Future-Proof Living: Recent Episodes
Foróige
How to really Future Proof your life and live in a more sustainable just world. Youth development organisation Foroige and the Ecollective explore climate justice in Ireland and beyond.
Enjoyed season 2 of The Ecollectives ‘Future Proof’ podcast? Well, it’s not done just yet! Fun fact, due to covid after two years of online zooms this was the first time our members have actually met in person. All their climate-changing work has been done online up to now!
In this episode, you get to meet the entire team as our hosts sit down with all the members of Foroiges ‘ECollective’ to get the full debrief. What a way to end this 5 part series.
You’ll hear their best bits from season 2, find out what they found most shocking and learn what tips you can begin using to help make life that bit more sustainable.
FOROIGE
Foróige is the leading youth organisation in Ireland and has been working with young people since 1952. Our purpose is to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their development and in the development of society.
Contact: info@foroige.ie
Our guests today are two of Ireland's most famous singing stars. They found fame on the X-Factor, then went on to have four hit albums and very successfully represented Ireland twice at the Eurovision Song Contest. Anything can happen because here come Jedward !!!
The boys joined us the whole way from America via zoom to sit down with our ‘ECollective’ members to discuss their concerns, tips and potential strategies for stopping climate change.
In this episode, you’ll find out what the boys have begun implementing to help make life greener, the differences between how climate change is viewed in America versus Ireland and who they consider to be their ‘greenest’ celeb pals.
JEDWARD:
John & Edward are an Irish male pop vocal duo consisting of twin brothers John and Edward Grimes. They participated in Series 6 of The X Factor UK as part of the Groups category mentored by Louis Walsh.
They have released several singles, including "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)", "Bad Behaviour", "Lipstick", with which they represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, and "Waterline", with which they represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku.
Jedward are also known for their television work, including starring in the documentary series Jedward: Let Loose, presenting the children's series OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory and Jedward's Big Adventure, and participating in the reality series Celebrity Big Brother 8, Celebrity Big Brother 19, in which they finished as runners-up, and Celebrity Coach Trip 4.
Website: planetjedward.com
Contact: PlanetJedwardLTD@gmail.com
Our guest on this episode is a marines and oceans expert, anything you need to know about saving our oceans and marines can be found right here with Emer Keaveney.
Emer sat down with our ECollective members to help tease out your biggest concerns about the current state of our oceans and marines and talk about any ideas on how we can begin undoing the damage done.
In this episode, you’ll learn, what the term ‘Global Warming’ actually means, the marine animals who are most at risk of extinction and most importantly what we can begin doing to help save our oceans.
EMER KEAVENEY
Marine scientist and co-founder of Ocean Research & Conservation Association Ireland (ORCAIreland) - a "for impact” organisation dedicated to monitoring and minimising disturbance to marine wildlife through innovation, technology, and education.
Emer is an experienced ecologist who has been involved in marine research for over a decade, with a diverse array of knowledge from working within both academia and industry. Her expertise ranges from field-based skills; such as marine mammal mitigation and seabird surveying to desk-based statistical analytics and mapping. Also as a professional Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) working with Offshore Renewable Wind Energy projects in Irish waters.
Contact: volunteer.orca@gmail.com
Is turning your lights off or holding off on that second round of hot water for another cuppa enough to help combat our ever-growing climate problems?
Our ECollective team from Foiroige caught up with Codema CEO Donna Gartland who answers your most frequent everyday questions regarding energy and climate change.
In this episode, you’ll find out:
- The importance of education when it comes to combating climate change
- What changes we need to see within the next five years and the repercussions of those not happening
- Everyday changes you can begin to implement
About Our Guest:Donna Gartland took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of Codema in April 2020 and has worked with the company since 2013.
She is a qualified electrician with a BEng in Energy and Environmental Engineering from the Institute of Technology Tallaght and a MSc in Sustainable Energy Planning and Management from Aalborg University, Denmark. She is currently completing a PhD in Energy Engineering with University College Cork.
In her previous role as Codema’s Senior Energy Planner, Donna worked on monitoring and reporting the progress of the Sustainable Energy Action Plan for Dublin City in line with the Covenant of Mayors Initiative and developed the first Spatial Energy Demand Analyses (SEDA) in Ireland for all four Dublin local authorities in order to integrate energy and spatial planning at a local level.
Donna is also working on implementing the first District Heating systems in Dublin with Dublin City and South Dublin County Councils, and is Technical Advisor on the EU Interreg NWE project ‘HeatNet’. She is the lead author of the national level ‘Guide to District Heating in Ireland’ report, funded by the SEAI.
You can check her out at @donnagartland on Twitter!
Got a question for us? Drop us an email at: foroige@dustpod.ie
How can the next generation help make farming more sustainable?
Did you know there are many ways we can help make farming that bit more sustainable, even if you’ve never stepped foot on a farm!
This month our ECollectives sat down with environmentalist and self-proclaimed busy body Saoirse McHugh. Saoirse has spent the bulk of her career developing solutions around sustainable farming.
In this episode you’ll find out how pollution is created, the changes she hopes to see within farming over the next 5 years and how minor changes to our daily lives can help create a more sustainable environment.
If you’d like to find out more about Saoirse you can find her on Twitter @saoirse_mchugh.
Buying local food from local producers should be the norm. When we can grow our food locally and supply locally, eliminate packaging waste and pesticide use we are making sure that our food does not cost us the earth. We are very grateful to Imelda Mullen #thelocalgreenboxcavan
@thecottagemarketwestcavan for joining us to tell us all about her inspiring local initiative.
In this episode, two members of the Foroige Ecollective chat with Jack Crotty, the founder of www.neighbourfood.ie a local food producers platform in Ireland
"We live in a global community and we must all work in solidarity to protect our shared life support system" All living things seek shelter in a storm in some form, we must work to shelter our planet from the damage of the storm. Climate migration is a symptom of climate injustice. In this episode the youth group meets with Grace O'Sullivan MEP and Green Party member, Grace has committed her life to the environmental agenda, equality issues through taking a stand for gender rights and equity for all. Here she shares her knowledge with the youth group.
Our transport needs are causing untold problems to our climate and in our communities. In this episode, the ecollective meet with Green Party Councillor Daniel Whoolley to discuss the problem of transport in Ireland and what we can do to improve this situation. (19 mins 31 secs)
Each year extreme weather events happen, this is a given. But these events are becoming more and more frequent and they are having a direct impact on habitats all across the world causing untold damage to ecosystems and human lives. In the episode, the Foróige Ecollective met with Emeritus Professor John Sweeney from National University of Ireland, Maynooth. They learn about how these weather events will continue if humans do not act now and they discuss the detrimental impact on communities globally.
Eve, Orna, and Shauna meet with nineteen-year-old Irish Climate Activist and campaigner Alicia O'Sullivan. They discuss how Climate Justice is everyone's problem not just for future generations to solve. They share thoughts on the climate crisis situation, why young people are suffering, and how the threat of mass extinction is causing climate anxiety among young people.
Exactly how important is education in creating the changes we need to deliver Climate Justice for all? In this episode, the Foróige Ecollective meet Pennsylvania State University and Unesco research fellow Dustin Mintzer to explore how education is key in the struggle for climate justice.
The Ecollective meet up with Eibhlin Fitzpatrick owner of The Refill Mill, a Plastic Free shop in Mullingar Co. Westmeath, they learn about how to avoid unnecessary plastics and sustainable fairtrade purchasing.
Bláthnaid Devilly runs the Bedelic page on the Depop app and since covid, she has seen a huge rise in users of the consumer-to-consumer sales app, resulting in an exponential rise in second-hand clothing sales through the social media app. Samuel Awe turned to Depop to supplement his income and secure his independence.
Depop is hugely popular with under the 26s, developing a cult following among this group. It allows people to resell items through the social media platform, its popularity is fueled by the youth climate movement as it offers a way to reform the fashion industry. Depop is seen as an alternative way to lessen the impact the fashion industry is having on the environment and climate justice.
Will this year's pivot of mass consumers to online shopping see the high street retailers adopt a more sustainable Depop sales model for the future?
We are thrilled to welcome Mary Robinson to our podcast Future Proof Living. The Foróige Ecollective will be joined by a variety of guests with expertise on the many topics affecting climate justice. Each of our guests is doing their bit to create a more just future for all.
- Mary Robinson served as President of Ireland from 1990-1997 becoming the first woman to hold the office and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002. (Senator for Trinity College and she is Chair of The Elders.
After leaving the UN in 2002, Mrs. Robinson formed Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative which came to a planned end at the end of 2010. In 2010 Mary Robinson returned to live in Ireland and set up The Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, which acted as 'a centre for thought leadership, education and advocacy in the struggle to secure global justice for those many victims of climate change who are usually forgotten – the poor, the disempowered and the marginalised across the world.' Her Foundation, the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, established in 2010, came to a planned end in April 2019
Climate Justice is a reality, Mary Robinson tells the Ecollective of five layers of injustice
Developed by Susie Healy, Martin Donohoe & Sandra McIntyre
Produced by Susie Healy
With a special thanks to Daniel Whooley
Music by Ronan MCQuillan
Additional audio: Concern Worldwide
Two of the Foróige Ecollective Eve and Orna play a game of 'Have You Ever' and learn about how our everyday actions impact our climate and preview the upcoming series of Future-Proof Living. Foróige's Future-Proof Living podcast series explores how young people globally want to make their voices heard on the issue of Climate Justice, learning what action we need to take to create a more sustainable future for all.
Developed by the Foróige Ecollective with Susie Healy, Martin Donohoe, and Sandra McIntyre
Music is by Ronan McQuillan visit https://www.ronanmcquillan.com/ for more about Ronan's music.
To find out more about Ireland Youth Development Organisation visit www.foroige.ie or follow us on social @Foroige