In the 2019 season of RTÉ’s long-standing series Eco Eye, Duncan Stewart is joined by ecologist Anja Murray and Dr. Lara Dungan as they investigate critical environmental issues.

Last year, RTÉ News reported that Christian Aid had published a report stating that 10 of the most destructive droughts, floods, fires, typhoons and hurricanes in 2018 caused damage of more than $1bn (€878m). All of which were linked to climate change caused by humans, the report argued.

With this in mind, it is encouraging to see the Eco Eye team dedicating their newest series to investigating where climate change is headed, what it means for Ireland and what exactly we can do about it. 

In tonight's episode, Anja Murray investigates pollinators (a creature that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower) and the pesticides, pollution, habitat loss and climate change that threaten them.

Bee pollination is responsible for much of the world’s food production, without bees much of our food production systems would collapse.

In Ireland alone, over half the native species have declined since the 1980s, with 30% now facing extinction. So what can we do to help save these tiny yet essential creatures?

Anja speaks with experts including botanist Jane Stout and Dr. Dara Stanley to find out the gravity of the situation, learning about the impacts of pesticides, human activity and climate change on our pollinators.

Finally, we will look at citizen scientist projects such as the National Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme with National Biodiversity Centre, where volunteers scour the countryside counting bees to verify their numbers. But can these endeavours make a difference?

Watch Eco Eye on Tuesday 8th January, 7PM, RTÉ One ’