Enviro 26th June 2017

Enviro schedule 26/6/17

Garcinia Scam: It is not like me to be caught in a ‘scam’ which to you and I is exactly that but which may be legal. Garcinia is a company which supplies weight control supplements. If you accept a free sample and do not return the free sample within 14 days they can legally send you further product until you succeed in getting your bank to stop further withdrawals from your account. It appears that this is stated on their website. I an innocent in that regard was hit for €400. There is a procedure for trying to get this back. The problem here is that they seem to have a way of blocking emails such as mine stating that it was only my intention to avail of the free sample. I want to send it back but there is no address given on their website, but a box number. I have been trying to find an address to begin the process of trying to get my €400 back.

DICK WARNER-who has been described as ‘Ireland’s greatest waterman’, environmentalist, most famous for his TV ‘Waterways’ series, but creator of some 90 TV documentaries covering a wide range of topics from railways to trees fish and other environmental topics, has passed to the other side of life at the age of 70. Exploration of Ireland’s inland waterways made him a household name. He was born in 1946 and his brother Patrick described him as ‘the archetypical post war baby’. Dick’s preferred house for some time was a wooden motor cruiser located on the Grand Canal at Hazelhatch. Dick suffered from multiple sclerosis from which he got a remission for a period of time. Dick Warner took ill on a boat on the River Shannon near Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. We are greatly indebted to him for giving us a great insight into the treasure we have a somewhat pristine environment. He was regarded as most expert and a model speaker in the use of the English language.

Bullfighting: Guy Hedgecoe in his article in the Irish Times Thursday June 22 2017 points out that “King expresses grief for bullfighter as animal rights activists praise the bull”. Grief at his death was expressed by King Felipe V1 and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoj. The debate on social media was so fraught that one Twitter user said that he would “dance on the grave” of Barrio the first professional matador to be killed in action in the country this century. Well known British comedian Ricky Gervas tweeted “Beautiful tortured bull defends itself” and he stated “Neither I nor any bull wants you to fight it. But if you insist I hope it defends itself. F**k anyone who tortures animals for fun”. El Diario newspaper has stated that “For some time now the bullfighting lobby, which has fallen into desperate decline, has not been able to hide the symptoms of its death throes”. One Ipsos Mori poll in 2016 found that only 7% of 16-24 year olds support bullfighting. ( Irish Times Thursday June 22 2017)

The Glenfell Tower disaster: How soft touch regulation of fire standards led to the incineration of many of the inhabitants of Grenfell Tower flats and how in Ireland the implementation of the bye laws was changed in a similar way which led to only about 10% of applications being fully scrutinised, which may have led to the possibility of a similar disaster happening in Ireland. The issues include the privatisation of functions which were scrupulously enforced by the public sector and the dissemination of staff numbers in local and central government, the full effects of these are yet to be fully realised with the public interest the main sufferers.

Poolbeg incinerator has been shut down amid mountain objections to its very existence while Dublin City Council has asked for a full safety audit and an explanation why Covanta Ireland the company that operates Poolbeg issued “no immediate information to the public, public representatives following the incident. Three separate investigations are taking place by the HSA the EPA and Covanta.

Presenter John Haughton Panellist Joseph Dunne