A cool policy in the 1970s oil crisis in the Netherlands was the car free Sunday: When you give kids the space to play, they'll take it

'Every town and village should have a space to grow with allotments and community gardens' - supporting @gapireland.bsky.social

Our letter in today's @irishtimesnews: www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett... #buyanewspaper #communitygarden

Today’s @irishtimes.com

In #Ireland, we have traditionally paid little attention to the social and psychological impact of the built environment. Yet the #design of #publicspace is so important. Cue this example from Japan: mymodernmet.com/blue-suicide...

Our bodies aren’t separate from #nature; they ARE #ecosystems. This article on how ultra-processed foods shape our gut microbiome reminds us that the chemicals, additives and industrial processes in many modern foods reach deep into our biology. www.bbc.com/future/artic...

“Nearly every major coffee-producing country is now experiencing more days of extreme heat that can harm coffee plants, reduce yields, and affect quality.” www.euronews.com/green/2026/0... #coffee #climate

"We know that advertising is a really major driver of unsustainable consumption.” Cities across the world are clearing their billboards of flight ads, SUVs, cruise ships and petrol cars in an attempt to cut emissions. www.bbc.com/future/artic...

We talk to @hanszomer.bsky.social of @gapireland.bsky.social about Glas Community Garden in Ballymun listenagain.org?p=59490

We need to be kinder to humans, the animals, and the Earth. It really is that simple.

This week, people will be marking the start of #Lent and #Ramadan, to reflect on how we live, and what is truly important. Instead of praising #More - more consumption, more 'busyness', more pressure - we are invited to to embrace #Enough to live well and act in solidarity with others.

Ten years ago, judges in the Netherlands forced the government to drastically reduce CO2 #emissions. Now the Netherlands must do much more from the court to protect a Caribbean island of 20,000 people from the dangers of climate change. www.euronews.com/green/2026/0...

Valuable research into major EU #supermarkets and their performance on #sustainability: Good plans in place, but #emissions not yet falling enough: www.euronews.com/green/2026/0...

Saw this infographic on military spending in my Dutch newspaper today…

“The total impact of the Games and [its] sponsorships will lead to around 5.5 square kilometres of snow cover loss,” a report estimates. www.euronews.com/green/2026/0...

This new report shows that the bottleneck to greater #sustainability is not #motivation, but #agency: People don’t know which actions matter most; feel constrained by cost; and feel unsupported by our political and economic systems. Read the report at lnkd.in/eZie97Zj

EU #CAP farm subsidies overwhelmingly go to those who are already rich, and not enough support reaches those who really need it Farmers on the brink of bankruptcy, small agroecological farms, and all those who want to transition to more sustainable practices – these need real support

Many of us care about #climatechange, but we often think others don’t. Psychology highlights two levers for climate action: #social norms and habits. Behavioural science can help design interventions that make everyday climate-friendly choices automatic. www.enlit.world/library/the-...

We think climate apathy is everywhere. It isn’t. What is everywhere is climate silence: people acting sustainably but not saying it out loud. And silence slows change. Read why this matters more than ever 👇 globalactionplan.ie/blogs/why-we... #DoGoodLouder #ClimateAction #BreakTheSilence

“Even when people recognise the real risks posed by #climatechange, many seem to perceive these risks as primarily affecting others, ... This is a #psychological bias that, in the worst case, can slow down climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.” www.euronews.com/green/2026/0...

“Iran’s protests are often framed as economic, political or ideological. Yet a deeper ecological crisis is eroding the fabric of society.” www.euronews.com/green/2026/0... #iran

Legislators in New York and Hawaiʻi are considering bills that allow their attorneys general to sue fossil fuel companies if climate-related disasters cause residents’ property insurance premiums to rise. Aloha.

Usually, when changes to traffic arrangements are proposed, people objecting say that fewer cars will kill businesses. The reality is that fewer cars means more visitors, stronger sales, more pleasant public spaces. www.bloomberg.com/news/article... #EvidenceBasedPolicy #UrbanMobility #cars

In the small French village of Pont-de-Barret, residents are tackling a classic rural challenge with a surprisingly simple solution: sharing one car. The shared car is an affordable alternative to ownership, and it strengthens social ties in the village. www.franceinfo.fr/economie/tra...

Congestion isn’t just lost time — it’s poorer air quality, unsafe streets and a lower quality of life. In today’s Irish Times, our CEO argues that Dublin needs to stop treating car use as the default and make sustainable travel the easiest choice. 👉 www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...

UK voters think #Santa would vote Green and Scrooge would go for Reform: metro.co.uk/2025/12/16/s...

"Bystanders who become heroes – the people who run toward danger – may share some common traits or find themselves in circumstances that push them to spring into action. And there’s even the possibility that people can be trained to do it." edition.cnn.com/2025/12/20/h... #heroes #action

Community gardens remind us that sustainability is as much about strengthening our social fabric as about protecting the environment. globalactionplan.ie/blogs/growin... #communitygarden #inclusion

"Researchers at TU Dublin have called for the more widespread use of #communitygardens in urban areas. … these spaces are not only important for food and biodiversity but also for mental health and social inclusion." www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

“Effective #climate communication is difficult, messy and repetitive. It involves doing the hard work of listening to and understanding the different audiences you are engaging with, and finding the words, images and metaphors that will resonate with them.” www.independent.ie/opinion/davi...

Those polled in Ireland in an EU-wide survey of 300,000 people also want all new #datacentres to be powered completely by renewable energy sources. www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...

“Europe can no longer afford to address [the water, food and energy] systems separately.” www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...

We deserve a world-class fully integrated public and active transport app for Dublin! Other European cities have had them for years: plan, pay, ride, all in one place. My piece in @thejournal.ie this morning. #ReimagineDublin

Lessons from Amsterdam’s efforts to manage flooding and extreme weather: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature... #climatechange #climateaction #amsterdam750

For 80 years, the UN has been saving lives, advancing peace and upholding hope.  Its mission has never mattered more. It is not about institutions, but about the people behind them. #UNDay

Fabulous article about the #BallymunIsBrilliant project my colleagues at GAP Ireland have been running in partnership with Axis Ballymun and The Rediscovery Centre. A great illustration how #art and creativity can help a community find its voice: www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/blog/ball...

“Our new research shows that to address global poverty and create a more stable world for everyone, we must confront the climate risks endangering nearly 900 million poor people.” www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...

🌱As part of National Community Gardens Week & Climate Action Week here's a reminder of our partnership with Global Action Plan Community Garden on our Blanchardstown Campus. See here for visiting hours: globalactionplan.ie/services/gla...

“Wealth and empathy often move in opposite directions. Studies show that as people grow wealthier, they’re less likely to act altruistically.” studyfinds.org/rich-people-...

"Plant just one #tree in your #garden and it’s the beginning of something potentially far greater than you could envisage." www.irishtimes.com/life-style/g...

At a time when #football seems to have become all about money, it’s important to celebrate the social side of the game. How football can unite across borders: www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa...

"At its core, our failure to take effective measures to halt climate chaos is caused by a fundamental lack of understanding of how our health, happiness and prosperity are entwined with a healthy environment." www.irishtimes.com/special-repo...

I have an old bike jersey whose zipper needs repair. The quote for the repair is more than the cost of a new jersey, but I'm going to repair it because I want to live in a world where we repair things.

“Everything in the built environment — everything that you see around you — has an end of life,” said Krieger. “And we need solutions besides waste or landfill, incineration or something without value.” edition.cnn.com/style/wind-t... #upcycle

“If everybody in Ireland did a #2MinuteBeachClean per month, that would be more than 100,000 tonnes of litter removed from our ocean this year.” Joanne Hunt in today’s @irishtimes.com #buyanewspaper

"If we're going to solve problems like #climatechange, we need a far more #equitable society - whereby far more money, which is currently going to the highest earners, in fact goes to benefit wider society and wider societal needs." - Dr Ciarán O'Carroll quoted on RTÉ: www.rte.ie/news/2025/08...

Italy and the Vatican strike a deal to develop a vast solar farm to generate electricity to meet Vatican City’s needs and turn it into the world’s first carbon-neutral state. www.euronews.com/green/2025/0...

France and Italy slap fines on fast fashion firm #Shein for “misleading and/or deceptive environmental messages and claims”. www.euronews.com/business/202... #fastfashion #greenwashing

Lots of inspiration to be found in these examples of local environmental action! www.irishtimes.com/environment/... @irishtimes.com @irishenvnet.bsky.social