Category Archives: Media
Climate denial and the ‘white male effect’
In recent months I’ve found myself in a bit of a running battle with some of Ireland’s leading (I use the word advisedly) climate contrarians. It stems back to the inaugural meeting of the so-called Irish Climate Science Forum in … Continue reading
A goose wrapped in tinfoil, pushed further into oven each year
Earlier in July, New York magazine ran a thumping article titled ‘The Uninhabitable Earth‘, by writer David Wallace-Wells. It was a meticulously researched piece of long-form journalism, based on an extensive review of the scientific literature as well as interviews with leading … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Psychology, Sceptics
Tagged David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine
5 Comments
An outside view on Ireland’s ‘climate action’
Below, my article, as published last week on the Guardian – my first article on what is arguably the world’s foremost news media source for environment and climate news and opinion. Having been banging on about these issues domestically for … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability
Tagged Denis Naughten, emissions, Food Wise 2025, Guardian
4 Comments
Irish Farmers Journal: fearlessly on the side of fake news
Back in the 1970s, there was striking advertising poster in Kilkenny Mart featuring a powerfully built bull with a ring through its nose. The unsubtle slogan: ‘No bull in the Irish Farmers Journal’. The old Kilkenny Mart building is long … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics
Tagged ICSF, Irish Farmers Journal, Junk science, Matt Dempsey, Ray Bates
13 Comments
Doubling down on climate denial: ICSF hosts Happer
Below, my latest article on Desmog.uk, covering the recent ultra low-key visit of well known climate contrarian, William Happer to Dublin. Publication was delayed by around a week as Desmog turned its editorial focus to the UK elections – including … Continue reading
Posted in Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics
Tagged Gerald Fleming, ICSF, Met Eireann, methane, Ray Bates, William Happer
1 Comment
The ICSF – Irish Contrarians Serving Farming?
When I first heard about the newly formed climate denier group, the self-styled Irish Climate Science Forum (ICSF), I tipped off my usual Dublin media outlets, but nobody was biting, so from there, I went to the London-based Desmog.uk, part … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics
Tagged agriculture, climate denial, ICSF, Matt Dempsey, Ray Bates, Richard Lindzen
8 Comments
Dad’s Army of climate deniers rallies in Dublin
My piece below, as published last Friday on the respected climate science website, Desmog.uk. As outlined below, I was tipped off about the meeting early last week, and wrote to the organiser, Jim O’Brien, who informed me I would not … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics
Tagged climate denial, ICSF, Ray Bates, Richard Lindzen
8 Comments
Engineer Trump leads Human race to the bottom
Below, my article, as it appears in the current edition of Village magazine (ok, apart from adding in the referencing, there were a few other tweaks and alternate adjectives I had probably wished I’d completed with for one final round … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Psychology, Sceptics
Tagged EPA, GOP, Obamacare, Putin, Trump
10 Comments
Dublin airport censorship just doesn’t fly
There is a rich irony in the fact that an airline company sponsors the weather on RTÉ Radio One, with its ‘smart flies Aer Lingus’ tagline transmitted into a million homes, on the hour, every hour. After all, aviation is … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media
Tagged Advertising, An Taisce, censorship, Dublin Airport Authority
6 Comments
Time to push fossil fuel sponsorship beyond the Pale
Below, my article, as it appeared in the Irish Times earlier this month. Having had family members as past winners of the Texaco Children’s Art Competition made me leery about taking on writing about this long-running sponsorship, but then I … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media
Tagged divestment, greenwashing, Rex Tillerson, sponsorship, Texaco, Valero
Leave a comment
A wealthy, kick-ass climate NGO: what are the odds?
There is never a shortage of stupid things to do with money, especially if you suddenly find yourself with loads of it. US socialite Theresa Roemer, for instance has a three-storey, 3,000-square foot closet; that’s a space twice the size of … Continue reading
Toothless watchdog lets its Standards slip
{PROLOGUE} LOCATION: Bord Na Mona conference room* DATE: Early 2016. TOPIC: Ad planning meeting (*fictional) BnaM Marketing Exec: ‘I’ll cut to the chase. Here’s the challenge: we’re a company that, pound for pound, is the biggest polluter in Ireland. We’ve wrecked … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability
Tagged ASAI, Bord na Mona, Greenwash, peat
18 Comments
A crisis in media and climate communication
Overlaying the climate crunch, there is a parallel full-blown crisis, in Ireland and elsewhere in the Anglophone world in climate change communications. This will not be news to regular visitors to this blog, but happily, there is now a lot … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability
Tagged Media, Oxford, research, RTE
4 Comments
Raising the bar on climate change coverage in Ireland
I’ve often wondered aloud what it might be like to live in a place and in a time where climate change, the world’s biggest, baddest and most persistent crisis, was given media coverage something even vaguely approaching its actual significance. … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media
Tagged Denis Naughten, Irish Independent, Media
2 Comments
Welcome to the Climate Madhouse
Below my article, as published in the September edition of ‘Village’ magazine IMAGINE for a moment the dilemma: you’re a celebrated climatologist whose work has helped shaped the modern science of climate change. In the course of your work, you … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Sceptics
Tagged Climate deniers, hockey stick, Michael Mann
1 Comment
