Dublin, Saturday, 22nd April 2023: Members of the public including members of 51st Skates, iBike, environmental groups and NGOs including Oxfam, joined in a city-centre, family-friendly “Slow Cycle for Biodiversity” event organised by Extinction Rebellion Ireland (XRI). Some wore colourful animal masks and costumes. Others had branches or XR flags attached to their bikes. The demand of the participants was that the government implement all the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss without delay.
The event kicked off at 10am when the group of about 100 began to roll their way on bikes, skates and scooters from the Garden of Remembrance down O’Connell St, eventually finishing up at St Stephen’s Green. They were accompanied by music from loudspeakers. Along the way, some handed out leaflets highlighting nine of the major recommendations of the report. The occasional colourful smoke bomb was let off, adding theatre to the event. At St Stephen’s Green, the crowd had lunch and heard speeches on biodiversity.
“The Citizens’ Assembly Report highlighted what scientists have been saying and the government has been ignoring for years: that Ireland’s biodiversity is in an extreme crisis”, said Sineaid Whelan, XR member and student. “Now that the Citizens’ Assembly has given us concrete measures to combat this crisis, the government must listen to the people and urgently implement these measures”.
XRI’s Leslie Marce said, “The protection of biodiversity is vital to the future of humanity. Unless urgently stopped, the destruction of ecosystems due to climate change, pollution and land use changes will lead to severe consequences, including on human health, but also on food and water supply”.
Of the 159 recommendations in the Citizens Assembly’s report, issued in the last fortnight, this event drew attention to the following nine recommendations in particular:
A referendum to amend the Constitution to protect biodiversity.
Fundamentally reassessing the constitution, goals and operations of Coillte and the 1988 Forestry Act, with biodiversity and community at the forefront of the priorities.
A designated and effectively managed network of Marine Protection Areas, in line with EU targets of 30% of Ireland's Maritime Area by 2030 at the latest.
A new national strategy for the protection, maintenance, restoration and expansion of Ireland's network of hedgerows.
An urgent increase in investment by Irish Water to build new, and improve existing, water treatment plants to prevent the unacceptable discharge of raw or partially treated sewage into any fresh or marine waters.
Further subsidised and incentivised organic farming and locally grown produce.
Reducing the use of pesticides in public and private by at least 50%.
Fully implementing and enforcing the cessation of turf-cutting on protected areas.
An immediate timeline on the phasing out, and eventual ban, of the sale of invasive plant species.
The action coincided with protests attended by tens of thousands across Britain from the 21st to the 24th of this month, in a campaign dubbed ‘The Big One’ organised by Extinction Rebellion UK. The UK branch decided to temporarily cease its disruptive actions at the start of 2023, to “prioritise attendance over arrest”, hoping to gain public support, form alliances and build mass attendance for this week’s non-disruptive actions. They say if the UK government does not deliver on their demands by Monday evening, XR UK will resume disruption and plan a campaign of mass civil disobedience. Today huge crowds gathered for ‘The Big One for Biodiversity March’ in central London.
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