The 2022/23 Academic Year marked a complete return to campus activities, as witnessed by the increased presence of students, staff, and numerous visitors exploring our grounds and buildings.
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2023
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UCC Electrical & Gas Performance Academic Year 2022/23
20 Nov 2023 -
Degrowth: Exploring a Post-Growth Approach
10 Nov 2023The world has warmed by 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite progress in climate action globally, we’re not on track to keep warming at or below 1.5C1, as agreed internationally in the Paris agreement of 2015. At 1.2°C, we’re already witnessing devastating weather events and migrations of climate refugees. Predictions of how a warming world would affect life on earth have proven to be, in many instances, conservative. Fossil fuels are still being extracted and burned, the minority world or “global north,” continues to extract natural resources from the global south in an example of intra-species parasitism, and we are in an extinction crisis, with biodiversity being bashed from all angles.
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1 Million Disposable Coffee Cups Saved by you since 1st January 2023!!
23 Oct 2023At UCC we are focused on continuous improvement for sustainability across our activities and became Plastic Free UCC’ from the beginning of 2023.
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Greenshoots Changemakers
11 Oct 2023The Greenshoots team is officially looking for participants for the peer-to-peer element of the overall programme: Greenshoots Changemakers.
This programme is designed for students who want to take environmental action but would appreciate some guidance and support.
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Climate Action Week, 16-19 October, 2023
11 Oct 2023Climate Action Week is nearly here! To mark the significance of Ireland’s 7th Climate Action Week, a schedule jam-packed with events will take place from the 16th-19th of October. This was a labour of love between:
UCC’s Greenshoots Coordinator, STAND, UCC Enactus Society, UCC Students Union, Fáilte Refugees Soc., Enviromental Soc., Vegan Soc., Folklore Soc., Scribble Soc., Engineers Without Boarders Soc., Music Soc., FASHforward, Climate Ambassadors Ireland, Dúlchas, UCC Sustainable Futures Lab, UCC Folklore Academics, UCC Office of Climate Action and Sustainability and multiple wonderful UCC staff!
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UCC Green Campus Podcast Episode 20 with UCC Energy Manager Pat Mehigan
06 Oct 2023In the 20th episode of ‘The Green Campus Podcast’ we talk to UCC’s Energy Manager Pat Mehigan.
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Summer 2023 Energy Performance Update
01 Sep 2023Welcome to this short update on our current energy performance and some of the energy projects undertaken over the summer months as we get ready for another busy academic year.
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Climate Activism 101
31 Aug 2023Climate activism is a global movement dedicated to fighting climate inaction and climate injustice to create a sustainable and equitable world for all. It often involves campaigning and lobbying political leaders to take responsibility and achieve critical climate goals whilst holding industry players accountable for their environmental impacts. The climate movement has been around for decades, but has grown in strength and urgency in recent years in response to anthropogenic climate change and biodiversity loss.
With global temperatures predicted to rise significantly in the coming years if we don’t immediately and radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the importance of climate activism (and activists) has never been so clear. But how do you get involved with climate activism in the first place?
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UCC Green Campus Episode 19 with Student Support Administrator in the International Office, Natalie O’Byrne.
11 Aug 2023In the 19th installment of the Green campus podcast we talk to Student Support Administrator Natalie O’Byrne.
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Greenshoots Update: UCC Community Garden Pitch-in Day
03 Aug 2023On Wednesday 12 July 2023, a "pitch-in" day was held in UCC Community Garden.
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Misinformation & Misdirection: When Will Enough Be Enough? by Niamh Guiry
26 Jul 2023Within the past week alone, we have seen apocalyptic images of raging wildfires in Greece and videos of a tornado and ‘golf-ball sized hail’ in Italy, all the while brutal heatwaves are tearing their way across Europe. I regret to inform you (if you did not already know) that these are not freak occurrences. What we are witnessing are the devastating and deadly effects of the climate crisis.
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How to Make an Environmental Submission
14 Jul 2023Do you want to contribute to public consultations but don’t know where to start? If you’re new to the sphere of public participation, the idea of making an environmental submission to a consultation may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.
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Deep Energy Retrofit of the Enterprise Building
01 Jun 2023Deep Energy Retrofit plan for the Enterprise Building
Over the summer of 2023 and 2024 the Enterprise building in our North Mall campus will undergo a deep energy retrofit that will reduce the building's energy use by 60% while also providing a more comfortable environment for our students and staff.
Under the HEA pathfinder program UCC applied for and secured 75% of the funding required to undertake the deep energy retrofit of the Enterprise building and install a ground source heating system. The HEA Pathfinder funding program seeks to test a range of building retrofit approaches to build evidence and capability in the sector, and to inform decisions as larger scale decarbonisation programmes are rolled out in the future.
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UCC Mini Bio-Blitz @ the Wildflower Meadow
01 Jun 2023A mini-bio blitz, facilitated by Irene (Greenshoots Coordinator) was carried out on Thursday 25th of May. The team of recorders assessed UCC's wildflower meadow, which was sowed in 2018 as part of UCC's biodiversity plan and commitment to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. A variety of species were recorded; here is a sample list.
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UCC Sustainability Research Seminar
22 May 2023We’re delighted to bring you the UCC Sustainability Research Seminar as part of our ongoing research event series with the Environmental Research Institute.
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UCC Green Campus Episode 18 with Professor Justin Holmes, the Professor of Nanochemistry in the School of Chemistry in UCC.
19 May 2023The 18th instalment of the Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to Professor Justin Holmes, the Professor of Nanochemistry in the School of Chemistry in UCC. Justin first talks about his early career in chemistry.
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The Greatest Obstacle to Sustainability (And No, It’s Not Disposable Cups) by Niamh Guiry
08 May 2023When I first joined the UCC Environmental Society as an undergraduate student in 2018, I knew next to nothing about environmental issues. I was aware of the ecological and human impacts of fast fashion, but other than that, my understanding was minimal. During my first year in the society, I focused my efforts on individual action, running events and designing how-to guides for students so they could learn to reduce their carbon footprints and how they could have a ‘green Christmas’. And if I knew next to nothing about environmental issues, I knew even less about economics.
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UCC Community Garden Open to All
27 Apr 2023The UCC Community Garden is embracing Spring, with hard work being done by garden volunteers. Irene Ní Shúilleabháin, UCC’s Greenshoots Coordinator, organised an Introduction to Permaculture workshop at the garden in March.
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Should We Implement a Legislative Ban on Single-Use Vapes in Ireland? by Niamh Guiry
14 Apr 2023If you’re walking through an Irish town or city, it won’t be long before you spot one (or many) brightly-coloured vapes that have been discarded on the ground or in our waterways. Vapes (also known as e-cigarettes) are handheld devices that use the heat generated from batteries to produce an aerosol mixture of nicotine, flavourings, and other chemicals that users inhale. First introduced to the market in the early 2000s, vaping has risen in popularity in recent years with many adults using vapes to stop smoking. They’re often perceived as being less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re safe.
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UCC Green Campus Greenshoots Programme is looking for Greenshoots Interns
06 Apr 2023UCC Green Campus Greenshoots Programme is looking for Greenshoots Interns. These paid roles are available to current UCC students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and graduates of up to one year. The roles on offer are Greenshoots Garden Intern and Greenshoots Communications Intern.
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Energy Performance March 2023
06 Apr 2023Welcome to our monthly energy blog where we communicate UCC’s energy performance.
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Guided Meditation - Self Care is Climate Care
03 Apr 2023UCC Green Campus is delighted to host another Guided Meditation session hosted by The Green Step on 21st February from 5-6pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith The Hub, UCC. These monthly guided meditation sessions and mindful practices are suitable for beginners and offer a chance to relax, reflect and regenerate
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What's happening for Green Week 2023?
14 Mar 2023Read on for details and to hear about some of the exciting events taking place on Campus this week.
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Green Week Events
14 Mar 2023- Repair and Mend Workshop, Monday 13th March, 16:30-17:30. Western Gateway Building, 2.26
- Nature & Foraging Walk - Tuesday 14th March, 12:00-14:00. Meeting at Glucksman Gallery
- Spring Campus Biodiversity Walk - Wednesday 15th March, 12:00-13:30. Meeting at UCC Main Gates (Alumni Bridge)
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UCC GREEN WEEK SYMPOSIUM
06 Mar 2023As part of UCC Green Week Niamh Guiry is hosting a symposium in The Shtepps in The Hub building on Monday the 13th of March at 5:30 pm.
To download the programme click UCC Green Week Programme
You can download the full book of abstracts GwS Book of Abstracts
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Irene Ní Shúilleabháin is UCC Green Campus Greenshoots Coordinator
03 Mar 2023The Greenshoots programme focuses on student engagement with green spaces on campus, in addition to climate action and sustainability, for the benefit of students' wellbeing and the environment of which they are a part. Irene will collaborate with students to encourage greater awareness of the benefits of green spaces amongst the student community. It is hoped that the Greenshoots programme will lead to an increase in the number of students using campus green spaces to improve their wellbeing, in addition to adopting and championing pro-environmental behaviours (highlighting issues such as sustainable food production, biodiversity conservation and holistic solutions to environmental problems).
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Energy Performance February 2023 (Enter draw for Home Energy Monitor)
01 Mar 2023Hello All and welcome to our monthly energy blog where we communicate UCC’s energy performance for the month of February and the Academic Year.
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Submit a Blog to UCC Green Campus
23 Feb 2023UCC Green Campus welcomes blog post submissions from UCC students and staff from all disciplines.
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Guided Meditation - Self Care is Climate Care
14 Feb 2023UCC Green Campus is delighted to host another Guided Meditation session hosted by The Green Step on 21st February from 5-6pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith The Hub, UCC. These monthly guided meditation sessions and mindful practices are suitable for beginners and offer a chance to relax, reflect and regenerate.
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UCC Green Campus Episode 17 with Dr. Fionn Rogan, Senior Research Fellow in MaREI
10 Feb 2023The 17th instalment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to Dr. Fionn Rogan, Senior Research Fellow in MaREI.
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October to December 2022 Energy Update
03 Feb 2023With the first academic term of 2022/23 just gone and with all the energy bills for the October to December period now in we are delighted to report that our overall electrical consumption reduced by 230,000 kWh while our gas consumption came in just below the forecasted levels, mainly due to the milder temperatures over the October and November period.
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UCC Green Week Symposium: Call for Abstracts
03 Feb 2023Our call for submissions is open for the upcoming UCC Green Week Symposium. Green Week is an annual initiative during which UCC raises awareness of existing sustainability challenges and solutions, running campaigns and events throughout the week.
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Why Can’t We Be Friends? Road Wars and Misguided Perceptions of Cyclists in Cork
27 Jan 2023Last year, I started learning how to drive. Since then, I can’t help but notice the continuous pattern of illegal parking, breaking of red lights, and general reckless road behaviour. I thought that this could be attributed to the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon (as a lifelong bus user, I never took much notice of cars until I started to drive myself).
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UCC Green Campus Podcast Episode 16 with School of BEE’s research assistants Calum Sweeney and Fiach Byrne
20 Jan 2023Calum and Fiach talk about their role in the LIVE project down on the Iveragh peninsula. This project enables coastal communities to promote their natural and cultural assets and how to create opportunities for sustainable tourism. They talk about the rich environment of the Iveragh peninsula, the studies and surveys they carry out to produce different resources, and the community engagement in the region.
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Soundbath
09 Jan 2023Join us for a sound bath - An auditory experience designed to support deep, embodied rest and contemplative reflection.
Read on eventbrite.ie -
Guided Meditation - Self Care is Climate Care
09 Jan 2023UCC Green Campus is delighted to host another Guided Meditation session hosted by The Green Step on 17th January from 5-6pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith The Hub, UCC. These monthly guided meditation sessions and mindful practices are suitable for beginners and offer a chance to relax, reflect and regenerate.
Read on eventbrite.ie -
In a World Where You Can Be Anything, Be a Climate Activist
06 Jan 2023By Niamh Guiry
It’s January 2023, and with the dawn of a new year comes pressures to build healthy habits, aspire to new goals, and generally improve your life. The ‘new year, new me’ mindset is not something I’m fully on board with, but I have always liked the fresh start that the new year offers. I like thinking about the possible opportunities that lie ahead, and how I can work to make a difference. Whether you like the idea of new year's resolutions or not, you can’t deny that if there was ever a time to make a resolution to take climate action, it’s now.
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