As an Environmental Psychologist, Cassandra Murphy is a PhD researcher and educator dedicated to understanding the profound bond between people and the natural world. Her work explores how building a relationship with nature can enhance human well-being and inspire sustainable behaviours.

Cassie advocates for recognizing personal definitions of nature and integrating simple, daily practices to enhance this relationship. She emphasizes the importance of re-establishing a relationship with nature, likening it to human friendships, and suggests that small, incremental steps can help individuals reconnect.

The conversation covers the psychological benefits and harms of nature connection, the concept of solastalgia, and strategies for coping with eco-anxiety.

This episode also includes a series of vox pop with audience members of Earth Rising.

Recorded at the Earth Rising Festival 2025, IMMA, Dublin.

Host: Dr Dave Robbins

Editor & Producer: Louise Romain

Music credits: No Home by John Hayes, Small Steps by Simon Folwar, Ocean by Corals

Intro and outro: Like Flying by Danijel Zambo

John teaches Green Political Economy and co-directs the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queens Belfast University. He is also the Co-Chair of the Belfast Climate Commission, which translates climate policy into on-the-ground action to achieve the UK Government’s net-zero emissions target by 2050.

In this episode, John introduces the concept of political economy, arguing that economics cannot be separated from politics and power. He dives into the impacts of capitalism on the ecological and climate crises, and advocates for bringing ethics and politics into economic discussion.

Barry critiques the academic sector's response to the climate crisis, arguing for a more integrated and mandatory approach to educating students on these issues. He discusses the psychological and emotional impacts of climate change education, advocating for a combination of cognitive knowledge, practical action, and emotional engagement.

The conversation also touches on Barry's criticism of current green politics, his potential political aspirations as a Councillor, and the need for a justice transformation approach to address the climate crisis comprehensively. The interview concludes with a call to action, encouraging revolutionary change and active hope to combat climate challenges.

This episode also includes a vox pop with an audience member of Earth Rising.

Recorded at the Earth Rising Festival 2025, IMMA, Dublin.

Host: Dr Dave Robbins

Editor & Producer: Louise Romain

Music credits: The Last Prophecy by Alex Besss; No Alibi by Little Planet; Dark Lake by Simon Folwar; You Didn’t Say Goodbye by Abstract Aprils

Intro and outro: Like Flying by Danijel Zambo

john gerrard is a contemporary artist, whose sculptures and installations take the form of digital simulations displayed using real-time computer graphics. gerrard’s practice draws on technology originally developed for military and gaming use, which he adapts to create slow, meditative portraits of industrial landscapes and ecological change.

Often set in remote or symbolic locations, these works hold a mirror to systems of extraction, labour and environmental breakdown. His works unfold continuously, often depicting quiet, looping scenes that reflect on energy, power and the climate crisis.

This interview with the artist details his career and the evolution of his work from the early series 'Smoke Trees' to his prominent piece 'Western Flag.' john discusses how his interest in industrial and environmental themes, specifically the impact of fossil fuels, led him to explore the materiality and environmental presence in his art.

He draws a parallel between industrial agriculture and digital infrastructures, and emphasizes the theme of 'power' in his art, encompassing energy, dominance, and influence. John also reflects on the challenges and ethical considerations of using digital technology in his artwork and expresses an interest in future projects focusing on wind energy in Ireland.

Recorded at the Earth Rising Festival 2025, IMMA, Dublin.

Host: Dr Dave Robbins

Editor & Producer: Louise Romain

Music credits: Blob by Moire; Wild West by Alex Besss; Hypnopompia and Lamento by Adrian Ehrlich; Wilderness by The Wayward Hearts.

Intro and outro: Like Flying by Danijel Zambo

Sarah O'Neill is a passionate and innovative fashion designer, and a consultant at The Zero Waster, a platform dedicated to promoting sustainable and zero-waste practices within the fashion industry.

In this episode, Sarah shares about her journey and inspirations in sustainable fashion. With her extensive background in apparel design, she leverages her expertise in sustainable design and product development to create clothing that not only meets aesthetic standards but also aligns with the principles of a circular economy, for example through using reclaimed fabrics.

The discussion covers the challenges of identifying genuinely sustainable brands, the importance of local production, and the creative potential of natural dyes. Sarah also talks about the growth of Dublin Independent Fashion Week, its role in supporting Irish designers, and the need for local manufacturing to make sustainable fashion more accessible.

The episode concludes with a conversation about the broader implications of sustainability in everyday life. Sarah is deeply engaged in brand awareness campaigns to educate consumers about the benefits of ethical fashion and has been recognised for her contributions, including winning the Sustainable Design Award at the IDI Awards in 2022.

Recorded at the Earth Rising Festival 2025, IMMA, Dublin.

Host: Dr Dave Robbins

Editor & Producer: Louise Romain

Music credits: Cutie by Sky Gienger; Eclipse by Moire; Network by Ill Kitchen; Gigil by Ten String Story

Intro and outro: Like Flying by Danijel Zambo

Jon is the author of ‘CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us’ and dedicates himself to sharing about the emergence of a Citizen Future. As a public speaker and a strategist, he supports leaders who understand the scale of the transformation we need and who are willing to play their part, and he plays a key role as a connector between institutions, community groups and social movements.

In this episode, Jon first discusses his career transition from advertising to co-founding the New Citizen Project with Irenie Ekkeshis in 2014, a consultancy aimed at transforming the societal role of individuals from consumers to engaged citizens.

He explores the concept of citizenship as an active practice rather than a static status, emphasizing the importance of collective intelligence and local community actions in addressing major issues like climate change and biodiversity loss.

Jon advocates for participatory democracy and deeper, more inclusive narratives that validate and platform community efforts, such as the wind energy project in Lawrence Weston, Bristol. He provides various international examples such as Taiwan’s COVID response and Norway’s crowdsourced investment strategies, where leaders embrace collective agency.

The discussion also touches on the potential of small yet significant shifts in narrative and policy to mobilize public engagement and trust.

Jon is also a member of the Global Advisor Network of the ⁠⁠Apolitical Foundation⁠⁠, where he led extensive work on Democratic Innovation. He is also on the Advisory Council of ⁠⁠DemocracyNext⁠⁠, an organisation he helped found as one of the original Strategic Advisors, and on the Leadership Council of the ⁠⁠Democracy and Culture Foundation⁠⁠. He is also a Fellow of the ⁠⁠Young Foundation⁠⁠, a Visiting Fellow at the University of Manchester, and an Associate at the Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

This episode also includes a series of vox pop with audience members of Earth Rising.

Recorded at the Earth Rising Festival 2025, IMMA, Dublin.

Host: Dr Dave Robbins

Editor & Producer: Louise Romain

Music credits: Resurgence by Simon Folwar; Zenith by Shane Mckenna

YouTube clip: ‘How we got a wind turbine’ by Ambition Lawrence Weston

Intro and outro: Like Flying by Danijel Zambo

Lisa serves as the Strategy and Sustainability lead at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). She integrates long-term vision with environmental and social responsibility, ensuring sustainability is embedded at the heart of the museum.

Each year, she organises the museum’s flagship festival Earth Rising: an ambitious platform exploring the intersection of contemporary art, ecological innovation, and community resilience.

In this episode, she explains what it takes to curate the annual Earth Rising Festival and to steer the museum towards a regenerative approach beyond mere sustainability. Lisa highlights the challenges posed by the art institution's carbon footprint and the impact of storytelling through art.

The discussion also touches upon the Culture Declares Emergency initiative and Lisa's holistic vision for IMMA's role in community engagement, biodiversity, and critical thinking for future generations.

She explores how creativity can engage audiences on difficult topics such as the Earth Crisis in a way that speaks truth to reality, whilst also sparking hope and optimism.

Recorded at the Earth Rising Festival 2025, IMMA, Dublin.

Host: Dr Dave Robbins

Editor & Producer: Louise Romain

Music credits: Rain drops by Simon Folwar; Swimming by Torus

Intro and outro: Like Flying by Danijel Zambo

This episode links eco-anxiety with the ocean by virtue of our two contributors whose work and play centers around the ocean. They are Linzi Hawkin, surfer and co-founder of Project Blue and fellow surfer Easkey Britton, an author and social scientist. In this thought provoking episode we hear about what eco-anxiety is and how to deal with it, the role of the ocean in our health and wellbeing and what the ocean can teach us in today's often challenging world.

Host: Dr. Dave Robbins, School of Communications DCU

Guest Interviewer: Pat Brereton, Professor Emeritus DCU

Guests:

Linzi Hawkin, Co-founder and Advocate at Project Blue, Surfer

Easkey Britton, Author, Social Scientist and Surfer

This episode was recorded at IMMA at the Earth Rising Festival 2023

The media have often being criticisd for their role in climate change inaction, and their framing of the climate change discourse is regularly called into question. In this episode of Code Red we bring you a panel discussion which took place during the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Earth Rising Festival where our host, Dr. David Robbins discussed the challenges that environmental journalists face when delivering climate change stories to the Irish public.

Host: Dr. Dave Robbins, School of Communications DCU

Guests: Caroline O' Doherty, Irish Independent

Rosalind Skillen, Belfast Telegraph

John Gibbons, Irish Examiner and Environmental Campaigner

This episode was recorded at IMMA at the Earth Rising Festival 2023