Climate Reality Leaders of Ireland: #24HoursOfReality

TAKEOVER OCTOBER 2020

24 Words of Reality by Ashleigh Downey – Dominic Foley – Shirley Gallagher – Brian Gray – Sorcha Hanratty – Colette Henry – Mark Killen – Nick Langlois – Noreen Lucey – Peter Lucey – Angelo McNeive – Dave Smith – Bianca Wong

FURTHER INSIGHTS

Ashleigh Downey (Ecological Artist & Educator) – To watch the beauty of our planet stripped of all life, while striving continually to counteract this violent infliction is heart breaking to say the least. Though not an easy task at times, one must have hope. 2040 is a truly wonderful film, offering just that. It presents a new vision for the future – practical, achievable and sustainable. For me, this film 2040, by Australian filmmaker Damon Gameau. is a true vision of hope! See trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-rTQ443akE

Noreen Lucey (Global Education Consultant) – Making higher education more accessible and more sustainable, empowering young women, addressing the real causes of population growth and building sustainability into the curriculum for every student. I work in international education/ global education as a consultant assisting universities globally to create partnerships and link Faculty and students on study abroad and international education. My sustainability journey began in Nicaragua in 2009 when I worked in an eco-tourism social enterprise and also taught at the local university. This was the light bulb moment of how education and sustainability are interlinked and how education is key to climate action and change. Here are my inclusions:

Water shortages: https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/climate-change-photos/47/ California resident holds a can of drinking water donated by the Anheuser-Busch company, as water wells supplying hundreds of Tulare County residents remain dry for the fourth year in a row, February 11, 2015.
Ted Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_global_population_growth_box_by_boxThe world’s population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years — and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can we check population growth. This is the paradoxical answer that Hans Rosling unveils at TED@Cannes using colourful new data display technology
Don’t panic – Hans Rosing showing the facts about population: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FACK2knC08E
Book: The Value of Everything : The Making and Taking in the Global Economy, by Mariano Mazzucato
Film: Seed: The Untold Story. See trailer here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/seedtheuntoldstoryhd
My 3 year old son loves this commercial that was banned at Christmas 2019 (I think) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ha6xUVqezQ

Dominic Foley (Environmental Health Officer, HSE), recommends:

Film documentaries: State of the Planet, by David Attenborough
Chasing Ice – a documentary by acclaimed photographer James Balog. Once a skeptic of climate change Balog discovers, through his Extreme Ice Survey, undeniable evidence of our changing planet.
Before The Flood – a documentary where Leonardo DiCaprio explores the topic of climate change, and discovers what must be done today to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet.
The 11th Hour – documentary from Leonardo DiCaprio about the state of humanity and the world.

Books: Farewell To Ice – Peter Wadhams; Sustainability: All That Matters – Chris Goodall; Field Notes From a Catastrophe – Elizabeth Kolbert; Deluge: Irelands Weather Disasters – Kieran Hickey

Peter Lucey – “Sending this funny, concise video was the ‘in’ to allow me to communicate climate breakdown to my family and friends for the first time.” Video by comedians, Foil Arms and Hog. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3iH-Ue0E1c

Sanghamitra C. Mukherjee (Research student at UCD Energy Institute) – Below is a list of engaging documentaries that have moved me over the past couple of years and helped me develop my curiosity and critical awareness on the pressing environmental challenges we face today.

The Biggest Little Farm – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfDTM4JxHl8
Youth Unstoppable – https://www.youthunstoppable.com/
The Last Animals – https://thelastanimals.com/
Chasing Coral – https://www.chasingcoral.com/
Losing Alaska – https://www.idfa.nl/en/film/79e427c7-f0ae-48da-9dd0-61a3217f4d70/losing-alaska

Brian Gray – The climate crisis is a vast subject area and it can seem daunting. Where do I start!
I always like to start with understanding the impact of my choices and decisions.

Carrying out an online carbon footprint exercise can be a quick and easy place to start, by assessing your lifestyle, calculating the impact and giving pointers for action. Give it a go if you have 5 minutes to spare, you might be surprised by what you learn; https://footprint.wwf.org.uk

Colette Henry – recommends:

Film documentaries: Kiss the Ground, by Woody Harrelson. Activists, scientists, farmers and politicians turn to regenerative agriculture to save the planet’s topsoil.
Book / Documentary: A Life On Our Planet, by David Attenborough. See Trailer here.
Stop Climate Chaos. A coalition of civil society organisations campaigning to ensure Ireland does its fair share to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change.
Project Drawdown. A nonprofit organisation that seeks to help the world reach “Drawdown”— the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline.