World Renowed Expert on Incineration & Zero Waste Joins SESF Line-Up

waterford | anti-capitalism | press release Friday May 07, 2004 19:21 by Roy Hassey - South East Social Forum southeastsocialforum at yahoo dot com 086-3274015

For Alternative Environmental Summit

Dr. Paul Connet to speak in Waterford Friday 14th May, Granville Hotel, 7.30pm

PRESS RELASE

WORLD RENOWMED EXPERT ON INCINERATION AND ZERO WASTE JOINS SPEAKER LIST FOR SOUTH EAST SOCIAL FORUM

Dr. Paul Connet, one of the world’s most renowned experts on incineration and zero waste has joined the speaker list for the opening meeting of the South East Social Forum Alternative Environmental Summit in the Granville Hotel on Friday 14th May at 7.30pm. Dr. Connect joins Patricia McKenna MEP (Green Party), Jean Somers (Debt and Development Coalition), Dick Roche (President Waterford Council of Trade Unions), Daithi Doolan (Sinn Fein) and Brid Smith (Dublin Bin Tax Campaign & Socialist Workers Party) at the opening meeting of the weekend.

Dr. Paul Connett is a leading spokesperson on Zero Waste and a Professor of Chemistry in St. Lawrence University, New York. He has lectured there for over 17 years. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and his PhD in Chemistry from Dartmouth College in the United States.

For the past 15 years he's researched waste management issues with a special emphasis on the dangers posed by incinerators and the safer and more sustainable alternatives available. He has attended and spoke at many international conferences on waste management and has been to Ireland on numerous occasions to fight proposals for dealing with waste through incineration.

The South East Social Forum is holding the Alternative Environmental Summit and a Demonstration on the weekend of May 14th, 15th, 16th to coincide with the meeting of the EU environmental ministers meeting which will occur in Waterford over that weekend.

The Alternative Environmental Summit, under the title of ‘People and Planet Before Profit: Another Europe is Possible’, will be held over three days in four different venues. Topics under discussion at the summit include:

 ‘Global Climate Change, Environmental & Economic Sustainability, Genetically Modified Organisms’
 ‘Yes to Irish Neutrality – No to a Europe of War and Militarization’
 ‘Yes to a Europe of Worker and Social Rights – No to a Europe of Profit and Privatization of Public Services’
 ‘Waste Solutions’
 ‘Our Marine Environment’

Further meetings will take place on the morning of Saturday 15th in the Forum Theatre and The Showboat, both in The Glen. There will also be meetings on Sunday 16th in the Granville Hotel and the Grand Hotel, Tramore. Representatives of over twenty organisations will be speaking at the summit including: Sustainable Ireland, ATGWU, FEASTA, Irish Anti War Movement, Zero Waste, SIPTU, Coastwatch Europe, Waste Study Group, AFRI, GM Free Ireland, Busworkers’ Action Group, Irish Doctors Environmental Association, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, DAPSE, Stop Esso Ireland, Down to Zero, and Another Europe is Possible.

Speakers will include: Karin Dubsky, Mick O’Reilly, Deirdre de Burca, Richard Boyd Barrett, Dr. Elizabeth Cullen, Mike Jennings, Jack O’Sullivan, Rory Hearne, Michael O’Callaghan, Eoin O’Brion and several more.

There will also be music and entertainment throughout the weekend, the Jenkins Lane market with organic and fair-trade goods, an ENFO and Sustainable Ireland exhibition on sustainability and a workshop and field trip on the marine environment.

The demonstration will assemble in The Glen, Waterford at 2.45pm on Saturday 15th May. All groups and individuals who wish to express discontent at the policies of the government and the EU are invited to participate in the Alternative Summit and the demonstration which will be organized as a family day out with a carnival atmosphere.

Social Forums are born of grass roots social movements dedicated to ensuring that human rights are promoted, protected, and fulfilled by governments, intergovernmental organisations, companies and other non-state actors. The forums are for anyone who wants to challenge the principles that the market is more important than the people who live on this planet.

Paul Flynn: 086-8581915
Roy Hassey: 086-3274015
www.freewebs.com/sesf/
southeastsocialforum@yahoo.com