Michelle McKeown

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#Michelle McKeown

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Wet driving conditions on the Rochestown Road in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson</p>

outdoors

Why are Irish communities seeing more flooding and several 'one-in-100-year' floods?

A one-in-100-year flood does not mean a flood that happens once a century. It means a flood with a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. Two such floods can occur in back-to-back years, or several can occur in a single decade

<p>A large sinkhole opens in a parking area in Ocala, Florida, and swallows a car that teeters on the edge. File picture: June 11, 2017</p>

outdoors

An unsettling natural hazard: Here's everything you need to know about sinkholes

<p>Lichens are not parasites, and they are not a single organism. A lichen is best understood as a composite life form: a fungus living in intimate association with a photosynthetic partner, usually a green alga or a cyanobacterium. Lichen growing on the bark of trees in Marina Park, Cork. Picture: Caroline Delaney</p>

outdoors

Written on the walls: what lichens tell us about our environment

Mountain stream flows through granite boulders in Glenmacnass valley, County Wicklow, Ireland

outdoors

The invisible carbon in Ireland’s waters

Cold enough to remember

outdoors

Cold enough to remember

Lense

outdoors

Ireland’s 2025 environmental review — and a look ahead to 2026

Mayo Cheeseburger Feast

Saving the planet, one label at a time

We've had a series of earnest discussions and proposals, including within the European Parliament, about whether plant-based foods should be allowed to use words like 'burger' or 'sausage'

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

robin bird

Christmas pre-tinsel: when plants — and robins — ran the show

Strip Christmas of its baubles, batteries and Amazon deliveries, and what you’re left with is, at heart, a festival of plants. Trees dragged indoors. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling. Berries admired but (wisely) not eaten.

Fri, 19 Dec, 2025

Curious hedgehog in the grass

A pest or a prince — is it all down to postcodes?

The conservation–invasion paradox is when a species is endangered where it evolved but causes havoc where humans introduced it. So why can't we just bring unwanted animals to where they're wanted?

Fri, 12 Dec, 2025

Michelle McKeown: The weather tug-of-war that shapes our winters

Michelle McKeown: The weather tug-of-war that shapes our winters

Understanding the North Atlantic Oscillation won’t stop Irish winters being chaotic, but it helps explain why they sometimes fall into familiar rhythms. And it reminds us that, while climate change is gradually reshaping global systems, natural variability still has plenty to say

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

16,000 years’ worth of stories to uncover from sediment in a West Cork lake

16,000 years’ worth of stories to uncover from sediment in a West Cork lake

In search of Ireland's ancient past by recovering and examining sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA)

Fri, 28 Nov, 2025

Why early-warning systems matter more than ever

Why early-warning systems matter more than ever

Long before sensors and satellites, people used whatever tools they had to read the world around them. In fact, the earliest warning systems were rooted in observation, culture and instinct — but sensors, algorithms and automated texts are now being employed in places such as Midleton in Cork

Fri, 21 Nov, 2025

Tractor spreading artificial fertilizers in field

Phosphate: the world’s most under-appreciated resource

Ireland, like most of Europe, has no significant phosphate rock reserves. Every kilogram of phosphorus used on Irish farms is imported, primarily as processed fertiliser derived from mined rock abroad. That dependence makes Ireland (and the EU) strategically vulnerable

Fri, 14 Nov, 2025

a willow casket - contemporary style

Michelle McKeown: The greenest ways to go when you go

When it comes to carbon footprints, the old-fashioned burial isn’t exactly green. Traditional burials involve embalming chemicals (usually formaldehyde) and hardwood coffins — but there are more eco-friendly options now available

Sat, 08 Nov, 2025

Flat Lay of Shattered Pumpkins After the Exciting Pumpkin Drop Event

Ireland’s frightening Halloween habit is a curse that can be broken by sustainable choices

Nature’s décor is unbeatable: fallen leaves, pinecones, bare branches, and candlelight (ideally in a glass jar rather than a plastic skull). They’re biodegradable, beautiful, and cost nothing

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025

Empty chair at wedding ceremony

Something borrowed, something green: How I found a sustainable wedding dress

Weddings can generate significant waste. Studies estimate an average Irish wedding produces 10–20 kilograms of plastic from decorations, catering, and more, though this varies by event size and style

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025

I am almost done!

Rake expectations: should we be picking up leaves at all?

Leaves aren't litter — they’re the forest’s own recycling system, a slow-release nutrient pack designed to feed soil life and shelter small creatures through the colder months. When they decompose, they release essential nutrients, improve soil structure, and even help lock away a little carbon

Fri, 17 Oct, 2025

A large number of different human footprints in the sand, background

Rethinking carbon footprints

By focusing public attention on individual choices, your commute, your cup of coffee, your weekend city break, the 'carbon footprint' campaign diverted scrutiny from the systemic scale of fossil fuel extraction and combustion

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

Woman taking photo of fern in forest

Tap, snap, explore: Seven science-backed apps to bring nature closer

So, charge your phone, lace your boots and let curiosity lead. These apps are a welcome upgrade from late-night doomscrolling

Fri, 03 Oct, 2025

Could paludiculture be Ireland’s next big idea?

Could paludiculture be Ireland’s next big idea?

Farming on wet land instead of drained soils involves a shift in mindset, from battling nature to working with it. And in a country where bogs have shaped our past, paludiculture could play a role in shaping a more sustainable future

Fri, 26 Sep, 2025

Man must decide his way forward to success or failure

Ireland’s climate targets: the clock is ticking and the bill is mounting

Despite the daunting gap, Ireland has shown it can bend the emissions curve. A 6.8% drop in one year proves that action, combined with factors like a mild winter and a shift away from coal, has an impact

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Foraging in Ireland: A feast or fatal mistake?

Foraging in Ireland: A feast or fatal mistake?

Let’s be clear: foraging is not a game of chance. Mistakes can be costly, and in the worst cases, fatal. And remember, in the great supermarket of nature, there are no refunds

Fri, 12 Sep, 2025

Mating Ned Devine? The New Zealand snail turned global celebrity

Mating Ned Devine? The New Zealand snail turned global celebrity

"Most snail shells spiral clockwise, but Ned’s curves the other way — an unusual genetic quirk found in roughly one in around 40,000 snails."

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

Aerial

Drowning nations: Kiribati and the South Pacific’s fight for survival

If we fail to meet our own 2030 climate targets, if we continue to expand high-emission sectors, then our solidarity with Kiribati is nothing more than rhetoric. Every delayed decision in Dublin, every postponed policy on transport, every row over methane cuts, translates into sea-level rise in Tarawa

Fri, 29 Aug, 2025

Rotorua, New Zealand

What’s the story, twiggy glory... stick insects in Ireland

There are more than 3,000 species of stick and leaf insects globally — and at least one has taken up residence in the south of Ireland

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Depletion of ozone layer, Ozone hole, illustration

Back in the ozone: How we plugged the hole in the sky

If we could do it once, we can do it again, whether it’s climate change, biodiversity loss, or the plastic in our oceans. We once had a hole in the sky — now we have a blueprint for how to mend the planet. And that, in anyone’s book, is a good news story

Fri, 15 Aug, 2025

Losing ground: Coastal erosion in Ireland and what we can do about it

Losing ground: Coastal erosion in Ireland and what we can do about it

Entire sections of coast are disappearing into the sea. And while erosion is a natural process, it’s now accelerating due to human activity and climate change. The question we face is no longer if we should act, but how

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Woman hands applying sunscreen, with the beach in the background

Sun, sea and a slippery slope: What your sunscreen isn’t telling you

Oxybenzone, in particular, is toxic to juvenile corals even at concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion. This is the equivalent to a single drop in six and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) in a forest in England, UK

Can Ireland’s ash trees stage a comeback against deadly dieback?

Ash trees are the backbone of our ecosystems, supporting more than 40 species of insects, lichens, and fungi that keep our woodlands teeming with life. Their decline ripples through the food chain, threatening birds and other wildlife — but there might be hope of a recovery

Fri, 25 Jul, 2025

Ulster bonfires

The environmental cost of Northern Ireland’s bonfires

In the face of climate change and public health challenges, questions are being raised, not just about what these bonfires stand for, but what they’re doing to the environment we all share

Fri, 18 Jul, 2025

Bioluminescent Shore

Michelle McKeown: Shedding light on the wild world of bioluminescence

The glow in Lough Hyne comes courtesy of dinoflagellates (tiny, single-celled plankton) floating near the surface of the water. When disturbed, they emit a flash of light, usually bluish green, in a rapid chemical reaction involving the molecules luciferin and luciferase

Fri, 27 Jun, 2025

Michelle McKeown: Can we feed the world and save it too?

Michelle McKeown: Can we feed the world and save it too?

Rather than choosing organic everywhere or intensification somewhere, many scientists now advocate for a sustainable intensification approach: combining ecological practices with modern science and technology

Fri, 20 Jun, 2025

Michelle McKeown: Why are Ireland’s clouds so thick? And did they influence our skin?

Michelle McKeown: Why are Ireland’s clouds so thick? And did they influence our skin?

This isn’t just idle weather chat. There’s serious science behind Ireland’s famously gloomy skies, and compelling evidence that they’ve shaped not just our landscape, but our biology...

Fri, 13 Jun, 2025

Cleaning up after the crowds

The sound of sustainability: Why many concerts and festivals aren't as 'green' as they claim

As climate awareness grows, more festivals are touting their green credentials. But are these efforts real progress, or just a fresh coat of eco-paint?

Fri, 06 Jun, 2025

Showing some samples of the different phases of the life cycle of cadaveric fauna collected at crime scenes

A silent witness to crime: The natural world's role in solving murder cases

Whether through river currents, insect life cycles, the invisible grains of pollen or algae, or the lingering traces of DNA, nature is always quietly recording. And with the right tools, forensic scientists can translate that record into evidence

Fri, 30 May, 2025

How do some blockbuster disaster movies stack up against real science?

How do some blockbuster disaster movies stack up against real science?

The end of the world on the silver screen: science vs Hollywood

Fri, 23 May, 2025

CZECH-ENVIROMENT-DROUGHT

'If you see me, weep': What Ireland's dry spell can learn from history's dry past

When to enjoy a sunny spell and when to worry about prolonged drought...

Fri, 16 May, 2025

Fake grass installation team

How can we save pollinators in Ireland before it's too late?

Protecting pollinators isn’t just about saving bees; it’s about safeguarding the systems that grow our food and give life to our landscapes

Fri, 09 May, 2025

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Understated glamour: Ireland’s flowers know how to work it

From cow parsley to blackthorn, hawthorn to wild cherry, it’s as if most plants in Ireland got the same memo: White is in

Fri, 02 May, 2025

Testing the water of a reservoir for the content of microbes .

What’s really in our water? We can't manage what we can't measure

A nice cool glass of forever chemicals, painkillers, antibiotics, antihistamines, and synthetic hormones... testing for pharmaceuticals, PFAS, DOC, or emerging contaminants should be part of routine water monitoring — not an occasional research project

Fri, 25 Apr, 2025

Teenage girl at home in the morning

Shapeshifters, cyst makers, brain-takers: The secret world of amoebae

Some cell-shocking facts about these microscopic organisms — they may lack bones, bravado, or branding, but they are among the most adaptable, fascinating, and weirdly wonderful creatures on the planet

Fri, 18 Apr, 2025

Teenage girl with allergy blowing nose

Peak sneezin’ season — are more of us than ever affected by hay fever?

Ireland’s high overlap between asthma and hay fever hints at a sizeable population affected, even if precise numbers are elusive

Fri, 11 Apr, 2025

Close-up image of Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) perched on seaside black, hard plastic dumpster refuse bin, scavenging fish an

Why seagulls steal your chips — and some tips on how to try save your al-fresco snacks

Well, gulls just wanna have fun (and some carbs)

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

Beaver at sea observing nature

Meet the planet’s most effective engineers (no planning permission required)

From the tiniest worms to charismatic beavers, the ability of nature’s engineers to modify landscapes, regulate water flows, and enhance biodiversity provides invaluable lessons for humans as we grapple with climate change and habitat destruction

Fri, 28 Mar, 2025

Soak it up! How Ireland’s cities can embrace the sponge revolution

Soak it up! How Ireland’s cities can embrace the sponge revolution

'Sponge cities' promote urban resilience to climate change and we badly need initiatives like these in areas vulnerable to flooding

Fri, 28 Mar, 2025

Blue Headed Wrasse ore Bluehead Wrasse, thalassoma bifasciatum

Some like it fluid: The animal kingdom's wildest sex changes

So, what’s the deal with animals swapping sexes? Why do they do it and what can we learn from it? Let’s take a closer look at some of nature’s most interesting identity changes...

Fri, 21 Mar, 2025

Rob Roy Glacier in New Zealand

Nature strives for balance: A rare glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak environmental outlook

How climate change is creating new peatlands in a New Zealand mountain

Fri, 14 Mar, 2025

Group of crows on the roof of a building

Why are crows so noisy in early spring?

Some scientists even believe crows have regional dialects, meaning the ones in Dublin might sound slightly different from their Cork cousins

Fri, 07 Mar, 2025

Pipistrelle Bat

Do bats hold the secrets to fighting future pandemics?

Bats’ status as the only truly flying mammals might mean they also have another ‘superpower’ — invincibility to most viruses

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

African bush elephant mating in Tarangire National Park

Pheromones or love in the air? Attraction in the animal kingdom

While body odour and even tears may influence behaviour, love is far more complex than a whiff of sweat or a drops of tears

Fri, 14 Feb, 2025