# data[].attributes.body
Minimum wage

working conditions

population - sustainability

child labour

lower corporate tax

wage gap women and men gender gap

top exports - phones

link to boats and CO2 emissions news article

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sustainability

factories

renewable energy in america - fracking

CO2 emissions

trade petrol and gas - CO2 emissions

hybrid/electric cars

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mininum wage is bad

age difference in wages

taxes very high

sourcing skilled workers - low wage, high rent/houisng people moving abroad.

high energy costs

solution:

renewable energy - nucelar energy 1999 law, 2022 talks to take back law.

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Politicians and the public must take their "emotions" out of the nuclear energy debate and seriously consider building power plants here, MEP Billy Kelleher has said.

The Cork politician has hit out at the Government for continuing to dismiss nuclear as a option, and said current laws which prohibit nuclear-powered electricity generation plants should be revisited.

"I think that we've lost ourselves in terms of having rational debates around energy, our policies are based very often on emotions, rather than on the science of energy, and how we produce energy. It's an area that we can dismiss," Mr Kelleher told the .

His call comes after a number of others, including Engineers Ireland and Eirgrid's chief executive Mark Foley, suggested that nuclear should now be considered especially in the context of our climate crisis.

Mr Kelleher has argued that we will be importing significant amounts of nuclear-generated electricity once the interconnector between Ireland and France is up and running.

"We will be importing a lot of nuclear-generated energy into Ireland in times of calmness when we don't have a wind energy ourselves. That technology is changing and I just think that rather than just having these continual emotional debates, that we actually have pragmatic debates based on the economics and the science of nuclear energy, complementing our obligations to ensure we use maximum wind energy and solar energy and other forms of clean energy as well.

"It's an area that we can dismiss," Mr Kelleher told the Irish Examiner. Picture: Howard Crowdy

"But nuclear, by any definition is a clean energy, and it should be part of the consideration."

He said more than half of EU countries now use nuclear energy and it could provide an environmentally sustainable option to power production into the future.

The production of nuclear power in Ireland was banned in 1999 by the Electricity Regulation Act.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications said the Government has no plans to revisit the prohibition on, or explore the development of, nuclear-powered electricity generation in Ireland.

Mr Kelleher said generators are now a lot smaller with new technologies coming to the fore and the argument in favour of these types of energy is a lot stronger than the late '70s and early '80s when plans to build a plant at Carnsore Point sparked protests.

"As it stands, we actually have legislation passed by the Oireachtas which doesn't even allow us to contemplate that concern.

"I think it needs to be looked at in the overall context of where we are, our environmental obligations, how we can reduce our CO2 emissions, and how we can become a net exporter of clean energy," he said.

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Time to revisit the debate on nuclear energy, says Fianna Fáil MEP

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Billy Kelleher hits out at the Government for continuing to dismiss nuclear as a option

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"Clean air is considered to be a basic requirement of human health and well-being. However, air pollution continues to pose a significant threat to health worldwide." (WHO 2005)
Air quality is important because air contaminants can affect the health of humans. Contaminants that affect people in Ireland include gases that may accumulate indoors, such as radon, carbon monoxide and particulate matter from open fires. Outdoor pollution may arise from fuel emissions, for example from road traffic or from smoky coal use. Wildfires can also reduce air quality.

Departments of Public Health contribute to air quality in Ireland through working with:

Environmental Protection Agency - who coordinate ambient (outdoor) Air Quality Monitoring and help reduce the health risks of Radon

Met Eireann - when weather affects air quality by transporting air pollutants from a distance, e.g. volcanic ash, ozone

Bord Gais - supporting strategies to reduce health risks of Carbon Monoxide exposure

Emergency planning services - preparation for air quality risk assessment during emergencies

Local authorities and other emergency services during air quality incidents

Departments of Public Health contribute to air quality improvements by:

Submissions to Government Departments on Air Quality policy

Developing position papers on relevant issues

Development of a National Air Quality Index: Working with the EPA to develop the Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH).This includes advice to those at risk from air pollution on how to protect their health.

Responding to breaches in air quality standards: We advise on the health risks related to significant breaches of air quality standards. These standards are set by legislation, such as in the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2011 or by agreement, for example, the radon reference levels.

Risk assessment and advice in relation to serious air quality incidents: We assess health risks using evidence-based standards such as the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (2021) to people exposed to air pollution incidents and provide appropriate risk communications. Examples of such incidents include extensive fires which affect a community; indoor air pollution caused by sewer gases; exposure to high levels of radon.

Development and implementation of a national strategy for Radon control: the National Radon Control Strategy is now in its implementation phase.

Resources

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Departments of Public Health - contributing to air quality in Ireland

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has highlighted "worrying trends" on Irish waste, with volumes increasing at the same time as a marked decline in recycling and an overreliance on incineration.

Its latest report on volumes, issued on Friday, confirms key waste streams are trending in the wrong direction, coinciding with sustained economic growth. This will make it difficult to adhere to demanding European Union requirements over the coming decade, warns the EPA.

Systemic change is needed across all economic sectors "to shift the focus to designing out waste and promoting reuse and recycling", it adds.

The share of municipal waste sent for incineration - with some energy generation - is up from 4 per cent in 2009 to 46 per cent in 2019, the EPA confirms.

Ireland's recycling rate for municipal waste fell from 41 per cent in 2016 to 37 per cent in 2019, while the recycling rate for packaging waste has declined from 70 per cent in 2013 to 62 per cent in 2019.

"The trends show that Ireland is facing a widening gap to meet ambitious new EU recycling targets from 2025 onwards," warns the national waste statistics summary report for 2019.

Waste generation in Ireland increased significantly in 2019 with municipal waste up by 6 per cent to 3.1 million tonnes, packaging waste increased by 11 per cent to 1.1 million tonnes and hazardous waste rose by 10 per cent to 0.6 million tonnes.

Director of the EPA's office of environmental sustainability Sharon Finegan said: "A circular economy is one that is based on less waste and more reuse of materials; these trends show Ireland is going in the wrong direction. Our rising levels of waste are unsustainable and need to stop.

"Systemic change is needed across all economic sectors to shift the focus to designing out waste and promoting reuse and recycling."

Over the past decade in Ireland there have been dramatic changes in waste management. Only 15 per cent of municipal waste was landfilled in 2019 compared with 61 per cent a decade earlier. There has been a significant increase in the share of municipal waste sent for incineration with energy recovery over the same period, from 4 per cent in 2009 to 46 per cent in 2019.

Ireland's recycling rates for municipal and packaging waste have been in gradual decline for several years, as efforts to improve recycling have been outstripped by the growth in waste being generated and the amount being sent for energy recovery.

Municipal waste

The share of plastic packaging waste sent for incineration with energy recovery increased from 64 per cent in 2018 to 69 per cent in 2019; 2½ times more plastic packaging waste was disposed of in this way than was recycled (221,000 tonnes versus 89,000 tonnes).

The recycling rate for municipal waste has fallen from 41 per cent in 2016 to 37 per cent in 2019, while the recycling rate for packaging waste has declined from 70 per cent in 2013 to 62 per cent in 2019. The trends show Ireland is facing a widening gap to meet ambitious new EU recycling targets from 2025 onwards.

EPA senior scientist Dr Tara Higgins said Ireland's declining recycling rates were a significant cause for concern. But she acknowledged "measures needed to increase recycling and close the gap to new EU recycling targets" were introduced recently.

These include: allowing soft plastics such as films and wraps into recycling bins; continued expansion of brown bin services to households; new requirements for all packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2030; and a levy on waste recovery.

The EPA estimates Ireland generated 1.1 million tonnes of food waste in 2019; up from 1.05 million tonnes generated in 2018 - food waste is responsible for up to 10 per cent of human-induced carbon emissions.

About half of Ireland's food waste is estimated to come from the processing and manufacturing sector, with the remainder arising from households (23 per cent) and the commercial sector including restaurants/food service and retail/distribution (32 per cent). This excludes food waste arising at the primary production stage, for which data is unavailable.

Ireland continues to have some significant waste infrastructure deficits and relies on export for several key waste streams, including municipal, packaging and hazardous waste, according to the EPA.

This points, it concludes, to the need for expansion of Ireland's waste treatment and recycling capacity to extract maximum value from waste materials and reduce emissions associated with transporting waste over long distances.

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Ireland 'overreliant on incineration' to manage waste

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Environmental Protection Agency flags worrying trends - rising volumes and decline in recycling

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Story Highlights

Majority worries "a great deal" about polluted drinking water, lakes, rivers

Democrats express greater worry than Republicans about each threat

41% say environmental quality is excellent or good; 42% say it is improving

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. Majorities express "a great deal" of worry about the pollution of both drinking water (56%) and rivers, lakes and reservoirs (53%).

Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45%, express a great deal of concern about the loss of tropical rain forests, global warming or climate change, air pollution, and the extinction of plant and animal species. Although less than half of Americans register the highest level of worry about these four issues, broad majorities say they worry at least "a fair amount" about each.

Bar chart. Americans' levels of worry about six environmental problems. Majorities in 2021 worry "a great deal" about the pollution of drinking water and the pollution of rivers, lakes and reservoirs -- 56% and 53%, respectively. Fewer, between 40% and 45%, express a great deal of concern about the loss of tropical rain forests, global warming or climate change, air pollution, and the extinction of plant and animal species.

These findings, from Gallup's annual Environment survey conducted March 1-15, are the latest data points in at least two decades of tracking worry about these environmental problems, including annual updates every year since 2000, except 2005.

In general, the public's level of worry has ebbed and flowed in tandem across the six environmental threats over the past 21 years. Although degrees of worry have shifted over time, the rank order has remained largely consistent, with water pollution outpacing all other threats.

The latest figures show significantly lower levels of worry than in 2000 on all issues except global warming, which is roughly on par today with 2000 after some fluctuation in the interim years. Worry levels across all six threats either ticked up or remained flat between 2019 and 2020 and are now at roughly the same levels as 2019.

Line graphs. Trend lines showing the percentage of Americans who worry "a great deal" about six environmental threats since 2000. Except for global warming, worry for each of the threats in 2021 is lower than it was in 2000.

Partisan Differences in Levels of Worry About Environmental Threats

The fluctuations in worry levels since 2019 are largely driven by Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, who became more worried, on average, about the six environmental problems in 2020 during the presidential campaign and are now less worried with Joe Biden as president. For their part, Republicans' and Republican-leaning independents' concern has been stable over the same period.

Majorities of Democrats, ranging from 51% to 69%, say they are worried a great deal about all six of the environmental threats, while no more than 40% of Republicans say the same. The party groups diverge the most in their concern about global warming, with 68% of Democrats and 14% of Republicans highly concerned.

Additionally, several other partisan views stand out:

The pollution of drinking water is tied for the top worry among both Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats worry as much about global warming/climate change as about polluted drinking water.

Worry about the pollution of rivers, lakes and reservoirs ties with pollution of drinking water as the top concern for Republicans.

There have been persistent and sizable gaps in degrees of worry expressed by partisans over the past two decades. Since 2001, on average, the percentage of Democrats highly concerned about each of the six environmental threats has been more than 20 percentage points higher than that of Republicans.

Americans' Overall Assessments of Environment Stable

Forty-one percent of Americans rate the overall quality of the environment in the U.S. as "excellent" or "good," and 59% say it is "only fair" or "poor" -- both of which are essentially unchanged from the past several years' readings.

Republicans and Republican leaners are nearly three times as likely as Democrats and Democratic leaners to rate environmental quality positively. Americans' assessments were higher during Barack Obama's presidency because of Democrats' heightened positive views (albeit still less than a majority), while Republicans' ratings were largely unchanged during that period. Democrats' positive rating has not topped 40% over the past 20 years.

Line graph. Excellent or good ratings of the overall quality of the environment in the U.S. since 2001, among all U.S. adults, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, and Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. In 2021, 41% of U.S. adults, including 64% of Republicans and 22% of Democrats, say the environment's quality is excellent or good. These figures are not statistically different from 2020.

The public's lukewarm view of whether the quality of the environment is improving is similar to their current middling rating of it. In all, 42% of Americans say the quality of the environment is getting better, while 52% think it is getting worse.

Biden's election has resulted in a 26-point increase in Democrats' view that the quality of the environment is getting better. At the same time, Republicans have become less likely (by 12 points) to say it is improving. The result is an 11-point gap in partisans' positive outlook, which still is less polarized than their rating of its current state.

A similar pattern occurred during the Obama presidency, when the average gap in partisans' views that the environment was improving shrank from 27 points during George W. Bush's presidency to 5 points. During Donald Trump's presidency, the gap ballooned to an average 39 points.

Line graph. Views that the quality of the environment in the U.S. is getting better since 2001, among total U.S. adults, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, and Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. In 2021, 42% of U.S. adults, including 49% of Republicans and 38% of Democrats, say the quality of the environment is getting better. Americans' view that it is getting better is up six points since last year. At the same time, Republicans' view has worsened by 12 points and Democrats' has improved by 26 points.

Bottom Line

When it comes to environmental problems, Americans remain most concerned about two that have immediate and personal potential effects. For the past 20 years, worries about water pollution -- both drinking water and bodies of water -- have ranked at the top of the list. The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, laid bare the dangers of contaminated drinking water and no doubt sticks in the public's minds.

Republicans' concerns about environmental threats remain largely muted, while Democrats are largely worried. Likewise, partisans' views of the quality of the environment and their outlook for it continue to diverge but less so under the current Democratic administration than previous Republican administrations.

Biden has already reversed some of Trump's environmental policies, including rejoining the Paris climate agreement and rescinding the permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline. He also ordered federal agencies to review more than 100 of the Trump administration's policies that rolled back many of the Obama administration's environmental regulations. As Biden continues to implement his environmental policy agenda, Democrats' outlook may improve further.
View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.

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Water Pollution Remains Top Environmental Concern in U.S.

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Americans continue to express the most dire concerns about water pollution, out of six environmental threats.