Unless you've been living in the mines up in Laxey - illegal - you've probably heard the phrase 'the grass is greener on the other side'. When it comes to climate change though, that metaphorical grass will no longer be greener. It will be all brown and dry. Or soaking wet because it's under water. Or gone all together. Or on fire. You might think 'well that's fine because I'll just be happy with my grass instead' but your grass will also be affected. There will be no green grass. Right, forget the metaphor, I was only using it as a segue into talking about climate change and our new campaign Green Life. Welcome.
Green Life is already a monthly segment in the Manx Independent but we're going BIGGER, BETTER, AND BOLDER THAN EVER BEFORE to celebrate Earth Day on 22 April. Over the next six weeks we're going to take you on a journey celebrating the brilliant work being done by household company names and your everyday heroes who are all doing their bit to help our island thrive now and in the future.
For those who believe all big corporations only care about themselves, we're lucky to have a bunch on the Isle of Man that have our environment's back. Microgaming has been teaming up with local charities Manx Wildlife Trust, Play It Forward, and Recycle Collect to empower people, places, and the planet by planting trees, supporting MWT's puffin breeding programme, and making recycling more accessible for all. And that's just a sample. But they're not the only big business embracing eco-friendly vibes.
We'll be telling you about Astrea Bioseparations, which has been advancing its medical research with the help of sustainable products. PwC Isle of Man has a whole host of sustainable practices they'll be sharing with you. Meanwhile, Appleby Isle of Man chats about environmentally-friendly methods you can use outside the office, and we speak with Hansard's Green Team, who are doing wonders in the community.
You'll also find a treasure trove of knowledge in a brain-picking Q&A with TV presenter and marine biologist Monty Halls, who recently compèred last year's Media Isle of Man Awards for Excellence and celebrated the 200th anniversary of the RNLI with us. We've also got interviews with pollution pioneers of the ocean, Eyesea, talking about all they do to keep the sea surrounding us clean so we don't end up going for a sea dip and emerging with a loo roll stuck to our foreheads. We talked to Visit Isle of Man about sustainable tourism, and chatted social enterprise company Make Good, who are looking to empower people into enjoying and enhancing our environment with their imaginative workshops.
It'd be remiss of us to have a campaign called Green Life and not include wind farms, a topic people have a lot of opinions on. Well, whirring up a stir, and cleaner energy in the process, the Development Director of Ørsted in the Isle of Man is giving you his team's thoughts on the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm Project.
You'll also find Biosphere Isle of Man planting ideas on how you - you everyday hero you - can do simple things to help save the planet, and Net Zero has put whole world in the Isle of Man's hands in the form of a spellbinding art installation at St Thomas' Church.
Plus, if you've ever ended-up in a head-to-head with someone with a different opinion to you when it comes to the big Cs - climate change - there's a feature on how to have those difficult conversations in a way that doesn't end up with someone's house getting egged. You'll also find, to your liking, an environmentally friendly what's on guide, some recommended environment-based TV shows and podcasts of varying genres, and a list of the best disaster films to watch that will potentially, and ironically, help ease any climate anxiety you might have.
So, LOADS to sink your green gnashers into. (Clean your teeth, they shouldn't be that colour.) Green Life is also the latest edition to our Future Series, where we do a deep dive into different topics. If you'd like to check out our Womann campaign - the first in the series to celebrate International Women's Day.
The Isle of Man is a UNESCO Biosphere. What's that? Allow me to water those seeds of curiosity to help grow your knowledge. (I'm being told I have to stop using plant-based puns now so that's legally the last one I can do. Sorry.) It's a global programme aiming to educate people on conservation and renewable development so the world can 'work together for a sustainable future.'
A little back story. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and it was formed shortly after the end of the Second World War to promote a sense of unity and understanding across the world. One of its programmes, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere, (a Biosphere is simply a site for sustainable development), designates areas that have special characteristics worth cherishing and enhancing - along with a population committed to making the most of them, for the benefit of that area and the planet as a whole. Hello Isle of Man.
Not to brag (because I know the UN is all about unity and sharing is caring vibes) but there are 748 Biospheres in 134 countries around the world and the Isle of Man is the only, yes, ONLY, entire nation Biosphere, land and sea. Whoever wrote 'gem of God's Earth' into our national anthem wasn't messing around.
With our Biosphere status, the Isle of Man is continuing the UNESCO goals of balancing sustainable development, conservation and learning in our own way with our own aims through the 5 Es: Economy, education, engagement, enjoyment, environment. And there's so many ways you can get involved in one or more of these ‘Es’ through Biosphere Isle of Man Projects. They've got loads of lovely things for you to try, including its Biosphere Bee Community Picnic (I've been assured there is no 'bee helmet' like at the end of the Nicolas Cage version of The Wickerman *phew*) and Nature Recovery Network, which finds out what you can do with the land/environment around you to help local wild and plant life. You could also join the refill revolution with the Refill Isle of Man project, a push away from packaging and towards reusable bottles. It also connects you to lovely local businesses, where you can nip in to refill your water bottle free of charge. They're all small but achievable ways to make a positive impact on the environment whilst also being nice ways to spend some time instead of sleeping in until 2pm then festering in a mountain of Crunchy Nut Cornflake boxes while watching Love is Blind. We've all been there, am I right? ... Just kidding. I've not done that since last week.
If you head over to Biosphere.im you'll also find a tonne of DIY resources to help you be more eco-friendly. There's a practical toolkit for businesses, a map of other Biosphere locations in the UK if you fancy a little holiday, and monthly bird and marine life spotting guides to name but a few. Basically, Biosphere Isle of Man has done as much of the work as possible for you, all you need to do is turn up and have a good time, content in the knowledge that you're also doing wonders for the world.
We hope you find Green Life enjoyable and educational (in a way that isn't preachy), with the added bonus of spotting some lovely pictures of people you know. Classic Isle of Man. So, get your green fingers ready and start clicking some links.