The Climate Ambassador Podcast

Season 4 Trailer

This Season, Daithí will be chatting to a diverse and fascinating range of guests, who are taking brave and impactful climate action in their communities. We will feature thinkers and innovators from the fields of Irish Folklore, building and upcycling, transport, digital carbon, rewilding, sustainable finance, and nature connection, as well as the inspiring stories of some of our very own Climate Ambassadors!

A strong theme throughout this season is connection. Connection to the natural world, to our heritage and practices, and to our communities.

The first episode of Season 4 was released on Monday the 17th of June, 2024.

Catch up on previous episodes here.

S4Ep10: Natural Regeneration and Ecosystem Services

For the final episode of the series, Daithí talks to author and rewilder, Eoghan Daltun. They chat about the process Eoghan set in motion in the mid 2000’s to restore healthy native ecosystems on his 73-acre farm on the Beara Peninsula, Cork. Hear about the recovery of the ecosystems, the diversity of native species that he has seen returning to the forest, as well as the harm caused to the woodland regeneration process by alien invasive species, such as Sika deer.

A small farmer himself, Eoghan strongly advocates that landowners should be rewarded for protecting ecosystems due to the benefits they provide for society, such as flood prevention and resilience to wildfires. Eoghan also has some very interesting views on the classification of what constitutes a native species and makes a compelling case for the introduction of various species, including Beavers.

After the interview, musician Brían MacGloinn of Ye Vagabonds closes the episode with his beautiful song ‘Cuckoo’.

Explore more:

Eoghan’s Instagram: @irishrainforest
Eoghan’s 2024 Book – ‘The Magic of an Irish Rainforest: A Visual Journey’: https://www.kennys.ie/shop/signed-by-the-author-new/the-magic-of-an-irish-rainforest-a-visual-journey-eoghan-daltun-9781399725606
Eoghan’s First book – ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest’: https://www.kennys.ie/shop/an-irish-atlantic-rainforest-eoghan-daltun-9781399705295
Ecosystem Services: https://www.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity/scottish-biodiversity-strategy-and-cop15/ecosystem-approach/ecosystem-services-natures-benefits
Nature Restoration Law: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/nature-restoration-law-enters-force-2024-08-15_en
E. O. Wilson: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-O-Wilson
George Monbiot: https://www.monbiot.com/
IUCN on Rewilding: https://iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/benefits-and-risks-rewilding
London Natural History Museum Biodiversity Intactness Index: https://tnfd.global/tools-platforms/local-biodiversity-intactness-index/
Brían MacGloinn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grianmacbloinn/

S4Ep9 : Digital Carbon and the Impact of Technology – Gerry McGovern

We are excited to bring you a fascinating conversation on the environmental impacts of technology with web designer and digital consultant Gerry McGovern. Daithí and Gerry have a wide-ranging talk about topics such as e-waste and how to lengthen the life of your devices; the amount of unnecessary data that is created every year and the energy required to store it; how Gerry is heartened by the Right to Repair movement and his faith in the potential of community activism to drive change.

Music in this episode comes from Samuel Arnold Keane

Explore more:

Gerry McGovern’s website – https://gerrymcgovern.com/world-wide-waste/
Gerry’s Podcast ‘World Wide Waste’ – https://www.thisishcd.com/podcast-category/world-wide-waste-with-gerry-mcgovern
e-waste toxicity in landfill – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352186421006970#:~:text=1%20(Chen%20et%20al.%2C,70%25%20in%20terms%20of%20toxicity.
Statistics on lifecycle carbon emissions of a phone – https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/your-phone-really-smart#:~:text=Yet%2C%20around%2080%20per%20cent,the%20lifespan%20of%20devices%20shrinks.
Rare earth metals present in phones – https://www.acs.org/education/chemmatters/past-issues/archive-2014-2015/smartphones.html#:~:text=Scandium%20and%20yttrium%20are%20included,the%2017%20rare%20earth%20metals.
Recycling Rate of e-waste – https://unitar.org/about/news-stories/press/global-e-waste-monitor-2024-electronic-waste-rising-five-times-faster-documented-e-waste-recycling
Fairphone – https://www.fairphone.com/nl
Assess the energy demand of any website – https://www.websitecarbon.com/
Data centre energy use in Ireland 2023 – https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-dcmec/datacentresmeteredelectricityconsumption2023/keyfindings/#:~:text=The%20percentage%20of%20total%20metered%20electricity%20consumption%20accounted%20for%20by,10%25%20(See%20Infographic).
Google’s plans to build data centre in Uruguay – https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/aug/01/uruguay-anger-environmental-cost-google-datacentre-carbon-emissions-toxic-waste-water
Lifecycle emissions comparison of EV vs Internal Combustion Engine car – https://www.visualcapitalist.com/life-cycle-emissions-evs-vs-combustion-engine-vehicles/
Projection for growth in material extraction demand to 2050 – https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/foresight/topic/aggravating-resource-scarcity/raw-materials-non-renewable-resources_en 13. 70% of global aluminium is from primary aluminium – https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/aluminium-demand-how-to-make-it-sustainable/
10x more energy required for AI search compared to traditional search engines – https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/6b2fd954-2017-408e-bf08-952fdd62118a/Electricity2024-Analysisandforecastto2026.pdf
Electricity consumption from data centres, AI and the cryptocurrency sector could double by 2026 – https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024/executive-summary
Right to Repair Directive – https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20590/right-to-repair-making-repair-easier-and-more-appealing-to-consumers
Samuel Arnold Keane – https://www.instagram.com/samyelyel/

S4Ep8: Sustainable Finance, Louise O’ Mahony

Daithí is joined by Louise O’Mahony, head of Sustainable Banking at Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). Louise gives fascinating insights into all things sustainable finance, including the huge increase in green lending in recent years and why private finance is so essential to meeting our emissions targets.

Louise also gives an overview of environmental regulations pertaining to the finance sector and why the European Central bank is so concerned about Climate Change, food harvest and flooding; and offers some policies and tools that would help banks to be more ambitious with their sustainability-linked lending.

After the interview, Daithí gives five top tips for greening your own finances.

Music in this episode is the stunning Mountain Song, by Anna Mieke.

Explore more:

Banking and Payments Federation Ireland – Home – Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (bpfi.ie)
European Commission on Sustainable Finance – Overview of sustainable finance – European Commission (europa.eu)
SEAI Grants – Energy Efficient Homes – Home Energy Upgrades And Grants | SEAI
ECB has climate risks as second-highest priority: ECB Banking Supervision: SSM supervisory priorities for 2024-2026 (europa.eu)
EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive: Corporate sustainability reporting – European Commission (europa.eu)
ECB Climate and Environment Risk Guide: ECB publishes final guide on climate-related and environmental risks for banks (europa.eu)
Montreal agreement – Taskforce on nature–related financial disclosures: The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (tnfd.global)
Christine Lagarde ECB president – 70% of banks’ loan portfolios is to high-emitting sectors: 90% of big eurozone banks face serious transition risks, says ECB – Green Central Banking
Bank Of England research on connection between energy performance and reduced risk of mortgage default: Bank of England Staff Working Paper No. 1,016
Check out your bank’s sustainability credentials: Find Ethical & Sustainable Banks In Your Area – Bank.Green Home – The Good Shopping Guide
State savings account option: Ireland State Savings – Book Based Deposit Account | Products | State Savings
Information about carbon footprint reduction potential of changing pension funds: Make My Money Matter
Anna Mieke’s website: ANNA MIEKE

S4Ep7: Professor Brian Caulfield – Sustainable Transport

Transport accounts for approximately one-fifth of Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, with the majority coming from road transport. In this episode, Daithí and his guest Brian Caulfield, Professor of Transport in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, in Trinity College Dublin take listeners on a journey into sustainable transport in Ireland. From rural/urban divide and travel access inequality to transport design, planning and the concept of the 15-minute city, we’re covering it all in the Climate Ambassador Podcast!

Daithí and Brian discuss our many transport tribulations but also the ambitious target to have 1 million electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2030 and how improved transport policy and infrastructure can bring about benefits like better air quality, urban biodiversity and secure employment!

Explore more:

Brian Caulfield, Professor of Transport in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, in Trinity College Dublin- Brian Caulfield’Trinity Research – Trinity College Dublin (tcd.ie)
Brian Caulfield X profile – Profile / X
The Economic Cost of Congestion in the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2040 – gov – The Economic Cost of Congestion in the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2040 (www.gov.ie)
Government approves Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Report – gov – Government approves Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Report (www.gov.ie)
Ireland’s ambition to move towards the health-based WHO air quality guidelines will be challenging, but will have a significantly positive impact on health – Ireland’s ambition to move towards the health-based WHO air quality guidelines will be challenging, but will have a significantly positive impact on health | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie)
EIGHT Aran families are navigating island roads with electric cars this weekend as part of a three-year project to cut dependency on fossil fuels. Eight families go electric in Aran Islands pilot project – The Irish Times

S4Ep6: Emily Kennedy and Hilda O’Grady – Climate Ambassador Stories

It’s a Climate Ambassador Take-Over! In this episode, Daithí shares the podcast mic with two very inspiring Climate Ambassadors: Emily Kennedy and Hilda O’Grady as they share their experience of the programme and their many award-winning achievements.

Emily won an outstanding achievement award in 2023 for her work-focused initiatives, which included speaking at the Mary Robinson Climate Conference, connecting her colleagues to nature through facilitating work visits to beehives and organising swap shops and repair workshops at her workplace in Price Waterhouse Cooper. Emily gives some very credible and actionable steps for achieving gender equality in work.

Hilda also won an outstanding achievement award for her community-focused work, consisting of turbo-charging her Tidy Towns group in Kinvara to focus predominantly on Climate and Biodiversity, planting over 9,000 trees with the Kinvara-Ballinderreen Tree Gang, and working on various other local issues such as facilitating zero waste options at Farmers Market. Hilda provides wise and practical advice for sustaining successful working relationships in a community setting.

Explore more:

The Sustainable Life School –The sustainable Life School
The TED talk “How can I use my talents to address the climate crisis?” Climate Action Venn Diagrams — Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Corporate Hive Programme – Long Garden Bees – Beekeeping Courses & Corporate Beehive packages
Re-Jingled Clothes Repair Workshop – Re-Jingled | Dublin | Facebook
Kinvara Tidy Towns – https://kinvara.ie/kinvara-tidy-towns/
Kinvara–Ballinderreen Tree Gang – Kinvara-Ballinderreen Tree Gang – People planting native trees for climate stability & biodiversity (kbtreegang.com)
Kinvara Ballinderreen Tree Gang: – Kinvara Ballinderreen Tree Gang | Facebook
Éire Composites – ÉireComposites (eirecomposites.com)
Miyawaki method – Miyawaki method shows dense Irish forest can grow rapidly (rte.ie)

S4Ep5: Easkey Britton – Blue Health: Water and Wellbeing

The marvellous Easkey Britton joins Daithí for this episode. A pioneer of women’s big wave surfing, a Marine Social Scientist and author. Episode 5 hosts an inspiring conversation about Easkey’s relationship with water, and her academic work on the benefits to human health from spending time around bodies of water.

Easkey offers a very compelling alternative to how we can appreciate and take better care of water, given the new challenges of ocean warming and changes to seasonal rainfall as a result of Climate Change. Easkey also discusses her experience with the ‘Deep Adaptation framework, a method for fostering mutual support and collaboration in the process of anticipating and experiencing societal disruption and even collapse.

The spoken word performance in this episode is provided by The Accidental Rapper

Explore more:

https://easkeybritton.com/
Deepadaptation.info
https://www.instagram.com/easkeysurf/
‘Into the sea’ Film about Easkey surfing in Iran: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5950068/
https://www.instagram.com/theaccidentalrapper/

S4Ep4: Urban Nature for Health

In this episode Daithí chats with Dr. Tadhg MacIntyre, Professor of Environmental Psychology at Maynooth University about the science behind how people relate to their environments. The relationship between human health and environmental health, and the fascinating ways in which this is influencing the design of our cities.

It also has huge implications for achieving behaviour change for sustainability – the evidence shows that the more we are connected to an environment, the more we take action to protect it! They also touch on the growing area of “virtual nature”, and how this may be deployed to support local environmental initiatives in the future.

Explore more:

S4Ep3: Skills for a Resourceful Future

Daithí chats to Harrison Gardner, of Common Knowledge, which delivers practical courses in upskilling and self-sufficiency in the Burren, County Clare. We covered a lot in this conversation, from reconnecting to the value of the objects we use every day, to the huge demand for their courses from people who want to be more handy around the house.

Common Knowledge is socially engaged, providing access courses to some participants who couldn’t afford to attend, as well as looking to marginalised communities like LGBTQ+ groups to find new solutions to the climate crisis. At the end of the conversation we feature a reflection on climate action and a song from musical artist, Sive. She is a former Climate Ambassador – as well as an amazing songwriter and musician!

Explore more:

S4Ep2: Social Enterprise in a Circular Economy

Dr. Sarah Miller is CEO of the Rediscovery Centre, Ireland’s national hub for circular economy innovation. Sarah has been with the centre since the early days of 2004, playing a key role in its growth and success.

Tune in for a fantastic and engaging conversation about Sarah’s lifelong dedication to circularity, from growing up influenced by an “army of strong women” as she described, her passion for nature-based solutions, and the Rediscovery Centre’s mission to drive public awareness and citizen engagement in the circular economy.

Sarah gives us a 360° tour of various projects at the centre, including research partnerships, impactful social enterprises, and the transformation of their Ballymun headquarters, The Boiler House, into an iconic, fully circular building.

Sarah also shares exciting plans and addresses the challenges of promoting reuse and repair, envisioning a movement that grows in every corner of the country. Join us for an inspiring episode filled with innovative ideas and practical solutions to create a more resourceful and sustainable society.

Explore more:

Listen to Season 3 Episode 3, with Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for the Circular Economy.
The Rediscovery Centre
Paint Reuse Network
Circular Economy Academy
Global Action Plan
Big Toy Swap
Jiminy Eco Toys
Caoimhín Ó’ Raghallaigh

The content for this episode was researched by Alex Neuroth.

S4Ep1: Irish Language, Mythology & Connection to the Land

Daithí kicks off season four of the Climate Ambassador podcast with none other than Manchán Magan, author and documentary maker. Listen and discover how easy it is to plant a forest in Ireland. Learn about the ancient practice of having to prove your ability to nurture pastureland before being permitted to start a family! Find answers in our landscape and feel the land rising as you connect with us.

We examine Irish folklore and old Irish words for the environment, and what they tell us about the way that people on this Island related to the natural world around them going back thousands of years. We also talked about mistakes that have often been made in communicating about climate change, and Manchán gave some wonderful insights as to how we can have more constructive and inclusive conversations.

Manchán writes for the Irish Times and has made dozens of documentaries for TG4 and RTÉ, including Crainn na hÉireann (The trees of Ireland) and An Fód Deireanach (The Last Sod). He is the author of the award-winning, best-selling ‘Thirty-Two Words for Field’ and ‘Listen to the Land Speak’. He was brought up through Irish for the first few years of his life, and now lives in an Oak wood with bees and hens, in a grass-rooved house near Lough Lene, County Westmeath.

Lisa O’Neill sings ‘Old Note’ from her 2023 album ‘All of this is Chance’.

Explore more: