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Save the Planet - and cut costs Local Trinity alumni coordinator in Seattle, Aly Gardner (BA 1984, MA 2018), shares excellent climate saving tips Ireland has always had a close relationship with climate, being a weather-beaten island on the western tip of Europe and, traditionally, an agricultural nation. Former President of Ireland and Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin, Mary Robinson, has been a pioneering global advocate for climate justice. A nd now Trinity’s new Provost, Linda Doyle, has placed climate action at the centre of her provostship, initiating a range of initiatives including launching a Climate Action Fund for COP26 and UNI-ECO Green Challenges and appointing to her team a sustainability advisor and Trinity’s first ever Vice-President for Biodiversity and Climate Action. These initiatives emphasize institutional and personal responsibility. As individuals, we can all make a difference. Here are five suggestions to help you get started: 1. Reduce waste: The United Nations reports that 14% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, and about 17% of total global food production is wasted. Reducing food waste alone would benefit the planet and save on the housekeeping budget. Meal planning and cooking at home will help (although some of us are rediscovering the joys of restaurants, after COVID lockdown). 2. Walk and cycle instead of driving: Outdoor exercise is a great mood booster, exposing us to vitamin D from the sun, and increasing our energy levels. It avoids gym fees too. Air travel uses even more of our non-renewable energy, so online conferences will still a good option post-COVID lockdown. If you are driving a non-electric vehicle, a tune-up can increase your fuel mileage. 3. Slim-down your energy and resource use: Add a timer on electrical outlets, an aerator on taps, weather- stripping on doors and windows. Use an airer or line-dry clothes instead of relying on a tumble drier (air-drying is kinder to clothes, too). So many things! Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has the top Energy Saving Tips, most of which will apply whatever climate you live in. 4. Tune-up your garden: Create an edible garden for yourself – even just a planter on a balcony – and enjoy how delightful it is to be around living plants, at the same time as helping bees and other insects (just keep it organic). And you can’t beat the taste of a freshly picked tomato! Find inspiration on Mary Reynolds’ website about garden designs that nurture our land and ourselves. 5. Be a flexitarian: No hard rules here, simply reduce the amount of meat or fish that you eat. Maybe skip meat or fish for one meal a week to start – you can lower your grocery bill, reduce the impact on the environment from commercial farming and fishing, and be healthier. The Lancet medical journal outlines a diet that is good for people and for planet. Green Week 2022: Repairing our Broken Food Systems Trinity has the longest-running Green Week of any university in Ireland. The 20th consecutive Trinity Green Week was launched on 21 February by Provost Linda Doyle, Senator David Norris, college Sustainability Advisor, Michele Hallahan, and Trinity alumnus and co-founder of NGO FoodCloud, Iseult Ward. Based on the theme ‘Repairing our Broken Food Systems’, which was chosen by popular vote, Green Week 2022 focused on problems with, and solutions to, our food systems, from farm to fork. Activities included a free student Swap Shop, serving 75% plant-based food in campus eateries, and convening a biodiversity panel with Ballymaloe chef Darina Allen. Huge congratulations to all involved in the preparations! Click here for the 20th anniversary of Green Week
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Trinity Makes a Difference Inviting Trinity alumni, family and friends around the world to Make a Difference We all need to take climate action to save our planet. And, after two years of cocooning and social distancing, we all need to get together and have fun. Can we combine both? Welcome to the Trinity Day of Climate Action in your Community. Trinity is committed to embedding sustainability in all aspects of academic and campus life – from major initiatives like E3, our pioneering new Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies Institute, down to smaller targeted actions like re-wilding our green spaces and banning single-use plastic on campus. All climate action has local and global impact. We’re all in this together and each of us can make a difference. In Trinity we believe this very strongly, not only in terms of climate action, but when it comes to strengthening society and community. That’s why we’re inviting Trinity alumni and friends around the world to take part in our Day of Climate Action on Saturday, 21 May. There are so many ways to get involved. Get in touch with your local alumni chapter, or start one up, and get swept into a range of activities, or devise some yourself. Everything we do - the way that we eat, dress, travel, work, shop, manage waste and heat our houses – impacts on climate, so the list of activities is endless: you could plant wildflower meadows or organize a rubbish pick-up, or host a plant-based cooking class or a clothing repair workshop or a vintage fashion swap shop. Whatever the activity, be welcoming, be creative, and post your stories on social media . Let’s hear from round the world how Trinity Makes a Difference - connecting and strengthening our alumni networks, helping the planet, and sharing a bit of the Trinity spirit with our local communities. For more information, email alumni@tcd.ie
