Last October, Derry & Strabane District Council approved planning for one data centre, with three more already having outline permission. While data centres power much of our online world, they also come with huge environmental costs. While still in the early stages, the expansion of data centres here in NI will place immense strain on both electricity and water resources. Data centres are energy-intensive and also require vast amounts of cooling, consuming either millions of litres of water or huge amounts of electricity to keep them cool. Massive corporations like Amazon, Google and Facebook are behind many of the data centres being built - dumping a vast amounts of useless data in these centres while draining local energy and water sources. What's more, as more and more data centres are built, there is a real risk that we will be unable meet to our legally-binding emissions target under the Climate Change Act 2022. Not only that, we are deeply concerned that large scale wind farms will be fast tracked and built on Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), damaging those protected areas in order to keep up with the electricity demands of these centres. We demand an immediate review of the planning and approval processes for data centre developments in Northern Ireland and a comprehensive public consultation before they expand further. https://www.savethemoat.com/blog-post

The Public Inquiry into the proposed goldmine in the Sperrins was suspended on the 15th January 2025  because the Department for Infrastructure breached their planning regulations in respect of a Transboundary Consultation with the Republic of Ireland.  The Commissioner said “the Inquiry has been besieged with difficulties from the start - in relation to Abstraction licences, EIA Regulations & Roads department didn’t engage at all….The planning department of Department for Infrastructure failed to follow its own legislative procedures. I have no option but to accede to the request to suspend the Inquiry, in view of Access to Justice and Right to Participate.” With no live stream, nor access to online recording or an option to contribute remotely as an expert witness, this inquiry has been anything but public. As a result, many people cannot properly engage with the inquiry because they cannot be present every day due to work commitments, illness, childcare or other caring responsibilities.  All Public Inquiries in England are recorded and available online for 5 years. Why is this not the case here? A precedent was set at the Doraville Inquiry (2019) in N.I. when expert witnesses were allowed to contribute online. When the goldmine inquiry resumes, we demand that the Planning Appeals Commission implement the aforementioned measures. 

The genocide in Gaza has been livestreamed to the world since October 7 2023. Conservative estimates put the number of people killed as approx. 68,000 (recent figures published by The Lancet) with over 100,000 maimed and injured. Every step of this genocide has been funded and supported by the United States. Our governments have paid lip service rather than take any meaningful action against Israel. The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel is guilty of committing plausible genocide in Gaza. Israel has displayed intent in the words of its government officials, in its deliberate denial of humanitarian aid, food, preventing safe births to mention a few. In 2024 our petition to Boycott the White House St Patrick's Day Celebrations got more than 20,000 signatures. The pressure we put on politicians not to go resulted in several prominent politicians not going, as well as protests in Ireland and the US against the betrayal. This year we have an opportunity to build on this. Through constant lobbying and pressure, Ireland is now a party to the case South Africa is taking against Israel in the International Courts of Justice. People pressure also forced Israel to close its embassy in Ireland. We call on all political parties on the island of Ireland to listen to the people and not go to Washington on St. Patrick's Day to shake hands soaked with the blood of Palestinians. Petition endorsed by: Derry IPSC Mid Ulster IPSC Cairde Palestine Gaels Against Genocide Mothers Against Genocide QUB Palestine Assembly Artists Against Genocide Teachers for Palestine Fermoy IPSC D7 For Palestine Lurgan IPSC Minority teachers Ireland Louth IPSC The People of Clare Against Genocide BadAds  Hcworkers for Palestine Derry Anti-War Coalition Swords For Palestine United Against Racism NW BDS Strabane NYirish4palestine Newry IPSC South Kerry Friends Of Palestine East Derry IPSC Armagh IPSC ATU Friends of Palestine 

Filthy mining corporation Dalradian is fighting to be able to rip up our stunning Sperrin Mountains, pollute our waters, and damage our health - so they can get rich by mining for gold. After 50,000 written objections, over a decade of tireless campaigning and numerous legal interventions, Save Our Sperrins have taken their fight to a landmark public inquiry that will decide if the mine will go ahead. As Save Our Sperrins says: “The inquiry is a rare opportunity for all of us to come together and have our voices heard. Together, we can stand for what truly matters.” They’ve been fighting for years, and now we stand with them. No toxic mining in Sperrins!