The podcast begins with a discussion around the connection between sustainability and healthcare and how a person's environment (home, transport options, socioeconomic status) influences their health and well-being. Catherine talks about her work with colleagues which aims to bring environmental perspectives into their disciplinary practices, referencing a module on social work and the environment that is delivered as part of the Masters of Social Work for the past two years, developed by Mary Hurley and Dr Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin.
Following this, Angela discusses the issue of single use waste production in healthcare, particularly in recent years due to the Covid pandemic. Catherine moves on to talk about the response of students when integrating sustainability into her modules and programmes, and the importance of learning from students involved with environmental campaigns and groups. Next, the role of social workers as activists and agitators is explored alongside the rise in engagement with environmental education. Finally, Catherine and Angela finish the podcast by discussing how they’re working to equip educators with the necessary tools to integrate environmental education into their teachings.