Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club's Little Green Book is a guide for protecting 'Mother Earth'

Caption for photo above: Pictured at the Little Green Book launch are Carrick Lions Club members John Dowley, Ann Ellis, Pat Murphy, John McNamara, Maura Barrett, Carrick Business Association and Tidy Towns representative Seamus Campbell, Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr David Dunne, Carrick Lions Club President Brian White, Lions Club Secretary Stephanie Keating, Margaret Doyle and Maria Madden.

If you want to do your bit in the battle to prevent climate change then a new booklet published by Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club will set you on the right path to protecting the environment, conserving energy and reducing waste in your daily life.

The global threat that is climate change can seem like a problem too vast for any individual to make a difference but the simple measures outlined in the Little Green Book show otherwise.

The 60-page free booklet, dedicated to “Mother Earth and all who love her”, was officially launched by Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr David Dunne at Carrick-on-Suir Library last Wednesday, February 22.

Its publication was spearheaded by Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club’s Environment Team and based on the script for a similar booklet written by Frank Corr of Bray Lions Club.

The first section of the booklet is devoted to the causes and impact of climate change and the remainder is dedicated to measures people can take in their daily lives to combat it and protect the environment from pollution.

The measures range from ways you can save energy and reduce waste to using cleaner transport, heating and making more environmentally friendly consumer choices. The final section examines the biodiversity crisis and sets out actions we can take to protect our flora and fauna.

Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club President Brian White, who has a deep passion for the environment and wildlife, told the launch this was an educational booklet about climate change but it also detailed the simple actions we can take in our daily lives to counteract it.

He said Ireland was very insulated from the harsh effects of global warming. He noted that international students who visited the town last year were more aware of its impact having witnessed phenomena like terrible floods and disappearing species.

“My own passion is biodiversity loss. We have no idea what is being lost in our county and town.”

He cited the huge population declines in Suir river species like salmon and eel, the wiping out of freshwater crayfish a few years ago and how the freshwater pearl mussel, was almost completely gone.

“In a relatively short space of time, a huge amount of damage has been done,” he lamented.

Mr White hoped the Little Green Booklet will inspire people to take measures to combat climate change and protect the environment around them.

He said it was part of the Lions Club’s DNA to make change and this threat to our planet was too serious to be left only to the policy makers, politicians, economists, industries like agriculture and fashion or the protesting schoolgirls and environmental activists to resolve.

In a call to action, he suggested that while Lent was a time to give up something, it was better still also a time to do something positive. “Everything we do that is positive will ultimately result in a positive outcome.”

He thanked Seamus Campbell of Carrick-on-Suir Business Association (COSBA) for allocating the Tidy Towns grant the Association received to this project, Pobal the funding body that awarded the grant and Frank Corr of Bray Lions Club. who allowed use of his text on global warming for the booklet.

Mr White thanked Linda Fahy of the Tudor Artisan Hub for the hours she spent making edits to the booklet and Tipperary County Council and Carol Delany of Carrick-on-Suir Library for their support.

And he paid tribute to Carrick Lions Club member Ann Ellis who during her term as Lions District Governor for Ireland pledged to set up environmental teams at district level. An environmental charter was added to the organisation in this island while she was District Governor.

Carrick MD Cathaoirleach Cllr David Dunne said it gave him great pleasure to launch the booklet, which he was very impressed with, particularly the cover displaying an aerial picture of “our beautiful town”.

He praised Carrick Lions Club for “pushing forward Carrick-on-Suir in a positive manner” and for its collaboration with organisations like COSBA to produce this booklet. “Carrick will be a better town, if we can all work together and do our bit,” he councillor concluded.

Seamus Campbell of COSBA described the booklet as a very simple but “absolutely brilliant” project and expressed the hope the booklet will go to many local schools. He congratulated Carrick Lions Club and said COSBA was delighted to be involved in the initiative.

The booklet is being distributed to schools and is available at Carrick Library, Carrick Town Hall, Carrick Heritage Centre and Carrick’s Nano Nagle Centre. There are plans to publish an online version of the booklet that can be updated.