Category Archives: Sustainability
Science trumps journalism
Article below appears in the current edition of ‘Village’ magazine. It is a response of sorts to an unusually poor contribution in a previous edition by a journalism lecturer in an article purporting to offer critical insights into the interplay … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability
16 Comments
A new champion for climate justice
Below is the interview as published over two pages in the main section of yesterday’s Sunday Tribune: Mary Robinson doesn’t scare easily. In the course of more than four decades in public life, it’s easy to forget that she has … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sceptics, Sustainability
11 Comments
Two scientists, a journalist and a duck
In an episode of the acerbic TV series, Yes Minister, The Minister for Administrative Affairs has to respond to an awkward scientific finding (smoking causing lung cancer, or something similar). His cynical senior civil servant, Sir Humphrey has the perfect advice: … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Sustainability
2 Comments
Six degrees to annihilation
Below is a news feature as appears on page 14 of this weekend’s Sunday Tribune. Given that global emissions are and will continue to run at or perhaps beyond the IPCC’s ‘worst-case’ (A1F1) scenario, I felt it useful to try … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Irish Focus, Sustainability
42 Comments
For whom the (Angelus) bell tolls
Now here’s a genuinely novel idea. “Religious leaders need to be held accountable for their ideas. In my state of Arizona, Sister Margaret McBride, a senior administrator at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, recently authorised a legal abortion to save … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
29 Comments
Driving an Electric Car
I was fortunate enough to test-drive the Nissan Leaf this week, and thought I would post some first impressions. The car itself is very comfortable, and for anyone used to a Prius (or any automatic), it drives exactly like a … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Sustainability
Tagged carbon, CO2, Electric Cars, electricity, Peak Oil
5 Comments
A safer future? Don’t bank on it
“Disaster myopia” was a new phrase to enter the lexicon of Irish political life this week. This condition manifests itself in an “increasing tendency to discount the probability of a disaster occurring, the longer the interval of time that has elapsed … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability
26 Comments
EU “may adapt” 10% biofuel target
The scientific perspective could “kill biofuels” – that’s what the head of the EU’s agriculture unit said to colleagues in response to data showing the global ramifications of dedicating land in Europe to biofuels. The new Commissioner has said “if … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged Biofuels, climate change, emissions, indirect land use impacts
5 Comments
Ming shows our bogs no mercy
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it”. So wrote novelist Upton Sinclair, and boy, did he have a clear understanding of human nature. Last Thursday’ PrimeTime on RTE … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Irish Focus, Sustainability
8 Comments
Peak oil – what happens next?
Wednesday night last saw an interesting session to kick off several days of the 15th Convergence Sustainable Living Festival, organised by Cultivate. The two-hour session was entitled: ‘Planning our retreat from fossil fuels: exploring the ramifications of Peak Oil’ and … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged Ciaran Cuffe, Cultivate, Davie Philip, Energy, Feasta, Korowicz, Peak Oil
7 Comments
Can industrial civilisation and the biosphere both be saved?
Even when you don’t agree with him, Monbiot remains essential reading. Whether you regard the Dark Mountain Project as a bunch of dystopian doomers, or simply realists probably depends on how you feel about peak oil (in the shorter term) … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged Energy, Monbiot, Oil, palm oil, Peak Oil, Sustainability
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Higher emissions? Or empty roads and emigration?
Monday 26 April is the last day to make a submission on the public consultation process for the largest section of motorway yet to be proposed in Ireland – some 80 km between Cork and Limerick. Submissions must be with … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged Ireland's National Debt, motorway construction, policy coherence
14 Comments
Argument versus Proselytising: Developing and defending a rational debate on energy and survival.
The debate on climate change faces a number of inherent handicaps. Human nature is perhaps the most important. At our best, we deal reasonably well with the present and the immediate future. If next Christmas seems remote, our abilities to … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Sceptics, Sustainability
Tagged Climategate, CRU, denial, Energy, Peak Oil
3 Comments
Ireland among most vulnerable to peak oil
HERE’S A conundrum: restarting global economic growth will, by definition, push up energy costs. Rising energy costs will in turn choke off that economic recovery, leading to a fall in energy prices. Try to restart growth again, and the brick … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability
Tagged Energy, Feasta, Forfas, Hirsch, Korowicz, Peak Oil
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Suspend democracy to tackle emissions – Lovelock
From the Guardian: In his first major interview since the climate-change emails scandal, James Lovelock says he is disgusted by the actions of some scientists, applauds ‘good’ climate sceptics, and warns that global warming could even lead to war Leo … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability
Tagged carbon, democracy, emissions, Gaia, James Lovelock
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