Book of Leaves

For episode 49 I chatted to Sarah FogartyfromCommunity Powerabout community-led renewable energy sources. The work this group has done has laid the groundwork to make it easier for communities across Ireland to build and set up their own own grids. It's stellar! I hope you enjoy this solution-based chat. Don't forget to rate, review, share, and if you can, please support this podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bookofleaves). More on:http://bookofleavespodcast.com/ [04:10] Current fossil fuel usage and cons and pros not mentioned in the interview.[08:30] Pros & cons of renewables.[10:15] Nuclear power.[13:20] Sarah's introduction and background.[21:15] Renewable & Non-renewable definitions.[25:30] What is Community Power & how did they start?[30:45] Can people in rented accommodation make the switch?[32:40] What can these 5ghz of wind turbines generate?[36:45] The attitude of not liking them & how community ownership benefits[40:30] The environmental benefits & cons[48:40] What needs to be done to achieve a system change that would allow for the growth and accessibility of renewable energy.Also mentioned:Friends of the Earth (Ireland)Rescoop.euFood Co-op.The Cove Documentary.

Saoirse Exton is a 16 year old climate activist from Limerick who is part of many groups, all trying to make the world a better place, from the Friday's For Future movement to the Irish Second-Level Student's Union. She is a remarkable soul and I can't wait for you to listen to this chat with her, which as you'll hear from the laughs, I thoroughly enjoyed having!You can follow Saoirse on Twitter @saoirse_exton or Instagram at @saoirse_exton.Don't forget to rate, review, share, and if you can, please support this podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bookofleaves). More on:http://bookofleavespodcast.com/[07:50] Saoirse introduces herself & journey to activism.[11:05] What is climate justice?[14:40] Young people not being heard.[20:00] How Saoirse thinks adults should talk to kids about climate change.[25:10] Is missing a portion of school on a Friday really the best way to achieve climate action?[27:45] The kind of support, if any, Saoirse has received from school for climate protests.[29:45] How do people get involved with Friday’s For Future?[32:25] Individual versus system change.[35:10] Her experience with the Climate Ambassador Programme.[37:25] How does Saoirse feel about the future?[39:00] Random Questions!Also worth checking out is the Irish podcast for kids (but I really love it!) on climate change called Ecolution. Saoirse features on episode 26.

I stumbled across Niamh's story via Earthy Cáilíní on Instagram. Niamh is now working as a vet and began her studies as a meat loving omnivore, to finish them as a vegan, influenced to change by what she saw during her placement. I asked her to come and chat about her story and as animal welfare is something very close to her heart, she was more than happy to come on. It's a heavy episode, but an important one.Don't forget to rate, review, share, and if you can, please support this podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bookofleaves). More on:http://bookofleavespodcast.com/Topics:[04:20] Environmental impacts of animal agriculture.[09:30] Niamh introduces herself.[13:50] The first class in which she began to question things.[18:50] A pig farm.[28:50] A sheep farm.[35:10] Chicken farming.[44:30] Disease & antibiotics.[55:00] A dairy farm.[01:04:00] Religious slaughter in Ireland.[01:10:40] Slaughterhouse workers.[01:14:00] How Niamh deals with euthanasia in work.[01:18:00] Niamh's other eco habits & random questions.Mentioned:Book - AttachedBook - Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.Episode 104 of Plant Proof with Nicholas Carter - the resources referenced at this link are also worth checking out!Vegan Calculator.Calls To Action:Go Vegan - Sign up to Challenge 22 for free where you'll get nutrition tutoring. If you can't go vegan, try base your diet on as many plant based foods as possible. If you need help or want more suggested resources for this, please get in touch!Get active with protest groups. We need system and policy change. Message them to get involved!NARA (National Animal Rights Association) have been doing brilliant work in Ireland from getting fur farming banned to now working on the banning of hare coursing.Animal Rebellion Ireland (groups exist worldwide too) are calling for a transition to a plant based food system for the sake of the planet as well as animals. As talked about in episode 44 with Zac Lumley, non violent civil disobedience is an extremely effective tactic and that's what ARI are about.Support investigative journalism like Noteworthy.ie who have specific call-outs for various campaigns.Donate to, and volunteer for, animal sanctuaries like Eden, Little Ones Microsanctuary, Back Into Daylight and Heartstone Veganic Sanctuary.Sign petitions, like this one to stop the proposed development of another pig factory farm.

Eoin McGuinness is behind Crann, an Irish company that sells watches and sunglasses, made from what others would consider to be waste. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I enjoyed having it! Give them a follow to on Instagram @crann.co.Don't forget to rate, review, share, and if you can, please support this podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bookofleaves). More on:http://bookofleavespodcast.com/[08:20] What sparked Eoin to be eco-conscious.[20:25] How Crann came about.[16:20] How the sunglasses and watches are made and where the materials are sourced.[20:35] Is it upcycling or downcycling? And how are Crann carbon neutral?[25:50] What's the packaging like?[28:10] Do you remember your first customers?[31:10] UV, blue light filtering and lifetime warranties.[36:30] Random questions!Mentioned:Patagonia.The Native Woodland Trust.Shop In Ireland Facebook group & Website.

For episode 45 I interviewed Elaine O'Riordan, the woman behind the Irish Hedgehog survey to chat about, you guessed it, hedgehogs! Have a listen, and don't forget to check outwww.irishhedgehogsurvey.comto get involved.Don't forget to rate, review, share, and if you can, please support this podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bookofleaves). More on:http://bookofleavespodcast.com/[02:45] Correction in last week's episode.[08:30] Get to know Elaine.[13:00] The first hedgehog encounter for Elaine.[15:00] Hedgehogs in Ireland breed & population.[18:00] How they live and spend their time.[23:00] Why should we survey them.[30:45] How to participate in the survey.[33:15] Biggest threats to hedgehogs in Ireland today.[36:00] Other ways we can help them and what food to leave out for them.[41:45] What to do if you find an injured hedgehog.[45:00] Keeping hedgehogs as pets.[47:30] Random questions!If you find a sick or injured hedgehog in Ireland, you can call theWRI Wildlife Hospital on 01 6877766 or 0818 877766

Zac is an activist with a number of climate action groups. Most recently, he and another activist, Orla Murphy, were arrested and imprisoned for a protest at Iveagh House in Dublin. As Orla was still in prison at the time of this recording, I interviewed Zac to hear his story and the place of civil disobedience in the climate justice movement. Orla has since been released on the 22nd of April after spending over a month there. You can still write to Orla at orlaonremand@protonmail.com and hopefully I'll have her on the podcast in future.If you're interested in getting involved with Extinction Rebellion Ireland, there's a new members meeting happening tomorrow (4th of May 2021, 7pm GMT) that you're welcome to come along to. Hosted by yours truly! Keep an eye out for upcoming events for XRI here, or on your local groups website. And if you son't have a local direct action group, you can set one up!More on www.bookofleavespodcast.com (don't forget to rate, review, subscribe & share!) xWe covered:[07:00] Getting to know Zac.[11:40] When Zac began getting more active in climate action.[14:05] When Zac went vegan.[15:20] What is Civil Disobediance?[20:30] Is destruction of property violent or non violent?[24:00] The first time Zac got arrested / Kepak protest.[29:00] Why do people put themselves in a position where they know thwy'll likely be arressted[34:20] The action on the 19th of March where Zac and Orla were arrested.[40:10] Zac's experience in prison.[42:00] Orla's words from prison.[49:30] Reactions to the protest.[56:30] How many people do we need partaking in civil disobedience to get the job done?[01:06:30] Random Questions!Recommended literature:Erica Chenoweth & Maria J. Stephan Stefan - Why Civil Resistance Works.Civil Resistance and Power Politics by Adam Roberts & Timothy Garton Ash.Gene Sharp (Author, here's a link to his books).References1-3 billion people are expected to be forced from homes within the next 50 years. [1]200+ indigenous land protectors are murdered every year trying to protect their land and water. [2]We're headed for +4°C of global heating (some publications this year are suggesting +5° and +6°C [3][4]) — +4°C is "incompatible with an organised global community" and likely to be "beyond adaptation". [5]Island nations call for "1.5 to stay alive" and in 2009 at G77 Lumumba Di-Aping said that the new climate draft trying to limit warming to +2°C was "certain death for Africa". [6][7]When the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 (non-binding, remember), countries said they'd try to limit warming to +2°C. However, even if every country met their climate agreements that they set for themselves (NDCs), we're headed for more than +3°C. [8] Despite this, countries aren't even hitting their climate targets! [9]We've currently warmed the planet somewhere between +1.1°C and +1.3°C. [10] We're currently at an extremely crucial point, as we're in the danger zone at which irreversible climate tipping points could be triggered: some may lie between +1°C and +2°C [11]. Obviously because the risk is so great we have to follow the precautionary principle, meaning that we must absolutely everything we can to halt emissions immediately. Even if we halted greenhouse gas emissions today, heating will continue for decades or even centuries. [4][1] [https://www.pnas.org/content/117/21/11350](https://www.pnas.org/content/117/21/11350)[2] [https://e360.yale.edu/digest/more-than-200-environmental-activists-and-land-defenders-murdered-in-2019](https://e360.yale.edu/digest/more-than-200-environmental-activists-and-land-defenders-murdered-in-2019)[3] [https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/new-climate-models-predict-warming-surge](https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/new-climate-models-predict-warming-surge)[4] [https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/16/is-it-too-late-to-prevent-climate-change/](https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/16/is-it-too-late-to-prevent-climate-change/)[5] [https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/climate-change-commitee-report-4c-warming-fossil-fuels-crisis-a9597511.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/climate-change-commitee-report-4c-warming-fossil-fuels-crisis-a9597511.html)[6] [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2017.1368013](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2017.1368013)[7] [https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/12/poor-countries-g77-suicide-pact-copenhagen/](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/12/poor-countries-g77-suicide-pact-copenhagen/)[8] [https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052171](https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052171)[9] [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/nations-miss-paris-targets-climate-driven-weather-events-cost-billions](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/nations-miss-paris-targets-climate-driven-weather-events-cost-billions)[10] [https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-statement-state-of-global-climate](https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-statement-state-of-global-climate)[11] ****[https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0)