Jason Walsh
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News round-up: 13 May, 2008

Nuclear power for Ireland, the greening of Croker and falling construction.

Ireland should go nuclear in order to ensure energy security. So says William Nuttall from Cambridge University.

Speaking last night at the RDS in Dublin, during a talk called 'Nuclear Energy - why is it on the agenda?', Dr. Nuttall

said that changing economic circumstances and the threat of global warming were changing perceptions of nuclear power.

Dick Ahlstrom, the Irish Times' science editor, quotes Dr. Nuttall as saying: "Energy policy is dominated by three concepts, the economics of the energy system, energy security and climate change [...] Climate change and energy security are now being reflected in the economics of energy."

 

Meanwhile, the GAA has announced a new partnership with ESB, Cúl Green, that plans to make Croke Park a carbon neutral stadium.

The new project in the immediate term will cut Croke Park's annual 4,500 tonnes carbon emissions output by more than two-thirds.  RTÉ reports that: "It will establish a state of the art environmental-improvement programme covering the stadium's electricity, waste and water management systems."

 

 

Ulster Bank released figures yesterday indicating that construction activity has fallen to a new low.

The survey on the state of the construction market shows the worst figures since the survey began eight years ago.

The Purchasing Managers' Index was at 34.4 in April 2008, down from a figure of 36.6 in March. The index is now shpowing contraction as a trend, with activity below 50 every month since June 2007.

The bank's chief economist Pat McArdle says the figures confirm his view that it will not be until the end of 2009 that the lag in the housing market is finally cleared up.

Last modified on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 13:52