Climate Conversations
Climate Conversations features interviews with a diverse range of inspiring people who are deeply committed to their communities and the natural world. The show engages with leading authors, scientists, activists, and politicians to explore solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises. It highlights how these solutions can foster a healthier, happier, and more equitable world.
Episodes
What if they fixed it?
In this episode of Climate Conversations, former and current Operations Officers of Irish Doctors for the Environment, Dr Ola Løkken Nordrum and Orlagh Gaynor, come together to discuss the power of storytelling in shaping climate action. Orlagh shares a climate fiction story she wrote for a live storytelling event, offering a glimpse of a hopeful future that could be realised if our leaders took b
Dr John Bonning Healthcare Sustainability
In this episode of Climate Conversations we discuss all things sustainability in healthcare with three international leaders in the field: Dr John Bonning, past president of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Dr Rosa McNamara - Clinical Lead for the National Clinical Programme for Emergency Medicine in Ireland and Dr Ola Nordrum, HSE Healthcare sustainability fellow and past Operatio
The Economics of Climate Change and Climate Adaptation with Professor Karyn Morrissey
Professor Karyn Morrissey, Co-author of the Lancet Commissions Countdown on Climate Change and Human Health since 2016, sits down with IDE's Dr Lisa McNamee to talk about why an economist is interested in climate change. Karyn is Professor in Environment and Marine, at the University of Galway. She is an economist and econometrician by training who uses her skillset to study the economic drive
Dr Niamh Shaw - Space for Sustainability
Dr Niamh Shaw is an explorer, scientist, performer and European Space Agency education champion. She talks to IDE's Dr Lisa McNamee about how the lessons from spaceflight and Antarctica can teach us about sustainability on Earth and about her inspiring, squiggly career to date.
The Climate and Health Emergency
This month on Climate Conversations we have a special episode: emergency medicine doctors Callum and Johnny work on resuscitating not just one patient, but the entire planetary ecosystem.Planet Earth has come to the Emergency Department in a critical condition and there's no time to waste. With dangerous levels of air pollution, rising global temperatures, escalating extreme weather events, th
The Bee Guy!
Paul Handrick from The Bee Sanctuary of Ireland is a fantastic wildlife and wild spaces advocate, a genuinely nice person and a prolific tweeter/public educator on Irish bees and wildlife. The Bee Sanctuary is truly unique, the only one in the world.
You can find out more at: https://savingbees.ie
You can follow his work at twitter:
https://twitter.com/the_beeguy?lang=en
You can read about his jou
GreenTech in healthcare: 2024 call
Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI), in collaboration with the HSE and the Irish College of GPs, is running a GreenTech in healthcare call for innovative products and services that promote environmental sustainability in primary and secondary healthcare.
GreenTech in healthcare represents a growing movement within the global health industry to adopt environmentally sustainable technologies and
#NationalBreastfeedingWeek as a health and climate action
Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland (BFLGI) is a volunteer organisation that advocates the protection of the right to good health of all infants, young children, mothers, parents, and families by addressing practices that commercialise infant and young child feeding, threaten breastfeeding and undermine good health.
You can find out more about the Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland at their website:
http
Hedgerows Ireland with Dr Alan Moore
Alan is a retired psychiatrist living in Tipperary. He is the secretary of Hedgerows Ireland and believes that our hedgerows have never been more important as we face urgent and mounting climate and biodiversity challenges. His group is allied to a range of other stakeholders, including farmers, beekeepers and birdwatchers who share a common interest in these vital landscape features.
For more
Resilient communities, care closer to home and community activism as a form of carbon capture
How does sheltered housing, private nursing home care and single handed GP practice relate to climate change?
Can keeping care in the community, endorsing general practice with schemes to retain GPs rural areas and on islands be a form of carbon capture? Is the model of care described here the missing link in the perennial trolley crisis and demographic cliff edge we face as we head towards 2050
Creating an Irish Atlantic rainforest with Eoghan Daltun
In this episode of climate conversations we journey down to the Beara peninsula in West Cork to meet Eoghan Daltun and explore his Atlantic rainforest! Eoghan is a sculptor, conservationist and author of the superb book 'An Irish Atlantic Rainforest: a personal journey into the magic of rewilding'
As we meander through the tangled explosion of life in a rainforest, we discuss the factors
One rural GPs campaign for a greener society, both inside and outside the clinic
In this episode IDE member and GP, David O’Connell, talks to Dingle GP, Dr. Peadar O’Fionnain about his path into local climate activism and his current campaign to be elected as Kerry’s first Green member of the county council.
They discuss a range of issues - how the process of seeking election has led to a richer engagement with local community; the unique potential of the local doctor to prom
Sustainable Transport with John Martin & Aoife Fleming
Do you ever feel a little frustrated we aren't seeing the shift to sustainable transport in Ireland that we need? Ever wonder... what is the plan? We talked to John and Martin and Aoife Fleming from the Dept of Transport to ask just these questions. You might be suprised to hear just how much is planned, how much is happening and how much has been done already!
For context see below the natio
Woodlands for Health...with Niamh Ní Chonghaile
Niamh NiChonghaile is an occupational therapist working with Mental Health Ireland and is the National Woodlands and Nature Project Lead. It is a role every bit as exciting and interesting as you might imagine! Please do see the below links to see how to get involved in your county. Listen in to hear more about what the program entails. Also, see below some of the literature discussed in the episo
The HSE's plan for Net Zero by 2050...a panel discussion with Dr Philip Crowley
You would be forgiven for missing it, but just last week (June 2023) the states largest employer, and one of the largest organisations in Europe, launched their strategy to decarbonise by 2050. Their ambition? "The HSE is committed to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050, delivering healthcare which is environmentally and socially sustainable" You can read the 41 page document
How behavioural science can help us make better decisions for ourselves and the planet
Prof Pete Lunn is the founder and head of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit (BRU). As a behavioural economist, he holds degrees in Philosophy & Psychology, Neuroscience and Economics. His primary research interest is how people make judgements and decisions that affect environmental, financial and health outcomes. Pete joined Irish Doctors for the Environment for a terrific chat to tell us
How psychology can help us understand and raise awareness of climate change ...with Dr Eoin Galavan
Dr Eoin Galavan is a clinical psychologist, working in adult mental health services for many years. He is a supervising psychologist and lecturer with the Doctorates in Clinical and Counselling Psychology, TCD, and a Charted Psychologist and Associate Fellow with the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Today we have a wide ranging conversation about some of the cognitive traps, pitfalls and indeed
"Friluftsliv"...the missing link between human and environmental health?
Nina Sommerfelt-Pettersen is a Norwegian doctor currently working as a GP in the north of Norway. Fond of skiing, climbing, hiking she also works as a volunteer for "DNT ung" (The Norwegian Trekking Associations youth group). She has volunteered for DNT ung since 2014 - taking courses to become a hiking leader, leading and organising activities and eventually being a board member in the
Pocket Forests with Catherine Cleary
Pocket Forests are a group that aim to reconnect people with nature. They make forests in small spaces, with their own special method of growing small biodiverse forests in urban areas. They run education workshops to rejuvenate soil and grow native trees, shrubs and woodland flowers to bring a forest ecosystem to your community. In short they help people create and care for their pocket forests,
Season 2 Climate Conversations highlights
Many thanks to all of our guests on our second season of Climate Conversations. There are so many highlights and takeaways from our eclectic range of guests...from the streets of Glasgow at COP26 to the green fields of Galway, from collapsing Swiss glaciers to healthcare's own egregious carbon footprint, from advocacy abroad to advocacy at home. Special thanks to Ian Lumley, Dr Sinead Walsh, Kenne
Climate Action over Climate Despair with Naomi Sheehan
Naomi Sheehan is a sustainable development scientist, environmental campaigner, climate advisor and social activist. Naomi has over twenty years of experience in Business Development, Corporate Transformation Programs, Humanitarian Operations & Government Policy Strategy. She then left the world of business to retrain in Sustainable Development and is now a member of Scientist Rebellion. With
Clean energy with Professor Hannah Daly
For the final episode of season two we are delighted to be hosting Professor Hannah Daly on the podcast. Hannah is a professor in sustainable energy and energy systems modelling at UCC, before which she worked at the International Energy Agency.
Hannah's research and lectures focus on modelling and developing sustainable pathways for the energy system, encompassing energy access, climate change an
Sustainable Healthcare with James Dixon
The climate and biodiversity crises are increasingly being recognised as one of the major threats to human health and wellbeing, driving much of humanities efforts to decarbonise our economies. Yet the healthcare sector is an enormous source of greenhouse gas emissions and waste, with some estimates calculating that if the global healthcare sector was a country, it would be the fifth largest emitt
Rewilding in Ireland with Randal Plunkett
In this episode we sit down with Randal Plunkett, owner of the beautiful Dunsany Estate, home to Ireland's largest rewilding project. Since 2014 Randall has been allowing the 1600 acre estate to rewild: by stopping the grazing of cattle or sheep and the growing of crops, nature is given space to flourish and functioning ecosystems are restored. As a result he has seen a huge increase in the popula
Sustainable farming with Green Earth Organics
In this months episode Sean and Callum head to the beautiful Green Earth Organics farm in Galway to chat to owner Kenneth Keavey about sustainable farming. Kenneth and his team of over 40 staff grow a variety of delicious organic vegetables, which they deliver to subscribers around Ireland. We discuss the benefits and challenges of organic farming, the importance of soil health, the challenges veg
International climate diplomacy with Dr. Sinead Walsh
This month on Climate Conversations Aoife and Callum speak with Dr Sinead Walsh about international climate policy and diplomacy. Sinead has had a varied and fascinating career, culminating in her current role as Climate Director in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Her career has spanned both the NGO sector and government; she worked for ten years across India, Pakistan, Rwanda and South S
Taking the pulse of COP 26 with Ian Lumley
This month we have a special episode; join the IDE gang (physiotherapist Maca Hourihane and doctors Derek Cawley, Jeanette Golden, Ana Rakovac and Sean Owens) as they hit the road to Scotland to take the pulse of the COP 26 event in Glasgow, and bring their message to the global political leadership; the climate crisis is a real and present health crisis.
As world leaders gather to try and hammer
Effective Climate Communication with John Gibbons
Welcome back to the new season of Climate Communications! On the eve of COP26 the worlds attention is focused on the climate crisis and how our leaders will respond. Communicating the scale of the threat and what actions need to be taken is such a vital task, and it is one that we must all increasingly take on in every forum possible. But how to do it well? In this episode IDE members Derek Cawley
Climate Conversations Trailer
Through engaging and broad reaching conversations with leading authors, scientists, activists and politicians, we discover some of the solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises that threaten our future, and learn how these solutions will create a healthier, happier and more equitable world.
Restoring Ireland's native forests with Hometree
In this episode Callum takes a stroll through the forests of west Clare with Matt Smith and Ray Ó Foghlú from the Hometree Charity. Hometree is about land regeneration and connecting people to the process. They plant trees when it’s the right thing to do and have an expert team of advisors who guide them in the right direction. Their core value is stewardship. Through education and supp
The roadmap to recovery with Dr. Paul Behrens
In this episode IDE members Dr. Callum Swift and Dr. Margaret Brennan chat to physicist, climate scientist and author Dr. Paul Behrens about the changes humanity need to make in order to meet the goal of limiting earths warming to 1.5 degrees. We discuss his remarkable book 'The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science', and Paul takes us through the five br
Restoring our connection to nature with Pádraic Fogarty
This month Pádraic Fogarty leads us headfirst into some untamed nature, hidden in plain sight in Dublin! As editor of the Irish Wildlife magazine, author of the book 'Whittled away: Irelands vanishing nature' and the new Irish Wildlife Trust podcast 'Shaping New Mountains', Pádraic is one of Irelands leading environmentalists. We take a stroll through an oasis of birds and butterflies along
The psychology of climate action with Dr. Clare Watson
In this episode IDE members Sean Owens and Callum Swift are joined by Dr. Clare Watson, a passionate academic and campaigner who has a long history of environmental and social activism. Her background was in social work, since then she has co-authored a book ‘Campaigns, and how to win them’, and written a blog entitled ‘Chasing Hubcaps’ which looks at the influence of human psychology behaviour in
Active transport with Robert Burns
On this episode IDE member Dr Vincent Wall has an engaging and broad reaching conversation with Robert Burns, director of infrastructure, sustainable mobility and climate change at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.
They discuss the concept of a liveable city, how to promote community engagement, encouraging older people into public spaces, the nexus between people, public space and po
Rewilding with Isabella Tree
In this episode we are delighted to be joined by Isabella Tree, conservationist and author of the award-winning book “Wilding; the return of nature to a British Farm”. The spectacular results of her rewilding experiment on the 3,500 acre Knepp farm offer a window into possible solutions to many of todays most critical problems: carbon sequestration, soil restoration, crop pollination, flood mitiga
Prelude: An introduction to planetary health and Irish Doctors for the Environment
Welcome to Conversations with Irish Doctors for the Environment, where we talk to inspirational people from all walks of life who share a deep commitment to their communities and the natural world that sustains them. By striving to make a positive change to the world, however small, our guests offer a vision of reclaimed agency and hope that combats cynicism and despair and provides a glimpse of a
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