Author Archives: John Gibbons
A greener Apple
Computers, monitors and associated gizmos are no friends of the environment. Frequent manufacturer upgrades lead to constant pressure on users to trade up to the ‘latest and greatest’ model. In some cases, you actually have little choice but to upgrade, … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged Apple, arsenic, chemicals, environment, Greenpeace, laptop, PVC
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Wising up to the reality of biofuels
The EU is next week due to propose a ban on imports of many kinds of biofuels. If approved by European governments, the law would prohibit importing fuels made from crops grown on certain kinds of land – including grasslands, … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Sustainability
Tagged Biofuels, carbon, climate, Duncan Stewart
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But they said it couldn’t happen…
When you follow climate issues, prepare to be confronted with bad news, lots of it. But no matter how bad things seem to be getting, at least some things are reassuringly constant. Things like Antarctica. This frozen continent is so … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged Antarctic, global warming, Greenland, ice melt, sea level rise
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Flights of fancy on Irish emissions control
“The recent conference in Bali gave us hope that we can construct an effective, concerted response (to climate change) for nothing less will guarantee the safe future of all our children and our earth”. That’s how President Mary McAleese addressed … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability
Tagged air travel, carbon, emissions, Kyoto, Sustainability, transport
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Who’s the real enemy in the nuclear war?
Four years ago, in January 2004, what was then a startling claim was made by the UK Government’s chief scientific adviser. Climate change was a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism, according to Sir David King. He … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Nuclear, Sustainability
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11th Hour – or 12th?
First, there was Al Gore and his ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, the hugely successful documentary film which managed to bring climate science to the masses. That film turned a washed up politician into a movie star. Now a bona fide movie … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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Driving off the deep end
The motor industry, in its own odd, self-serving way, has begun to notice that there’s more demand from consumers for vehicles that may be just a little less environmentally disastrous than what they’ve been churning out for the last number … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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Media and climate – part of the solution, or the problem?
2007 was a watershed year in media coverage of global warming/climate change. It is the year these topics finally went mainstream. The Sunday Times led the charge last March with a cracking cover to its Magazine, entitled ‘Tomorrow’s World’.
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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World’s worst climate vandal enters his final year
“If we can make it through the next 379 days without getting into nuclear war, historians writing 100 years from now will begin their assessment of George W. Bush, not at all kindly, by identifying him as the United States … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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Welcome to the Anthropocene
Nobel laureate Paul J. Crutzen isn’t exactly a household name in Ireland. The former chief of atmospheric chemistry at the Max-Planck Institute in Germany coined the phrase ‘Anthropocene’ at a meeting of scientists in 2000. What it means, literally, is … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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A nuclear 2008?
As the dust settles on the Christmas period, an interesting contribution on the nuclear debate in Ireland (what debate? You might well ask) comes from David Begg, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). As everyone in … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Nuclear
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All I want for Christmas…
‘Dear Santa, My name is Reece Martin. I am 7 years old. I have been a good boy for my Mam and Dad. This year I would really like a black PSP Wipeout Pulse and ratchet and clank for the … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability
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Cutting our car-borne emissions won’t be easy
Two interesting car-related events today. First, the European Union announced its plans to crack down on high-emitting vehicles, with direct penalties on carmakers who continue to churn out gas-guzzlers. This was announced on the day that this correspondent finally placed … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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After Bali, a warming world on thin ice
After all the histrionics, eventually a roadmap of sorts was agreed at the UN climate conference in Bali. This roadmap first leads to Poznan in Poland in a year’s time, and then on to Copenhagen in late 2009 – that’s … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
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