Transition Culture

9 Dec 2005

Kinsale Action Plan Receives Award

Last night in Cork city, the **Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan** was awarded Cork Environmental Forum’s prestigious Roll of Honour Award. The award was presented by the Mayor of Kinsale, Cllr. Tomas O’Brien to the Principal of Kinsale Further Education College, Mr. John Thuillier. The event was attended by many people, including Practical Sustainability students past and present. I will post a more detailed account of the evening when I receive one, but for now here are some photos, taken by Graham Strouts (thanks Graham!) and from the CEF press release.

Mr. John Thuillier recieves the award from Kinsale Mayor, Cllr. Tomas O’Brian at the Firkin Crane Theatre, Cork.

From right to left; Stephen Keaveney (somewhat obscured), Michael O’Callaghan, Louise Rooney – Transition Design, Diane Carton, Catherine Dunne – Transition Design, Paul O’Flynn – teacher Kinsale FEC, Cllr. Tomas O’Brien, Liam, Mr. John Thuillier – Kinsale FEC, Graham Strouts – teacher Kinsale FEC, Abbie North, Bridget Hannan, Cllr Isabelle Sutton, Anna Aherne, Becky Neal and Cllr Dermot Collins (thanks Louise for letting me know this last person, I didn’t recognise him!).

All of the Award winners (see below).

Here are two reports of the event, first from Graham Strouts and then the official press release from Cork Environmental Forum.

**Cork Environmental Forum Awards Ceremony- Firkin Crane Theatre, Shandon, Cork City, Dec. 9th 2005 – an eye witness report by Graham Strouts.**

It has been a busy and historic week in the history of the Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan. First a motion to support the implementation of the plan was unanimously supported at the town council meeting on Monday (see Louise Rooney’s account of this elsewhere on this site); and then a trip to the city for the annual Cork Environmental Awards ceremony to see John Thuillier, director of the Kinsale Further Education College, collect an award for the Energy Descent Plan on behalf of the college.

About 100 or so people were gathered in the Firkin Crane- a circular theatre in Shandon Street- for the ceremony, convened by chair of the CEF Allan Navratil.

There was a great atmosphere around the building as we gathered to witness the awards and great excitement from some of last year’s students who were involved in the hard and what must have been at times very challenging work to actually write the Energy Descent Plan: “Who would have thought as we struggled and sweated over this project last year- half the time cursing Rob for starting the thing in the first place- that we would be here now to receive an award for it- and in the same week that the council have agreed to back it!!�

First to step up to recieve an award- in “Pillar 1- Community Groups and Voluntary Organisations� section was Natasha Harty for her long-standing work with the Cork Harbour Group and many other projects. Natasha gave a moving reception speech saying “I dedicate this award to all those people who have had to drop their everyday activities to research and find out about such things as carcinogens in the atmosphere… and gas pressures… compelled to do so in defence of their homes, their communities and sometimes, of their lives.�

Next, in the Commercial and Business sector, was Darina Allen and Clodagh Mckenna of the Slow Food Movement. Clodagh gave a very animated and up-beat description of the markets in Cork, saying the city is the food capital of Europe, and of some of her schools projects, describing the excitement expressed by young people when first given the opportunity to eat brown bread and local cheeses; while reminding us how, if we don’t support this rich local culture, we will lose it to the supermarkets and fast-food outlets.

John Thuillier stepped up next to receive the award for the college, after an inspiring introduction from the Mayor of Kinsale, Thomas O’Brien, who spoke of John’s long-standing commitment to education and his many initiatives. The creation, with Rob Hopkins, of the Practical Sustainability Course in Kinsale, which birthed the visionary energy descent plan last May, must rank high in his many achievements. John waxed lyrical for several minutes about the liberating potential of education and its transformative potential. He emphasized, with regard to the issue of Peak Oil, how the intention was not to cause alarm , but to put forward positive community solutions that would have many benefits for everyone. He pointed out how many would see statutory bodies such as councils as being unlikely supporters of such innovative projects, but here was Thomas O’Brien, the Mayor, and Cllr. Dermot Collins and Cllr. Isabelle Sutton, whose support for the Plan is testimony to the council’s commitment to work for real positive change for sustainability in Kinsale.

Appropriately, the next award went to was the Cork City Council. Michael O’Brien, Senior Executive Officer, accepted the award on behalf of the council for its Biodiesel Vehicle Initiative. The City now has a few vehicles running on biodiesel, and is encouraging local farmers to grow oilseed rape for the biodiesel industry. We also heard of many other innovative projects in the city including the Lifetime Labs, an interactive educational resource, and a significant hydro-electric scheme.

Fifteen-year-old Diarmuid Collins of St. Fachna’s De La Salle, Skibbereen, West Cork, was given an award for his outstanding essay on the environment. Ending with the words ,â€? we do not inherit the environment we borrow it from our childrenâ€?. Diarmuid’s work is an inspiration to us all.

Finally, in the individual’s category, Nick Loughlin received an award for his continuing work in many areas of activism, most notably as director of the Cork Environmental Alliance. Nick, theatrical and eloquent, entertained us all with a hilarious description of how he envisaged the CEF awards at some point in the future- with the awards being presented by some prominent environmentalist to among others- the Minister for the Environment!

He finished on a more sombre note by referring to “the elephant in the closet- the incinerator� which has recently been granted planning permission despite huge local opposition. Despite such set-backs, he said he was not at all despondent- because as he looked around the room he saw nothing but winners- people who were willing to stand up for what they believed in and dare to dream of a brighter future.

On behalf the Practical Sustainability Course and Transition Design I’d like to thank everyone who made the evening possible, especially to Rob and the students who wrote the Plan who have given us something to implement, John Thuillier for making the whole thing possible, and especially the support of the Town Council who have taken the courageous step to support this project and help Kinsale become the first Transition Town.

**The Awards In Full.**

Pillar 1: Community Groups & Voluntary Organisations

Natasha Harty – East Cork Harbour Group

Natasha has been nominated by CEF Chairman, Allan Navratil. Natasha has
been unstinting in her activities as a champion for her local environment
for many years. She is involved with a number of local and national groups,
in particular those concerned with promoting sustainable attitudes and
practices for the mounting problem of waste. At a very local level, Natasha
often makes the time to go out and pick up litter to try and keep her local
environment in Ballycotton litter free.

Pillar 2: Commercial & Business Sector

Slow Food, Cork Convivium – Darina Allen, East Cork, Clodagh McKenna, Cork City & Giana Fergusson, West
Cork

Slow Food has been nominated by Bernie Connolly of Clonakilty. Slow Food is
an international organisation which promotes high quality locally produced
food. Many of its members are food producers who sell their produce at their
local markets and promote and practice high standards and environmental
quality. Many of the products are produced organically. The West Cork
convivium is a growing group which has made a considerable impact on the
awareness in Cork of the value and benefits both economically and
environmentally, not to mention socially of local high quality produce.

Pillar 3: Public Sector

Kinsale College of Further Education – Kinsale Town 2021 Energy Descent Plan
Cllr. John Thullier, Director

Kinsale College of Further Education has been proposed for its Kinsale Town
2021 Energy Descent Plan. This plan has been produced by the students
attending the 2 year permaculture course at the college. The plan provides
a sustainable and comprehensive approach to dealing with the decline in oil
as the economic driver and fuel supply and looks at the Town in a holistic
way addressing housing, local markets and all the basic necessities in the
delicate transfer towards alternative sources of fuel for local needs. With
little in the way of a model to guide local communities facing the oil
decline challenge, this plan is a good start to open the discussions in
Kinsale and provides and a very user friendly template to help other
communities plan their future.

Cork City Council,

Biodiesel Vehicle Initiative – Michael O’Brien, Senior Executive Officer

Cork City Council has been nominated for this award for its initiative to
bring in a fleet of vehicles which run on biodiesel. To date it has 10 such
vehicles and sets a good example for others with vehicle fleets to follow.
This is part of Cork City Council¹s renewable energy programme

Pillar 4 : Individuals – Nick Loughlan

Nick Loughnan has been nominated for an award as an individual who has made
a personal outstanding contribution to the environment at the national
level. He has challenged the status quo of environmental care applied by
all sectors and made some interesting and practical proposals for a more
sustainable way forward. Nick is well known for his role as Director of
Cork Environmental Alliance.

Outstanding Student’s Award
Diarmuid Collins (age 15), St. Fachna’s De La Salle, Skibbereen, West Cork

This award is being made further to an essay competition as part of the CEF
Seminar in June last. Diamuid’s essay which was the overall winner,
responded to the title ‘What are you doing for my environment’. The 6
finalists read out their essays at the CEF Seminar to a rapt audience, they
challenged the adults to look after the environment they will one day
inherit and gave some good ideas for how this could be done.

**Environmental stars shine at Cork’s gala line up for Cork’s Environmental
Awards 2005 – a Press Release from Cork Environmental Forum.**

Cork Environmental Forum packed out the Firkin Crane Theatre last night as
the famous, the infamous and the almost unknowns of the environmental world
gathered to pay tribute to those active in environmental care in Cork.

Announcing the nominees for the 2005 awards, CEF Chairman, Allan Navratil
gave great praise to the work of the people who give there time and efforts
all over the City and County to protect the environment. “The Volunteers
who carry out this work do so at great expense to their own time and are
often not given thanks for their efforts, indeed often in the past they have
been ridiculed for going public as environmental advocates�.

Cllr Noel Collins, Deputy Mayor for Cork County formally officiated at the
event, he echoed the words of the CEF Chairman and noted that Cork was
fortunate to have so many people committed to working for their local
environment. He acknowledged the work of Cork Environmental Forum and said
it had gone from strength to strength and played a very important role, he
also gave praise to the work of people at the very local level, the Tidy
Towns groups and those who encouraged others such as the teachers in the
many green schools. Recycling and reducing waste had become a major
activity for many people and Cork was better for it. Dan Boyle TD attended
the event and was pleased to say a few words about the awards, saying that
this kind of public acknowledgement was important and highlighted the
valuable work and changes in attitude about environmental care saying, “ The
people who actually carry out the tasks in their local area are doing the
real environmental work�

The first award was presented to Natasha Harty who works with East Cork for
a Safe Environment, a community group concerned with waste issues based in
East Cork. Cllr Dominick Donnelly from Passage West introduced Natasha as
someone he had known personally for many years and he said the award was
long overdue. A second award was made to Natasha by Jimmy Watson for Zero
Waste Ireland. An ancient piece of sculpted bog oak was presented from Zero
Waste Ireland, along with the framed certificate and potted native oak tree
from CEF.

Slow Food had been nominated by Bernie Connolly from Enniskeane. Bernie who
was Chairperson of CEF in 2003/4 introduced Darina Allen and Clodagh McKenna
who represented the East Cork and Cork City Convivium of this International
Organisation. Giana Fergusson was due to represent the West Cork convivium,
was unable to attend. “Many people are very concerned about their food and
where it comes from, said Bernie in her introduction, “ I nominated Slow
food because they work with local people to produce high quality food that
we can trace back to where it has come from�. In accepting the award Darina
Allen gave some fascinating insights to the challenges faced by some
producers who through modernisation and EU requirements have found their
products are no longer viable. She gave the example of a pork fat product,
a specialist food from a small town in Italy, this was almost becoming
extinct, through Slow Food support and promotion it had become more popular
than ever and the people of the town were thriving in the wake of its
success. Clodagh McKenna talked about the development of the Cork City
Convivium which she said must be supported, “There is no value in passing
the stalls in the English market and thinking how nice they look, you must
support them and do your shopping there�, she said.

The Mayor of Kinsale, Cllr. Thomás O’Brien introduced John Thullier,
Director of the Kinsale Further Education College. Their project which was
being awarded ‘ Kinsale 2021, An Energy Descent Plan was vital reading and
the points it made were important he said. He announced that Kinsale UDC
had formally adopted the plan on Monday night at its meeting and they had
been delighted to do so. John Thullier in accepting his award gave great
praise to the students who had worked on the plan and done all the work. He
said that he was very proud to be associated with the courses that the
college was running and acknowledged the role of Cork County VEC in enabling
the Permaculture Course to be run.

Diarmuid Collins of St. Fachna’s De La Salle School in Skibbereen was
awarded the 2005 Outstanding Student of the Year Award. Phoebe Bright from
Dunmanway had been present at the CEF Seminar in June last where 6 winners
from an essay competition “ How are you caring for my environment� had read
out their essays. Diarmuid was the overall winner and was now receiving a
further prize from CEF. The Environmental Protection Agency also made an
award to Diarmuid with a framed certificate and a cheque for €50. Peter
Webster, Regional Chemist with the EPA in Cork said that he was delighted to
be associated with the work that CEF was engaging in with the students. He
praised Diarmuid for his essay which is said was outstanding for a lad of 14
years old.

The final winner on the night, Nick Loughnan from Youghal had been nominated
by Allan Navratil, CEF Chairman. Allan introduced Nick as an outstanding
individual who had given many years of hard work in pressing for better
environmental controls and enforcement. In reply, Nick gave an astonishing
and entertaining acceptance speech, he gave huge praise and acknowledgement
and said he accepted the award on behalf of others at the Cork Environmental
Alliance group with whom he had worked alongside for many years. Derry
Chambers was present and accepted the award with him Nick outlined an
interesting scenario he would like to see hopefully in his lifetime, where
this same awards event was packed with politicians and the winner of the
award was the Minister for the Environment, the presenter of the award an
heroic environmentalist and the award was given for an outstanding
environment.

In closing the evening Allan Navratil thanked the sponsors Midleton
Distillers and left the audience with a reminder to read Diarmuid’s essay
which he said was a lesson for us all. The event was rounded off with an
informal reception with wine and an array of delicious Slow Food which
disappeared very fast.