Latest news with #WilliamIrvine
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Ulster Farmers Union ‘not ruling out legal action' over proposed Nutrients Action Programme
The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) has said it is not ruling out potential legal action over a proposed Nutrients Action Programme. Officials from the representative body said its president William Irvine led a delegation during a 'robust' meeting with Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir on Tuesday raising 'serious concerns' about the proposals.
Forbes
7 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Dealing With Setbacks: A Modern Stoic Approach To Anger Management
Travertine pools in Pamukkale This article may seem at odds with others I have written about the value of emotions and emotional expression—but hear me out. I recently picked up William Irvine's 2019 book, 'The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer and More Resilient.' His modern application of Stoicism offers a worthy counterbalance to the exhortation/meme to 'feel all the feels,' and provides some great practical advice on dealing with setbacks. I'm generally a fan of emotions. They are the texture and quality of an experience—not just what happened, but what it meant; not just what you learned, but how it touched you or sparked something within. Emotions are data that clue you in to what matters: anger might indicate that a core value, like fairness or justice, is being violated; contentment is a sign that your needs are being met; fear of losing something or someone signals how much you cherish them. Emotions can provide inspiration or fuel for action to create a positive future. And a shared emotion, such as parents' love for their child, can bond us to one another. But indulging emotions can interfere with our ability to move through setbacks. So-called 'negative' emotions—more accurately described as 'difficult' or 'unpleasant'—can cloud our thinking and undermine our agency. When we experience a setback, anger can cause us to lash out at others in unproductive ways; and anger's cousin, blame, can trap us in self-righteousness or victimization. None of this helps solve the problem. Imagine you're heading to a meeting and reach the bus stop just as your bus pulls away. The next one isn't due for 20 minutes. Now what? You could curse the driver—who could clearly see you running to catch the bus—for not waiting for you. You could rage at the MTA for budget cuts that reduced the frequency of buses. You could kick yourself for lingering over breakfast, or fume about having to do the dishes your kids left in the sink. None of this changes the situation. At best, it wastes energy; at worst, it makes things worse by blocking clear thinking. Getting swept up in difficult emotions can amplify suffering—but suppressing them isn't the answer either. Stuffing your anger can be a short-term fix, but over the long haul, you pay a price for bottling up emotions—either by blowing up later or through health problems like ulcers, high blood pressure, etc. Back to the bus stop. What if you could skip the anger and blame? You could choose to use your time more constructively or pleasantly. You could pop into the coffee shop for a latte. You could read over your notes and prepare for the meeting. You could consult the map and realize that walking will get there earlier than the next bus would deliver you, and it's a nice day for a walk! Irvine's modern take on the philosophy of the Greek Stoics calls on us to rise to the occasion when we hit a setback, not by suppressing emotion, but instead by not allowing ourselves to get angry in the first place. They understood that while we can't control external events, we can control our reactions. According to Irvine, the Stoics (currently enjoying a popular resurgence among Silicon Valley dudes sometimes called 'Broicism') were not anti-emotion, but were concerned with reducing the experience of negative emotion, specifically frustration, grief, envy and anger, which Irvine calls 'anti-joy.' He quotes Seneca's On Anger, 'No plague has cost the human race more.' Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl is credited with saying,'Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.' Irvine gives that space a time frame: five seconds to reframe a setback before difficult emotions can take hold. His Stoic Challenge framework invites you to see a setback not as something terrible, blameworthy or unfair but instead as a test of your ingenuity and resilience. When you miss the bus or get passed over for promotion, don't leap to 'how terrible, this is bad' and its accompanying feelings of dismay, anger or blame. Instead, reframe the situation as a challenge being offered to you by the Stoic Gods (Irvine's construct; insert any real or imagined being with your best interests at heart). Welcome it as an opportunity to practice virtue, find a clever work-around, and grow stronger. Irvine offers the following approaches to reframing a setback: It could be worse: Practice brief 'negative visualizations' to build gratitude. Stuck without your luggage? At least the plane landed safely. No villain: Resist the urge to assign malicious intent. People may be overcommitted, incompetent—or simply human. This is a story/funny: Imagine the story you'll tell later. Humor helps keep perspective and authorship calls you to agency rather than reactivity. This is a game: You chose this 'field of play.' Challenges are part of the game. How will you meet them? This is a test: See the setback as a challenge from the 'Stoic Gods' to help you grow stronger. Keep your cool and get to work! By offering these alternate frames, he invites us to turn obstacles into a choose-your adventure story. Don't get me wrong—I am still in favor of attending to our emotions and those of others. Irvine's book offers a fresh take on ancient wisdom and provides a handy toolkit for facing setbacks, but it has real limitations and still leaves me somewhat unsatisfied. His approach focuses on the individual and risks turning others into objects. Additionally, though he draws on psychological research, the author dismisses psychotherapy in ways that overlook mental illness and trauma and their profoundly debilitating effects. And for someone whose approach is mind-centric, Irvine doesn't even acknowledge the existence or value of mindfulness meditation practices in managing anger and other difficult emotions. Finally, while he asserts that the Stoic's goal is to eliminate or reduce only unpleasant emotions but not joy or delight, he overlooks how deeply grief and joy are often intertwined in lived experience. That said, I wholeheartedly agree with Irvine: most of us have more capacity to meet adversity than we realize. I'm glad to add the 'Stoic Challenge' framework to my coaching toolkit.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Newcastle RNLI celebrates 200 years of saving lives at sea
The recent tragedies in Buncrana and Sligo where three boys lost their lives, serves as a brutal reminder of the dangers of open year, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Northern Ireland said it came to the aid of 469 people – 16 of those were deemed to have had their lives are 46 RNLI stations across Ireland, strategically sited along the coastline and on major inland waterways. Ten of those are in Northern year one of them, Newcastle, County Down, celebrates its 200th anniversary. Like the rest of the RNLI fleet, Newcastle's iconic Mersey Class vessel (the Leonard Kent) will be retired and replaced by the faster, but smaller, Atlantic 85 at the end of this 2024 alone the Newcastle boat launched 18 times – helping 26 people and saving three lives. For those rescued, it can be a life changing experience. In August 1998, William Irvine went fishing with three friends on the rocks at Maggie's Leap just outside one of the group slipped into the water off the steep rocks, William took off his jumper and tried to use it as a rope. "I tried to pull him in but I slipped on the fishing rods and fell in as well," he told BBC News NI."Then one of the others tried to bring me in by using one of the fishing rods but a wave took me out further and brought him in and the fourth one tried to climb up the rocks but he slipped and fell in."During the ordeal, William lost consciousness."The next thing I remember was waking up on the lifeboat." One of the rescue crew that day was Brendan Rooney, a full-time musician who is still on the lifeboat crew."When we went in the first time we got the first two lads onto the boat," he said. "By then the Mersey Class boat had arrived so we transferred them onto the Mersey. On the second, we went back in but the Skeg hit a submerged rock on the way in, but luckily we got over it."Throughout the years Brendan has been involved in dozens of rescues, adding: "Too many to remember".What the sea throws at lifeboat teams when they respond to a call is different every time but the process of getting there remains constant. After a 999 call comes in to the coast guard, the RNLI may be asked to launch a vessel. Daniel Curran is the man responsible in Newcastle for making those decisions."We assess the situation and then the coastguard goes ahead and sounds the pagers", he explained."We make our way to the station as quickly as we can and everyone slots into their roles. And that's not just those on the boat; there's also an enormous number of people working as shore crew." Caoimhe Connor got involved in rescue operations nearly a decade ago after witnessing a tragedy at a beach where she was now the at the helm of one of Newcastle's boats, a role that requires a cool head in challenging circumstances, often late at night."You're jumping out of bed, half asleep. Even before I leave the house it's important to calm yourself down. "You have to know that the adrenalin rush isn't a great thing. Then you get this sense of calmness because you know you have to focus on what it is you have to do." Behind the wheel of the Mersey Class in Dundrum Bay is Niall McMurray - as the crew take part in one of their weekly training sessions."We've launched into Dundrum Bay and we're practicing different recovery techniques – in this case man overboard," he 'man' is a life size and heavyweight mannequin who is unceremoniously dumped in the water and lost. The crew is tasked with finding him and bringing him to safety. On return, many of the team's 40-strong volunteers are on hand to lift the Mersey out of the sea and bring casualties to safety.A tractor-type machine on caterpillar wheels pulls the boat onto a large trailer on the shore, the vessel is washed down and taken back to the boathouse, ready for its next is a process that will change dramatically in the New Year with the retirement of the Mersey received its first Mersey [The Eleanor and Bryant Girling] in 1992. In 2022, the Laurence Kent arrived having previously served in Margate and place of these boats will be the open-topped Atlantic Rooney says the Mersey can do 19 knots but the Atlantic can hit 35."We hope to get the training boat soon so we're looking forward to getting it in place," he said. "It'll be different for us as we've never experienced it and it will benefit the area."
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Farmers say NI pollution proposals 'out of touch'
Farmers have said plans to reduce water pollution as a result of agricultural activity are "out of touch" with the reality of agriculture. Northern Ireland's long-overdue Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for 2026-29 has been published for consultation. Many of the proposals are linked to the Lough Neagh Action Plan. Making low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) mandatory and placing restrictions on the use of phosphorus fertiliser are among recommended revisions. President of the Ulster Farmers' Union, William Irvine, said it was "deeply concerning" the proposals from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) "lean heavily" towards enforcement and regulation rather than education, incentives or collaboration with farmers. "Farmers are not shying away from their responsibilities," he said. "For the last 20 years, since NAP was first introduced, we have been implementing practices to improve water quality. "We fully recognise the need to protect and improve water quality, but it must be done in a way that's balanced, fair and grounded in the day-to-day realities of farming in NI. "The proposals within NAP reflect a clear disconnect with local agriculture and fail to deliver what's truly needed." Daera said it was "widely recognised that the intensification of agricultural production has had negative impacts on the environment". Daera Minister Andrew Muir said action was needed to improve water quality and meet legal obligations. "This is why it is essential to review NAP and consider additional measures to reduce the overall phosphorus surplus in our agricultural system," he said. "The main additional measures include further restrictions on use of chemical phosphorus fertiliser and a farm phosphorus balance limit for more intensive farms." He added that while 62% of the nutrient load in waterways could be traced back to to agriculture, other sources such as wastewater treatment and septic tank seepages also play a role. His department also wants to "enhance" the enforcement powers available to it, to apply fixed or variable monetary penalties for breaches of the NAP. Speaking on BBC's The View, Muir said he recognised that the measures proposed in the NAP are "challenging" and the consultation is "very complex". "Ultimately we do need to change so we can improve our waterways and I don't want to consign Lough Neagh to the scenes we've seen in recent years," Muir said. He added that since NI Water was established in 2007 they have had a "permission to pollute". He added that he was "fed up" with the lack of investment in wastewater infrastructure, and that the Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins "needs to get her head out of the sand and needs to turn the situation around". "What I am being left with as the minister for agriculture, environment and rural affairs is the job of cleaning up the sewage that NI Water are pumping into our waterways." On Friday, the minister announced that the consultation would be extended to 12 weeks and will now close on 24 July. "I recognise that the proposals in the revised NAP have a level of complexity because of the detailed science and evidence underpinning them," he said. "Therefore, having listened to the concerns from farmers and industry about the need for more time to consider the consultation proposals, I am extending the consultation period by four weeks." Muir said the extension is an "important opportunity" for people to respond or offer alternative proposals, and stressed that no final decisions have yet been made. Intensive farms – mostly dairy and some beef farms - can be granted a derogation for using slurry on their land, allowing them to apply up to 250kg nitrogen per hectare per year from grazing livestock manures, rather than 170kg. The number of farms that currently have a derogation is 427. The lower limit for nitrogen would be reduced to 150kg/N/ha/year, putting another 3,100 farms in the category. In total, the consultation document said, these farms account for 17% of all farms, yet produce some 50% of total manure nitrogen. They will also represent a significant proportion of surplus phosphorus because of their greater reliance on feed inputs. These farms would also be subject to a Phosphorus Balance Limit of 10kg/ha/year in 2027, reducing to 8kg in 2029. Other schemes seeking ways of better using slurry and the nutrients it contains include the sustainable use of livestock slurry and using slurry to generate biogas. Sewage bacteria above legal limits at NI swimming spots More than 2,000 fish killed in river pollution Stormont potentially breached water laws - minister Funds not available for major water infrastructure plans
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
NI water pollution: Farmers says Stormont proposals 'out of touch'
Farmers have said plans to reduce water pollution as a result of agricultural activity are "out of touch" with the reality of Ireland's long-overdue Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for 2026-29 has been published for of the proposals are linked to the Lough Neagh Action low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) mandatory and placing restrictions on the use of phosphorus fertiliser are among recommended revisions. 'Farmers are not shying away' President of the Ulster Farmers' Union, William Irvine, said it was "deeply concerning" the proposals from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) "lean heavily" towards enforcement and regulation rather than education, incentives or collaboration with farmers."Farmers are not shying away from their responsibilities," he said."For the last 20 years, since NAP was first introduced, we have been implementing practices to improve water quality."We fully recognise the need to protect and improve water quality, but it must be done in a way that's balanced, fair and grounded in the day-to-day realities of farming in NI."The proposals within NAP reflect a clear disconnect with local agriculture and fail to deliver what's truly needed."Daera said it was "widely recognised that the intensification of agricultural production has had negative impacts on the environment". Why is the plan being introduced? Daera Minister Andrew Muir said action was needed to improve water quality and meet legal obligations."This is why it is essential to review NAP and consider additional measures to reduce the overall phosphorus surplus in our agricultural system," he said."The main additional measures include further restrictions on use of chemical phosphorus fertiliser and a farm phosphorus balance limit for more intensive farms."He added that while 62% of the nutrient load in waterways could be traced back to to agriculture, other sources such as wastewater treatment and septic tank seepages also play a department also wants to "enhance" the enforcement powers available to it, to apply fixed or variable monetary penalties for breaches of the NAP. 'Permission to pollute' Speaking on BBC's The View, Muir said he recognised that the measures proposed in the NAP are "challenging" and the consultation is "very complex".He told the programme he will be extending the consultation period by four weeks."Ultimately we do need to change so we can improve our waterways and I don't want to consign Lough Neagh to the scenes we've seen in recent years," Muir added that since NI Water was established in 2007 they have had a "permission to pollute".He added that he was "fed up" with the lack of investment in wastewater infrastructure, and that the Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins "needs to get her head out of the sand and needs to turn the situation around"."What I am being left with as the minister for agriculture, environment and rural affairs is the job of cleaning up the sewage that NI Water are pumping into our waterways." Better ways of using slurry Intensive farms – mostly dairy and some beef farms - can be granted a derogation for using slurry on their land, allowing them to apply up to 250kg nitrogen per hectare per year from grazing livestock manures, rather than number of farms that currently have a derogation is lower limit for nitrogen would be reduced to 150kg/N/ha/year, putting another 3,100 farms in the total, the consultation document said, these farms account for 17% of all farms, yet produce some 50% of total manure will also represent a significant proportion of surplus phosphorus because of their greater reliance on feed farms would also be subject to a Phosphorus Balance Limit of 10kg/ha/year in 2027, reducing to 8kg in schemes seeking ways of better using slurry and the nutrients it contains include the sustainable use of livestock slurry and using slurry to generate biogas.
