The Irish national television and radio broadcaster RTÉ has produced a TV programme called ‘What Planet Are You On’ to encourage Irish households to live sustainably and produce less carbon emissions at home.
The premise of the show challenges Irish families to tackle the biggest issues in our homes in the areas of water, waste, energy, and food with a sizable cash prize to be won at the end. In the latest season, four families are competing to eliminate carbon emissions in their households by closely monitoring their water and energy usage, strictly following guidelines for waste disposal, and changing their diets to plant-based and non-dairy. To ensure all households are effectively doing their tasks, each house is fitted with various energy measuring equipment and remote cameras to monitor efficiency.
The household that reduces its impact on the environment the most wins the prize.
Upon the completion of the initially daunting challenge, families found that keeping a low, sustainable impact in all areas can be managed with relative ease. One mother reveals the cost effective measure of refilling empty bottles of products instead of repurchasing them. A busy family of seven has gone from having two vehicles to one electric car. Energy consumption has gone down in one household by 85% as the family enjoyed low-carbon emitting recreational activities and less screen time.
One father from Ghana happily remembers old, traditional recipes rich in vegetables and resources that he no longer cooks as his habits have changed. He fondly remarks, “even this morning, I cooked my bean stew that we’re going to have for a few days, no meat, nothing. I just keep thinking ‘why was I not doing all of this before?’”
Practically every single participant, a parent or child, commented on the same message, which every family should be reconsidering the way they live.
The show successfully emphasises the message that all households across Ireland are responsible for emitting greenhouse gas into the atmosphere and strongly encourages a change in behaviour.
To watch the programme visit:
https://www.rte.ie/player/series/what-planet-are-you-on/SI0000006499?epguid=IP000066501 [only available in the Republic of Ireland]
Watch trailer on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHlPS--EnA
For more information visit:
https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2019/1024/1085418-where-and-how-do-we-waste-energy-in-our-homes/
