CLIMATE CHANGE AN ISSUE FOR ALL
ON November 22, climate scientist, Dr Tara Shine will give a talk at Siamsa Tíre – Climate Change: An Issue For Everyone. The talk is part of Siamsa Tíre’s strategy, Greening Siamsa, which aims to address climate change and reduce our impact on the environment.
Over the last two years, Siamsa Tíre has been working to reduce its carbon footprint. The biggest issue for us is how to communicate to our stakeholders that the challenge is real, whilst at the same time not paralysing people with fear. People tend to fall into a number of camps when faced with this existential threat: we deny that it’s happening, we accept at some level that it is happening but ignore it, or finally, we fret and grieve, often with a sense of helplessness.
In Siamsa Tíre, we have had some success in reducing our carbon footprint. Not surprisingly, energy usage was the biggest part of our emissions. We have now replaced our oil burning heating system with an air-to-heat pump, insulated the building, installed 30 PV panels on the roof, and replaced all building lighting, and some stage lighting, with LEDs (with funding from the SEAI and the Department of Culture). Our emissions for 2017 represented a 26% reduction on 2016 emissions. We hope to see further reductions when our carbon footprint for 2018 is calculated.
Ben Twist, Director of Creative Carbon Scotland, believes in the power of consensus, of collective responsibility and collective action in tackling climate change. At a Green Arts Conference in Edinburgh earlier this month, he stated that we are all implicated in creating carbon emissions, and we can all work to combat the threat that increasing carbon in the atmosphere poses to the planet. Addressing the challenge is not just about individuals and grass roots community organisations, it’s not just about government bodies, legislation and carbon taxes, it’s not purely the responsibility of our elected representatives – it’s an issue for everyone.
If we do nothing, the future that is in store for our children, our grandchildren, the human family at large, will be dark and chaotic. On the other hand, confronting climate change is not all doom and gloom. It’s also empowering and lessens our sense of helplessness. Working with others to reduce our carbon emissions strengthens our community ties and creates solidarity. Join us at Siamsa Tíre on the 22nd of November at 7pm to find out what we can do, together.
Thursday, November 22, at 7pm, Siamsa Tíre, Tralee, Tickets: €8, booking on 066) 7123055
Catríona Fallon (CEO – Siamsa Tíre)