Gosh, it’s really turned chilly in Ireland this week. Brrrr! I’m trying not to turn on the heat too regularly but it’s hard. I’m a cold creature and always swore to myself that as an adult I wouldn’t suffer the cold I did in my family home growing up. So despite the two jumpers and scarf, sitting in south facing rooms and drinking hot drinks I find myself hitting that little button a bit more often than I should.
I’m under no illusion that if I had to slog out to the forest, cut down a tree, chop it up, season the timber, haul logs inside and then work my caveperson magic to bring about a fire, I’d probably stay cold. Truth is convenience is killing our planet, which is why we have to consciously choose sustainable behaviour as much as we can. I just have to remind myself that you burn more calories in cold environments!
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Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash
This week I’ve lots of global eco happiness to share. Enjoy!
Audit of Áras an Uachtaráin grounds reveals 800 species of plant and animal life
Make your own advent calendar with this tutorial
The best countries for eco heads to live in
Together with Stena Recycling, Electrolux has developed a vacuum cleaner made of 100 percent recycled and reused materials
Top Ten Tips for a Sustainable Wedding, written by yours truly
Florida has become the latest of 18 states and territories to ban the trafficking of shark fins
What’s the most environmentally friendly drinks container? Here’s the answer
Fabulous shots from the International Landscape Photographer of the Year
In the Pacific Northwest, the Yurok tribe has started reintroducing the Californian Condor. They’ve also just signed a historic deal to remove four dams from the Klamath river, freeing up 600km of waterway and spawning grounds for salmon and other migratory species.
A template to make a gorgeous paper tree decorations.
Cork student wins Dyson award for conservation beehive project
Knit yourself a scarf by bike while waiting for a train
How to make a floral centrepiece without using single-use foam
Volunteers save 120 beached pilot wales in Sri Lanka
Tristan da Cunha has created the fourth largest completely protected marine area in the world, and the largest in the Atlantic.
Kopenhagen Fur, the world’s largest fur auction house, has announced it will close its doors within the next three years
Dutch students build fully functioning electric car from recycled waste
BT is now powered by 100% renewable energy globally
Ireland’s first vegan bakery shop opens in Drumcondra
Easy to read guide on how to boost biodiversity on a farm
Following litigation by consumer groups and environmentalists, air pollution in more than 40 German cities has plummeted.
Stunning street art to highlight our wasteful ways. Pity the one in Dublin was demolished.
Solar farms don’t have to be flat. Check out this vertical one
Niagra falls now has electric boats for tours
UK to fund 5 new circular economy centres
If you’re in the UK you can nominate a Plastic Free Champion
A guide to measuring your business’ carbon footprint and tips on how to reduce it
As of this month, America’s biggest energy company is not in fossil fuels, as renewable energy company NextEra has overtaken Exxon in market value.
Fabulous work by green citizens around the world
Nature England launches biggest ever Nature Restoration Project
Two more dams have come down on the Pilchuck River, opening more than 60km of habitat to salmon for the first time in more than a century. The project is a collaboration between the City of Snohomish and Tulalip Tribes, and will benefit multiple species of salmon, including threatened chinook salmon, crucial food for resident killer whales.
Which countries are leading the way on a greener future?
Small scale fishers in Ghana using smartphone technology to curb illegal trawling
Record numbers of Olive Ridley sea turtles have hatched in Mexico this year, thanks to reduced human activity during the pandemic and the dedicated efforts of Tortugueros del Desemboque, a conversation group run by the indigenous Comcáac people.
Thanks for reading and have happy sustainable shopping. You can catch up with me on Facebook and Instagram between now and next week’s newsletter.
E
living lightly in ireland 