EPA invites second-level students to consider the environmental impact of everyday items and consumption decisions

The Story of Your Stuff competition combines creativity and science, giving students the chance to win €500 for themselves and €500 for their school, alongside a new Climate Topic Prize

The young people who influence the trends of today will be the decision-makers of tomorrow and are encouraged to consider how their everyday decisions can have a positive impact on the environment – and the world. That’s according to Dr Jonathan Derham, EPA Programme Manager, launching The Story of Your Stuff, an EPA competition aimed at secondary school students, which seeks to empower young people to make environmentally conscious decisions about their ‘stuff’ and everyday activities.

Now in its fourth year, the competition brings together curiosity, creativity and science, and aims to get young people thinking about sustainability, climate action and environmental protection, and to spread the word among their friends and family. Entrants are tasked with highlighting the environmental impact of an everyday item or activity by creatively telling its story through a visual medium.

Entrants to the competition will be in with a chance to win €500 for themselves and €500 for their school, while a new ‘Climate Topic Prize’ will be awarded to the entry that best addresses key climate considerations, such as carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions or climate action.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Derham said:

“Many young people are deeply concerned about the climate and environmental emergency now facing us worldwide, something that has been well flagged by evidence from scientists, including the EPA. Urgent transformational change is now required to meet these challenges, based on what the evidence is telling us. The EPA is calling on second-level students to enter The Story of Your Stuff competition and to use their artistic talents to create stories to inspire others to make low carbon and environmentally conscious consumption choices.”

Last year’s winners were Shurooq Azam, Aldiana Hoxha, Kar Gong Leong and Tomi Ayibiowu from Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School, Dublin 15, who made a video on the story of a toothbrush.

Colette Ryan of the EPA said:
“The Story of Your Stuff competition gets people thinking, talking and making changes and identifying ways in which they can become responsible consumers. The competition is a real highlight in the EPA calendar and a testament to the students who take the time to explore the story of their stuff and to the teachers who guide them. We look forward to seeing the projects from this year’s entrants.”

Competition guidelines and tips are available at http://www.thestoryofyourstuff.ie/. The deadline for entries is Monday, 9th March 2020.

Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Tipperary Cllr. Imelda Goldsboro says her party is determined to make third level education affordable again and has put forward a range of measures to ease the financial burden on students.

The party plans to establish a new Department of Higher Education and Research to ensure that the demands of third level do not fall through the cracks as has been happening under Fine Gael.

Cllr. Goldsboro said, “Fianna Fáil has a proud record of expanding free education and transforming the lives of generations of Irish people.  We want to continue that tradition and have placed education at the heart of our strategy.

“The high cost of third level can often deter students from applying to college in the first place.  I believe that every young person should have the chance to broaden their horizons and their opportunities through education and my party is committed to freezing student fees if elected to government.

“The undergraduate maintenance grant is a key tool to alleviate the pressure on students and their families.  The Cassells report specified the need for additional investment to deliver a more effective system of student financial aid, and if elected to government, my party will increase the undergrad maintenance grant by 20%.

“Fianna Fáil has secured a partial row back on some issues as part of the Confidence and Supply Arrangement but we want to go further.  As part of our affordability pledge, we will fully restore post-graduate grants to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or financial situation, can have the opportunity to undertake a post graduate course.

“Improving our education system has been a core objective of Fianna Fáil since its foundation and in government we will continue to push for better access and supports for all”.

• The free conference Future Living will take place on February 14, 2020 at the Millennium Theatre, LIT, Moylish Campus.
• The Conference will focus on Fashion, Food and Festivals and examine the sustainability challenges within business.

The UK’s most prominent policy adviser and campaigner on the causes and consequences of climate change, acclaimed environmentalist Sir David King, will provide the keynote address at the inaugural Future Living Conference which will take place at LIT’s Millennium Theatre this St Valentine’s Day.

The conference designed to examine the sustainability challenges within business and industry, and provide solutions to business owners and employees, will include a series of speakers from the worlds of fashion, food and festivals. 

According to a study from MIT only 60% of companies incorporate sustainability in their business strategy, and just one quarter have sustainability incorporated in their business model. 

Sir David King, who is the Former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government; Head of the Chemistry Department, Cambridge University; and Chair of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge will share his “Fresh Look at Humanity’s Greatest Ever Challenge: Climate Change”.

The Cambridge professor has been a guiding force of academic and pragmatic research initiatives that have resulted in meaningful improvements in climate change science and action.

A highly effective diplomat, driving change in environmental and societal practices at a corporate, national and international level, he will share his unique and expert opinions at the LIT conference.

Organised by the clean-tech start-up The Future Living, together with second year Event Management Students at LIT, the  conference has also attracted celebrated fashion designer Aoife McNamara, Electric picnics Global Green Co-Ordinator Davie Philip and acclaimed chef Keith Pigott, among others.

Presentations on how environmental regulations impact business, finding sustainable solutions and learning about how other businesses are reaching their sustainability targets will help delegates meet this own sustainability goals.

Marie Mitchell, Lecturer Faculty of Business & Humanities LIT and Co-Founder of The Future Living –  a clean tech start up that offers solutions such as a digital tracker to reduce and ultimately remove a carbon foot-print from businesses, said a conference like this is both timely and necessary.

“This conference brings together industry leaders and business owners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and researchers to assess what businesses and individuals can actively do to rise to the climate change challenge,” she said.

“Climate change is affecting Ireland’s greatest asset, the Irish landscape. There is time to halt these negative impacts. The conference will highlight simple changes business can make to improve their carbon footprint, their marketing and bottom line.”

“The conference will help businesses discover practical and easy ways to implement solutions on how they can save money, learn about upcoming regulations and use technology to make their workplace a more sustainable and better place to be,”  added Dr. Anke Bytomski-Guerrier, Co-founder and CEO of The Future Living.  

During the conference Dr. Bytomski-Guerrier will present to companies, approaches that can significantly reduce their ecological footprint.

The Future Living Conference will take place on February 14^, 2020 from 1pm at the Millennium Theatre, LIT, Moylish Campus.

Entry is free but booking is essential. More information and booking at http://thefutureliving.com/index.php/conference/.