Gormley welcomes election of Green students' union presidents

Just received this in an e-mail from USI. Thought it might be of some interest to some!

Green Party press release 19/03/2007

http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/gormley_welcomes_election_of_green_students_union_presidents

Statement by John Gormley

Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Health & Children

Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD has welcomed the recent election of Green students' union presidents in two of Ireland's top universities. The students of both National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) and Trinity College Dublin elected presidents who are involved with the Green Party. The president of the University of Limerick students union has also been very active in environmental issues in his college.

Deputy Gormley said: "I welcome the recent election victories of James Hope in Galway and Andrew Byrne in Trinity and I wish them the best of luck in their respective presidencies. It is great to see those at the forefront of student life also being involved with the Greens. I'm particularly delighted with the success of Andrew, who gained work experience in my Dáil office when he was at secondary school. This is the first time that Greens have been elected as SU presidents and it is an indication of the growing strength of the party at all levels of Irish society."

James Hope a second year arts student in NUIG, is currently chair of the Young Greens Society in NUIG.

Following his election on 9 March, he said: "During my term as president I want to introduce an initiative under which all universities in Ireland will compete for the title of 'Green Campus of Ireland.' The categories involved will include energy efficiency, social impact and waste disposal and management. I have also been involved in securing proper public transport for students attending NUIG and will continue the pressure to ensure low-cost travel."

Final year history and political science student Andrew Byrne, who ran his campaign as an independent, was Chair of the TCD Greens last year and is currently Vice President of the European Youth Parliament. Following his election on 1 March, he said: "I very much want to have a Green Presidency. Trinity has done a lot in trying to be more eco-friendly, but it remains the most energy-inefficient university in the country. Trinity cannot seek to be a major centre for scientific innovation without getting the basic science of green energy right. I will push for higher energy standards on campus, and greater roll-out of recycling on campus. It is also important that we promote green transport; a really basic thing we need to do is provide safe and secure bike park facilities on campus."

St.John O'Donnabhain, SU president at the University of Limerick, welcomed the election of the Green presidents.

He said: "It's a great sign that green issues are topping the agenda and I hope that this becomes a trend in student elections throughout the country, as well in the general election." St.John was involved in the Million against Nuclear and Save Tara campaigns, and organised a successful campus screening of An Inconvenient Truth this year.

Edwardius

What a sandals wearing, crusty, ill informed, ugly, D4 Socialist ****.

Moorsy

Ahhhh we need more bike racks in trinity it's so true (that would have been a more useful referendum) I have been meaning to rant about this for so long. I hate coming into college and there being no space to lock my bike!!!!

'Twas raised before and Buildings Office mentioned how there's perfectly good space down by Botany Bay which is never used. It's even got swipe card access.

Stargal

Dead Ed wrote:

What a sandals wearing, crusty, ill informed, ugly, D4 Socialist ****.

Bit much Ed? He's the head of the party that Andy and the NUIG guy are/were members of so it makes sense that he'd lend a show of support to them. Not exactly ill-informed. Or socialist, come to think of it

Moorsy

Well I think college should use economic incentives to encourage more people to cycle into college.

One suggestion would be to offer free lunch for students who cycle in ten times in a row. They could abolish schol and all the money saved on that could easily pay for it.... Any economist out there would have to agree with my logic.

Moorsy

Laika wrote:

Bit much Ed? He's the head of the party that Andy and the NUIG guy are/were members of so it makes sense that he'd lend a show of support to them. Not exactly ill-informed. Or socialist, come to think of it

I thought that comment was a joke. If its a real comment its a farcical one at best.

Moorsy

Moorsy wrote:

One suggestion would be to offer free lunch for students who cycle in ten times in a row. They could abolish schol and all the money saved on that could easily pay for it.... Any economist out there would have to agree with my logic.

I can imagine the Treasurer cycling after you to ensure that you actually cycled the entire journey and didn't just cycle from St. Stephen's Green in

ilovemybrick

Moorsy wrote:

They could abolish schol

never say that again.

europerson

Moorsy wrote:

They could abolish schol and all the money saved on that could easily pay for it....

Heathen.

Any economist out there would have to agree with my logic.

My hand's not raising in agreement.

fiveone

Dead Ed wrote:

What a sandals wearing, crusty, ill informed, ugly, D4 Socialist ****.

Have some respect for the beliefs of others.

I certainly wouldn't feel justified in calling you an ugly, fascist, neo-con loony on the basis of your presumed right-wing affiliation, would I?

Yee-haw.

Kurtosis

Myth wrote:

'Twas raised before and Buildings Office mentioned how there's perfectly good space down by Botany Bay which is never used. It's even got swipe card access.

Ah, I don't think many people know about this, never knew about it before I got into conversation with a security guard after my previous bike was stolen.

I tried to use this bike park all the time but my swipe card won't even work in it. I did get a new card in Student Records and sent off a few emails about it, but still no luck. As much as I love running back and forth to Front Arch to get my bike in/out when there's no guard at the Pearse Gate, just couldn't put up with anymore so don't try to get in there much at all now.

Tricity Bendix

Laika wrote:

Bit much Ed? He's the head of the party that Andy and the NUIG guy are/were members of so it makes sense that he'd lend a show of support to them. Not exactly ill-informed. Or socialist, come to think of it

He's not the head of the party, he is their Cathaoirleach. Trevor Sergent is the leader. And he is a bit of a Socialist.

Moorsy

In no way is Trevor Sargent a socialist; he would be a social democrat. There is a party in the Dial called the ‘Socialist Party’, Deputy Higgins (Joe Higgins) is their TD and leader. They'll probably get a second seat in the general election.

I know just because there is a socialist party it doesn’t mean other members of the Dail are not socialist but Trevor Sargent is not a socialist.
.

Stargal

b.ie curious wrote:

He's not the head of the party, he is their Cathaoirleach.

.... which to my mind makes him the head of the party, but hey, you say tomato, I say tomato. Let's not go O/T on this for once.

Edwardius

Laika wrote:

Bit much Ed? He's the head of the party that Andy and the NUIG guy are/were members of so it makes sense that he'd lend a show of support to them. Not exactly ill-informed. Or socialist, come to think of it

Nah, I just got a mental block regarding the green party and gormley and a terrible fear of that teutonic looking smug git sargent at the reins of the country.

Have some respect for the beliefs of others.

.

Now then, I have no problem with the belief of other folk (unless they happen to be mistaken) but I find it difficult to take someone who wants everyone on the island to take public transport to work seriously. That isn't going to work (uh?). Also the whole Greens' attitude toward power generation seems a little under-researched.

Regarding the SU guy: it was my understanding that the students union was a body that should be devoid of political affiliation so it seems a little odd that ole' gormless should start saying that Byrne likes to come to his gaff and eat tofu and wild berries despite him running as an independent. Having said that, I do like Byrne's realistic and useful ideas rather than some pie-in-the-sky "save the baby whales" type nonsense doled out by some of his predecessors. Getting the bike racks in would be a good 'un. Also, giving some sort of safety course/leaflet/booklet/pamphlet/parchment/large stone tablet might be a decent idea in order to encourage folk out of them there smelly horseless carriages and onto a bike. You can't do Cabra to college in seven minutes on a bus, can you?!

The energy thing seems a little more vague though. Does he want to get people to turn off the lights when they leave a room or is he talking about the overall energy consumption of the college? There's equipment round my end that sucks up the power like there's no day after tomorrow but it needs to be on to get the work done and make SFI give us more money. Also it's a bit naive to think that people are going to start switching off lights 'cos the SU president told them. I don't think telling them that they'll be swimming to work in 40 years will swing the deal either. That's been taken care of by a nationwide advertising brainwashing scheme anyway (not a bad thing)

I certainly wouldn't feel justified in calling you an ugly, fascist, neo-con loony on the basis of your presumed right-wing affiliation, would I?

Yee-haw

Oh stop it, you're making me blush :rolleyes:

Anyhoo, not sure I made any sense there but sure **** it, it's christmas!

Pet

I love Ed.

Tricity Bendix

Laika wrote:

.... which to my mind makes him the head of the party, but hey, you say tomato, I say tomato. Let's not go O/T on this for once.

By that logic Peter Wyer would be the head of the PDs. Which he simply isn't.


And I wish to vote for Ed in the forthcoming elections.

Edwardius

Ands so it begins. Evil laugh.

Stargal

b.ie curious wrote:

By that logic Peter Wyer would be the head of the PDs. Which he simply isn't.

... but I consider Michael D to be technically the head of Labour, while Pat Rabbitte is the leader. We're splitting hairs here - neither of us is wrong, it's just a different way of looking at it.

Moorsy

Dead Ed wrote:

Now then, I have no problem with the belief of other folk (unless they happen to be mistaken) but I find it difficult to take someone who wants everyone on the island to take public transport to work seriously. That isn't going to work (uh?).


The energy thing seems a little more vague though. Does he want to get people to turn off the lights when they leave a room or is he talking about the overall energy consumption of the college? Also it's a bit naive to think that people are going to start switching off lights 'cos the SU president told them. I don't think telling them that they'll be swimming to work in 40 years will swing the deal either. !

Why is encouraging public transport a bad thing? I cycle to college and most cars, which can fit 4 people or so are filled with just one person. People should be encouraged to used public transport. The very reason you think most people wont travel to work at the moment in bus etc is because they are ****. Look at the Luas and how well that has worked, buses should be more regular and cheaper, giving people incentives to use the transport. This is turn lowers the number of cars on the roads in the morning and evenings, going and coming from work, which makes traffic less condensed, which in turn means the buses can travel without traffic with one person-per-car blocking up the roads.

Second point about energy in college. "Also it's a bit naive to think that people are going to start switching off lights 'cos the SU president told them. " Why do you think it will be like that, do you not think there is a massive 'green' leaning amongst young people today. Ideas as simple as turning the light off at a desk when you go home can help and people should be encouraged. It’s ambivalent to think that only 'the SU president' is the only student concerned, and ready to act on these issues.

Edwardius

Moorsy wrote:

Why is encouraging public transport a bad thing? I cycle to college and most cars, which can fit 4 people or so are filled with just one person. People should be encouraged to used public transport. The very reason you think most people wont travel to work at the moment in bus etc is because they are ****. Look at the Luas and how well that has worked, buses should be more regular and cheaper, giving people incentives to use the transport. This is turn lowers the number of cars on the roads in the morning and evenings, going and coming from work, which makes traffic less condensed, which in turn means the buses can travel without traffic with one person-per-car blocking up the roads.

Like most people with any basic level of education, I am well aware of the benefits and reasons for using public transport thank you very much! Having said that, I'd prefer to cycle round built up areas, not because it's good for the environment but because traffic is a non-issue when you cycle so if it takes you ten minutes to get home on a friday evening, it'll take you about the same to get there on a sunday. Encouraging the use of public transport is all well and good but the point I was trying to make is the "ban the car" type of attitude used by the green lobby is unrealistic in places in which public transport is unavailable, uneconomical, inconvenient, irregular and unfeasable such as in more rural parts of the country. A system encouraging carpools in such places would be far less damaging than having four people on a large and smelly bus. Also, any bus system that exists in such places is about as flexible as your average building (not including houses made of gingerbread) rendering it unusable. Who wants to drive fifteen miles to a bus that'll take you the remaining five miles to work? You can't really cycle the distance either. So public transport is only a solution if it's available, and the car should be used in as efficient a manner as possible if it's not. You could buy a motorcycle though.

Moorsy wrote:

Second point about energy in college. "Also it's a bit naive to think that people are going to start switching off lights 'cos the SU president told them. " Why do you think it will be like that, do you not think there is a massive 'green' leaning amongst young people today. Ideas as simple as turning the light off at a desk when you go home can help and people should be encouraged. It’s ambivalent to think that only 'the SU president' is the only student concerned, and ready to act on these issues.

Aye, while it may be a commendable crusade, there already exist myriad national advertising campaigns in various media that have the same end in sight. I was just pointing out that such a system of encouragement already exists as opposed to rubbishing it. I suppose there's no harm in another but it's going to get a bit irritating after a while and encouragement will turn into badgering. We have stickers beside light switches in this building encouraging them to be switched off, which is acceptable. I'm just sick to death of pious do-gooders telling me that I should be thinking of little bunnies' habitats becoming uncomfortably wet.