Environmental Awareness
Environmental Awareness
The Environmental Awareness Officer (EAO) works principally under four main headings:
- Waste Management;
- Litter;
- Community Support;
- Climate Change.
Waste Management
- Southern Waste Management Plan.
The EAO works towards achieving the objectives of the Plan with regard to waste prevention policy number B.2 "Collaborate regionally on prevention initiatives and programmes targeting priority areas to raise awareness of the benefits of prevent and deliver campaigns with more impact and better value for money." The Southern Waste Region Plan and projects relating tot he Plan's objectives can be viewed at www.southwasteregion.ie.
- Dunmore Recycling Centre.
The EAO assists Dunmore Recycling Centre to keep its profile locally by completing marketing and advertising initiatives. She also provides educational tours of the facility to groups, on request.
Litter
- Litter Management Plan 2015-2017.
The EAO assisted in the development of the Litter Management Plan. IT was adopted by the Council in 2015 after a public consultation period. The EAO works towards achieving all the objectives set out in the Plan. The Plan can be downloaded from the Council website; www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Environment/Litter/Litter-Management-Plan-2015-2107/
Community Support
The Green Schools Programme is run in Ireland by An Taisce, and Kilkenny County Council supports schools locally both by assisting them as they work through the seven step programme, and by supporting An Taisce, as the EAO completes assessment visits on behalf of An Taisce each spring. For more information on the Green Schools Programme visit www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Environment/Environmental%20Education/Green School Programme/. In addition, the Council annually arranges environment themed school workshops via different grant schemes to support schools through the annual Spring Education Programme and also organises an autumn workshop annually, specifically for green school co-ordinators, which is a support structure for teachers who run the programme in the schools.
- Community Groups/Tidy Towns Forum.
The EAO conducts environmental talks to groups on request; topics include septic tank and water quality protection, waste management and composting. The EAO supports numerous tidy town groups in Kilkenny by facilitating the Kilkenny Tidy Towns Forum, which meets four times a year. This forum acts as a platform to allow groups to network with each other, discuss issues and receive presentations on topics of their choice. To keep up to date with talks and the forum, check out the Awareness Officer's face book page; www.facebook.com/kkcocoenvironment.
The Environmental Awareness Officer administers two grants annually. The Local Agenda 21 Environment Partnership Fund and The Anti-Litter & Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme. Information on both grants can be found at www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Environment/Environment Grants/.
Climate Change.
The EAO sits on the Energy Map Committee which has a set objective to reduce the energy consumption of the organisation by 33% by 2020 using 2009 as a baseline figure. More information on this programme can be found at www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Environment/Energy-Conservation/.
The EAO sits on the Smarter Travel Committee for Kilkenny City and liaises with the An Taisce Travel Officer who works with schools working on the travel theme of the Green Flag programme. More informationon this project can be found at www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Roads/Smarter Travel/.
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