10 Things to Know About — Season 8

As the global population rises, questions are being asked as to how we can continue to feed the planet with more sustainable food products and behaviours. Could the answer be the humble insect? Insects have a high protein content and carbon-friendly breeding methods, and with three types of insects already in use in the EU, Jonathan checks out the latest Irish research into edible insects and does some taste testing at the National Ploughing Championships to see if members of the public might be open to adding crickets to their cornflakes!

For a small island nation, we are heavy hitters when it comes to sports. The country cheered on Kellie Harrington as she won gold in the Olympics, the Irish rugby team as they won a historic match (and series!) against the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time and who could forget Rachael Blackmore winning the Aintree Grand National?

Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and has been cultivated in Ireland for over 1,000 years. Unfortunately, cannabis became synonymous with marijuana. During the US war on drugs in the 20th century, cannabis became outlawed, meaning hemp was also affected.

In 2019, a third of our waste, 1.2 million tonnes, was exported for recycling. However, once it leaves our shores, we don't know where it ends up and have no control over whether it's even recycled. The current system is not sustainable… but what if, what we're throwing away as "waste", is not just salvageable, but rich in resources?

We're all making concerted efforts to adopt greener lifestyles, however it can take an immediate crisis to make us aware of the vulnerability of our energy sources.  The war in Ukraine has seen fuel prices soar to unprecedented highs with warnings of rolling cuts to heat and electricity over winter.

We meet researchers across the west coast of Ireland who are collaborating to improve access to Mental Health services for adolescents in rural and marginalised communities. We'll also meet the Irish researchers studying zebrafish to explore whether the microbiome can affect hormones like oxytocin and identify mechanisms which could lead to better understanding and management of mental health illness.