Category Archives: Sustainability

Species Extinction, loss of biodiversity

More power to us if we choose nuclear option

Posted on August 25, 2011 by John Gibbons

Time to shake the ‘drill baby, drill’ debate on Ireland’s energy future up a little? here’s my piece in today’s Irish Times OPINION: Instead of seeking partners to exploit hoped-for offshore fossil fuel resources, Ireland should consider building some medium-sized … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, Sustainability | Tagged Fintan O'Toole, Fukushima, Irish Times, nuclear, radiation | 17 Comments

Survival of the fairest?

Posted on July 4, 2011 by John Gibbons

Greed, in the immortal words of Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street, is good. Or, as we were told over and over again in this country during the heady days of the Bubble, we just needed to free our … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Economics, Global Warming, Psychology, Sustainability | Tagged economics, hubris, inequality, New York Times, wealth | 8 Comments

The decline and fall of the Human Empire

Posted on June 11, 2011 by John Gibbons

Below is my article, as it appears over four pages in the current edition of ‘Village’ magazine: Doomsday cults are as old as human civilisation. The Bible is a rich sourcebook for ‘End Times’ enthusiasts, who pore over Iron Age … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Economics, Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability | Tagged Armageddon, CO2, Peak Oil, Village | 13 Comments

In the world, at the limits to growth

Posted on June 7, 2011 by David Korowicz

By David Korowicz* We imagine this country is in crisis, yet crisis is relative. Most people in the world would envy our material austerity and be thankful for our endlessly ‘collapsing’ health service. But, with our expectations thwarted and in … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Energy, Global Warming, Sustainability | Tagged collapse, David Korowicz, Feasta, Peak Oil, Sustainability | 4 Comments

Could climate change be linked to freak weather? Never!

Posted on June 1, 2011 by John Gibbons

By Bill McKibben* Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Sceptics, Sustainability | Tagged bill mcKibben, tornado | 3 Comments

Tipping the Scales towards Sustainability

Posted on May 19, 2011 by John Gibbons

The Stockholm Memorandum – 3rd Nobel Laureate Symposium* on Global Sustainability, Stockholm, Sweden, 16-19 May 2011 I. Mind-shift for a Great Transformation The Earth system is complex. There are many aspects that we do not yet understand. However, we are … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Sustainability | 5 Comments

2084: An Oral History of the Great Warming

Posted on May 12, 2011 by John Gibbons

“Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future”, the famous Danish physicist Niels Bohr once quipped, only half in jest. Scientists, as we know, are a dry lot, preferring to leave the purple prose to the scribes while they pore … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Sceptics, Sustainability | 21 Comments

Fukushima a godsend for anti-nuclear bandwagon

Posted on March 22, 2011 by John Gibbons

I’ve been following the unfolding nuclear “crisis” in Japan with growing alarm. People who call themselves environmentalists have been jumping up and down with thinly disguised glee, pointing and waving and saying: “there, we warned you, nuclear is GONNA KILL … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, Sustainability | Tagged Coal, earthquake, Energy, Fukushima, Japan, nuclear, radiation, tsunami | 45 Comments

Fine Gael and climate change – what’s the story?

Posted on February 17, 2011 by John Gibbons

Fine Gael will almost certainly comprise all or most of the incoming government, therefore what they have to say about policy matters a hell of a lot more than FF, Sinn Fein or the Greens, none of whom are likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged climate, election, Fine Gael, policy | 13 Comments

A Climate Bill Post-Mortem

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Tara Connolly

Now that the Climate Change Response Bill 2010 has officially been consigned to the scrap heap, it is a good time to take stock of how the public debate around the Bill played out. As has already been discussed on … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged abatement, farming, IBEC, ICMSA, IEA, IFA, Oil, SEAI, Teagasc, Voiceireland.org | 11 Comments

Mary Robinson – Reshaping the debate on climate change

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Paddy Morris

For those of you who missed it in November, Mary Robinson’s lecture ‘Reshaping the debate on climate change’ is available to watch on YouTube now: John has covered this lecture in a previous post, which I have taken the liberty … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability | 11 Comments

Denial and self-interested delusion on Climate Bill

Posted on January 14, 2011 by John Gibbons

The prolific US author, Upton Sinclair was a shrewd observer of human nature, as evidenced in his classic retort to vested interests: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged Climate Bill, Danny McCoy, farming, Gavin Harte, IBEC, IFA | 14 Comments

Septic tanks: another nettle in the long grass

Posted on December 7, 2010 by James Nix

It’s now more than a year since the European Court of Justice condemned Ireland for its dysfunctional approach to waste water treatment at some 500,000 premises across the State. While work is underway to address the judgment, it will now … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged EU law, septic tanks, Village Magazine, waste water treatment | 2 Comments

As Cancun begins, deep pessimism abounds

Posted on November 29, 2010 by John Gibbons

Frank McDonald has a timely overview of state of near-paralysis that has engulfed global efforts to arrest climate change in today’s Irish Times (including a good plug for ThinkOrSwim), though I might quibble with the statement: “many scientists now say … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged Antarctic, Cancun, CO2, Frank McDonald, Greenland | 5 Comments

Calling the media to account for climate change coverage

Posted on November 26, 2010 by John Gibbons

Based on measurements for the first ten months of this year, 2010 is now reckoned to be tied with the scorching 1998 as the two hottest years globally since reliable record-keeping began in 1850. This of course is on top … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics, Sustainability | 11 Comments