Vacancy Watch: a big site near Fatima Luas stop
Even as the government casts around for new land to zone for homes, it is unclear when this plot will be built out.
“My whole thing is to make wild weeds and plants, that most people disregard, precious,” says Yanny Petters.
“Each individual person can just build one, create a solution to this problem and also create a really nice environment for themselves at home.”
Peter Kavanagh is watching plans progress for a new biodiversity centre further down river, he says, and thinking now’s the moment to resurrect his pitch for a walking trail too.
Lacking diverse voices means missing out on insights and contributions, says Giuliana Castañeda, who volunteers with Extinction Rebellion in Dublin.
The centre will educate people on just how fragile and important the island is, encouraging them to take better care of it, a council official says.
On Monday night, Aoife Doherty and others were out helping with this summer’s Swift Conservation Survey, tracking a declining swift population.
Seagulls “grow up to be terrorists, but they’re lovely when they are babies”, says Robert Keogh.
Despite council pledges of “support” for the development of community gardens, there’s still far more demand for them than supply.
Alex Konieczka says she would love to build and plant things with others all around the neighbourhood, but she knows she’ll need the council to approve initiatives and locals with enthusiasm to work on them.
The council is planning to heat thousands of homes in the city with hot water from the Poolbeg waste-to-energy incinerator.
“Look there are layers of plastic,” says John Drinane, dressed in jeans and a green baseball cap. “It is built up for years.”
Currently, most of the pollution in the water body comes from dirty water that gushes in through a storm pipe when it rains heavily.