Irish Examiner view: Saving our world one step at a time

Litter washed up on a beach in County Cork, Ireland. A campaign hopes to raise awareness about the impact of plastic pollution and convince people to forego single-use plastic.

Winter may have passed in more ways than one. Lá Fhéile Bríde, which was celebrated yesterday, for centuries marked a departure point, a precursor to renewal. In 2021 that prospect is especially welcome even if it arrives in the smallest, seemingly unimportant or remote of ways.

One of those also came yesterday when Estonia’s first female prime minister, Kaja Kallas, a 43-year-old lawyer, was sworn in. Kallas promised changes in style and substance for the Baltic nation’s 1.3m citizens. She has recognised the need for “a very clear change on climate policy”. Estonia is, like Ireland, a small country and can hardly save the planet through its own reforms. Rather it — and Ireland — can only be part of a concerted response to the challenge of our time.