Irish Examiner View: Welcome but slow rejuvenation as change now seems even more urgent

It may be some time before we have full access to the calming, soul-nurturing outdoors; the mountains, the few remaining bogs, the rivers, and sandy shores still far beyond today’slimits. When that glad moment arrives months of lockdown will have redefined how we appreciate the restorative power of time away from keyboards, Zoom meetings, streets, offices, commuter crushes, or traffic jams — remember those? Ironically, as we destroy it, nature’s grand safety valves become ever more important. The rural idyll once over-romanticised as a foil to modernism may seem outdated but the core value of that idea endures. For many, time spent closer to, deeper in our natural world than is normal is of great, almost irreplaceable benefit. That time, that immersion acts as a poultice.

That need is expressed in myriad ways and there have been cheering examples in recent days. The Environmental Protection Agency reported the quality of bathing water at beaches continues to improve. EPA analysis found that 95% — 140 out of 147 — of bathing waters assessed met or exceeded the minimum required. This represents a slight improvement on 2018 which, when urban development and intensive farming are considered, is a cause for some celebration.

That celebration might be even more heartfelt if the decline of our rivers and lakes were not so relentless, a situation exacerbated by an exceedingly dry March, April and so far, May. Water quality is falling, with just 20 rivers having “pristine” status in 2018, down from more than 500 in the 1980s. When that data was published late last year the EPA described the situation as “an all-time low”. It is far more important than our tolerance of pollution indicates that improvements in seaside bathing waters is replicated in rivers and lakes. We swim occasionally but drink water every day.

The cultural change to drive that restoration may be encouraged by the announcement by Coillte that all nine of the agency’s woods in Dublin will focus on recreation ratherthan commercial objectives. In an icing-on-the-cake detail Coillte also promised that Sitka spruce, the dead-hand species dominating plantations, will no longer be used in Dublin. Whatever the reasons behind these changes they are to be welcomed and, where possible, extended across the country. There is a good argument for Bord na Móna and Coillte to work together in creating sustainable, managed open spaces where peat harvesting has ceased. Such a partnership seems alive with real possibility on many levels.

Even if the EPA figures and Coillte’s decision are small steps in an inevitable journey then the ambition expressed by over 350 organisations representing 40m health professionals in an open letter to G20 leaders urging them to ensure that trillions of dollars, euro, and yuan earmarked to rejuvenate post-pandemic economies are used to build a “healthy and green recovery” is that ambition on a grand scale. The groups say the 20 nations accounting for 90% of global GDP should prioritise investment in public health, clean air, clean water, and a stable climate to build resilience against future health crises. Can there be any argument about those ambitions?

Yet another crisis too good to waste it seems.