Take the pledge and eat fresh food in season

DID you know that 143,471 tonnes of C02 are emitted in just one trip to bring raspberries to Ireland to eat when they are not in season?

This startling fact is just one of the many facts pupils at Sneem National School discovered when they began to research climate change and see what they can do to help combat the current climate crisis.

In a bid to play their part in reducing their carbon footprint pupils at St Michael’s National School began to brainstorm ideas for the ‘SEAI One Good Idea Competition” and realised the impact eating foods out of season had on the environment. They also realised there is a solution to this problem -shop and eat in season.

According to the pupils research, when fruits and vegetables are out of season, they are injected with pesticides and chemicals that are terrible for health, and LED grow lights are used as artificial sunlight which burns fossil fuels which are killing the environment. The fruits and vegetables are then imported into Ireland from the other side of the world, which emits more CO2.

The pupils research conducted by 5th and 6th class in local supermarkets also showed that raspberries are out of season and yet they are still in shops. These are coming all the way from Egypt, which is 2,707 air miles away. That is emitting 143,471 pounds of CO2 just in one trip.

The price of the produce imported is more expensive so if you buy and eat in season, you are automatically buying Irish produce, which is benefiting your pocket, your health and your planet, according to the pupils at the school. Armed with this information thy brought their idea to the local community and are urging every, to follow in their footsteps and take the pledge to eat and shop in season.

Such was the success of their idea that Sneem National School have been chosen as one of five schools to compete in the SEAI regional competition on February 24. Ahead of this they are urging everyone to take the pledge. In bid to help with this decision they have produced a keyring to help the public shop in season and this will be for sale in the coming weeks. A Facebook page One Good Reason to Eat in Season has been set up and details are also the schools Twitter page so sign up now.

The team that will represent the school with their One Good Idea #goodreasontoeatinseason left to right, Dylan McGiff, Sarah Bradshaw, Tom Clifford, Grace Casey, and Finlay Kinnaird.