It’s been a curveball year to say the least for everyone. I myself spent the first nine months of the Covid-19 Pandemic working from home, finalising my thesis and baking buns in the oven! So there wasn’t a whole lot of time for maintaining the blog and we ceased all group community beach cleans for … Continue reading Changing my daily hygiene routine in a pandemic
Is there anything more exciting than a thriving pumpkin patch on an Autumnal Equinox day in 2020? With the growing season, for my wee garden at least, nearly finished it's such a delight to see prolific creeping vines and twisting tendrils make their way over the raised bed frame. I had been slightly concerned last week … Continue reading Autumn Equinox – Pumpkin Patch
Participation in conservation resource management of the Natura 2000 site My two-year part time masters is finally coming to a close. Having juggled work, study, Seastainability and more, over the years I had great hopes for my productivity levels during lockdown with ambitions to have my thesis paper signed, sealed and delivered by now. Alas, … Continue reading Stakeholder Dimensions of Ireland’s Eye:
Tonight (02.10.2019) I attended a public consultation for the Post 2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Negotiations. The two hours that I spent there reinforced a few things, and taught me some valuable new points to consider, which are particularly relevant while we all collectively move forward towards a more environmentally focussed, climate conscious nation.
A high percentage of tree cover across a landscape should surely be a positive thing, however when non-native species dominate an area the negative impacts to soil, water quality and biodiversity can be extensive.
Following last weeks intro to the two-part article, we will now elaborate on the extent and nature of diverse native woodland forestry. It is apparent that essential action is required to ensure the sustainable management of nature within woodland landscapes. Since any form of naturalness or wildness has ceased to exist in this World, human interference is required to invest in creating diverse woodland areas for the function of Eco-system services including climate regulation, pollination, species diversity, water and soil regeneration.
Primarily forests don’t act as lungs feeding the bulk of our atmosphere’s oxygen. Rather they host rich habitats for most of the biodiversity on our planet and in terms of climate change mitigation they pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and aid the cooling of the Earth. In light of trending reports on unsustainable forestry and threats to global tree cover we will publish a two-part article discussing the extent and nature of both monoculture forestry and diverse native woodland forestry. Benefits and impacts to both biodiversity and the environment from the two types of forestry will be analysed.
Camping around Ireland in summertime has made up some of the most special memories of my adult life. In our family we didn’t camp as kids and It only became part of my holiday routine a few years ago when we attempted 50km of hiking in Wicklow National Park with friends over a long weekend. … Continue reading Eco-Camping in Ireland
"As crude a weapon as the cave man's club, the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of life - a fabric on the one hand delicate and destructible, on the other miraculously tough and resilient, and capable of striking back in unexpected ways. These extraordinary capacities of life have been ignored by the … Continue reading Chemical Pollutants: The Forgotten Killers
This blog post has been a long time coming… Two years to be truthful. Although my dad is a keen gardener I've only caught onto its lure in the last few years. It started with an overflowing garden balcony and then it evolved into hilltop allotment. Throw a few house moves and country changes into the mix and finally I'm settled into a wee garden space where I can grow my own produce and plants on my doorstep. Everything I've learnt about gardening came from my Dad, so I'd like to thank him for that.
For more than 50 years, the global production of plastic has increased exponentially. Plastic is a durable, primarily petroleum-based material, which has gradually replaced materials like glass and metal. In Western Europe and North America, approximately 100 kilograms of plastic is consumed each year per person, mostly in the form of packaging. According to the … Continue reading 9 Simple Tips for Reducing Plastic Consumption
We need to encourage more conversations about climate change.
Maybe this challenge would be really interesting to kickstart me back into reducing my carbon footprint. I never had intentions to achieve a wholly carbon neutral lifestyle, but I wonder what it would entail in today's world. What are the barriers I'm faced with and how am I going to overcome them to achieve my goals with ease? I truly believe this is the key to living more sustainably, if the effort is too extreme you're more than likely going to give up.
As an environmental activist, I am a firm supporter of an incremental carbon tax in Ireland. In fact I’m all for higher taxes when it comes to products and fuels and that are damaging our environment and substances that cause havoc with the health of our society. However, is the Irish nation ready for another tax hit and have the Irish Government failed to lead us into a society which rewards sustainable lifestyle choices?
After four years of fashion design study and 10 years working in the garment industry my relationship with textiles has gone thorough swings and roundabouts. I was never a serial shopper (I did enough of that in my day jobs), but I was a mass producer; feeding a market with seasonal ranges of clothing; many … Continue reading Good, Fast and Cheap – Textiles, Consumerism and the Environment
This week saw the publication of a special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ICPP) entitled “Global Warming of 1.5°C”, the most significant warning about the impact of climate change in 20 years. The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared … Continue reading How does Ireland Stack up in the Fight against Global Climate Change?
So Bec has finally succeeded in getting me to sit down and write a long overdue article for you all, I think I am still traumatised after writing up my PhD thesis last year. Basically I have spent the last five lovely (but intense) years in Devon England, researching chemical pollutants and their effects on … Continue reading Pollution 101: Back to Basics
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Before I converted to Sustainabilisim (worshippers welcome!) I absentmindedly over consumed, ate meat daily and understood little about the hazardous effects of disposable plastics. I was also ill informed of the nasty ingredients found in every day cosmetics. As a child I remember my uncle taking part in a televised Eco-warrior project and as I was … Continue reading Deo-lemma
Not everyone shares the same moral beliefs or perhaps are in the same positions to make the most sustainable choices. The simple steps we make towards adopting an Eco-friendly lifestyle won't change the world over night but it may inspire a few others in their choices and eventually those attitudes will propagate the system.
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