A sea of eco change is about to wash over the island if a surge in support for the Greens is a sign of things to come.
Leaving your car at home and ditching the plastic packaging can help fight climate change at a grassroots level, experts have long argued.
We asked environmental scientist on the President’s Council of State, Cara Augustenborg, what other steps we can take in the home to get to grips with the crisis facing the Earth.
Put the brakes on ‘fast fashion’ and give your threads a longer life
High street fashion chains mean that clothes are now cheaper than ever, but poor countries are paying the price for your bargain buy.
Fossil fuels drive the machinery in these mega factories.
The old-fashioned system of hand-me-downs could slice through the amount of fabric destined for landfill in third world countries.
Sharing is caring
Everybody needs good neighbours, but not everybody needs to own their own lawnmower.
Communities could get together and pool use of garden machinery to stop everyone buying one.
‘Zero waste’ online groups are also pushing people to pass around unwanted appliances.
“Sharing libraries are coming up, where you don’t just share books. You can share tools and yard equipment and other stuff like that", Cara said.
Count your steps and cut your footprint
Online tools will calculate your individual carbon footprint if you take five minutes to do the sums.
It takes into account everything from how you heat your home to how much red meat you serve up.
Jetting out to sunnier climes this summer is one thing that is sure to see your individual reading sky rocket.
Cara said: “Plan staycations, look at slow travel, you know taking the train instead of flying if you can.”
Leaf our trees alone
Saving our forests is crucial in the fight to keep our air clean.
Everyone can unleash their inner eco-warrior by planting green shoots in their own garden.
But if you are going to plant a tree, give spruce a miss.
Cara said: “A broad leaf tree is what you need to ask for; oak and ash and all of the ones that are native to Ireland. They reduce more carbon. They live longer.”
Bee earth friendly
There is a buzz around beekeeping and introductory courses can help novices transform a corner of their garden into a hive of activity.
Bees pollinate 70 of 100 types of crops that currently feed 90 percent of the world.
But climate change has put the population at risk.
Cara said: “Plant bee-friendly flowers that are chemical free in a certain area of your garden that is wild.”
Microbeads are bad deeds
The tiny particles of plastic are in cosmetics such as exfoliators and toothpastes.
These products then end up washed down the drain and can kill fish when they reach the sea.
Fish confuse them with food, because they grow algae around the bead so it smells like food.
“They ingest it and then obviously we ingest it when we eat the fish.
“There is supposed to be a plan to ban products that have microbeads", Cara explained.
Don’t bottle it up
Keep-cups can slash the number of non-reusable coffee cups.
And those with a thirst for eco change need to ditch plastic water bottles too.
Cara said: “It’s an obvious thing for county councils to make sure that there are water refill stations, but people just need to get in the habit of carrying a metal or glass water bottle.
“The water tastes better out of the metal ones, I think anyway.”
Get stat smart
A programmable or smart thermostat allows you to remotely control your heating through an app on your phone.
And you will quickly clock up savings.
The high-tech gadgets can even gauge your home’s insulation and the outdoor temperature to programme when your heat should switch on.
