The assessment, management and ecological significance of Irish hedgerows

The vast network of hedges in Ireland provide habitats of great importance to the wildlife of the country, yet surprisingly enough, only very limited survey work has been carried out on our hedgerows in the past.\ud Now with the implementation of the new Rural Environmental Protection Scheme, farmers will be paid to manage their hedgerows in such a way as to make them into increasingly attractive wildlife habitats. However, hedgerow management expertise seems to be somewhat lacking in Ireland and we must draw upon the knowledge of our neighbours in the E.U. where quite an amount of research has been carried out on this subject.\ud The aim of this study is to present the relevant aspects of the research for the benefit of the people who will be involved in the administration of the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme and to anyone else involved in hedgerow management

Environmental management and auditing : relevant aspects of its development and implementation

The concept o f Environmental Management and Auditing (EMA) is one that has only\ud come to prominence in recent years but is fast gaining momentum\ud EMA is part of a series of environmental protection measures which have evolved\ud because of the recognised failings of previously accepted pollution "treatment"\ud measures. These new measures are aimed at "prevention" of pollution and at the wise\ud use of resources.\ud The EMA concept has been evolving since the mid 1970's. The original concept had\ud many applications but no set procedure. Its value as an environmental protection\ud measure has given rise to a need for formalisation and standardisation. These formal\ud standards facilitate widespread application of the EMA concept and a means of\ud comparing the environmental management performance of individual companies.\ud At present there are basically two separate types o f EMA schemes:\ud • National Standards, such as the Irish Standard I S. 310 and Britain's B.S. 7750.\ud • The EC's Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS), which has\ud Community-wide application.\ud All of these schemes are very recent in origin, have voluntary application and have\ud inherently similar procedures and requirements. The recent origins of these schemes\ud means that they are as yet undergoing a type of experimental phase in relation to their\ud practical application. The schemes have also to overcome the type of reluctance that\ud faces any new initiative as regards awareness, understanding and uptake.\ud Because the individual schemes are so similar, the experience gained in relation to each\ud scheme can be inter-related. Given that the basic aim of these schemes is one of\ud formalization and standardisation there appears to be a major inconsistency in the fact\ud that no formal scheme of Auditor qualification exists. An adequate auditor\ud qualification system must be given urgent attention and must be capable of\ud International application.\ud There is general agreement that implementation o f recognised environmental\ud management and auditing schemes will be vital for future environmental protection.\ud There is equal recognition that future business survival will depend on companies being\ud able to display compliance with such schemes. It is also accepted that these schemes\ud will create new market opportunities for environmental protection technology, goods\ud and services.\ud From a national viewpoint it is therefore essential that countries implement these\ud schemes as efficiently and speedily as possible, so gaining competitive advantage. In\ud Ireland's case, this will necessitate a thorough analysis o f what barriers the schemes\ud will face, followed by positive action to overcome these barriers. Such action demands\ud that issues such as company awareness, cost/benefit justification and demonstration\ud projects, be addressed.\ud The biggest obstacle to uptake of Environmental Management and Auditing in Ireland\ud lies in the nature o f the industrial base. Ireland has a predominance of small to medium\ud sized companies. All evidence so far gathered from studies of the schemes\ud implementation shows that small and medium sized companies found the cost of initial\ud implementation to be the most prohibitive factor encountered.\ud Within the EC, Ireland is the only country that does not have a State scheme to\ud subsidise environmental protection measures. There is therefore an urgent need for\ud State financial aid to companies undertaking Environmental Management and Auditing\ud Schemes..\ud The EMA concept coincides with a number of similar themes relating to disclosure of\ud information, pollution prevention, integrated pollution control, etc. As such, there is\ud ultimately a need to rationalise, condense and streamline these initiatives.\ud Although EMA is still only in the development phase, it is vital from an environmental\ud and economic viewpoint that the concept be recognised as an essential element of\ud future environmental protection policy. It therefore deserves to be afforded high\ud priority by all parties concerned

Groundwater vulnerability and protection in County Tipperary (South Riding), Ireland

The aim of the project was to determine the extent and quality of the\ud groundwater in Tipperary South Riding with a view to developing a groundwater\ud protection plan which would allow the Local Authority to manage, protect and develop\ud the groundwater as efficiently as possible.\ud The geology of the area varies with topography. The low-lying areas of the\ud county comprise mainly Carboniferous limestones while the elevated regions consist\ud of sandstones and shales of Upper Carboniferous, Devonian and Silurian ages.\ud Deformation of these rocks decreases in magnitude moving northwards over the area;\ud the Southern Synclines having suffered the effects of the Hercynian orogeny and the\ud northern region exhibiting Caledonian orogenic trends. Quaternary (subsoil) deposits\ud are found throughout the area and are of variable thickness and permeability. Till is\ud the most widespread deposit with discontinuous pockets of sand and gravel in various\ud proportions, and some marl, alluvium and peat in places.\ud The principal aquifers of the area are the Kiltorcan sandstone formation and\ud various limestone units within the Carboniferous succession. 50 % of south Tipperary\ud constitutes either regionally or locally important aquifers. Secondary permeabilities\ud created by structural deformation, dolomitisation, karstification and weathering\ud processes create high transmissivities and often have large well yields. Specific\ud baseflow analysis highlighted the complexity of the aquifers and proved that the lower\ud part of the Suir river system is a major groundwater resource region.\ud The hydrochemistry and water quality of the local authority groundwater\ud sources was examined briefly. The majority of south Tipperary is underlain by\ud limestone or Quaternary deposits derived from limestone and, consequently,\ud calcium/magnesium bicarbonate waters predominate. The quality of the groundwater\ud in south Tipperary demonstrates that the main concern originates from the presence\ud of E.coli, and Total coliforms. The primary sources of contamination are from\ud farmyard wastes and septic tanks.\ud The vulnerability of groundwater to diffuse and point sources of pollution has\ud been found to be dependent on the overlying soil, subsoil and the thickness of the\ud unsaturated zone. A conceptual rather than quantitative approach is used and it is\ud found that approximately 60% of south Tipperary is designated as being extremely or\ud highly vulnerable.\ud The groundwater protection plan was devised subsequent to an understanding\ud of the aquifer systems, an assessment of the vulnerability, and a review of the Irish\ud planning system and environmental law. It is recommended that the plan be integrated\ud into the county development plan for legislative purposes. A series of acceptability\ud matrices were devised to restrict potentially polluting activities in vulnerable areas\ud while maintaining a balance between protection of the groundwater resource and the\ud need to site essential developments

Third level qualifications by alternative modes of study

Chapter One follows the progress of technological education in\ud Ireland from the Autumn of 1961 when the OECD asked for a survey of the educational systems of each of its member countries, so that there would be a well educated and well trained\ud pool of graduates to take Ireland into the technological age.\ud Chapter Two follows the history of Sligo RTC from its intake of\ud 38 technician students in the summer of 1971 to an application\ud from over 6,000 prospective students,in the Summer of 1990 to\ud fill the 600 approximate first year technician places on offer, at\ud Certificate, Diploma, Degree and Post Degree level.\ud Chapter Three addresses the educational progress of students\ud through third level education in a mode other than the norm. It is\ud an analysis of a number of different experiments that have taken\ud place at Sligo RTC and covers courses at Certificate, Diploma and\ud Degree level. It shows how this can be a cost effective method of\ud bringing education to many who have missed the main-stream\ud mode. This is termed "Second Chance Education" in the thesis.\ud Chapter Four develops the idea of using outcentres as a means of\ud taking third level education out to the people, with the resultant\ud benefits of reducing the cost to the student and utilising space\ud now coming available at second level centres, due to a drop in\ud second level student numbers.\ud Chapter Five developes the ideas expressed in Chapter Four by\ud placing them in a national setting. Further ideas are incorporated\ud which could deal with a large cross-section of the population, e.g.\ud from prisoners to pensioners

An evaluation of septic tank effluent movement in soil and groundwater systems

Recent studies have shown that septic tank systems are a major source of\ud groundwater pollution. Many public health workers feel that the most cri^cal aspect of\ud the use of septic tanks as a means of sewage disposal is the contamination of private\ud water wells with attendant human health hazards.\ud In this study the movement and attenuation of septic tank effluents in a range\ud of soil/overburden types and hydrogeological situations was investigated. The\ud suitability of a number of chemical and biological tracer materials to monitor the\ud movement of septic tank effluent constituents to groundwater sources was also\ud examined. The investigation was divided into three separate but inteiTelated sections.\ud In the first section of the study the movement of septic tank effluent from two\ud soil treatment systems was investigated by direct measurements of soil nutrient\ud concentrations and enteric bacterial numbers in the soil beneath and downgradient of the\ud test systems. Two sites with different soil types and hydrogeological characteristics\ud were used. The results indicated that the attenuation of the effluent in both of the\ud treatment systems was incomplete. Migration of nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and\ud fecal bacteria to a depth of 50 cm beneath the inverts of the distribution tiles was\ud demonstrated on all sampling occasions. The lateral migration of the pollutants was\ud less pronounced, although on occasions high nutrients levels and fecal bacterial\ud numbers were detected at a lateral distance of 4.0 m downgradient of the test systems.\ud There was evidence that the degree and extent of effluent migration was increased after\ud periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall when the attenuating properties of the treatment\ud systems were reduced as a result of saturation of the soil.\ud The second part of the study examined the contamination of groundwaters\ud downgradient of septic tank soil treatment systems. Three test sites were used in the\ud investigation. The sites were chosen because of differences in the thicknesses and\ud nature of the unsaturated zone available for effluent attenuation at each of the locations.\ud A series of groundwater monitoring boreholes were installed downgradient of the test\ud systems at each of the sites and these were sampled regularly to assess the efficiency of\ud the overburden material in reducing the polluting potential of the wastewater. Effluent\ud attenuation in the septic tank treatment systems was shown to be incomplete, resulting\ud in chemical and microbiological contamination of the groundwaters downgradient of the\ud systems. The nature and severity of groundwater contamination was dependent on the\ud composition and thickness of the unsaturated zone and the extent of weathering in the\ud underlying saturated bedrock.\ud The movement of septic tank effluent through soil/overburdens to\ud groundwater sources was investigated by adding a range of chemical and biological\ud tracer materials to the three septic tank systems used in section two of the study. The\ud results demonstrated that a single tracer type cannot be used to accurately monitor the\ud movement of all effluent constituents through soils to groundwater. The combined use\ud of lithium bromide and endospores of Bacillus globigii was found to give an accurate\ud indication of the movement of both the chemical and biological effluent constituents

The effect of video on demand services on the cinema Industry

Abstract\ud Background\ud The cinema industry may be showing signs of growth since having to contend with increased competition over the last number of decades from alternate offerings such as radio, TV, computer games & Pay TV (Silver and Mc Donnell 2007). The apparent global box office decline in the last decade had been attributed to a number of factors including cyclical poor movie offerings, total costs associated with going to the cinema from admission price and snacks to parking, failure of new screen technologies to boost box office revenue and the emergence of alternative viewing methods (Silver and Mc Donnell 2007).\ud More recent studies conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (2014) suggest that, by 2017, electronic home video (streaming and downloading films) will overtake the traditional cinema as the biggest contributor to total film revenue in the US reaching a total of $17bn the following year. This represents double the$8.5bn the sector currently generates (PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2014-2018).\ud Further to this PwC predict a 16% increase in cinema box office sales over the next five years (2014). According to McKenzie of PwC “People still want to go to the movies, especially the big tent pole films” (2014).\ud The emergence of new Internet Communications Technologies (ICT) such as Video on Demand (VOD) services and an evolving broadband infrastructure have allowed consumers to view what they want, when they want on devices of their choosing (Tryon 2013). This infrastructure has allowed online streaming services to flourish. Further to this release windows have shortened: that being the time period from cinema release to becoming available to download. This has resulted in the loss of the competitive advantage that traditional cinemas have enjoyed in the past.\ud Online streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu have seized upon the changing dynamic within the industry and have made the move from “mere middlemen to creators of original content” (Tryon 2013). Netflix in particular has paved the way and has successfully produced and distributed original content, with hits such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. This, according to PwC, has resulted in an increased revenue of 24% in the first quarter of 2014 (2014).\ud \ud \ud \ud Aim\ud The focus of this study will be an investigation of the effect of Video on Demand services on the traditional cinema industry.\ud Primary research questions examine the following;\ud Does the growing availability and choice of audio-visual content online mark the beginning of the end for the traditional cinema industry?\ud Specifically the study investigated the following factors within the cinema industry;\ud • The macroeconomic/microeconomic factors that impact demand in the cinema industry.\ud • The awareness within the cinema industry of this online phenomenon.\ud • The strategic orientation of cinema owners to combat the threat posed by these substitute services.\ud At the consumer level the study explored;\ud • Changes in consumer behaviour and preferences towards the consumption of audio-visual content.\ud • Changes in target markets and consumer segments.\ud Methodology\ud A mixed method approach was employed to gather primary data with priority given to qualitative analysis. Qualitative research was selected in order to gain an understanding of the underlying motivations and develop an understanding of the research problem (Malhotra 1999).\ud A phased approach was employed with qualitative data (in depth interviews) and analysis carried out prior to the collection of quantitative data (consumer survey). This data was then assessed and triangulated against the findings of an in depth interview with an industry expert (Creswell, 2003).\ud vi\ud \ud \ud Findings\ud Secondary research found that there is a shift in the power dynamic towards the customer in terms of the consumption of audio-visual entertainment content. Consumers can decide “what to watch, when to watch and how” leading towards a democratisation of media. (Tryon 2013).\ud VOD services have removed the shackles of scheduling and given the consumer more control and choice of entertainment options.\ud It was found that whilst there is an awareness of VOD services within the cinema community, cinema managers expressed low levels of concern regarding VOD having a major impact on their businesses. Cinema managers expressed concern regarding the levels of DVD and online piracy as being more of a threat to revenue than genuine subscription based VOD services.\ud Further to this cinemas are engaging more with alternative events such as live concerts, theatre and charity nights to attract wider audiences.\ud Consumer research found that whilst cinema was regarded as being poor value for money it was and will remain a desired entertainment option within a number of segments. Summary attendance and forecast figures also uncovered sustainable appetite for cinema in developed countries and double digit growth rates of cinema attendance in emerging countries