Water Consumption – Sustainable Development

Concerns for sustainable urban development include: Increases in water consumption The urban heat island (UHI) effect, whereby building materials in cities, such as concrete and asphalt, retain heat and create local warming. A study in the United States has suggested that: Urban sprawl resulted in an increase in evaporation and therefore external water consumption.  As water evaporation...

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Great questions make great reporting.

Reports are great when they are accurate, to the point and understandable Documentation and reporting are fundamental to the management of environmental requirements. Technical Review Environmental Sustainability Cost-Benefit Analysis License Application and Review Environmental Compliance Environmental Liability Risk Assessments ECOS prepares and presents reports to assist clients to meet their corporate and legal requirements.  We...

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Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Waters

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a key initiative aimed at improving water quality throughout the EU. The Directive: Applies to rivers, lakes, groundwater, and coastal waters. Requires an integrated approach to managing water quality on a river basin basis; with the aim of maintaining and improving water quality. Requires that management plans be prepared...

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Nitrates Directive: Water Pollution from Agricultural Sources

The Nitrates Directive aims to reduce and prevent water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, with the primary emphasis on the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers.  The main provisions of this directive are: To monitor and identify polluted waters or water liable to pollution from agricultural nitrates To promote the code of...

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A practical guide to green products and services

A new Joint Research Centre (JRC) report provides key information for policy makers and business managers on how to assess the environmental impacts of products and services through more consistent and better quality life cycle assessments. Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) helps to assess the sustainability of supply chains, use, and end-of-life management options for goods...

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Biodiversity Action Plan

The EPA has today published its first biannual update of its Biodiversity Action Plan, to mark International Day for Biological Diversity http://www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/biodiversity/name,33378,en.html

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Is your environmental information reliable?

Reliable information is a fundamental requirement for environmental issues to be correctly assessed. Do you know what information is required? How do you know that your information is reliable? Do you have the knowledge required to interpret environmental data and information? ECOS supports you to identify your environmental requirements, interpret technical information and address potential...

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Action Plan For Mid West Waterways

The Mid West Regional Authority (MWRA) has been allocated €192,000 under an EU funded programme to promote the environmental protection and economic development of the Mid West Region’s principal waterways, including Lough Derg, the West Clare coastline, the River Shannon and the Shannon Estuary. The Authority has been tasked with developing a regional policy tool...

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“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”

Business can save money through informed pollution prevention. Prevention is more efficient and economically viable than non-compliance with legal requirements. ECOS helps all types of businesses to cost effectively prevent pollution and comply with legal requirements. ✓         Reduce the input of materials and energy ✓         Minimize the amount of waste for treatment and disposal ✓        ...

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Europe’s Water: Efficient Use is Essential

Clean water is a vital natural resource which is coming under increasing pressure from over-exploitation and pollution. A sustainable management of Europe’s water resources demands a wider policy perspective, addressing all major users as well as water’s interactions with other resources. The European Union’sWater Framework Directive, Nitrates Directive and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, provide...

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