Environment         bbermingham@corkcity.ie    www.bbermingham.com

Minister, Chairperson, Ladies & Gentlemen

I am delighted to represent the City of Cork,

As Deputy Lord Mayor, this evening.

No better place could be found, for this photo competition, and “to celebrate the public launch-last June- of   the “Cork Environmental Forum” than Cork’s Vision Center.

This center, is the essence of, and symbolizes Cork’s regeneration –

It having being the most visible symbol of ugliness & decay  -

Is transformed into a place of beauty and life, improving the quality of the public realm at the core of Cork’s historical center.

[Thank Tim Healy and team]

Many thanks, for your kind invitation.

May I thank Minister Wallace’s Department of the Environment, the Irish Examiner group, & O’Leary Camera World, for sponsoring this very important competition? I’m delighted to see business, -continuing to promote environmental awareness.

May I also thank the Media - for their excellent coverage on all environmental matters over the years?

They have shown great commitment and are playing a major part, in heightening awareness ensuring a good rather than a bad or ugly environment.

This photo exhibition, which ran during this week, demonstrates the impact on the quality of our landscape or environment with the theme -

“Our Environment”, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It is exciting to note, that the competition embraced four categories Junior, Youth, Amateur, and Professional.

May I thank, all who participated?

Participation is, in itself, so beneficial, as it necessitates, training - acquiring skills, communicating, meeting people and contesting - all elements contributing to the individual’s personal growth & development.

As always, many are called, but few are chosen.

Congratulations to the winners.

Cork then, has, had a treat, as it citizens viewed excellent photos, encouraging many people, into photography and caring for our environment.

May I thank the “Cork Environment Forum” for organizing the event?

Since your inception over 6 years ago, you are, heightening awareness of all environment issues, regionally, nationally, and globally as well.

We now know, we cannot, environmentally divorce our city, and region from the global village in which we live.

As you say,

“The quality of our environment is decided by a combination of how we can care, for our heritage, natural and man-made, coupled with the level of creativity and responsibility we demonstrate, when designing, constructing and managing,

development within our landscape.”

Through the midst of time, to the industrial revolution and beyond, to our present day.

There was seemingly, unlimited fresh water and pristine wilderness, open parkland to enjoy, and to drive big gas-gulping cars to “never land”.

We learned vaguely about conservation in schools.

A generation ago, only a few voices in the wilderness were raising an alarm about our natural environment there was as yet, no such regulation called Environmental law”

The 40’s concentrated on physical survival

The 50’s concentrated on spiritual survival

The 60’s concentrated on societal survival

The 70’s began the dawning of the era of environmental awareness.

Some governments created Ministers of the environment for the first time.

Health concerns associated with DDT arose.

International concerns mounted at environmental disasters as…

q       Love Canal, 1977—Love Canal is a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York. Today, it remains a ghost town, of crumbling, dilapidated homes with an eerie silence; reminding visitors of the specter that hazardous waste poses in our modern society.

q       The Meltdown at Three Mile Island, 1979

q       Bhopal, India, 1984, with its direct effects on human lives -over 40 tons lethal gasses leaked from the American corporation Union Carbide's pesticide factory.

q       The Exxon Valdez oil spill…1989

q       North American acid rain,

q       Brazilian rainforest going up in smoke,

q       CFC’s degrading the ozone layer

q       The greenhouse effect

q       old growth [ancient]forests, and Little spotted owls. - All put the environment high on the agenda

The 80’s further heightened awareness,

1986 the Chernobyl disaster

1987 saw the convening of the world’s first commission on the” environment and development”-the brunt land commission.

It coined the new term sustainable development.

The 90’s searched for environmental protection

1992 saw the largest multilateral head of state meeting, in Rio de Janeiro, “the earth summit”.

Suddenly the physical environment was a matter for international protection.

Long-term environmental strategy was on the table and legislation flowed, to protect the environment.

Regional and global trade treaties such as within the EU and NAFTA [north American free trade association] addressed environmental sustainability.

Most recently the Kyoto accord set rigorous targets for reducing world greenhouse gas emissions,

that many believe will impair the standard of living to which they have become accustomed.

We are depressed with President’s Bush negative approach to it, and to yesterdays announcement by him effectively increases such gases in spite of the growing evidence of global warming.

We battle on; today educational institutions of all kinds offer study programs in environmental science.

Several hundred environmental interest groups operate.

This acute environmental awareness, around the world has resulted in, not only the enactment, but also the spirited enforcement of environment protection regulations -

And we see this - in Cork- this week.

Experience is growing and dawning on us all,

That public authorities and the courts will henceforth effectively enforce new regulations and policies, and I wish, some would at last, realize this fact.

It is well also, to appreciate that our membership of the European Union since 1973 has transformed our mind-set on environmental matters implementing the many directives springing from Europe.

Europe has a responsibility and opportunity to be [as I think it is] the leader amongst the nations in safeguarding our fragile earth for this, and future generations.

Ireland, must lead the EU, and

Cork leads Ireland, in reclaiming our Environmental heritage of yesteryear.

Thank You

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