Dublin Fire Service to the fore on RTÉ series ‘GROW COOK EAT’ next week showcasing their million euro cost saving via water harvesting
The third episode of series 2 of ‘GROW COOK EAT’ is set to air on Wednesday, March 27th and presenter duo founder of GIY Michael Kelly and the GIY Head of Community Development Karen O’Donohoe meet Dublin’s Fire Service to learn how they have saved €11 million through their water harvesting programme.
During the programme which will air on RTE 1 at 8.30pm, Michael and Karen get growing Sweetcorn. Apparently, it’s an ambitious vegetable to grow and in Mick and Karen’s case for sweetcorn, all we can say is third time lucky! The gold nugget variety is planted in both the glasshouse and the raised beds and certainly lives up to its name.
Chef Katie Sanderson takes the golden produce and resists the temptation to simply boil the cob before adding butter but she shares a recipe for some delicious sweetcorn fritters with tamarind and Chipotle yoghurt served with lots of lime.
Michael visits a friend’s garden to share slug stories and compare their tried and tested non-toxic ways of dealing with this garden pest. And Mick and Karen are hugely inspired by the Dublin Fire Service water harvesting programme which has seen a cost saving of our one million euro for the service. Karen heads to Kilbarrack Fire Station in Dublin to check out the incredible water harvesting programme that has helped the Dublin Fire Service’ cost efficiency.
Karen says, ”In 2018 we saw Ireland experience drought conditions over the summer and this highlighted the importance of not only water conservation but also the importance of Water Harvesting. From harvesting at home to harvesting on a whole other level we want to show what can be achieved when you think green.”
The GreenPlan started off in Kilbarrack Fire Station Dublin in 2008 as an idea to use behavioural change to tackle Climate Change. The Crew used The GreenPlan to; reduce Energy usage and Emissions, Water intake and return, waste in all its forms including air leakage, build allotments and engage the local community as champions of sustainable development. The knock on effects improved morale and made the Station a better place to work in.
By 2012 the Station was recognised internationally as the worlds first carbon neutral fire station and had reduced its energy spend by over 80% that’s almost €50,000 per year. The savings were reinvested in other Fire Stations across Dublin and by 2016 Dublin Fire Brigade had reduced its total energy spend by 44%. That’s €11m in utility savings.
The Stations downpipes were removed and all the water from the roof space is collected through a pumping system and sent to a 3,000 ltr storage tank. The tank fills the Fire Engines 1800 litre tank and is used to tackle local fires.
‘GROW COOK EAT’ is a very practical series, aimed at helping people with little or no knowledge of growing their own food. As well as the step-by-step guides to growing vegetables, the series showcases features on water harvesting and improving soil fertility.
The show is anchored at the home of GIY, at Grow HQ in Waterford City and each week the TV show also sees presenters Michael Kelly and Karen O’Donohoe travel to meet and visit expert food producers, chefs, and community food growing projects all across the country, plus delicious menu ideas will be shared weekly by Chef Katie Sanderson.
GROW COOK EAT airs each Wednesday evening at 8.30pm on RTE until April 24th; the show is sponsored by Bord Bia and StopFoodWaste.ie. For further details, the veg growing guides, lots of extra recipes and more info on each episode visit http://growcookeat.ie/
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