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Emerald isle gets greener

Posted: 21/02/2007

Two Irish green initiatives aim to promote sustainability and green building. The first sees environmentally-friendly improvements carried out on Irish homes earning borrowers a discount on a new loan. Irish bank, Permanent TSB will cut the normal lending rate for personal loans by one percent if the money is used to make green upgrades to homes.

Improvements such as extra insulation, doubleglazing, solar energy systems, 'green' boilers and heaters, heat pumps, wind turbines and greenhouses would all qualify, according to the bank, which has set aside an initial €10 million for the scheme and promises to expand it if it proves popular.

This new scheme marks one of the first commercial programmes targeting green housing development. Government schemes like the Republic of Ireland's Greener Homes Scheme and Northern Ireland's Warmer Homes Scheme can also help make homes more energy efficient.

The second initiative is a workers co-op, providing information and resources for 'greening' homes. The Dublin based sustainability cooperative Cultivate, website - www.sustainable.ie/us/index.htm. - describes itself as a living and learning centre that seeks to provide effective integral solutions to the issues of peak oil and climate change, inspire individuals to explore solutions for living in a more sustainable, creative and ultimately balanced way and answer questions about sustainability.

Cultivate offers a quiet space with a permaculture garden, inspiring and informative books and magazines, eco-friendly detergents, organic foods etc and information on courses such as Permaculture, Composting, renewable energy and green building.

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