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CLIMATE MINISTER Richard Bruton won’t be cutting down on meat this Christmas but he says he has become “much more conscious” of living sustainably.
This is Bruton’s second Christmas as Minister for Climate Action. He told TheJournal.ie that since taking up this job “I have become much more conscious of the bad habits that needlessly damage our environment”.
The minister, who attended the UN Climate Summit in New York in September, said he’d be trying to cut down on food waste during the festive season.
The government has drawn repeated criticism for not doing enough to combat climate change. Earlier this year, Varadkar admitted that Ireland was a “laggard” on the issue, while in October the government faced scrutiny over plans for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Kerry.
Last January, Varadkar found himself criticised by farmers and questioned by rural TDs when he told his party that he was eating less meat because of climate change concerns.
Bruton, who has previously spoken of changing some of his behaviour since becoming minister, has suggested he will be making small changes to his Christmas plans in the name of sustainability.
He also offered some tips for other people too.
“Don’t cook for an army or heap up plates in an effort to be generous. Make a shopping list before going to the supermarket and don’t overstock on basics,” Bruton said.
He said that he’d be shopping local this year. “Buy local and in season. I get most of my fish from Wrights in Howth, near where I live,” he said.
Bruton, a cooking fan who regularly posts recipes on Instagram, said that he planned to do plenty of cooking this Christmas.
“Christmas is a time for cooking,” he said. “Stock made from turkey bones is to die for – boil rice in it instead of water or use it in sauces.”
For environmentally conscious shoppers, Bruton suggested buying Seville oranges, which are “in season and you can keep them in store”.
He also recommended baking at home instead of buying from shops.
“It’s a hundred times better than store bought and can be froze,” he said.
Bruton said that he’s now thinking more carefully about what he buys as presents at Christmas.
“This year I think I’ll lean more towards ‘experiences’ rather than objects that have a risk of being discarded,” he said.
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When life gives you lemons.
Vote them out.
@Gerard Casserly: No, you make lemonade. Or slice them for a G&T. ;-)
It’s Christmas Day gives a break from millionaire politicians
@TM B: recommends baking at home during worst homeless crisis. Jesus wept. Would have been better to have avoided this by talking about his record on climate change. Admittedly a shorter article but I don’t think anybody would mind that
@alan: so because some people are homeless we should avoid all mention of homes. Give it an rest will you. At that rate we shouldn’t mention loved ones because some dont have them. We shouldn’t mention working hard at your job because some are unemployed. We shouldn’t mention having fun because some are depressed.
€121,000,000 Already spent on carbon credits because Fine Gael don’t care about the environment.. so no, I don’t care what type or oranges the minister bought
@Kev: CO2 is essential for all life on Earth. As a result of anthropogenic sources and the increase in atmospheric CO2, the earth is greening with vegetation flourishing in arid conditions throughout the world.
It is the scam of the millennium by the banksters and globalists to have commodified a load of hot air.
The scam is masterful when the only pubic grievance is not that the entire operation is an epic fraud but rather that we are not operating within the parameters and complying sufficiently within the scam they have set for us.
@Kev: You have to wonder what turkey (pun intended) signed us up for that, and who exactly did we make the cheque payable to?, and did we get a nice shiny certificate to hang on the wall
@John Kennedy: the world John, the world signed up for that at 3 separate summits overs the past 3 decades. Dope
@Kev: given you expertise in this area can you answer the questions I posed?.
@Rob Porter: You were told before. Assertions without evidence are dismissed without evidence. Your silly childish assertions are dismissed.
@John Kennedy: I see you are still struggling with the facts John. Not something that you can be proud of.
@SteoG: lol
@SteoG: what facts would they be?, can you answer my questions
@Rob Porter: You obviously laugh at your own stupidity. Though it is amusing that you do not realise that.
@John Kennedy: The established scientific facts. You know the facts established over a century ago. The facts you ignored when you search for denier rubbish. The facts that no one has challenged with any scientific evidence.
What has your questions to do with anything? Why would I want to waste my time on them when you have already made up your own mind with fallacy and pseudo science.
By the way after further investigation I withdraw my opinions of Heller. He is a clown. He is into chemtrails conspiracies and other conspiracy nonsense.
@SteoG: Steo
Happy Christmas
@SteoG: as I thought, long on mouth, short on answers, can you answer the questions I posed, who signed us up to pay 121 million, who did we pay it to, did we get a receipt, and if we did, from whom?
@Kev: We are the dopes. How stupid we will look in generations to come. Emotional reactions. No facts. NON. Lowest point sending a mentally challenged young girl to cry and whinge about us taking her future away. What idiots we are.
His second Christmas as Minister……he will be like the turkey…he won’t see next Christmas as minister
All fine and dandy if everyone started baking at home until factories start shutting down and jobs are lost .
@Quentin Moriarty: less cooking skills = more jobs is the funniest argument against basic life skills I’ve ever heard
hey look! a politician that is suddenly interested in a popular concern of mainly young people. he must be cool.
Don’t give this tool one bit of heed, He is a blueshirt, and we all know what they stand for, – The BIG Farmers of Ireland and the Very Wealthy,- that is their concern. Bruton was reared on a huge farm around Dunboyne, educated in Clongoose, far removed from the ordinary peasants, and he is still far removed . Time to give them the road.
Ffs can we not have a day without being reminded that these jokers are responsible for the current misery going on this country of ours ,spin ,spin and more spin.
Nimbyism par excellance, coming fom a family of beef barons.
This Minister has not excelled at anything, despite numerous appointments, seems to be just sliddering along to a hefty pension.
The best that can be said about his political career is that he had had no impact at all, so hopefully the environment will not be impacted negatively.
For a fellow who is steeped in agriculture to make a statement such as was attributed to him. There is very little hope for our country. Is he another bandwagon man??
2021.
Leo gone to a country with an underground. Noveney as Tanaiste. Dooda as Taoiseach.
Cant wait.
@Padraic O Sullivan: hey Padraic. Have you had your cherry trifle a bit earlier than usual ? :) :)
That the bloke that signed off on them dodge schools and flipped his post to dodge the flack..
Dustin brutal.
He’s such a crusty like
Hilarious a multi millionaire son of a cattle baron telling us how to live, but joke is kn him this time in a few weeks he is out of office so let’s hang on
Go away Bruton
Is this idiot telling me how to plan for christmas. They couldn’t buy a printer, do broadband cheap, or build a hospital, and they are telling me how to buy.
He’s such a crusty like
Ah Dicky, you aul spoofer !
“i have become much more conscious of the bad habits that needlessly damage our environment ” says the minister WHO ATTENDED A CLIMATE CONTROL MEETING IN NEW YORK IN SEPTEMBER ” ever hear of video conferencing there minister ? how much ‘carbon footprint’ did that meeting leave then ?
richard by name – dick by nature !
he’d be the biggest turkey at the table !
have your say