Rosalind Skillen Opinion Nature’s voice must be heard in the planning process

At the weekend, environmental charity Friends of the Earth screened its short film Nature’s Keepers at the Ulster Museum.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Littering problem can be cleaned up by joined-up action

There has been a lot of talk recently about Belfast’s litter problem. People are sharing pictures of rubbish lining the streets of Belfast on social media, and words like ‘dirty’ and ‘unsightly’ are increasingly used to describe the city centre.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Talking about the climate isn’t the best way to build change

More than six months have passed since the UK hosted the international climate conference COP26.

Translink outlines plans to lead a ‘green transport revolution in Northern Ireland’, aiming to be net zero by 2040

A green transport revolution is critical to tackling climate change and air quality in Northern Ireland, an event has heard.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Air pollution an epidemic which needs cleaning up

Of all the issues related to the climate crisis, air pollution could be the single issue which moves the dial on environmental politics. This is because air pollution concerns human health as well as planetary health.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion The World Economic Forum showed a lack of global co-operation at what was branded a historical ‘turning point’

The World Economic Forum — the annual meeting in Davos which brings together leaders in the private and public sector — came to a close two weeks ago. Against a backdrop of geopolitical and economic instability, it felt like this year’s forum happened at a crucial time.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Chancellor’s support measures will only push bills even higher

Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a windfall tax on energy firms to fund a £15bn support package for the cost-of-living crisis. This announcement was greatly anticipated and needed.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Young people must have a bigger say in shaping global policy

The Youth 7 Summit, known as the Y7, was convened last week. The Y7 is the official youth engagement group to G7, bringing together youth delegates from G7 member states, the EU and selected partner countries. This year Berlin hosted the Y7 Summit as part of Germany’s 2022 G7 presidency.

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Rosalind Skillen Opinion It’s more important than ever we chat about the weather

In Northern Ireland, we love to talk about the weather. It is a neutral topic of discussion that provides an excuse to make small talk with strangers, break uncomfortable silences, or divert the conversation away from more controversial issues.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion How climate issues are robbing young people of their youth

We often think of young people as passive receivers of adult wisdom. Vessels to be filled.

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Rosalind Skillen Opinion Green Party forged a path for others to follow, now the conversation must go on

This year has been hugely significant for the climate movement in Northern Ireland and other parts of the globe.

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Rosalind Skillen Opinion Division can’t hide progress made - no matter how slow

At school we teach pupils about the importance of being a good ‘team player’. At university we grade students on group tasks, which are designed to help them to effectively work together and communicate with others. In the workplace, there is also a heavy focus on the importance of collaboration and working as part of a team.

Meet the new generation changing the face of Northern Ireland party politics

Karl Duncan (19), youth leader for the SDLP, said that growing up in Londonderry and seeing signs of deprivation and poverty motivated him to get involved in politics. “I wanted to make a change at a governmental level,” he explained.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Parties’ youth wings give us all hope for a better future

Next week’s Assembly election has been described as the most important in a generation. With Sinn Fein predicted to emerge as the largest party for the first time, the election holds huge symbolic significance.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Out of sight, out of mind attitude won’t save our Blue Planet

The common phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ seems to be the driving spirit behind social attitudes towards two environmental problems: waste and pollution. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ contributes to an ‘othering’ of environmental problems like waste.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Community gardens can help the climate and promote peace

Many readers may be aware that the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was released last week. The focus of the report was climate mitigation, with scientists seeking to provide answers to the following questions: How can we mitigate the effects of climate change? What strategies will help us to adapt to a changing world?

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Fashion must not become something that costs the earth

There are eight billion people in the world yet we produce somewhere between 100 and 150 billion items of clothing every year.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Knowledge alone won’t drive action on climate change

Two weeks ago I attended the Youth Environmental Education Congress in Prague. The World Environmental Education Conference has taken place every year since 2003, and this year marked its first youth equivalent.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion We must embrace a circular economy to build for the future… It will help the environment and create more sustainable world

Tomorrow, public and private sector will gather in Derry Playhouse for the first ever Circular Economy Conference to take place in Northern Ireland. This conference, hosted by Northern Ireland Resource Network, will open important conversation on how Northern Ireland can transition to a circular economy, and what business opportunities this will bring to the island.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion We need to find ways to fly without shame on journey to more sustainable travel… thinking about short-haul trips is a good place to start

I am currently writing this week’s column sat on a train crossing through Germany. This is the 10th train that I have taken during the last few days. I have several more trains to catch before I reach my destination: Prague, Czech Republic.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion We are not beat in climate change battle but we must act now

The latest IPCC report makes for heavy reading. The report was released last week, but with public attention understandably focused on the acute geopolitical crisis in Ukraine, this IPCC report received less media attention than normal.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion How green is your candidate? Why it’s so vital to quiz politicians when they ask for your vote

Politicians are increasing recognising that immediate and decisive action on the climate crisis will not only influence votes — it will win votes.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Why we desperately need leaders of vision and imagination

Radical uncertainty and upheaval are perhaps the two most apt descriptors of the past few years. Uncertainty and upheaval have required us to anticipate and adapt to unprecedented or unparalleled circumstances with both resilience and resolution.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion What is the future of higher education in the UK?

We may normally associate February 14 with Valentine’s Day, but this date took on a new meaning in 2022. This year, Valentine’s Day marked the beginning of 10 days of strike action in many UK universities.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Students must find balance between work and relaxation

This week marks February half-term for families, teachers, students and schoolchildren living in Northern Ireland. There are some fantastic cultural events taking place throughout this week, including the NI Science Festival, which provide brilliant opportunities for families to spend time together, and to visit cultural attractions in the local area.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Politicians continue to ignore the voices of our young people

Youth participation in politics is incredibly important. Young people make up roughly 26% of the global population, and in an ever-changing society, it is imperative that politicians listen to our voices.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion A ‘new’ approach to an old problem of endless consumption

During her year in office, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Kate Nicholl, has set an environmental challenge each month.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion We must invest in nature to help tackle the climate crisis

We cannot solve the climate crisis without first protecting and restoring nature. Beyond removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it, nature-based solutions to climate change hold many benefits that society does not appreciate.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Governments must act now over gender based violence

A week has passed since the tragic murder of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old primary school teacher from County Offaly, Ireland.

Rosalind Skillen Opinion Why we should use Blue Monday to help those suffering

There seems to be a National Day for everything. There is always a national food to celebrate, or an awareness day to observe. For instance, this month alone, we could observe National Kiss A Ginger Day on January 12, National Winnie The Pooh Day on January 18, and National Peanut Butter Day on January. 24