Keen Dean

I had lunch today with Dean Blackwood, a Queen's PhD candidate researching issues relating to town planning. He's a (young) retired planner himself and is pretty energised by his work on ethics in decision-making. When he isn't researching his topic, he's filing complaints with the European Commission over illegal dredging of Lough Neagh (which has resulted in massive die-offs in this bird sanctuary); Strangford Lough (resulting in the extinction of reefs of mussels that were unique to Stranford Lough); and illegal dumping in the Faughan River Valley.

Northern Ireland's environmental department turns a blind eye to everything, requiring action by the EU. Unfortunately, the European Commission just sends a notice, and the NI DoE sends a contrite response--which reads well, but is ignored as soon as the EC takes the pressure off. Dean was about to do two interviews with a local newspaper and the BBC. I hope his efforts result in meaningful protection for Ulster's most precious asset--its natural environment.
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