Gormley praised by Greenpeace for new measures
John Gormley has earned the acclaim of members of Greenpeace for the introduction of laws banning traditional light bulbs in favor of energy-saving alternatives from 2009, and legislation which will penalize high-emission vehicles, according to a news article posted by Reuters yesterday.
Environmental group Greenpeace said the move made Ireland the first country to take specific steps towards implementing a European Union pledge to switch the whole region over to energy-efficient lighting by the end of the decade. "Today Ireland has taken a lead in banning energy-wasting light bulbs by as early as January 2009," the group said in a statement. "Greenpeace hopes that Ireland’s decision will light the way for the EU and the rest of the world." Gormley, whose party joined Prime Minister Bertie Ahern’s centrist Fianna Fail party in a coalition following a May general election, said he would also phase out the current system of taxing cars annually based purely on engine size.
I have mixed feelings about how far some of the new measures go, but it a decent first step nonetheless, especially when stacked against the lacklustre efforts of other developed nations.
