Step into the Light

When we talk about climate action there is this broadness to it that can easily cause a feeling of overwhelm. There is so much to do, and sadly so much bad already done, how do we begin to combat this and reverse it? In terms of action, on a personal level I compost, and I reduce how much I drive or fly. On a professional level I am intrinsically linked to the environment and the issue at hand, and as a result I sought out employment in that area.

I struggled at first to think of something worthy of mentioning. I can’t afford a Tesla, haven’t got round to a rooftop system yet, still have a
gas stove and hot water, and I drive an old banger that’s undoubtedly less efficient than it should be. But as soon as I looked at the Climate
Change Venn Diagram, it became clear. My contribution is in outreach, my best and most important work is done in the regional part of Australia, with the conservative population.

I try to do my part for the environment and in particular ESG (environmental, social and governance). It is also a part of my role here in BNRG where I head up the ESG Committee. In my home in Las Vegas we have an extensive solar system. Because of the heat here it makes a massive difference. Through my travels and work with BNRG I have realised that the US is definitely behind in terms of solar and not nearly as active in terms of climate action as many other places across the world including Europe.

The climate, environment and nature were always an integral part of my life growing up. I learned from my Mother from a young age about recycling, and the right way to recycle. I always try to shop within Ireland, and don’t like buying products outside of Ireland if I can avoid it. I try to buy seasonal products and reduce food waste. I was fortunate to study environmental biology, and later renewable energy and environmental finance, in UCD which led me to my career here in BNRG.

When it comes to tackling the issue of climate change and in particular taking positive climate action there are lots of options available! Within
BNRG and my role we are working hard to minimise our flight travel. I myself am based in Ireland but most of my work is in the States. We are implementing more remote access for example aiming to only visit sites once a year and outside of that using drones to take images and video and to collect data so that we don’t have to visit the site too regularly, and ultimately reducing transportation both domestically and internationally.

I grew up camping and am the son of a botanist and biologist, so I had an early exposure to the climate and environment. Over the years living in LA, I spent a lot of time out hiking by myself, there are a lot of trails and public spaces in LA. While out hiking noticed a lot of trash. I started picking up trash here and there, and it kind of became a thing! In terms of my career and climate action, one of the reasons I ended up in solar was because it was to do with the environment. We’re very uniquely positioned to be good stewards of the environment.