Cuban Ambassador for Cloughjordan Eco Village
THE Cuban ambassador to Ireland, Noel Carrillo is to visit the site of the first ever eco-village in Ireland in Cloughjordan at the end of August.
The construction of the eco-village is well underway and local eco-village committee member, Iva Pocock said the community will be delighted to host Mr. Carillo on Saturday morning 29th August next.
Ms. Pocock explained that Mr. Carrillo heard about the novel idea when speaking to a member of the committee and was enthralled to learn that the eco-village hopes to become a thriving community closely integrated with the town of Cloughjordan.
The eco-village, when completed, will comprise 130 low energy homes, a solar- and wood- powered community heating system, pedestrian pathways lined with fruit and nut trees, and a streamside walkway, an enterprise centre and broadband, 50 acres of land for allotments, farming and woodland, a centre of education for sustainable living and a hostel for visitors, all located within walking distance of Cloughjordan railway station.
"The Cuban ambassador has expressed huge interest in what is happening in eco village and subsequent to a meeting with a member of our committee he was invited to Cloughjordan to meet with members of the eco-village committee and the Cloughjordan Development Committee", she said.
Ms. Pocock explained that progress on the eco-village has been good.
"The eco-village moved into the construction phase at the moment. The eco-village will be located right beside village with a new street coming on to the main street," she added.
Ms. Pocock added that Mr. Castillo was particularly interested in the renewable energy heating system powered by wood chip boilers and solar panels and the fact that the eco-village approach to growing food.
"Cuba has been under a trade embargo since the former USSR withdrew their support and oil supply. At present, there is cheap source of oil now from Russia and in recent years the country has had to radically look at how they run their country. A whole kind of organic and cultural revolution took place out of necessity and they have managed to feed a nation by growing organically.
"Only last year the International Environment Organisation said Cuba was the only country in world achieving sustainable development", Ms. Pocock explained.
Full planning permission has been secured from North Tipperary County Council on two thirds of all sites in the project with the remainder due in the next few months. Construction on the eco-village began in March 2009 and the first residents of the community will be ready to move into a terrace of lime-hemp townhouses at the end of this Summer.
The eco-village aims to be a community of people who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low impact way of life. To achieve this, they will iintegrate various aspects of ecological design, permaculture, ecological building, green production, alternative energy, community building practices, and much more.
Mr. Carrillo is scheduled to arrive in Cloughjordan at 11am on the 29th August next.
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Friday 18 May 2012
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