The Climate Ambassador Podcast

Daithí chats with Cormac McCarthy, Climate & Sustainability Manager at Waterways Ireland about how the organisation is streamlining climate and biodiversity matters throughout the vast network of waterways, greenways, and blueways they are tasked with managing and maintaining.

Cormac speaks to the responsibility of public bodies and the level of impact they can have in driving sustainable change and the actions Waterways Ireland are taking towards climate mitigation and adaption. We learn about the innovative measures being taken within the organisation from swapping diesel for hydrotreated vegetable oils to using Natural Capital Accounting to quantify the monetary value of an ecosystem service.

Thanks very much to Emma Sheridan for support with research, design and promotion.



Links:

1. Waterways Ireland: https://www.waterwaysireland.org/

2. Inland Fisheries Ireland: https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/

3. Water Framework Directive: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/water-framework-directive_en

4. Waterways Ireland Climate Action Plan https://www.waterwaysireland.org/getmedia/e97f25a0-0584-4c39-8551-c81e6de0c5de/WI-Climate-Action-Plan.pdf?ext=.pdf

5. Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2000/act/38/enacted/en/print.html

6. Toxic algae in Lough Neagh: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/nature/why-lough-neagh-dying-northern-irelands-most-precious-wildlife-site-facing-disaster

7. Natural Capital Accounting: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/natural-capital-accounting_en

8. TCD INCASE Project: https://www.tcd.ie/e3/news/accounting-for-nature-a-priority-for-irelands-prosperity--new-report/

9. Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil: https://www.seai.ie/blog/hvo-can-be-part-of-our-cl

10. Term ‘Carbon footprint’ coined by British Petroleum: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/23/big-oil-coined-carbon-footprints-to-blame-us-for-their-greed-keep-them-on-the-hook

11. Renewables are the cheapest form of energy: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/renewables-cheapest-form-power

12. Norway electric car sales: Fossil cars all but phased out in Norway as EV sales hit 98 pct, and just 12 petrol cars sold - The Driven IO

In this episode, Daithí is joined by Mick Kelly founder and CEO of Grow it Yourself a social enterprise which encourages individuals and community groups to think more about where their food comes from and supports them in their journey towards a more sustainable relationship with food.

Mick speaks on a moment of enlightenment he experienced whilst grocery shopping where he realised how little he knew about where his food was coming from and from then on made it his mission to start reconnecting people with food. The conversation covers topics from the challenges of running a social enterprise and the dwindling number of field-scale commercial veg growers in Ireland to the interconnected nature of health and sustainability.

Hearing about Mick’s GIY revelation offers a great jumping-off point to start reflecting on your relationship with your food and where it comes from and maybe even begin your own GIY journey.

Thanks very much to Emma Sheridan for support with research, design and promotion.



Links:

1. Grow It Yourself website: https://giy.ie/

2. Mick's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickkellygrows/

3. 2026 TV Show -'Our Farm - A GIY Story': https://www.rte.ie/player/series/our-farm-a-giy-story/10013399-00-0000?epguid=AI10013400-01-0001

4. Food Matters Podcast: https://giy.ie/blogs/food-matters-podcast

5. Dwindling number of Irish Veg Growers: https://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/giys-mick-kelly-we-love-the-idea-of-irish-produce-but-do-we-love-it-enough-to-pay-the-true-cost-of-it/a/139074046.html

Daithí is joined by Áine May Hughes from Native Events to discuss sustainability in festivals and events and bust some myths around where the biggest impacts really lie. We learn all about how Native Events are working to lower emissions, reduce waste, and make events more circular through their consultancy, event production and eco event hire. Áine walks us through the key impact areas, underscoring transport and food & beverage as being overlooked for their impact as opposed to energy or waste and we gain insight into how Native Events tackles the challenges of each impact area in a way which caters to the specific needs of each event, from its size to its audience, to its location. We uncover the truth on the reusable versus single-use plastic cup debate as well as finding out if biodegradable serveware is as sustainable as we think. Whilst Native Events works with local authorities to offer sustainability guidelines, Áine describes events like festivals as being ‘like their own little townships’ and explains how commitment and action from both attendees and organisers is required to create an effective shift in attitude and behaviour. Whether you’re attending this summer’s biggest music festival or organising a small community event Áine’s advice is sure to leave you with the knowledge and inspiration to make a change!

Thanks very much to Emma Sheridan for support with research, design and promotion.

Links

1. Native Events: https://www.nativeevents.ie/

2. Sustainability at Shambala Festival: https://www.shambalafestival.org/sustainability/

3. Killarney Coffee Cup Project: https://killarney.ie/killarney-coffee-cup-project/

4. Laois County Council Green Your Festival Kit: https://laois.ie/climate-action/community-climate-action/green-your-festival

5. MIT Climate Machine analysis of 80,000 live shows across the US and UK: https://climatemachine.mit.edu/

6. Sustainability at Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour: https://sustainability.coldplay.com/section/power/

7. Fáilte Ireland Sustainable Festivals Guidelines 2023: https://www.failteireland.ie/FailteIreland/media/WebsiteStructure/Documents/Product_Development/Festivals_Events/failte-ireland-sustainable-festivals-guidelines-2023.pdf

8. Guide to Plastic Free Festivals & Events: https://mywaste.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Guide-to-Plastic-Free-Festivals-Events-April-2024.pdf

To kick off season 6 Daithí is joined by ornithologist and wildlife sound recordist Seán Ronayne, otherwise known as ‘Nature Boy’. Seán is an award-winning author for his memoir ‘Nature Boy’ and is well known for his mission to record the calls of every regularly occurring species of bird in Ireland, as captured in the RTÉ documentary ‘Birdsong’.

Seán reflects on his lifelong affinity with wildlife recounting how his relationship with nature played a pivotal role in his youth both providing him with a calming safe space as well as positioning himself as different from his peers at school.

We gain insight into how Seán adapted to lockdown measures during the pandemic by bringing nature to him through his recordings and how he feels his autism diagnosis is linked to his work. We also explore how bird habitats and species are affected by climate change and human interference and how the work done by people like Seán can be effective in reaching people and inspiring conversation about climate change.  

Thanks very much to Emma Sheridan for support with research, design and promotion.

Join Daithí as he speaks to the inspiring Seán McCabe, the world's first Climate Justice Officer in a football club. Seán talks us through the work being done in Bohemians Football Club in Phibsborough, Dublin, where community and climate justice is being put right at the heart of things.  With impacts of the climate crisis and transition being felt unequally across communities, the Climate CoOp at Bohemians has set out to address the issues faced by their own members, playing to their strength as a tight knit and inclusive community. Seán talks us through the different projects at Bohemians, such as their 'Library of Things', and supporting people serving prison time in Mountjoy to upskill in bike maintenance, as well as some of their aims for the future. His words of advice – dream big!         Thanks very much to Sorcha O'Carolan Murphy for support with research, design and promotion.

 

Links:

1. The Spark https://www.thespark.coop/     

2. Bohemians Football Club Website: https://bohemians.ie/home/    

3. UN Sport for Climate Action: https://unfccc.int/climate-action/sectoral-engagement/sports-for-climate-action    

4. Mary Robinson Climate Justice Foundation: https://www.mrfcj.org/    

5. Think tank for Action on Social Change (TASC): https://www.tasc.ie/     

6. Qatar World Cup Controversy: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/nov/19/qatar-working-conditions-world-cup-guardian-reporting      

7. Friends of the Earth - 'Still Left out in the Cold' Report: https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/warm-homes-for-all/resources        

8. Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions explained: https://www.grantthornton.ie/insights/factsheets/sustainability-scope-1-2-and-3-emissions/      

9. Seán and Leo from Bohs F.C. on The Book of Leaves Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-sport-clubs-can-take-climate-action-bohemian-football/id1460583049?i=1000638902017