Green Monday at the UCD Vet School

The third Monday in January is widely considered (according to the Internet anyway) to be the most depressing day of the year. The buzz of Christmas has subsided, New Year’s resolutions have been broken, and bank accounts are running dry. Not to mention the fact that, in Ireland anyway, the days are short, dark, cold and wet. Our UCD School of Veterinary Medicine Sustainability Group decided to beat the January blues by replacing the dreaded Blue Monday with a much more enjoyable alternative: “Green Monday”, in which vet school staff and students prepared delicious plant-based dishes to share at a free Pot Luck event.

While many studies suggest that plant-based foods often have a lower environmental footprint than animal products, the overall sustainability of any diet depends on how and where food is produced. That said, it’s important to recognise that there are genuine health benefits to a diet rich in vegetables and fruits. Additionally, plant-based proteins like tofu, lentils and beans are affordable and easy to toss into a curry or stir fry. And while the statistics differ from place to place, the production of meat, dairy and eggs is often a resource-intensive enterprise, and reducing their consumption, while incorporating sustainability into farming practices, would likely be good news all round for humans, animals and the planet.

Dr. Bridget Hogg, Senior Technical Officer and Sustainability Group member, was the driving force behind the organisation of the event. Our members volunteered to prepare various dishes, and cutlery, plates, mugs and glasses were stealthily procured from various corners of the vet school, so that disposable plastic and cardboard could be avoided. We also availed of items from the University’s ToGo scheme, where students and staff can pay a small deposit to borrow reusable plastic cups and bowls and return them after use. Recipes were shared on our group’s Padlet site, meaning attendees could recreate their own culinary masterpieces at home. Some of the delicacies on offer included dhal, bean chilli, blueberry muffins, chocolate brownies, an assortment of salads and even vegan nachos. Students were lured into Room 101 by the snacks and stayed for the chats, as well as to partake in a game of Bin Pong, in which table tennis balls were flung enthusiastically into bins from a distance (this was part of our effort to promote our “ban the bin” campaign, replacing office wastepaper baskets with communal recycling facilities, but it was also a lot of fun). Thanks to the help of our team, the clean-up was relatively quick and painless, and thanks to the quality of the fare on offer, food waste was minimal.

Sustainability can be a heavy topic to discuss, but events like these foster teamwork, community and bring a bit of joy to everyone’s day, whilst raising awareness of our responsibilities as vets and scientists to the planet. We counted the day as a big success, one that we’ll definitely repeat next January. We strongly encourage other organisations to have a go at a similar event- after all, the way to the heart is via the stomach (just don’t tell the Anatomy department).

Many thanks to The Happy Pear Cafe and Professor Rory Breathnach (Dean of the UCD Vet School) for sponsorship of this event.