Greener Living
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The Greener Living course brings us together in our communities to look at how we can lessen our load on the planet by changing how we live. The course covers up to 8 main topics from what we buy and how we travel to how we connect with our communities.
The course addresses the nature of the climate and biodiversity emergency we are facing and how we need to respond to that as individuals and as communities. In doing so we draw on the Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2021, we have been running our Greener Living GAP programme online with local groups around the county. Recent and ongoing courses in Bandon, Charleville, Blackpool and East Cork.
Links to further information
Waste
My Waste. Comprehensive information on how to reduce and where to recycle in Ireland
Stop Food Waste campaign helps you waste less food and money.
Repairmystuff.ie helps you find professionals near to you for all sorts of repairs.
Freecycle. Join your local group to find or offer free, unwanted items. Cork City and West Cork groups. Olio – App-based unwanted food local exchange scheme
Refill.ie offers a tap map and events to help us avoid single-use containers.
Cork Urban Soil Project (CUSP) is turning urban food waste into soil
Repair Cafés: Cork Repair Café , North Cork Repair Café and Revibe Repair Café
Composting workshops from Waste Down
Cobh Zero Waste and Cork Zero Waste, local groups sharing tips and support.
The Story of Stuff, and other videos in this series on our waste and consumption.
Energy
SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland) – energy saving tips, grant funding information.
SEAI section on Sustainable Energy Communities
EPA – Live Green sustainability information
Food
Stop Food Waste – a wealth of advice to reduce and stop food waste.
Food Cloud helps businesses redistribute their food waste to charities.
Grow It Yourself (GIY) is an international movement with many local groups. Site has plenty of advice on growing your own food.
Suppliers of local / organic / low packaging food include:
- Neighbourfood – pre-order for pickup in Cork City, Douglas, etc.
- Tony O’Brien – 085 750 1735 – fruit & veg van visits Northside of Cork
- Superfruit at The English Market in Cork
Local veg box delivery schemes include:
Community Supported Agriculture – CSA Ireland
Blue Zones – On food and cultures where people live long, healthy lives.
Meat Free Mondays – Excellent website set up by Paul McCartney and family
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
The Herbal Hub – Vivienne Campbell teaches how to forage for and use wild herbs.
The Sea Gardener – Foraging for sea vegetables
Independent Irish Health Foods – for bulk purchases of wholefoods
Cork Food Policy Council – Get involved or support their aims. Sign the online pledge to reduce food waste.
TED talks
Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100
Jonathan Foley on the impacts Global Agriculture entitled The Other Inconvenient Truth.
Tristram Stuart on the Global Food Waste Scandal
Maria Spivak on Why Bees are Disappearing
Consumption
Information
Seasonal fruit & veg calendar from Stop Food Waste
Article on the full impacts of consumption (George Monbiot)
Becoming Minimalist – article on how we give gifts
Moltex Eco Nappies – eco-friendly disposable nappies
Ethical Consumer – Lots of information on consumer issues from the UK, all of which are relevant in Ireland.
Story of Stuff, and other videos in this series, looking at our waste and consumption.
Freecycle. Join your local group to offer the usable stuff you want to get rid of to others. Cork City and West Cork have groups.
Olio – App-based unwanted food local exchange scheme
Neighbourfood – local markets across Cork City and County
Recommended local sellers
- Earthway (Midleton)
- Twig (Clonakilty)
- Quay Coop (Cork, Carrigaline, Ballincollig)
- Natural Choice (Cork)
- Organico (Bantry)
Online sellers
- Purchase.ie
- Ecostore.ie
- Organico (Bantry)
- Klee Paper – recycled paper and office supplies
- Ethical Superstore
- Green People
Water
Commodity Water Footprints, showing the water footprint of a range of commodities.
Water footprint Calculator allows you to calculate your personal water footprint.
Sustainable Water Network, lots of information on issues effecting water in Ireland.
Irish Water – the company responsible for water and wastewater services
Water Footprint Network – water footprint information and resources.
Travel
Cork Cycling Campaign – working to improve Cork City and County for cycling.
Cork Community Bikes – Community bike repair workshop in Blackpool.
BiketoWork or CycleScheme . Get a reduced-price bike under the government Cycle to Work scheme. Ask your employer for details.
Cork BikeShare (Coke Zero), public bike sharing scheme.
Carpool Ireland , carpooling tool for co-workers, neighbours, friends, communities.
GOcar , Car sharing… pay as you drive.
Transport and Mobility Forum Cork , a group of transport stakeholders in Cork formed from CEF’s Mix Your Mode campaign in 2013.
Smarter Travel , Sustainable transport policy for Ireland.
Journey Planner , a travel planning tool from Transport For Ireland
BusConnects – info on new bus improvements for Cork
Nature
Cork Nature Network – a local group of volunteers with projects and education events
Future Orchard Cork – a community supported orchard and educational project in Glanmire.
Mad About Cork, rejuvenating laneways and urban spaces with art and wildlife initiatives.
Burren Beo Trust, a website about the Burren area.
Ireland’s Wildlife, information site about Irish wildlife
Notice Nature – tons of information, events, Ireland’s public awareness campaign for biodiversity
Biodiversity Ireland – the official website for the National Biodiversity Data Centre
Eco Eye episode on biodiversity (Series 9 Ep 2)
Official website for the UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020
Community
Mad About Cork, rejuvenating laneways and urban spaces with art and wildlife initiatives.
Street Feast – Ireland’s national day of community lunches
Cork Community Bikes – Community bike repair workshop in Blackpool.
Workplaces
Greenbusiness.ie is an EPA resource to measure and guide your progress with resource efficiency, including energy, water, waste and management systems.
Stopfoodwaste.ie has specific resources for businesses
SEAI Energy Academy offers a free course to help you understand energy use and make change in your workplace
Recreate supplies reused materials that can be used for creative activities, and delivers workshops
Rehab, as well as recycling electrical equipment, confidential paper and more, can offer workplace equipment securely to schools and community groups
Camara takes donations if you have 10 computers or more
Workplaces
Greenbusiness.ie is an EPA resource to measure and guide your progress with resource efficiency, including energy, water, waste and management systems.
Stopfoodwaste.ie has specific resources for businesses
SEAI Energy Academy offers a free course to help you understand energy use and make change in your workplace
Recreate supplies reused materials that can be used for creative activities, and delivers workshops
Rehab, as well as recycling electrical equipment, confidential paper and more, can offer workplace equipment securely to schools and community groups
Camara takes donations if you have 10 computers or more
