PART ONE: Environmentalist Brendan Kelly updated listeners on the right to water, the polluter pays principle and the implications of these. He spoke about the current consultation with regard to the Aarhus Convention.

Ireland ratified the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, commonly referred to as the Aarhus Convention, on 20th June 2012. He pointed out that Phil Hogan, the former minister for the environment had inserted a clause in the official document providing for GMOs which had been ratified by the government.

He offered to coordinate consultation submissions from organisations who wished him to do so and he could be contacted at Brendan Kelly Facebook. He pointed out that there is also a public consultation process with regard to the formation of the’ River Basin Management Plan’.

Robert Navan pointed out that in the case of Bolivia efforts were made to charge people for water and the government under Evo Morales abandoned it and the Company which had been installing the system had taken the Bolivian government to court on the basis of financial losses.

PART TWO: Robert Navan give a report on his recent visit to Southern France during the summer months and how it is being affected by climate change with extreme flooding and drought due to threats to the environment from major industry. He expressed surprise that none of this is being reported in our media despite the fact that a lot of lives are being lost thereby.

There was a discussion about the international trade agreements, with regard to which Senator Alice-Mary Higgins succeeded in getting a motion opposing provisional application of the controversial trade agreement CETA passed in the Seanad.

Reference was made to Mary Robinson former president of Ireland’s interview on the advantages of vegan diet in relation to global warming, when she spoke at the One Young World Summit in Ottawa, Canada recently. (Ref: Irish Daily Mail report 1/10/16).

On the same subject, reference was made to the film ‘Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret’ a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today and the farming industry. He investigates why he maintains the world’s leading environmental are too afraid to talk about it. Reference was made to the publications ‘Animal Liberation by Peter Singer (Bodley Head) and ‘Sapiens’ by Yuval Noah Harare (Vintage). Various views were expressed in the discussion which ensued.

It was also noted that Sunday the 9th October was John Lennon’s birthday. Born in 1940, he had been a champion for peace. Columbus Day is celebrated in the US. There was agreement that celebrating is records was not desirable.

Presenter: John Haughton

Panellist: Joe Dunne

Guests: Robert Navan and Dee O’Brien Hoey