There really is a lot to be proud of as we look back on 2024 and everything our communities, activists, NGOs, journalists and even some politicians achieved for the environment in Northern Ireland.
For over three years, I’ve been trying to keep you abreast of what’s going on in our wee part of the world when it comes to our relationship with nature and the creatures we share this place with as well as the climate crisis, transport woes, pollution, consumerism, political failings and how we can all do better to help protect our environment.
There have been huge wins and some heart-breaking losses, but 2024 really seems to be when the tide finally turned and the public really started to care about how we are polluting our waterways and landscape, climate and active travel failings, the lack of tangible action and its impacts, finally forcing politicians to finally address these issues.
And for that, each and every person who campaigned for Lough Neagh, against Larne Lough gas caverns and Cloghan Point oil terminal, the illegal dump at Mobuoy, fought fracking and oil and gas licensing, for changes in the planning system, are still raising concerns about plans for a gold mine in Co Tyrone and a wind turbine that was built on an ancient site as well as wildlife crime, species decline, peatland and tree preservation, should be incredibly proud of themselves.
Some of these campaigns have spanned years and some continue still, with everyday folks giving up their lives in some cases to educate politicians who still have a thing or two to learn about how, without a clean and healthy environment, we as a people can’t thrive.
While this is the last Earth’s Corr column I will type for Belfast Live as I’m leaving the company after seven years and seven months service – I won’t be turning my back on the environment as I embark on my freelance career – and you shouldn’t either.
If you have any doubts, here’s a look back at what campaigners have achieved in the past year on some of the issues close to their hearts as inspiration:
Lough Neagh
Mary O’Hagan found blue-green algae on her swimming costume last July and sparked a campaign to Save Our Shores
Since summer 2023, when Belfast Live broke the story of how blue-green algae was impacting Lough Neagh, pets, wildlife, swimmers and fishers – what followed in its acid green wake was a public awakening of how water pollution can impact everything from livelihoods to nature; drinking water fears and even recreation.
While more local and eventually global headlines followed, it all started with concerned Ballyronan swimmer Mary O’Hagan, who first spoke out and has since taken up the fight against water pollution through Save Our Shores.
While the blue-green algae returned with gusto this year and more reports followed, people were finally getting angry about an issue so graphic Stormont had no choice but to act. We know it will take decades to fix and there is still much work to be done.
We’ve yet to learn how Stormont plans to reduce the agricultural, sewage and septic tank pollution that fed the blooms but campaigners should be very proud of the impact they had on politicians, who have a lot more work to do on the issue.
You can read some of our stories on Lough Neagh here:
NI swimmer’s panic at finding blue-green algae on her costume in house with pets
NI Water answer questions on safety of drinking water from algae-hit Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh pollution mirrors state of NI politics says Feargal Sharkey
Watch: We took to the skies to see how toxic algae has spread across Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh: Executive finally agree action plan to tackle pollution and algae
Larne Lough gas caverns
Boots on the Beach against Larne Lough Gas Caverns, January 2024
(Image: FOENI)
Community group No Gas Caverns has been fighting plans to solution-mine seven huge caverns under protected Larne Lough to store 500 million cubic metres of fossil fuel gas for over a decade – and this year won their legal challenge against a marine licence for the project at NI’s Court of Appeal.
The above ground parts of the planning application were approved by Mid & East Antrim Council in 2012 – but Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan ruled that Edwin Poots had acted ‘irrationally’ when giving the project a licence to pump the dissolved brine from creating the caverns into the sea when he led DAERA.
Not happy that NI’s Court of Appeal found one minister alone should not have taken the decision as it was cross cutting and involved fossil fuels which could risk our climate targets, DAERA went to the UK Supreme Court in July after taking advice from the Executive, but their case was rejected just before Christmas in another victory for No Gas Caverns.
Brave women Lisa Dobbie and Julia O’Brien from the campaign group were supported by Friends of the Earth NI and PILs, while the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force was also united in its objection to the plan.
If there is one case that highlights how blind politicians can be to the views of a community and their bid to protect nature, this is it. But it also shows how a few impassioned people can invoke changes that will shape future political decisions.
You can read some of our stories on Larne Lough gas caverns here:
Undersea gas caverns ‘threaten’ protected marine animals and wildlife say NGOs
No Gas Caverns Islandmagee intends legal action against Edwin Poots
Court of Appeal rules Edwin Poots’ gas caverns decision was ‘irrational’
Supreme Court rejects Stormont bid to overturn Larne Lough Gas Caverns ruling
Fracking, oil and gas extraction
Mark Ruffalo address NI webinar about blue hydrogen and fracking
Following another long-running campaign that won the support of Hollywood heavyweight Mark Ruffalo and Frack Action New York, Stormont’s Executive finally decided to ban fracking and onshore oil & gas exploration in NI earlier this month.
While the decision came suddenly following a flurry of reports about the lack of funding to protect Belfast Lough and our waterways from mounting sewage pollution caused by NI Water’s crumbling infrastructure – it’s huge.
Anti-fracking groups and campaigns from Woodburn Forest to Belcoo and Ballinlea, LAMP Fermanagh’s Diane Little and NGOs like Friends of the Earth should be very proud of the years of work it took to deliver the long awaited decision which Conor Murphy’s Department for Economy says will “be binding on future governments”.
It is a significant move in our need to phase out fossil fuels to meet NI climate targets and came after a series of ups and downs, including the DUP saying it supports a fracking ban and Sinn Fein’s previous bid to introduce a Bill.
Conor Murphy said: “The legislation will be introduced in late 2025. In the meantime, my department will not accept or process onshore petroleum licensing applications.”
You can read more of our stories on fracking, oil and gas extraction here:
Campaigners want oil and gas exploration ban over ‘fuel poverty lock-in’ fears
Incredible Hulk urges Sinn Fein not to ‘screw’ NI on fracking at special event
Fracking Bill branded meaningless if Sinn Fein fails to stop petroleum licences
Fracking and onshore oil and gas exploration ban ‘binding on future governments’
Whitehead oil terminal
Stop Whitehead Oil Terminal campaigners celebrate outside Belfast High Court
(Image: Shauna Corr)
Permission to build an oil terminal near Whitehead on the shores of Belfast Lough was quashed at Belfast High Court in September following a major campaign by the group Stop Whitehead Oil Terminal.
I first met Whitehead resident and QUB planning expert Dr Geraint Ellis in a quaint café in the town before taking a tour of the areas that would be impacted by this project, should it be approved. In my view Geraint deserves a medal for all he been through in relation to this campaign.
Again it was Mid and East Antrim Council who greenlit the project which Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd decided not call in despite his department being handed hundreds of letters outlining public concerns about its environmental and climate impacts.
So campaigners began two judicial reviews. The one against the council argued the council “acted unlawfully in failing to hold a predetermination hearing” before giving the project final approval. Public Interest Litigation Support helped Stop Whitehead Oil Terminal take their cases.
The judicial review against the Department for Infrastructure over failure to call the decision in and also failure to defer it to the Executive was stayed by the court. The judge heard how DfI felt the case against it was now academic after the “order by consent quashing planning approval” passed.
Clodagh Miskelly, who took the legal action for Stop Whitehead Oil Terminal group, said: “We are absolutely delighted that we secured a quashing of the planning permission.”
You can read more of our stories about Whitehead oil terminal here:
XRNI protest Cloghan Point oil terminal application at Go petrol Belfast
Mid and East Antrim Council making ‘major’ decisions on new fossil fuel projects
Oil terminal campaigners urge new DfI Minister to call in controversial approval
Belfast Lough oil terminal permission quashed at High Court
Dalradian gold mine
Victory in High Court for ‘Save Our Sperrins’ and anti-mine campaigners
(Image: Justin Kernoghan)
While 2025 is likely to be the big year in terms of a Stormont decision on Dalradian Gold’s bid to mine in the Sperrin Mountains designated area of outstanding natural beauty, there have been some developments on the planning request in 2024.
The public inquiry into what’s likely to be the most objected to application in NI’s history begins on January 13 with hearings running right through to March.
It has already been suspended once because the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs didn’t make a decision on water abstraction licences from Dalradian which were ‘deemed refused’, while officials also gave wrong information about the application’s status to the Planning Appeals Commission at the pre-inquiry.
The inquiry, which was called by former Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon, will examine the application to mine precious metals, electricity connections, consents for water discharge and abstraction and the proposed abandonment of the associated Crockanboy Road in Greencastle, Co Tyrone.
The inquiry is being led by the Planning Appeals Commission, which will offer an opinion, but the Infrastructure Minister will make the final decision on whether to approve the hugely contentious application. It has sparked a series of events since 2010 which involved everyone from concerned locals to NIEA, the PSNI, NI Courts, councils, the Crown Estate, a Derry Girls star, a Canadian artist and even the late Queen.
You can keep up with the latest on the PAC public inquiry web page here.
I could go on with the developments in relation to environmental campaigning over the last year, but we would be here all day.
As I sign off as The Earth’s Corr on Belfast Live for the last time, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared their stories, their concerns and their bids for environmental justice with me as I’ve held the role of Reach’s Environment Correspondent for Ireland.
I’m sure our paths will cross again in the future – but for now – keep ‘er lit. Change is slow and often painful, but if the last year proves anything, it’s that it’s possible when people work together.
You can read more of our stories about the Co Tyrone gold mine application here:
Dalradian Gold linked to six pollution incidents at Stormont committee
‘Not possible’ for Queen to return gold and silver rights to NI says secretary
PSNI accused of ‘disproportionately policing’ environmental protesters
Derry Girls star ‘lends voice’ to Tyrone gold mine fight through comedy
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