.

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    Mute pongodhall
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    Aug 30th 2015, 8:07 PM

    Heartfelt agreement, we have a neighbour with a shed load literally, they bark day and night. Yes, we did say we were bothered by it. No result, more built.

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    Mute Philip Cooper
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:44 PM

    This comment is the one that links this situation to something about Irish Water.

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    Mute fitzer
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:53 PM

    All postmen should be issued with a 12 bore shotgun. who let the dogs out. BANG.

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    Mute Rebel Rebel
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:32 PM

    Guns fault right?

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    Mute Enda
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:28 PM

    That’s woof

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    Mute Tap Solny
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    Aug 30th 2015, 3:51 PM

    Only in Portugal.

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    Mute Dan The Man
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    Aug 30th 2015, 4:24 PM

    Learn how to spell you idiot

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    Mute Lauren O'Halleron
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    Aug 30th 2015, 10:42 PM

    Is the dog ok?

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