The shape I’m in: Duncan Stewart, environmentalist
“It was -12C when they found me. I’d lost all my blood. I broke everything, unfortunately: my ribs, my neck and my back. I burst my lung in three places. I was in big rouble.”
He still experiences numbness and pain.
“It just doesn’t go away. My solution to that is to keep busy and keep doing things and certainly exercise is my cure.
"I don’t do any painkillers. I stopped doing them six months after my accident.”
A passion for the environment continues to drive him.
“We are sharing this planet together with all those other species so I feel very strongly how we fit into the ecosystem of the biosphere and how we play our role because we are the ones who are doing all the damage. I think we all have a role to play, especially where children are concerned.”
Aged 67 and married to Agneta, who is from Sweden, they have five children, ranging in age from 36 to 22.
* Duncan Stewart is an ambassador for Global Action Plan’s Water Explorer 2016 programme.
The water conservation programme for school pupils aged 8-14 years aims to save 500 bathtubs of water in schools by June 2016. More details can be found at www.waterexplorer.ie
I’m in reasonably good shape in that I cycle every day, I go to the gym twice a week and I swim twice a week. Without that I’d be a total disaster.
I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. I have porridge for breakfast. I eat a lot when I’m eating but I’m not very good at regular meals as I travel all over the country. I try to eat as little meat as possible.
I’ve had a couple of massages in my life. I tend to avoid those things because I don’t really like pampering myself. Also, eating too much at times when I shouldn’t be.
My hobby at the moment is designing wave-energy devices. I continuously go through nights where I can’t sleep.
I’m wrapped up in a design and it takes over my mind. It’s awful the next day because you’ve got no energy.
I play the clarinet. I read a lot of science. I very seldom read novels as I don’t have the time.
I am constantly researching and reading on environmental issues and climate change. I cycle, walk in the mountains and swim.
Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, they would be very close to my heart. And I’d enjoy having dinner with Mary Robinson. I don’t like politicians but Michael D Higgins I’d regard as a special person.
The Pope — he really is a great guy. I love meeting top scientists too in climate change and biodiversity. There are lots of lovely women I’d love to have at dinner but they wouldn’t want me.
A lot of things would be out in nature like woodbine. Wild garlic is also beautiful. I often associate nice smells with nice occasions.
I’d need a lot of improvements but I suppose I live with what I’ve got and that’s it. I tend to be quite scruffy in my appearance. I don’t really bother very much with it.
I remember when my father died and my mother before that. And seeing the children in Chernobyl in 2003. I find that very hard to take when you go into an orphanage and you find kids who are completely forgotten and it’s just so sad to see them and the conditions they are in.
Arrogance, meanness, smugness. And when someone is arrogant, I really react. I never let them get away with it.
I get too obsessed with what I’m doing. I’d rather be more relaxed. I probably don’t have enough time for my family.
I’m spiritual but not religious.
Going to something that is adventurous, that’s exciting, something new — usually associated with the environment in some way.
Small community groups or school children, for example, who are doing something important to protect their environment and their future.
