Life On Earth Is Constantly Changing And Evolving However In Recent Years This Change Has Become More Serious As More Species Become Extinct And Our Air And Water Is Increasingly Polluted In This Episode Anja Explores Our Impact On The Ocean And Its Inhabitants From The Seas Smallest Component Plankton To Its Largest The Whale Along With The Invaluable Ecosystem Services They Provide

In this episode Dr Lara Dungan looks at some of the issues and concerns that affect our health and lifespan including how and where we live travel and work to the air we breathe the water we drink and even the packaging that our water comes in All of this combines to have a huge impact on our health

Dr Lara Dungan takes a closer look at the technologies that could enable us to live in a world of no fossil fuels and no pollution while allowing us to grow our economy and improve our lifestyles Exploring futuristic electric cars ocean energy new solar panels and homes of the future she will explore cutting edge tech that could help us power our future generations

Communities all over Ireland rely on the ecosystem services provided by our rivers and streams Anja examines the Blackwater River as a microcosm of many of Irelands water catchments exploring the issues affecting rivers and communities throughout the country Shell follow the water from source to sea looking at the impacts on the river and the people that rely on it

In This Episode Lara Looks At The Effects Of Nature On Our Wellbeing Both Mentally And Physically Before Uncovering Some Interesting Connections Between The Effects Of Nature And Green Space On Society Itself

In this episode Anja Murray tackles the plight of the Curlew having gone from over 5000 breeding pairs to just 122 in a generation Irelands favorite bird and its haunting call are on the brink of extinction Anja travels across the country to find out what has caused this collapse and what if anything can be done to save it

Lara Dungan explores the reality of climate change in Ireland She speaks with homeowners who have had their coastal residences ruined by erosion and coastal flooding and shell meet with experts who outline the bigger picture of climate change in Ireland

Anja Murray discovers the amazing variety and ecology of seaweed around Irish coasts Long harvested by local communities along the west coast Seaweed has now become a valuable resource worldwide and the episode examines what risks there could be from mechanical harvesting and how seaweed can be harvested sustainably

Lara learns about her own carbon footprint and how to minimize it She travels to ecofriendly community Cloughjordan in Tipperary County and then Freiburg Germany one of the most sustainable cities in the world Shell learn a number of lessons about energy heat agriculture and transport to bring back to Ireland

Lara explores ocean energy and what it means for Irelands future Starting in the new Lir test center in Cork Lara investigates the latest in ocean energy technology and the innovators behind it Moving up the west coast Lara discovers the vast wealth of energy sitting just off our shores and how we could be on the brink of revolutionizing our energy production

Anja explores how nature can be rebalanced with human intervention and why intervention is needed in the first place Humans have been changing nature for a millennia but now we must step in to manage the delicate balance of our remaining habitats

Dr Lara Dungan explores why our society has turned its back on being active With easy unhealthy choices everywhere what hope do we have to reverse the trends She discovers that the built environment around us has been geared for the car making it more and more difficult to get around using our legs and feet She will explore the reasons for this and figure out what we can do to change

30 years ago there were over 500 pure unpolluted freshwater sites in Ireland Now there are only 21 left Ecologist Anja Murray explores the decline of Irelands high status water sites home to the endangered freshwater pearl mussel On her journey she learns what can be done to bring them back to better health

In Ireland over 1500 annual deaths are caused by air pollution Dr Lara Dungan investigates the main sources of air pollution in Ireland including traffic emissions and solid fuel burning She digs into the health impacts and possible solutions of this silent killer

After air pollution noise is the second biggest environmental health issue What level of noise has an impact on human health Duncan and Lara investigate some of the ways in which noise can negatively affect human and marine mammal health the solutions and whether Ireland has sufficient protection for the general public

Anja Murray examines the potentially catastrophic impacts of alien aquatic invaders that have infested Irelands water bodies and what we can do to contain the problem Irelands rivers and lakes are a central part of our unique biodiversity and ecosystems But with rapid globalization we have seen a sharp rise in invasive species in our freshwater systems From the zebra mussel and Asian clam to a

Dr Lara Dungan explores the need to reduce transport emissions and the transition from petrol cars to electric innovation public transit and other transport alternatives in Ireland With the urgent global concerns about climate change particular emphasis is placed on how Ireland will meet its 2030 targets and strive for almost zero emissions by 2050 Transport a challenging sector in Ireland due to

Duncan Stewart delves into household chemicals their impact on health and the environment and seeks ecofriendly alternatives With thousands of manmade chemicals in our lives substances from paints to cleaning products contaminate our water and soil This episode explores the health and environmental consequences of these chemicals aiming to find safer alternatives for daily use The goal is to

Anja Murray investigates the plight of pollinators in Ireland She delves into the consequences of pesticides habitat loss and human activities on these vital contributors to the ecosystem Pollinators are crucial for food production with bees playing a central role In Ireland native bee species have been dwindling and some face extinction Through conversations with experts like botanist Jane Stout

Dr Lara Dungan delves into the real consequences of our disposable culture particularly concerning singleuse plastics and packaging She explores practical solutions to address the mounting waste issue Irelands status as the highest producer of singleuse plastics in Europe and the burden of waste management costs falling on households and taxpayers are concerning Although waste problems might

Anja Murray and Dr Lara Dungan delve into the future of Irelands beaches grappling with rising sea levels climate change and the impact of erosion They explore the need to protect these vital coastal ecosystems and emphasize the significance of collaboration in their preservation Dr Dungan discusses blue health the seas positive effects on our health and interviews surfing enthusiast Dr Easkey

Anja Murray investigates the state of migratory fish in Irish waters addressing the barriers to migration that endanger salmon European eels and lamprey populations She explores conservation efforts and viable solutions to this crisis Manmade structures like weirs hydroelectric dams and aging mills obstruct the upstream migration of fish to spawn Despite restoration efforts Irish freshwater fish

Dr Lara Dungan delves into the prospects of mainstreaming electric vehicles in Ireland as a sustainable alternative to traditional combustion engines She explores the innovative technologies that are driving this transition on a national scale making electric cars more efficient reliable and durable Despite the environmental advantages the adoption of electric vehicles has been slow with the

Recent research has raised concerns about the dramatic declines in Irish bird populations throughout the country Over the past two decades weve seen the loss of nearly 40 of our wintering water birds and over 80 of our breeding waders If these declines continue at the same rate some of Irelands most iconic birds could go extinct within 30 years Anja Murray explores the reasons behind this