Noteworthy

CHRISTMAS OFFER: Give the gift of investigative journalism this Christmas

Open

Ireland

Have you enjoyed our award-winning reporting this year? This is your chance to share the gift of investigative journalism this Christmas - and receive a set of limited edition Noteworthy postcards.

7 Backers raised €210 of €5000

PITCH IMPERFECT: Are astroturf pitches bad for our green spaces?

Open

Ireland

Concerns have been raised internationally over the potential environmental impacts from small microplastic fibres used as infill on artificial sports pitches - with estimates of between 60 and 120 tonnes of the material required for one pitch alone.

0 Backers raised €0 of €2170

TROUBLED WATERS: Are salmon fish farms harming our marine ecosystem?

Open

Ireland

The fish farming industry is in a phase of rapid growth; it overtook global beef production in 2012.

26 Backers raised €1760 of €2400

RUNNING ON EMPTY: Is the motor industry putting the brakes on the shift to electric vehicles?

Open

Dublin

Emissions from the transport sector are a major contributor to climate change, both globally and at home, and can pose a significant health risk, especially in built-up, populated urban areas.

9 Backers raised €280 of €1640

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Can Ireland halt the decline of its precious biodiversity?

Open

Ireland

Ireland’s biodiversity is under threat. According to a report from last year, 85 percent of our EU protected habitats are in an “unfavourable” condition and 46 percent are showing ongoing decline.

31 Backers raised €1040 of €1800

PEAT'S SAKE: Why have authorities failed to tackle unlicensed industrial peat extraction?

Open

Ireland

Protection of our peatlands has been described by experts as the low hanging fruit in tackling the dual climate and biodiversity crises.

31 Backers raised €1037 of €2530

CASH COW: Are subsidies encouraging unsustainable farming practices?

Open

Ireland

The farm has a big role to play in the fight against climate change, yet experts argue that it is difficult to shift to a nature-friendly model while subsidies favour intensive production.

25 Backers raised €522 of €1150

EXOTIC WASTELAND: Is Irish recycling waste ending up in illegal dumps abroad?

Open

Ireland

Until recently, China was the destination of choice for Europe’s rubbish as the world’s largest reusable and packaging waste importer.

15 Backers raised €260 of €2700

SHEAR FORCE: Why are hedgerows still being cut during the prohibited season?

Funded

Ireland

Every summer, social media streams are inundated with photos of roadside hedges decimated across the country even though it is illegal to cut them from 1 March to 31 August.

54 Backers raised €1655 of €1630

FUELLING RETIREMENT: Are Irish pensions contributing to the climate crisis?

Open

Ireland

Ireland last year became one of the first countries in the world to remove companies which obtain more than a fifth of their revenues from fossil fuels from the State’s investment fund.

12 Backers raised €457 of €1240

LIVING IN THE SHADOW: What is the impact of wind farms on local communities?

Open

Ireland

The government’s Climate Action Plan aims to increase reliance on renewables from 30% to 70%. Part of this drive would involve increasing renewable onshore wind energy capacity to a level that equates to introducing over 1,150 more wind turbines to the landscape.

9 Backers raised €235 of €2060

PRIVATE TREATMENT: Are private wastewater works more polluting than public plants?

Open

Ireland

Raw, untreated sewage is released into the environment from 77,000 people across 36 Irish towns and villages, a recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found. In 2018, over 20 cities and towns - producing over 50% of Ireland’s urban waste water - had wastewater treatment plants that didn’t meet European Union standards.

3 Backers raised €61 of €1210

BANKS OF THE LEE: What is going to stop flooding in Cork city?

Completed

Cork

The Lee in Cork city has burst its banks on numerous occasions in the past and with sea levels set to rise due to climate change, concern is increasing about the need for better flood protection for its businesses and residents.

29 Backers raised €2900 of €2900

THE PITS: Why is sewage being allowed to pollute one of the Aran Islands?

Open

Galway

The Aran Islands are billed as having a “desolate beauty that draws countless day trippers” by Lonely Planet but in one of its main villages locals are kicking up a stink.

4 Backers raised €90 of €1250

NET LOSS: Is Ireland killing its own fishing industry... by overfishing?

Funded

Ireland

Declining fish stock is one the major challenges to the Irish fishing industry. One of Ireland’s most important fisheries, Celtic Sea herring, was closed last year just 48 hours after the seasonal fishery opened due to the small size of fish caught. Reduced levels of these fish also have an impact on animals who depend on them such as whales and dolphins.

16 Backers raised €1950 of €1950

SPRUCED UP: Are coniferous trees killing our native ecosystem?

Completed

Ireland

A Government plan to plant almost 400 million trees by 2046 was announced as part of the Climate Action Plan in the past few months. There is a target of 70% conifers and 30% broadleaf for these new plantations which has led to some biodiversity advocates being concerned about the continued afforestation of Ireland by non-native conifers.

54 Backers raised €1950 of €1950

COST OF CARBON: Are companies paying their fair share on emissions?

Funded

Ireland

Ireland is exceeding its greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tonnes per year. It has been warned that it is not doing enough, quickly enough, to reduce that excess.

74 Backers raised €2050 of €2050

TESTING THE WATERS: Where in Ireland has the most polluted tap water?

Open

Ireland

Decades of under-investment, crumbling infrastructure, and leaking pipes have left Ireland’s water supply on a knife edge.

2 Backers raised €40 of €1400

WILD HORSES: Is the number of loose urban horses - and potential neglect - on the rise?

Open

Dublin

Urban horses have been a feature of some parts of Dublin and other Irish cities for decades. There have been attempts in the past to use initiatives and deterrents to reduce the numbers left to roam particular areas, and improve conditions for those remaining.

4 Backers raised €80 of €1850

SOLVING SOLAR: Why are we not putting solar panels on the roof of every home in Ireland?

Completed

Ireland

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels use energy from the sun to create electricity. The price of these panels has dropped significantly over the past number of decades, so what is stopping households from installing them?

16 Backers raised €760 of €750

DEAD END: Will Galway’s long promised ring road make a significant difference to traffic congestion in the city?

Funded

Galway

It was 1999 when a bypass was first proposed for the city of Galway. Since then, traffic congestion has grown ever worse and long delays have become a feature of daily life for those who live and work there. For a relatively compact city, congestion is far worse than might be expected, not least because public transport options are so limited.

39 Backers raised €1200 of €1200

LYING IDLE: How many state properties are lying vacant around the country.

Completed

Ireland

The Office of Public Works manages over 2,500 properties around Ireland on behalf of the state.

9 Backers raised €360 of €350

SEPTIC SWIM: Is enough being done to keep Dublin Bay safe for swimmers this summer?

Completed

Dublin

Effluent leaks have resulted in pollution incidents along the eastern coastline at least twice so far this year - and bathing restrictions were put in place at popular Dublin beaches.

2 Backers raised €400 of €400

CUT DOWN TO SIZE: Why are Ireland's local authorities so keen to chop down trees?

Completed

Ireland

Across Ireland, locals have been dismayed to see trees and bushes chopped down by public bodies.

47 Backers raised €1100 of €1100

NOT SO FAST: Strategic Housing Development speeds up planning process for developers but is it helping increase the supply of accommodation?

Completed

Ireland

In June 2017, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy introduced a new system of fast-track planning for housing developments.

2 Backers raised €404 of €400