Category Archives: EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target

“obscurum per obscurius”

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Neil van Dokkum

(“the obscure by the more obscure”)   If “bullshit” was a proper legal concept, it would have been used liberally in the latest Supreme Court judgment, and one can only imagine that the actual word was used in discussions between … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, EIA Directive 2014/52/EU, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, lobbying; democracy; political process; general election, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Planning and Development Act 2000; guidelines; directives; Sections 28 & 29, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters; Aarhus Convention; Aarhus Treaty | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What do we mean by “Conflict of Interest”?

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Neil van Dokkum

EU commissioner lobbied by energy firm he owns shares in Johannes Hahn is the European Commissioner for budget and administration. He also owns 2,200 shares in Austria’s largest electricity-provider (Photo: europarl.europa.eu) By NIKOLAJ NIELSEN   BRUSSELS, 14. FEB, 07:04   … Continue reading →

Posted in EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, lobbying; democracy; political process; general election | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oh, what a lovely scam!

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

  This is a very interesting piece from National Wind Watch which in turn was gleaned from an article in the Sunday Times. Considering the number of new applications for wind farms happening all over the country, I wonder how … Continue reading →

Posted in EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Planning Permission; Extension; Planning and Development Act, Wind Farm Guidelines, turbines, flicker, noise, distance, Denis Naughten | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A time for Family

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

As we enter this festive season of which the primary focus should be family, I paused to consider the destructive impact that renewable energy legislation has had on so many families in this country, particularly those families living in the … Continue reading →

Posted in EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Peremptory law; Directory Law; Planning and Devlopment Act of 2000 | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

How Authorisation Procedures for Wind Farms are Illegally Discriminating Against Other Sources of Renewable Energy

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

An interesting article from Pat Swords:     1.1   Background There is now in 2019 approximately 3,700 MW of wind energy installed in the Republic of Ireland with an additional 1,300 MW installed in N. Ireland. As can be … Continue reading →

Posted in EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Pat Swords | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The attack on Human Rights in Turkey

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

Our friends in Turkey continue to try and protect their homes and heritage sites from a rampant wind industry supported by a ruthless government and some highly questionable court decisions. Despite these obstacles, the community continues to pursue what many … Continue reading →

Posted in Arsin Demir, Çalık Holding; Turkey; EU; renewables, EIA Directive 2014/52/EU, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Legal Costs; Access to Justice; Courts, lobbying; democracy; political process; general election, Turkey; ABK Çeşme RES Enerji Elektrik Üretim A.Ş, Wind Turbines: Esen Fatma Kabadayi Whiting | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

QED

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

Renewables Threaten German Economy & Energy Supply, McKinsey Warns In New Report Michael Shellenberger  Energy I write about energy and the environment. To stabilize the electricity grid and avoid becoming too dependent on imported natural gas, Germany is expanding coal … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Research; Peer-Review Process; Medical Journals, An Bord Pleanala; appeal; interested parties, Çalık Holding; Turkey; EU; renewables, Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, Dr Sarah Laurie; Steve Cooper; Bob McMurtry; Alun Evans, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Freedom of Information; Access to Environmental Information; AIE; Commissioner for Environmental Information, GDPR; Data Protection; Individual Rights, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, Irish Farmers Association; IFA; wind farm contracts, Kilvinane Wind Farm Ltd; substituted consent, Planning and Development Act 2000; guidelines; directives; Sections 28 & 29 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ireland in trouble with Aarhus – again

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

Many thanks to Wind Aware Ireland for this very informative update: Updates. 30th August, 2019 A panel of legal experts has found that Irish planning law is non-compliant with requirements under an international convention to allow the public to participate … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Freedom of Information; Access to Environmental Information; AIE; Commissioner for Environmental Information, judicial review; Wednesbury Test; O'Keeffe; rationality; Separation of Powers, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Planning and Development Act 2000; guidelines; directives; Sections 28 & 29, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters; Aarhus Convention; Aarhus Treaty, The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

What! More wind turbines? Are you serious?

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Neil van Dokkum

It is now widely recognised that wind turbines are inefficient, costly, environmentally unfriendly, and harmful to humans and other animals. For those who do not particularly care about these things, but are concerned about their personal finances, they are also … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Research; Peer-Review Process; Medical Journals, Brexit, Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, Dr Sarah Laurie; Steve Cooper; Bob McMurtry; Alun Evans, EIA Directive 2014/52/EU, EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, Irish Farmers Association; IFA; wind farm contracts, Justine McCarthy; The Sunday Times; EMF, lobbying; democracy; political process; general election, Ministerial Responsibility; Liability; Negligence; cardiovascular, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Planning and Development Act 2000; guidelines; directives; Sections 28 & 29, The Spokes of the Wheel; wind farms; Ireland; Windfall, Wind Farm Contract, Wind Farm Guidelines, turbines, flicker, noise, distance, Denis Naughten, Wind Turbine Syndrome; Professor Alun Evans, Wind Turbines: Esen Fatma Kabadayi Whiting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

How do our courts work?

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Neil van Dokkum

  The volume of work at my place of employment has caused me to neglect this blog, for which I apologise. Rather  than simply stopping  blogging, I thought I might combine work and blogging. The piece below is a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Research; Peer-Review Process; Medical Journals, An Bord Pleanala; appeal; interested parties, Apple; Google; Data Centre, Arsin Demir, Çalık Holding; Turkey; EU; renewables, Brexit, BSB Community Energy Ltd, Cloud; iCloud; Data Centre; Data Center, Comeragh Mountains; Declan McGrath, Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, Dr Jennifer Kavanagh; Electoral Law in Ireland; elections; MEP; TD, Dr Sarah Laurie; Steve Cooper; Bob McMurtry; Alun Evans, EIA Directive 2014/52/EU, EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, Enercon, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Framore Limited, Freedom of Information; Access to Environmental Information; AIE; Commissioner for Environmental Information, GDPR; Data Protection; Individual Rights, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, High Court; Judge Caroline Costello; John Callaghan; Leave to Appeal, High Court; Judicial Review; Appeal on the merits; judicial discretion, Irish Farmers Association; IFA; wind farm contracts, judicial review; Wednesbury Test; O'Keeffe; rationality; Separation of Powers, Justine McCarthy; The Sunday Times; EMF, Kilvinane Wind Farm Ltd; substituted consent, Law; High Court; Leave To Appeal; Environment, Legal Costs; Access to Justice; Courts, lobbying; democracy; political process; general election, Ministerial Responsibility; Liability; Negligence; cardiovascular, Ms Justice Costello; Section 37A Planning and Development Act 2000;, Nancy West, North-South Interconnector; An Bord Pleanala, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Pat Swords, Paudie Coffey; series compensation; Fine Gael; Alan Kelly; Alex White, Peremptory law; Directory Law; Planning and Devlopment Act of 2000, Planning Permission; Extension; Planning and Development Act, Press Freedom, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters; Aarhus Convention; Aarhus Treaty, Refugees; Apartheid; Kulaks; Stalin;, RTS Action Group; Ratheniska; Timahoe; Spink, Rugby Union; ; Super Sub; CJ Stander; IRFU; Munster Rugby;, Section 35; ESB Act 1927; wayleave notice, South Africa, wind turbines, developing nations,, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA); Grid 25; North-South Interconnector, The Spokes of the Wheel; wind farms; Ireland; Windfall, The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Turkey; ABK Çeşme RES Enerji Elektrik Üretim A.Ş, University Hospital Waterford, Val Martin, Wind Farm Contract, Wind Farm Guidelines, turbines, flicker, noise, distance, Denis Naughten, Wind Turbine Syndrome; Professor Alun Evans, Wind Turbines: Esen Fatma Kabadayi Whiting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Lots of hot air, but still no cost-benefit analysis

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Neil van Dokkum

Wind Aware Ireland Press Release Minister Naughten has been accused of talking  ‘gobbledygook’ on wind energy by a top economist. Minister Naughten’s take on wind energy in Ireland has been described as “gobbledygook verging on baby talk.” by top economist … Continue reading →

Posted in EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Neil van Dokkum

An interesting commentary from Pat Swords on the North-South Interconnector: “Some thoughts and facts about the Ireland of today with further confirmation that we don’t live in anything that even remotely approaches a Democracy. Still one gives it a ‘poke’ … Continue reading →

Posted in An Bord Pleanala; appeal; interested parties, Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, EIA Directive 2014/52/EU, EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Solar Roof?

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Neil van Dokkum

I found this on Bloomberg.   I would be interested to read peoples’ comments.     “Tesla Inc. has kicked off production of its long-awaited electricity-producing shingles that Elon Musk says will transform the rooftop solar industry. Manufacturing of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Research; Peer-Review Process; Medical Journals, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Corporate Energy Control is the big problem

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Neil van Dokkum

If each household was an energy neutral entity, would that not be far more desirable than ramping up the grid and building massive wind farms all over the country? It seems logical, but of course that would mean an end … Continue reading →

Posted in EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Unjustified spending and rampant price increases in costs of electricity

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Neil van Dokkum

  Wind Aware Ireland have launched their new report “The Costs of Wind Energy in Ireland”. This report may precipitate the latest scandal in public spending. REPORT: The Costs of Wind Energy in Ireland The report shows that the Irish State … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA); Grid 25; North-South Interconnector, Wind Farm Contract, Wind Farm Guidelines, turbines, flicker, noise, distance, Denis Naughten, Wind Turbine Syndrome; Professor Alun Evans, Wind Turbines: Esen Fatma Kabadayi Whiting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Access to Justice?

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Neil van Dokkum

The Aarhus Compliance Committee has interpreted Article 9 (3) of the Convention to mean that the public must have access to adequate judicial mechanisms in the event of acts and omissions in contravention of environmental law and, secondly, to provide … Continue reading →

Posted in An Bord Pleanala; appeal; interested parties, Apple; Google; Data Centre, Brexit, BSB Community Energy Ltd, Cloud; iCloud; Data Centre; Data Center, Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, Dr Sarah Laurie; Steve Cooper; Bob McMurtry; Alun Evans, EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, Enercon, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Framore Limited, Freedom of Information; Access to Environmental Information; AIE; Commissioner for Environmental Information, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, High Court; Judge Caroline Costello; John Callaghan; Leave to Appeal, High Court; Judicial Review; Appeal on the merits; judicial discretion, judicial review; Wednesbury Test; O'Keeffe; rationality; Separation of Powers, Law; High Court; Leave To Appeal; Environment, Legal Costs; Access to Justice; Courts, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Pat Swords, Planning and Development Act 2000; guidelines; directives; Sections 28 & 29, Planning Permission; Extension; Planning and Development Act, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters; Aarhus Convention; Aarhus Treaty, The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Wind Farm Guidelines, turbines, flicker, noise, distance, Denis Naughten, Wind Turbine Syndrome; Professor Alun Evans | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bring on the Super Sub!

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Neil van Dokkum

In this era of professional sport, who you have on the bench is as important as who you have in the starting line-up of your team. Coaches have to think long and hard about who will be seated on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, Dr Jennifer Kavanagh; Electoral Law in Ireland; elections; MEP; TD, Easter Uprising, 1916 Revolution, Independence, IRA., EIA Directive 2014/52/EU, EirGrid; Insurance; Law; Cancer; EMF, EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Freedom of Information; Access to Environmental Information; AIE; Commissioner for Environmental Information, lobbying; democracy; political process; general election, Ministerial Responsibility; Liability; Negligence; cardiovascular, North-South Interconnector; An Bord Pleanala, NREAP; National Renewable Energy Action Plan; EU Commission; Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee; ACCC, Press Freedom, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters; Aarhus Convention; Aarhus Treaty, Rugby Union; ; Super Sub; CJ Stander; IRFU; Munster Rugby;, The Spokes of the Wheel; wind farms; Ireland; Windfall, The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Wind Farm Contract, Wind Farm Guidelines, turbines, flicker, noise, distance, Denis Naughten, Wind Turbine Syndrome; Professor Alun Evans | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rust never sleeps … and neither does greed

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Neil van Dokkum

  This is an excellent article by retired Senator John Whelan from Laois. It was first published on 2nd June 2017 in Laoistoday.ie. The emphases are mine.     The king is gone But he’s not forgotten This is the … Continue reading →

Posted in An Bord Pleanala; appeal; interested parties, BSB Community Energy Ltd, Cloud; iCloud; Data Centre; Data Center, Democracy; Ireland; Fine Gael; Labour; Sinn Fein; Workers; Constitution, Easter Uprising, 1916 Revolution, Independence, IRA., EU Renewable Energy 2020 Target, Green Party; Ireland; Eamonn Ryan; Cormac Manning, Kilvinane Wind Farm Ltd; substituted consent, Planning and Development Act 2000; guidelines; directives; Sections 28 & 29 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments