Episode 01
(Eco Eye s3/e1)
Item 1
Community & Lifestyle
How Green Is Your Garden?
We like to think of our gardens as natural but the truth is that the average Irish garden is made up of genetically engineered grass and a collection of foreign plants, bullied into shape by pesticides, growth enhancers and weed killers.
We visit a suburban meadow garden, where the gardener has made a conscious decision to garden in an environmentally friendly way. The garden captures elements of our native Irish landscape, which creates a home for a range of native wildlife.
We also take a trip to the Garden Heaven Exhibition in the RDS and take a look at some of the plants and products that are available in many garden centres to make your garden more environmentally friendly.
A garden can be a great resource. And the more in harmony it is with the natural environment around it, the better it gets.
Item 2
Health
Overview on Health
Life in Ireland is changing rapidly. We’ve more money but less time. Lots of food, but a lot of the food we’re eating is not good for us. We spend a lot of time rushing around in cars, but then we don’t exercise. We’re conscious about our health but then we’re doing very little about it. In this new part of the programme we look at how our environment impacts upon our health and what we can do to improve this situation.
In this initial introductory piece, we outline the tangible link that exists between human health and the health of the environment, previewing several health-related issues to be featured later in the series – from air pollution and food additives to UV radiation.
Item 3
Big Picture
Construction & Demolition Waste
We generate over 3 and a half million tonnes of Construction & Demolition waste a year – more than all the municipal waste generated in any given year. A small amount gets recycled and resold by salvage merchants – but most of it ends up in landfill.
We take a look at different ways that building companies can reduce their C & D waste.
We visit Bennetts construction, who have a responsible attitude to site waste. This company is one of a handful of builders with the coveted ISO 14001 accreditation.
ISO 14001 is concerned with all aspects of environmental management. By minimizing harmful effects on the environment caused by its day to day activities, it is continuously achieving improvements in its environmental and financial performance.
We also take a look at the Value Green Construction Scheme, a now national project which aimed reduce the flow of site waste and save money through proper management of building materials at three construction sites.
Item 4
Heritage
Overview on Heritage
In this item we ask people to define what heritage means to them. We touch on the different definitions that arise and explore many aspects of our heritage. We set the scene for the next six programmes.
Over the course of the series we’ll be taking a closer look at some fascinating aspects of Ireland’s heritage. We’ll visit Bere island in Cork to see community conservation in action and the Bellmullet Peninsula, where endangered species are being given a new lease of life. We explore how ordinary people can have a say in environmental legislation. And we revisit familiar aspects of Irish heritage that many of us take for granted – like our inland waterways. In each case we focus on people and projects actively involved in nurturing and preserving our heritage.