Mr. Michael Ewing:

Bringing the debate to a more local level, I live in a rural community in north Roscommon and I come from a farming background. There are enormous opportunities for local economies in mitigation and adaptation, particularly when we speak of energy production. There is potential for significant local and gainful employment from making closed loop circuits of energy production at a local level. An example of this has already been developed in the west of Ireland in a scheme called Regional Approaches to Stimulating Local Renewable Energy Solutions, RASLRES, which is a European-funded project that has timber produced locally for conversion to fuel in civic amenities such as swimming pools. It is a closed circuit process in a very small area, with very few transport costs and so on. There is potential for increasing biodiversity through coppicing as well, so there could be gain at a local level in rural Ireland where the issues relating to farming will have the greatest impact in terms of employment and wealth creation. There could be positive movement if we take the issue seriously enough.